Facilitating Active Engagement of the University Student in a Large-Group Setting Using Group Work Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinsella, Gemma K.; Mahon, Catherine; Lillis, Seamus

2017-01-01

It is envisaged that small-group exercises as part of a large-group session would facilitate not only group work exercises (a valuable employability skill), but also peer learning. In this article, such a strategy to facilitate the active engagement of the student in a large-group setting was explored. The production of student-led resources was…

Discovery of SMP-304, a novel benzylpiperidine derivative with serotonin transporter inhibitory activity and 5-HT1A weak partial agonistic activity showing the antidepressant-like effect.

PubMed

Yoshinaga, Hidefumi; Masumoto, Shuji; Koyama, Koji; Kinomura, Naoya; Matsumoto, Yuji; Kato, Taro; Baba, Satoko; Matsumoto, Kenji; Horisawa, Tomoko; Oki, Hitomi; Yabuuchi, Kazuki; Kodo, Toru

2017-01-01

We report the discovery of a novel benzylpiperidine derivative with serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitory activity and 5-HT 1A receptor weak partial agonistic activity showing the antidepressant-like effect. The 3-methoxyphenyl group and the phenethyl group of compound 1, which has weak SERT binding activity, but potent 5-HT 1A binding activity, were optimized, leading to compound 35 with potent and balanced dual SERT and 5-HT 1A binding activity, but also potent CYP2D6 inhibitory activity. Replacement of the methoxy group in the left part of compound 35 with a larger alkoxy group, such as ethoxy, isopropoxy or methoxy-ethoxy group ameliorated CYP2D6 inhibition, giving SMP-304 as a candidate. SMP-304 with serotonin uptake inhibitory activity and 5-HT 1A weak partial agonistic activity, which could work as a 5-HT 1A antagonist, displayed faster onset of antidepressant-like effect than a representative SSRI paroxetine in an animal model. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Active versus receptive group music therapy for major depressive disorder-A pilot study.

PubMed

Atiwannapat, Penchaya; Thaipisuttikul, Papan; Poopityastaporn, Patchawan; Katekaew, Wanwisa

2016-06-01

To compare the effects of 1) active group music therapy and 2) receptive group music therapy to group counseling in treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). On top of standard care, 14 MDD outpatients were randomly assigned to receive 1) active group music therapy (n=5), 2) receptive group music therapy (n=5), or 3) group counseling (n=4). There were 12 one-hour weekly group sessions in each arm. Participants were assessed at baseline, 1 month (after 4 sessions), 3 months (end of interventions), and 6 months. Primary outcomes were depressive scores measured by Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Thai version. Secondary outcomes were self-rated depression score and quality of life. At 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, both therapy groups showed statistically non-significant reduction in MADRS Thai scores when compared with the control group (group counseling). The reduction was slightly greater in the active group than the receptive group. Although there were trend toward better outcomes on self-report depression and quality of life, the differences were not statistically significant. Group music therapy, either active or receptive, is an interesting adjunctive treatment option for outpatients with MDD. The receptive group may reach peak therapeutic effect faster, but the active group may have higher peak effect. Group music therapy deserves further comprehensive studies. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Mononuclear nonheme iron(III) complexes that show superoxide dismutase-like activity and antioxidant effects against menadione-mediated oxidative stress.

PubMed

Hitomi, Yutaka; Iwamoto, Yuji; Kashida, Akihiro; Kodera, Masahito

2015-05-21

This communication describes the superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of mononuclear iron(III) complexes with pentadentate monocarboxylamido ligands. The SOD activity can be controlled by the electronic nature of the substituent group on the ligand. The nitro-substituted complex showed clear cytoprotective activity against menadione-mediated oxidative stress in cultured cells.

Chemically-related Groups of Active Ingredients

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Many pesticide active ingredients affect pests in similar ways, and we re-evaluate them together as a group. Groups include carbamate insecticides, neonicotinoids, organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethrins, and pyrethroids.

Need for Cognition and Active Information Search in Small Student Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curseu, Petru Lucian

2011-01-01

In a sample of 213 students organized in 44 groups this study tests the impact of need for cognition on active information search by using a multilevel analysis. The results show that group members with high need for cognition seek more advice in task related issues than those with low need for cognition and this pattern of information exchange is…

26 CFR 1.513-3 - Qualified convention and trade show activity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 7 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Qualified convention and trade show activity. 1... Organizations § 1.513-3 Qualified convention and trade show activity. (a) Introduction—(1) In general. Section 513(d) and § 1.513-3(b) provide that convention and trade show activities carried on by a qualifying...

26 CFR 1.513-3 - Qualified convention and trade show activity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 7 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Qualified convention and trade show activity. 1... Organizations § 1.513-3 Qualified convention and trade show activity. (a) Introduction—(1) In general. Section 513(d) and § 1.513-3(b) provide that convention and trade show activities carried on by a qualifying...

Bacillus subtilis from Soybean Food Shows Antimicrobial Activity for Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii by Affecting the adeS Gene.

PubMed

Wang, Tieshan; Su, Jianrong

2016-12-28

Exploring novel antibiotics is necessary for multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Because the probiotics in soybean food have antimicrobial activities, we investigated their effects on multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii . Nineteen multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains were clinifcally isolated as an experimental group and 11 multidrug-sensitive strains as controls. The growth rates of all bacteria were determined by using the analysis for xCELLigence Real-Time Cell. The combination of antibiotics showed synergistic effects on the strains in the control group but no effect on the strains in the experimental group. Efflux pump gene adeS was absent in all the strains from the control group, whereas it exists in all the strains from the experimental group. Furthermore, all the strains lost multidrug resistance when an adeS inhibitor was used. One strain of probiotics isolated from soybean food showed high antimicrobial activity for multidrug-resistant A. baumannii . The isolated strain belongs to Bacillus subtilis according to 16S RNA analysis. Furthermore, E. coli showed multidrug resistance when it was transformed with the adeS gene from A. baumannii whereas the resistant bacteria could be inhibited completely by isolated Bacillus subtilis . Thus, probiotics from soybean food provide potential antibiotics against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria.

Latino Civic Group Participation, Social Networks, and Physical Activity.

PubMed

Marquez, Becky; Gonzalez, Patricia; Gallo, Linda; Ji, Ming

2016-07-01

We examined whether social networks and resource awareness for physical activity may mediate the relationship between civic group participation and physical activity. This is a cross-sectional study of a randomly selected sample of 335 Latinos (mean age 42.1 ± 16.4 years) participating in the San Diego Prevention Research Center's 2009 Household Community Survey. Serial multiple mediation analysis tested the hypothesis that civic group participation is associated with meeting physical activity recommendations through an indirect mechanism of larger social networks followed by greater knowledge of physical activity community resources. The indirect effects of level of civic group participation as well as religious, health, neighborhood, or arts group participation on meeting national physical activity recommendations were significant in models testing pathways through social network size and physical activity resource awareness. The direct effect was only significant for health group indicating that participating in a health group predicted physical activity independent of social network size and awareness of physical activity resources. Belonging to civic groups may promote physical activity engagement through social network diffusion of information on community physical activity resources which has implications for health.

High and low sensation seeking adolescents show distinct patterns of brain activity during reward processing

PubMed Central

Cservenka, Anita; Herting, Megan M.; Seghete, Kristen L. Mackiewicz; Hudson, Karen A.; Nagel, Bonnie J.

2012-01-01

Previous research has shown that personality characteristics, such as sensation seeking (SS), are strong predictors of risk-taking behavior during adolescence. However, the relationship between levels of SS and brain response has not been studied during this time period. Given the prevalence of risky behavior during adolescence, it is important to understand neurobiological differences in reward sensitivity between youth with high and low SS personalities. To this end, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine differences in brain activity in an adolescent sample that included 27 high (HSS) and 27 low sensation seekers (LSS), defined by the Impulsive Sensation Seeking scale of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (Zuckerman et al., 1993). In the scanner, participants played a modified Wheel of Fortune decision-making task (Cservenka and Nagel, 2012) that resulted in trials with monetary Wins or No Wins. We compared age- and sex-matched adolescent HSS and LSS (mean age = 13.94 ± 1.05) on brain activity by contrasting Win versus No Win trials. Our findings indicate that HSS show greater bilateral insular and prefrontal cortex (PFC) brain response on Win vs. No Win compared to LSS. Analysis of simple effects showed that while LSS showed comparable brain activity in these areas during Wins and No Wins, HSS showed significant differences in brain response to winning (activation) versus not winning (deactivation), with between-group comparison suggesting significant differences in brain response, largely to reward absence. Group differences in insular activation between reward receipt and absence may suggest weak autonomic arousal to negative outcomes in HSS compared with LSS. Additionally, since the PFC is important for goal-directed behavior and attention, the current results may reflect that HSS allocate fewer attentional resources to negative outcomes than LSS. This insensitivity to reward absence in HSS may lead to a greater

Using activity-based costing to track resource use in group practices.

PubMed

Zeller, T L; Siegel, G; Kaciuba, G; Lau, A H

1999-09-01

Research shows that understanding how resources are consumed can help group practices control costs. An American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons study used an activity-based costing (ABC) system to measure how resources are consumed in providing medical services. Teams of accounting professors observed 18 diverse orthopedic surgery practices. The researchers identified 17 resource-consuming business processes performed by nonphysician office staff. They measured resource consumption by assigning costs to each process according to how much time is spent on related work activities. When group practices understand how their resources are being consumed, they can reduce costs and optimize revenues by making adjustments in how administrative and clinical staff work.

Dillapiole, isolated from Peperomia pellucida, shows gastroprotector activity against ethanol-induced gastric lesions in Wistar rats.

PubMed

Rojas-Martínez, Raúl; Arrieta, Jesús; Cruz-Antonio, Leticia; Arrieta-Baez, Daniel; Velázquez-Méndez, Antonio Magdiel; Sánchez-Mendoza, María Elena

2013-09-13

Peperomia pellucida is a plant used in traditional medicine to treat gastric ulcers. Although this gastroprotective activity was reported, the active compounds have not been identified. Therefore, the aim herein was to identify the most active compound in the gastroprotective activity of P. pellucida using an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer experimental rat model. A gastroprotective effect was observed when the hexane and dichloromethane extracts were tested, with the higher effect being obtained with the dichloromethane extract (82.3 ± 5.6%) at 100 mg/kg. Dillapiole was identified as the most active compound in this extract. Although there have been previous reports on dillapiole, this is the first on its gastroprotective activity. Rats treated with this compound at 3, 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg showed 23.1, 56.1, 73.2 and 85.5% gastroprotection, respectively. The effect elicited by dillapiole at 100 mg/kg was not attenuated by pretreatment with indomethacin (10 mg/kg, s.c.), a prostaglandin synthesis blocker, NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (70 mg/kg, i.p.), a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, or N-ethylmaleimide (10 mg/kg, s.c.), a blocker of sulfhydryl groups. This suggests that the gastroprotective mechanism of action of dillapiole does not involve prostaglandins, NO or sulfhydryl groups.

Does chess instruction improve mathematical problem-solving ability? Two experimental studies with an active control group.

PubMed

Sala, Giovanni; Gobet, Fernand

2017-12-01

It has been proposed that playing chess enables children to improve their ability in mathematics. These claims have been recently evaluated in a meta-analysis (Sala & Gobet, 2016, Educational Research Review, 18, 46-57), which indicated a significant effect in favor of the groups playing chess. However, the meta-analysis also showed that most of the reviewed studies used a poor experimental design (in particular, they lacked an active control group). We ran two experiments that used a three-group design including both an active and a passive control group, with a focus on mathematical ability. In the first experiment (N = 233), a group of third and fourth graders was taught chess for 25 hours and tested on mathematical problem-solving tasks. Participants also filled in a questionnaire assessing their meta-cognitive ability for mathematics problems. The group playing chess was compared to an active control group (playing checkers) and a passive control group. The three groups showed no statistically significant difference in mathematical problem-solving or metacognitive abilities in the posttest. The second experiment (N = 52) broadly used the same design, but the Oriental game of Go replaced checkers in the active control group. While the chess-treated group and the passive control group slightly outperformed the active control group with mathematical problem solving, the differences were not statistically significant. No differences were found with respect to metacognitive ability. These results suggest that the effects (if any) of chess instruction, when rigorously tested, are modest and that such interventions should not replace the traditional curriculum in mathematics.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Chironomidae showed differential activity towards metals.

PubMed

Chong, Isaac K W; Ho, Wing S

2013-09-01

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is known to interact with different biomolecules and was implicated in many novel cellular activities including programmed cell death, nuclear RNA transport unrelated to the commonly known carbohydrate metabolism. We reported here the purification of GAPDH from Chironomidae larvae (Insecta, Diptera) that showed different biologic activity towards heavy metals. It was inhibited by copper, cobalt nickel, iron and lead but was activated by zinc. The GAPDH was purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation and Chelating Sepharose CL-6B chromatography followed by Blue Sepharose CL-6B chromatography. The 150-kDa tetrameric GAPDH showed optimal activity at pH 8.5 and 37°C. The multiple alignment of sequence of the Chironomidae GAPDH with other known species showed 78 - 88% identity to the conserved regions of the GADPH. Bioinformatic analysis unveils substantial N-terminal sequence similarity of GAPDH of Chironomidae larvae to mammalian GADPHs. However, the GADPH of Chironomidae larvae showed different biologic activities and cytotoxicity towards heavy metals. The GAPDH enzyme would undergo adaptive molecular changes through binding at the active site leading to higher tolerance to heavy metals.

OTX2 activity at distal regulatory elements shapes the chromatin landscape of Group 3 medulloblastoma

PubMed Central

Boulay, Gaylor; Awad, Mary E.; Riggi, Nicolo; Archer, Tenley C.; Iyer, Sowmya; Boonseng, Wannaporn E.; Rossetti, Nikki E; Naigles, Beverly; Rengarajan, Shruthi; Volorio, Angela; Kim, James C.; Mesirov, Jill P.; Tamayo, Pablo; Pomeroy, Scott L.; Aryee, Martin J.; Rivera, Miguel N.

2017-01-01

Medulloblastoma is the most frequent malignant pediatric brain tumor and is divided into at least four subgroups known as Wnt, SHH, Group 3 and Group 4. Here we characterized gene regulation mechanisms in the most aggressive subtype, Group 3 tumors, through genome-wide chromatin and expression profiling. Our results show that most active distal sites in these tumors are occupied by the transcription factor OTX2. Highly active OTX2 bound enhancers are often arranged as clusters of adjacent peaks and are also bound by the transcription factor NEUROD1. These sites are responsive to OTX2 and NEUROD1 knockdown and could also be generated de novo upon ectopic OTX2 expression in primary cells, showing that OTX2 cooperates with NEUROD1 and plays a major role in maintaining and possibly establishing regulatory elements as a pioneer factor. Among OTX2 target genes we identified the kinase NEK2, whose knockdown and pharmacological inhibition decreased cell viability. Our studies thus show that OTX2 controls the regulatory landscape of Group 3 medulloblastoma through cooperative activity at enhancer elements and contributes to the expression of critical target genes. PMID:28213356

Active ingredients of substance use-focused self-help groups.

PubMed

Moos, Rudolf H

2008-03-01

This paper provides an overview of some of the probable active ingredients of self-help groups in light of four related theories that identify common social processes that appear to underlie effective psychosocial treatments for and continuing remission from these disorders. Social control theory specifies active ingredients such as bonding, goal direction and structure; social learning theory specifies the importance of norms and role models, behavioral economics and behavioral choice theory emphasizes involvement in rewarding activities other than substance use, and stress and coping theory highlights building self-efficacy and effective coping skills. A review of existing studies suggests that the emphasis on these active ingredients probably underlies some aspects of the effectiveness of self-help groups. Several issues that need to be addressed to enhance understanding of the active ingredients of action of self-help groups are discussed, including consideration of indices of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) affiliation as active ingredients, identification of personal characteristics that may moderate the influence of active ingredients on substance use outcomes, examination of whether active ingredients of self-help groups, can amplify or compensate for treatment, identification of potential detrimental effects of involvement in self-help groups and focusing on the link between active ingredients of self-help groups and other aspects of the overall recovery milieu, such as the family and social networks.

I won't tell: Young children show loyalty to their group by keeping group secrets.

PubMed

Misch, Antonia; Over, Harriet; Carpenter, Malinda

2016-02-01

Group loyalty is highly valued. However, little is known about young children's loyal behavior. This study tested whether 4- and 5-year-olds (N=96) remain loyal to their group even when betraying it would be materially advantageous. Children and four puppets were allocated to novel groups. Two of these puppets (either in-group or out-group members) then told children a group secret and urged them not to disclose the secret. Another puppet (not assigned to either group) then bribed children with stickers to tell the secret. Across ages, children were significantly less likely to reveal the secret in the in-group condition than in the out-group condition. Thus, even young children are willing to pay a cost to be loyal to their group. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Your Library--Greatest Show of All! Activity Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Mary, Ed.

Intended as a companion volume for librarians planning a children's summer reading program, this activity manual provides ideas for games, puzzles, puppet shows, story reading, and more, all based on the theme of "Circus Summer." The manual suggests ways to promote the program, such as visits to schools, and provides directions for…

DHPG Activation of Group 1 mGluRs in BLA Enhances Fear Conditioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudy, Jerry W.; Matus-Amat, Patricia

2009-01-01

Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors are known to play an important role in both synaptic plasticity and memory. We show that activating these receptors prior to fear conditioning by infusing the group 1 mGluR agonist, (R.S.)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG), into the basolateral region of the amygdala (BLA) of adult Sprague-Dawley rats…

Compared to purpurinimides, the pyropheophorbide containing an iodobenzyl group showed enhanced PDT efficacy and tumor imaging (124I-PET) ability.

PubMed

Pandey, Suresh K; Sajjad, Munawwar; Chen, Yihui; Pandey, Anupam; Missert, Joseph R; Batt, Carrie; Yao, Rutao; Nabi, Hani A; Oseroff, Allan R; Pandey, Ravindra K

2009-02-01

Two positional isomers of purpurinimide, 3-[1'-(3-iodobenzyloxyethyl)] purpurin-18-N-hexylimide methyl ester 4, in which the iodobenzyl group is present at the top half of the molecule (position-3), and a 3-(1'-hexyloxyethy)purpurin-18-N-(3-iodo-benzylimide)] methyl ester 5, where the iodobenzyl group is introduced at the bottom half (N-substitued cyclicimide) of the molecule, were derived from chlorophyll-a. The tumor uptake and phototherapeutic abilities of these isomers were compared with the pyropheophorbide analogue 1 (lead compound). These compounds were then converted into the corresponding 124I-labeled PET imaging agents with specific activity >1 Ci/micromol. Among the positional isomers 4 and 5, purpurinimide 5 showed enhanced imaging and therapeutic potential. However, the lead compound 1 derived from pyropheophorbide-a exhibited the best PET imaging and PDT efficacy. For investigating the overall lipophilicity of the molecule, the 3-O-hexyl ether group present at position-3 of purpurinimide 5 was replaced with a methyl ether substituent, and the resulting product 10 showed improved tumor uptake, but due to its significantly higher uptake in the liver, spleen, and other organs, a poor tumor contrast in whole-body tumor imaging was observed.

Croton grewioides Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) Shows Antidiarrheal Activity in Mice

PubMed Central

da Silva, Anne Dayse Soares; de Melo e Silva, Karoline; Neto, José Clementino; Costa, Vicente Carlos de Oliveira; Pessôa, Hilzeth de Luna F.; Tavares, Josean Fechine; da Silva, Marcelo Sobral; Cavalcante, Fabiana de Andrade

2016-01-01

Based on chemotaxonomy, we decided to investigate the possible antidiarrheal activity in mice of a crude ethanolic extract obtained from aerial parts of Croton grewioides (CG-EtOH). We tested for any possible toxicity in rat erythrocytes and acute toxicity in mice. Antidiarrheal activity was assessed by determining the effect of CG-EtOH on defecation frequency, liquid stool, intestinal motility and intestinal fluid accumulation. CG-EtOH showed no in vitro cytotoxicity and was not orally lethal. In contrast, the extract given intraperitoneally (at 2000 mg/kg) was lethal, but only in females. CG-EtOH produced a significant and equipotent antidiarrheal activity, both in defecation frequency (ED50 = 106.0 ± 8.1 mg/kg) and liquid stools (ED50 = 105.0 ± 9.2 mg/kg). However, CG-EtOH (125 mg/kg) decreased intestinal motility by only 22.7% ± 4.4%. Moreover, extract markedly inhibited the castor oil-induced intestinal contents (ED50 = 34.6 ± 5.4 mg/kg). We thus conclude that CG-EtOH is not orally lethal and contains active principles with antidiarrheal activity, and this effect seems to involve mostly changes in intestinal secretion. SUMMARY CG-EtOH showed no in vitro cytotoxicity and was not orally lethal. In contrast, the extract given intraperitoneally (at 2000 mg/kg) was lethal, but only in females.CG-EtOH probably contains active metabolites with antidiarrheal activity.CG-EtOH reduced the frequency and number of liquid stools.Metabolites presents in the CG-EtOH act mainly by reducing intestinal fluid and, to a lesser extent, reducing intestinal motility. Abbreviations Used: CG-EtOH: crude ethanolic extract obtained from the aerial parts of C. grewioides; WHO: World Health Organization; ED50: dose of a drug that produces 50% of its maximum effect; Emax: maximum effect PMID:27365990

Discriminative latent models for recognizing contextual group activities.

PubMed

Lan, Tian; Wang, Yang; Yang, Weilong; Robinovitch, Stephen N; Mori, Greg

2012-08-01

In this paper, we go beyond recognizing the actions of individuals and focus on group activities. This is motivated from the observation that human actions are rarely performed in isolation; the contextual information of what other people in the scene are doing provides a useful cue for understanding high-level activities. We propose a novel framework for recognizing group activities which jointly captures the group activity, the individual person actions, and the interactions among them. Two types of contextual information, group-person interaction and person-person interaction, are explored in a latent variable framework. In particular, we propose three different approaches to model the person-person interaction. One approach is to explore the structures of person-person interaction. Differently from most of the previous latent structured models, which assume a predefined structure for the hidden layer, e.g., a tree structure, we treat the structure of the hidden layer as a latent variable and implicitly infer it during learning and inference. The second approach explores person-person interaction in the feature level. We introduce a new feature representation called the action context (AC) descriptor. The AC descriptor encodes information about not only the action of an individual person in the video, but also the behavior of other people nearby. The third approach combines the above two. Our experimental results demonstrate the benefit of using contextual information for disambiguating group activities.

Garnet: featured mineral group at the 1993 Tucson Show

USGS Publications Warehouse

Modreski, P.J.

1993-01-01

The garnets are a common but complex group of minerals. They are perhaps the mineral kingdom's best example of solid solution: a relationship in which minerals have chemical compositions that are intermediate between two or more ideal end-member species. In garnet, we deal with a complex group of solid-solution series between as many as 14 end-member minerals. The varying intergradations of solid solution between these different end-members help to explain the garnet group's variety of color, environment of occurrence, gem use, and variation in such physical properties as specific gravity, refractive index, and hardness. -from Author

N-Acylated and D enantiomer derivatives of a nonamer core peptide of lactoferricin B showing improved antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

Wakabayashi, H; Matsumoto, H; Hashimoto, K; Teraguchi, S; Takase, M; Hayasawa, H

1999-05-01

N-acylated or D enantiomer peptide derivatives based on the sequence RRWQWRMKK in lactoferricin B demonstrated antimicrobial activities greater than those of lactoferricin B against bacteria and fungi. The most potent peptide, conjugated with an 11-carbon-chain acyl group, showed two to eight times lower MIC than lactoferricin B.

N-Acylated and d Enantiomer Derivatives of a Nonamer Core Peptide of Lactoferricin B Showing Improved Antimicrobial Activity

PubMed Central

Wakabayashi, Hiroyuki; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Hashimoto, Koichi; Teraguchi, Susumu; Takase, Mitsunori; Hayasawa, Hirotoshi

1999-01-01

N-acylated or d enantiomer peptide derivatives based on the sequence RRWQWRMKK in lactoferricin B demonstrated antimicrobial activities greater than those of lactoferricin B against bacteria and fungi. The most potent peptide, conjugated with an 11-carbon-chain acyl group, showed two to eight times lower MIC than lactoferricin B. PMID:10223949

Discriminative Latent Models for Recognizing Contextual Group Activities

PubMed Central

Lan, Tian; Wang, Yang; Yang, Weilong; Robinovitch, Stephen N.; Mori, Greg

2012-01-01

In this paper, we go beyond recognizing the actions of individuals and focus on group activities. This is motivated from the observation that human actions are rarely performed in isolation; the contextual information of what other people in the scene are doing provides a useful cue for understanding high-level activities. We propose a novel framework for recognizing group activities which jointly captures the group activity, the individual person actions, and the interactions among them. Two types of contextual information, group-person interaction and person-person interaction, are explored in a latent variable framework. In particular, we propose three different approaches to model the person-person interaction. One approach is to explore the structures of person-person interaction. Differently from most of the previous latent structured models, which assume a predefined structure for the hidden layer, e.g., a tree structure, we treat the structure of the hidden layer as a latent variable and implicitly infer it during learning and inference. The second approach explores person-person interaction in the feature level. We introduce a new feature representation called the action context (AC) descriptor. The AC descriptor encodes information about not only the action of an individual person in the video, but also the behavior of other people nearby. The third approach combines the above two. Our experimental results demonstrate the benefit of using contextual information for disambiguating group activities. PMID:22144516

Butterfly extracts show antibacterial activity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Extracts of several British butterfly species were tested and shown to possess powerful bactericidal activity against the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The active compounds were identified as hydroxylated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) related to loline with nitrogen at C-...

Compared to Purpurinimides, the Pyropheophorbide Containing an Iodobenzyl Group showed Enhanced PDT Efficacy and Tumor Imaging (124I-PET) Ability

PubMed Central

Pandey, Suresh K.; Sajjad, Munawwar; Chen, Yihui; Pandey, Anupam; Missert, Joseph R.; Batt, Carrie; Yao, Rutao; Nabi, Hani A.; Oseroff, Allan R.; Pandey, Ravindra K.

2009-01-01

Two positional isomers of purpurinimide; 3-[1’-(3-iodobenzyloxyethyl)] purpurin-18-N-hexylimide methyl ester 4 in which the iodobenzyl group is present at the top half of the molecule (position-3) and a 3-(1’-hexyloxyethy)purpurin-18-N-(3-iodo-benzylimide)] methyl ester 5, where the iodobenzyl group is introduced at the bottom half (N-substitued cyclicimide) of the molecule were derived from chlorophyll-a. The tumor uptake and phototherapeutic abilities of these isomers were compared with the pyropheophorbide analog 1 (lead compound). These compounds were then converted into the corresponding 124I- labeled PET imaging agents with specific activity >1Ci/μmole. Among the positional isomers 4 and 5, purpurinimide 5 showed enhanced imaging and therapeutic potential. However, the lead compound 1 derived from pyropheophorbide-a exhibited the best PET imaging and PDT efficacy. For investigating the overall lipophilicity of the molecule, the 3-O-hexyl ether group presnt at position-3 of purpurinimide 5 was replaced with a methyl ether substituent and the resulting product 10 showed improved tumor uptake, but due to its significantly higher uptake in liver, spleen and other organs, a poor tumor contrast in whole-body tumor imaging was observed. PMID:19191565

COSPAR/PRBEM international working group activities report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourdarie, S.; Blake, B.; Cao, J. B.; Friedel, R.; Miyoshi, Y.; Panasyuk, M.; Underwood, C.

It is now clear to everybody that the current standard AE8 AP8 model for ionising particle specification in the radiation belts must be updated But such an objective is quite difficult to reach just as a reminder to develop AE8 AP8 model in the seventies was 10 persons full time for ten years It is clear that world-wide efforts must be combined because not any individual group has the human resource to perform these new models by themselves Under COSPAR umbrella an international group of expert well distributed around the world has been created to set up a common framework for everybody involved in this field Planned activities of the international group of experts are to - Define users needs - Provide guidelines for standard file format for ionising measurements - Set up guidelines to process in-situ data on a common basis - Decide in which form the new models will have to be - Centralise all progress done world-wide to advise the community - Try to organise world-wide activities as a project to ensure complementarities and more efficiencies between all efforts done Activities of this working group since its creation will be reported as well as future plans

Overview of MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Griffin, Lisa; Williams, Robert

2003-01-01

TD64, the Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group, is one of several groups with high-fidelity fluids design and analysis expertise in the Space Transportation Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). TD64 assists personnel working on other programs. The group participates in projects in the following areas: turbomachinery activities, nozzle activities, combustion devices, and the Columbia accident investigation.

Modeling perceptual grouping and figure-ground segregation by means of active reentrant connections.

PubMed

Sporns, O; Tononi, G; Edelman, G M

1991-01-01

The segmentation of visual scenes is a fundamental process of early vision, but the underlying neural mechanisms are still largely unknown. Theoretical considerations as well as neurophysiological findings point to the importance in such processes of temporal correlations in neuronal activity. In a previous model, we showed that reentrant signaling among rhythmically active neuronal groups can correlate responses along spatially extended contours. We now have modified and extended this model to address the problems of perceptual grouping and figure-ground segregation in vision. A novel feature is that the efficacy of the connections is allowed to change on a fast time scale. This results in active reentrant connections that amplify the correlations among neuronal groups. The responses of the model are able to link the elements corresponding to a coherent figure and to segregate them from the background or from another figure in a way that is consistent with the so-called Gestalt laws.

Modeling Perceptual Grouping and Figure-Ground Segregation by Means of Active Reentrant Connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sporns, Olaf; Tononi, Giulio; Edelman, Gerald M.

1991-01-01

The segmentation of visual scenes is a fundamental process of early vision, but the underlying neural mechanisms are still largely unknown. Theoretical considerations as well as neurophysiological findings point to the importance in such processes of temporal correlations in neuronal activity. In a previous model, we showed that reentrant signaling among rhythmically active neuronal groups can correlate responses along spatially extended contours. We now have modified and extended this model to address the problems of perceptual grouping and figure-ground segregation in vision. A novel feature is that the efficacy of the connections is allowed to change on a fast time scale. This results in active reentrant connections that amplify the correlations among neuronal groups. The responses of the model are able to link the elements corresponding to a coherent figure and to segregate them from the background or from another figure in a way that is consistent with the so-called Gestalt laws.

Modeling perceptual grouping and figure-ground segregation by means of active reentrant connections.

PubMed Central

Sporns, O; Tononi, G; Edelman, G M

1991-01-01

The segmentation of visual scenes is a fundamental process of early vision, but the underlying neural mechanisms are still largely unknown. Theoretical considerations as well as neurophysiological findings point to the importance in such processes of temporal correlations in neuronal activity. In a previous model, we showed that reentrant signaling among rhythmically active neuronal groups can correlate responses along spatially extended contours. We now have modified and extended this model to address the problems of perceptual grouping and figure-ground segregation in vision. A novel feature is that the efficacy of the connections is allowed to change on a fast time scale. This results in active reentrant connections that amplify the correlations among neuronal groups. The responses of the model are able to link the elements corresponding to a coherent figure and to segregate them from the background or from another figure in a way that is consistent with the so-called Gestalt laws. Images PMID:1986358

Development of active learning modules in pharmacology for small group teaching.

PubMed

Tripathi, Raakhi K; Sarkate, Pankaj V; Jalgaonkar, Sharmila V; Rege, Nirmala N

2015-01-01

Current teaching in pharmacology in undergraduate medical curriculum in India is primarily drug centered and stresses imparting factual knowledge rather than on pharmacotherapeutic skills. These skills would be better developed through active learning by the students. Hence modules that will encourage active learning were developed and compared with traditional methods within the Seth GS Medical College, Mumbai. After Institutional Review Board approval, 90 second year undergraduate medical students who consented were randomized into six sub-groups, each with 15 students. Pre-test was administered. The three sub-groups were taught a topic using active learning modules (active learning groups), which included problems on case scenarios, critical appraisal of prescriptions and drug identification. The remaining three sub-groups were taught the same topic in a conventional tutorial mode (tutorial learning groups). There was crossover for the second topic. Performance was assessed using post-test. Questionnaires with Likert-scaled items were used to assess feedback on teaching technique, student interaction and group dynamics. The active and tutorial learning groups differed significantly in their post-test scores (11.3 ± 1.9 and 15.9 ± 2.7, respectively, P < 0.05). In students' feedback, 69/90 students had perceived the active learning session as interactive (vs. 37/90 students in tutorial group) and enhanced their understanding vs. 56/90 in tutorial group), aroused intellectual curiosity (47/90 students of active learning group vs. 30/90 in tutorial group) and provoked self-learning (41/90 active learning group vs. 14/90 in tutorial group). Sixty-four students in the active learning group felt that questioning each other helped in understanding the topic, which was the experience of 25/90 students in tutorial group. Nevertheless, students (55/90) preferred tutorial mode of learning to help them score better in their examinations. In this study, students preferred

Teaching Group Interdependence: A Campus Murder Mystery Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minei, Elizabeth M.; Shearer Dunn, Karen

2017-01-01

Courses: Introduction to Communication; small group; interpersonal. Objectives: This single activity demonstrates: (1) how interdependence can lead to better group outcomes than individual outcomes can; (2) how diversity of knowledge from multiple contributors helps group functioning; and (3) how students can be introduced to members of the…

Beliefs about physical activity--focus group results of Chinese community elderly in Seattle and Taipei.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Chun; Huang, Lian-Hua; Young, Heather M; Chen, Ya-Mei

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the beliefs about physical activity held by Chinese immigrant older adults in Seattle and to compare them with the beliefs held by Chinese elderly in Taipei. Researchers conducted 2 focus groups of Chinese older adults to explore their behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and perceived control beliefs. The first group included 10 elderly recruited from the Chinese Information and Service Center in Seattle, Washington. The second group included 14 elderly adults recruited from a health center in Taipei, Taiwan. This study used a qualitative study design, and deductive content analysis was used for analyzing information gathered. The results showed that Chinese immigrant older adults in Seattle had positive attitudes toward physical activity and that, compared with the group in Taipei, the group in Seattle perceived more positive social and environmental supports. The factors influencing Chinese older adults' physical activity and behaviors both in Seattle and in Taipei are discussed.

Overview of MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Griffin, Lisa; Williams, Robert

2002-01-01

This viewgraph report presents an overview of activities and accomplishments of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group. Expertise in this group focuses on high-fidelity fluids design and analysis with application to space shuttle propulsion and next generation launch technologies. Topics covered include: computational fluid dynamics research and goals, turbomachinery research and activities, nozzle research and activities, combustion devices, engine systems, MDA development and CFD process improvements.

Meta-Analysis of Group Learning Activities: Empirically Based Teaching Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomcho, Thomas J.; Foels, Rob

2012-01-01

Teaching researchers commonly employ group-based collaborative learning approaches in Teaching of Psychology teaching activities. However, the authors know relatively little about the effectiveness of group-based activities in relation to known psychological processes associated with group dynamics. Therefore, the authors conducted a meta-analytic…

Somali women's view of physical activity--a focus group study.

PubMed

Persson, Gerthi; Mahmud, Amina Jama; Hansson, Eva Ekvall; Strandberg, Eva Lena

2014-10-23

Physical inactivity presents a major public health challenge and is estimated to cause six to ten percent of the major non-communicable diseases. Studies show that immigrants, especially women, have an increased risk of non-communicable diseases compared to ethnic Swedes. Somali immigrant women have increased rates of overweight and obesity, low fitness levels and low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness compared to non-immigrant women. These findings suggest that Somali women are at increased risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases. Few studies explore determinants of physical activity among Somali women. The aim of this study was to explore Somali women's views and experiences of physical activity after migration to Sweden. A qualitative focused ethnographic approach was used in this study. Four focus groups were conducted with twenty-six Somali women ranging from 17 to 67 years of age. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in four main themes and ten categories: Life in Somalia and Life in Sweden, Understanding and enhancing health and Facilitators and barriers to physical activity. Great differences were seen between living in Somalia and in Sweden but also similarities such as finding time to manage housework, the family and the health of the woman. The extended family is non-existent in Sweden, making life more difficult. Health was considered a gift from God but living a healthy life was perceived as the responsibility of the individual. Misconceptions about enhancing health occurred depending on the woman's previous life experience and traditions. There was an awareness of the importance of physical activity among the participants but lack of knowledge of how to enhance activity on an individual basis. Enhancing factors to an active lifestyle were identified as being a safe and comfortable environment. Some barriers, such as climate, lack of motivation and time

Advanced Extravehicular Activity Breakout Group Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kosmo, Joseph J.; Perka, Alan; Walz, Carl; Cobb, Sharon; Hanford, Anthony; Eppler, Dean

2005-01-01

This viewgraph document summarizes the workings of the Advanced Extravehicular Activity (AEVA) Breakout group in a Martian environment. The group was tasked with: identifying potential contaminants and pathways for AEVA systems with respect to forward and backward contamination; identifying plausible mitigation alternatives and obstacles for pertinent missions; identifying topics that require further research and technology development and discuss development strategies with uncertain Planetary Protection (PP) requirements; Identifying PP requirements that impose the greatest mission/development costs; Identifying PP requirements/topics that require further definition;

A Group Recommender System for Tourist Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, Inma; Sebastia, Laura; Onaindia, Eva; Guzman, Cesar

This paper introduces a method for giving recommendations of tourist activities to a group of users. This method makes recommendations based on the group tastes, their demographic classification and the places visited by the users in former trips. The group recommendation is computed from individual personal recommendations through the use of techniques such as aggregation, intersection or incremental intersection. This method is implemented as an extension of the e-Tourism tool, which is a user-adapted tourism and leisure application, whose main component is the Generalist Recommender System Kernel (GRSK), a domain-independent taxonomy-driven search engine that manages the group recommendation.

Nab-Paclitaxel Plus S-1 Shows Increased Antitumor Activity in Patient-Derived Pancreatic Cancer Xenograft Mouse Models.

PubMed

Li, Jian-Ang; Xu, Xue-Feng; Han, Xu; Fang, Yuan; Shi, Chen-Ye; Jin, Da-Yong; Lou, Wen-Hui

2016-03-01

To investigate the antitumor activity of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) plus S-1 in patient-derived pancreatic cancer xenograft mouse models and to explore biomarkers that could predict drug efficacy. Ten patient-derived xenograft models were established. The third-generation tumor-bearing mice were randomized into 4 treatment groups: (1) control; (2) S-1; (3) nab-paclitaxel; (4) S-1 plus nab-paclitaxel. Resected tumors were tested by immunohistochemistry for the expression of thymidylate synthase, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), secreted protein that is acidic and rich in cysteine, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), collagen-1, and CD31. Tumor growth inhibition of the S-1 group, nab-paclitaxel group, and combination group was 69.52%, 86.63%, 103.56%, respectively (P < 0.05). The efficacy of S-1 is better in thymidylate synthase-negative, OPRT-positive, and DPD-negative tumors. The efficacy of nab-paclitaxel is better in HER2-positive tumors. Collagen-1 was decreased and CD31 was increased in tumors treated with nab-paclitaxel and S-1 plus nab-paclitaxel compared with control or S-1. This preclinical study showed that S-1 plus nab-paclitaxel exerted significantly better antitumor activity than S-1 or nab-paclitaxel alone. Thymidylate synthase, OPRT, and DPD were possibly biomarkers of S-1 and HER2 of nab-paclitaxel.

Activity groups for people with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Dean, Madeleine; Weston, Adam R W; Osborn, David P; Willis, Suzie; Patterson, Sue; Killaspy, Helen; Leurent, Baptiste; Crawford, Mike J

2014-08-01

UK guidelines recommend that patients with schizophrenia are offered access to social activities, however, the impact of such interventions have not been examined in a large randomized trial. To investigate the effect of an activity group intervention on mental health and global functioning 12 months after randomization compared to standard care alone. Secondary analysis of data from the MATISSE study. Primary outcomes were global functioning, assessed using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and mental health symptoms measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). About 140 participants were randomized to activity groups and 137 to standard care alone. Follow-up data were collected from 242 (87%) participants. Mental health improved significantly among those offered activity groups (change in PANSS score = -6.0, 95% CI -2.3 to -9.8) but global functioning did not (change in GAF score = 0.8, 95% CI -1.7 to 3.3). No significant differences were found between treatment arms. Offering activity groups to patients with schizophrenia was not associated with any additional clinical benefits. There was poor uptake and attendance at activity groups. Interventions that aim to improve negative symptoms may be useful in enabling engagement in psychosocial interventions.

The physical activity profiles of South Asian ethnic groups in England.

PubMed

Bhatnagar, Prachi; Townsend, Nick; Shaw, Alison; Foster, Charlie

2016-06-01

To identify what types of activity contribute to overall physical activity in South Asian ethnic groups and how these vary according to sex and age. We used the White British ethnic group as a comparison. Self-reported physical activity was measured in the Health Survey for England 1999 and 2004, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey that boosted ethnic minority samples in these years. We merged the two survey years and analysed data from 19 476 adults. The proportions of total physical activity achieved through walking, housework, sports and DIY activity were calculated. We stratified by sex and age group and used analysis of variances to examine differences between ethnic groups, adjusted for the socioeconomic status. There was a significant difference between ethnic groups for the contributions of all physical activity domains for those aged below 55 years, with the exception of walking. In women aged 16-34 years, there was no significant difference in the contribution of walking to total physical activity (p=0.38). In the 35-54 age group, Bangladeshi males have the highest proportion of total activity from walking (30%). In those aged over 55 years, the proportion of activity from sports was the lowest in all South Asian ethnic groups for both sexes. UK South Asians are more active in some ways that differ, by age and sex, from White British, but are similarly active in other ways. These results can be used to develop targeted population level interventions for increasing physical activity levels in adult UK South Asian populations. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Physical activity and beverage consumption in preschoolers: focus groups with parents and teachers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Qualitative research is a method in which new ideas and strategies can be discovered. This qualitative study aimed to investigate parents’ and teachers’ opinions on physical activity and beverage consumption of preschool children. Through separate, independent focus groups, they expressed their perceptions on children’s current physical activity and beverage consumption levels, factors that influence and enhance these behaviours, and anticipated barriers to making changes. Methods Multi-cultural and multi-geographical focus groups were carried out in six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain). In total, twenty-four focus groups with 122 parents and eighteen focus groups with 87 teachers were conducted between October 2010 and January 2011. Based on a semi-structured interview guide, questions on preschoolers’ physical activity (opinions on preschoolers’ physical activity, how to increase physical activity, facilitators and barriers of physical activity) and beverage consumption (rules and policies, factors influencing promotion of healthy drinking, recommendations for future intervention development) were asked. The information was analyzed using qualitative data analysis software (NVivo8). Results The focus group results indicated misperceptions of caregivers on preschoolers’ physical activity and beverage consumption levels. Caregivers perceived preschoolers as sufficiently active; they argue that children need to learn to sit still in preparation for primary school. At most preschools, children can drink only water. In some preschools sugar-sweetened beverages like chocolate milk or fruit juices, are also allowed. It was mentioned that sugar-sweetened beverages can be healthy due to mineral and vitamin content, although according to parents their daily intake is limited. These opinions resulted in low perceived needs to change behaviours. Conclusions Although previous research shows need of change in

Physical activity and beverage consumption in preschoolers: focus groups with parents and teachers.

PubMed

De Craemer, Marieke; De Decker, Ellen; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte; Vereecken, Carine; Duvinage, Kristin; Grammatikaki, Evangelia; Iotova, Violeta; Fernández-Alvira, Juan Miguel; Zych, Kamila; Manios, Yannis; Cardon, Greet

2013-03-27

Qualitative research is a method in which new ideas and strategies can be discovered. This qualitative study aimed to investigate parents' and teachers' opinions on physical activity and beverage consumption of preschool children. Through separate, independent focus groups, they expressed their perceptions on children's current physical activity and beverage consumption levels, factors that influence and enhance these behaviours, and anticipated barriers to making changes. Multi-cultural and multi-geographical focus groups were carried out in six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain). In total, twenty-four focus groups with 122 parents and eighteen focus groups with 87 teachers were conducted between October 2010 and January 2011. Based on a semi-structured interview guide, questions on preschoolers' physical activity (opinions on preschoolers' physical activity, how to increase physical activity, facilitators and barriers of physical activity) and beverage consumption (rules and policies, factors influencing promotion of healthy drinking, recommendations for future intervention development) were asked. The information was analyzed using qualitative data analysis software (NVivo8). The focus group results indicated misperceptions of caregivers on preschoolers' physical activity and beverage consumption levels. Caregivers perceived preschoolers as sufficiently active; they argue that children need to learn to sit still in preparation for primary school. At most preschools, children can drink only water. In some preschools sugar-sweetened beverages like chocolate milk or fruit juices, are also allowed. It was mentioned that sugar-sweetened beverages can be healthy due to mineral and vitamin content, although according to parents their daily intake is limited. These opinions resulted in low perceived needs to change behaviours. Although previous research shows need of change in obesity-related behaviours, the participants in the

The physical activity profiles of South Asian ethnic groups in England

PubMed Central

Bhatnagar, Prachi; Townsend, Nick; Shaw, Alison; Foster, Charlie

2016-01-01

Background To identify what types of activity contribute to overall physical activity in South Asian ethnic groups and how these vary according to sex and age. We used the White British ethnic group as a comparison. Methods Self-reported physical activity was measured in the Health Survey for England 1999 and 2004, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey that boosted ethnic minority samples in these years. We merged the two survey years and analysed data from 19 476 adults. The proportions of total physical activity achieved through walking, housework, sports and DIY activity were calculated. We stratified by sex and age group and used analysis of variances to examine differences between ethnic groups, adjusted for the socioeconomic status. Results There was a significant difference between ethnic groups for the contributions of all physical activity domains for those aged below 55 years, with the exception of walking. In women aged 16–34 years, there was no significant difference in the contribution of walking to total physical activity (p=0.38). In the 35–54 age group, Bangladeshi males have the highest proportion of total activity from walking (30%). In those aged over 55 years, the proportion of activity from sports was the lowest in all South Asian ethnic groups for both sexes. Conclusions UK South Asians are more active in some ways that differ, by age and sex, from White British, but are similarly active in other ways. These results can be used to develop targeted population level interventions for increasing physical activity levels in adult UK South Asian populations. PMID:26677257

Graphene Oxide Catalyzed C-H Bond Activation: The Importance Oxygen Functional Groups for Biaryl Construction

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

Gao, Yongjun; Tang, Pei; Zhou, Hu

A heterogeneous, inexpensive and environment-friendly carbon catalytic system was developed for the C-H bond arylation of benzene resulting in the subsequent formation of biaryl compounds. The oxygen-containing groups on these graphene oxide sheets play an essential role in the observed catalytic activity. The catalytic results of model compounds and DFT calculations show that these functional groups promote this reaction by stabilization and activation of K ions at the same time of facilitating the leaving of I. And further mechanisms studies show that it is the charge induced capabilities of oxygen groups connected to specific carbon skeleton together with the giantmore » π-reaction platform provided by the π-domain of graphene that played the vital roles in the observed excellent catalytic activity. D. Mei acknowledges the support from the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a multiprogram national laboratory operated for DOE by Battelle. Computing time was granted by the grand challenge of computational catalysis of the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory.« less

A cry in the dark: depressed mothers show reduced neural activation to their own infant’s cry

PubMed Central

Ablow, Jennifer C.

2012-01-01

This study investigated depression-related differences in primiparous mothers’ neural response to their own infant’s distress cues. Mothers diagnosed with major depressive disorder (n = 11) and comparison mothers with no diagnosable psychopathology (n = 11) were exposed to their own 18-months-old infant’s cry sound, as well as unfamiliar infant’s cry and control sound, during functional neuroimaging. Depressed mothers’ response to own infant cry greater than other sounds was compared to non-depressed mothers’ response in the whole brain [false discovery rate (FDR) corrected]. A continuous measure of self-reported depressive symptoms (CESD) was also tested as a predictor of maternal response. Non-depressed mothers activated to their own infant’s cry greater than control sound in a distributed network of para/limbic and prefrontal regions, whereas depressed mothers as a group failed to show activation. Non-depressed compared to depressed mothers showed significantly greater striatal (caudate, nucleus accumbens) and medial thalamic activation. Additionally, mothers with lower depressive symptoms activated more strongly in left orbitofrontal, dorsal anterior cingulate and medial superior frontal regions. Non-depressed compared to depressed mothers activated uniquely to own infant greater than other infant cry in occipital fusiform areas. Disturbance of these neural networks involved in emotional response and regulation may help to explain parenting deficits in depressed mothers. PMID:21208990

The use of music in group educational activities in Family Health.

PubMed

Silva, Líliam Barbosa; Soares, Sônia Maria; da Silva, Maria Júlia Paes; Santos, Graziela da Costa; Fernandes, Maria Teresinha de Oliveira

2013-01-01

describe how music is used in the development of group educational activity in Family Health. a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study, developed with 10 group coordinators, distributed in five basic care units in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were collected from March to July, 2009, with non participant observation in the group itself, and semi-structured interviews with the coordinators. Information was organized and categorized according to thematic analysis. To interpret the data, the Snyderian concepts in addition to theoretical references about music, communication and health education were used. three thematic nuclei were found: the affective dimension of music; recreative dimension of music and the reflexive dimension of music. an attempt by the coordinators was observed, to overcome the pathological barriers with the use of music, considering the group as a whole. As advancement for the production of knowledge, this study shows the need for qualification of these coordinators, by means of workshops and constant follow-up of their musical practices.

In vitro anti-mycobacterial activity of nine medicinal plants used by ethnic groups in Sonora, Mexico.

PubMed

Robles-Zepeda, Ramón Enrique; Coronado-Aceves, Enrique Wenceslao; Velázquez-Contreras, Carlos Arturo; Ruiz-Bustos, Eduardo; Navarro-Navarro, Moisés; Garibay-Escobar, Adriana

2013-11-25

Sonoran ethnic groups (Yaquis, Mayos, Seris, Guarijíos, Pimas, Kikapúes and Pápagos) use mainly herbal based preparations as their first line of medicinal treatment. Among the plants used are those with anti-tuberculosis properties; however, no formal research is available. Organic extracts were obtained from nine medicinal plants traditionally used by Sonoran ethnic groups to treat different kinds of diseases; three of them are mainly used to treat tuberculosis. All of the extracts were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv using the Alamar Blue redox bioassay. Methanolic extracts from Ambrosia confertiflora, Ambrosia ambrosioides and Guaiacum coulteri showed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 200, 790 and 1000 μg/mL, respectively, whereas no effect was observed with the rest of the methanolic extracts at the concentrations tested. Chloroform, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate extracts from Ambrosia confertiflora showed a MIC of 90, 120 and 160 μg/mL, respectively. A. confertiflora and A. ambrosioides showed the best anti-mycobacterial activity in vitro. The activity of Guaiacum coulteri is consistent with the traditional use by Sonoran ethnic groups as anti-tuberculosis agent.For these reasons, it is important to investigate a broader spectrum of medicinal plants in order to find compounds active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The three catalases in Deinococcus radiodurans: Only two show catalase activity

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

Jeong, Sun-Wook; Department of Biological Sciences, College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764; Jung, Jong-Hyun

2016-01-15

Deinococcus radiodurans, which is extremely resistant to ionizing radiation and oxidative stress, is known to have three catalases (DR1998, DRA0146, and DRA0259). In this study, to investigate the role of each catalase, we constructed catalase mutants (Δdr1998, ΔdrA0146, and ΔdrA0259) of D. radiodurans. Of the three mutants, Δdr1998 exhibited the greatest decrease in hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) resistance and the highest increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels following H{sub 2}O{sub 2} treatments, whereas ΔdrA0146 showed no change in its H{sub 2}O{sub 2} resistance or ROS level. Catalase activity was not attenuated in ΔdrA0146, and none of the threemore » bands detected in an in-gel catalase activity assay disappeared in ΔdrA0146. The purified His-tagged recombinant DRA0146 did not show catalase activity. In addition, the phylogenetic analysis of the deinococcal catalases revealed that the DR1998-type catalase is common in the genus Deinococcus, but the DRA0146-type catalase was found in only 4 of 23 Deinococcus species. Taken together, these results indicate that DR1998 plays a critical role in the anti-oxidative system of D. radiodurans by detoxifying H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, but DRA0146 does not have catalase activity and is not involved in the resistance to H{sub 2}O{sub 2} stress. - Highlights: • The dr1998 mutant strain lost 90% of its total catalase activity. • Increased ROS levels and decreased H{sub 2}O{sub 2} resistance were observed in dr1998 mutants. • Lack of drA0146 did not affect any oxidative stress-related phenotypes. • The purified DRA0146 did not show catalase activity.« less

Small Group Activities for Introductory Business Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundrake, George

1999-01-01

Describes numerous small-group activities for the following areas of basic business education: consumer credit, marketing, business organization, entrepreneurship, insurance, risk management, economics, personal finance, business careers, global markets, and government regulation. (SK)

"We Are in This Together": Common Group Identity Predicts Majority Members' Active Acculturation Efforts to Integrate Immigrants.

PubMed

Kunst, Jonas R; Thomsen, Lotte; Sam, David L; Berry, John W

2015-10-01

Although integration involves a process of mutual accommodation, the role of majority groups is often downplayed to passive tolerance, leaving immigrants with the sole responsibility for active integration. However, we show that common group identity can actively involve majority members in this process across five studies. Study 1 showed that common identity positively predicted support of integration efforts; Studies 2 and 3 extended these findings, showing that it also predicted real behavior such as monetary donations and volunteering. A decrease in modern racism mediated the relations across these studies, and Studies 4 and 5 further demonstrated that it indeed mediated these effects over and above acculturation expectations and color-blindness, which somewhat compromised integration efforts. Moreover, the last two studies also demonstrated that common, but not dual, groups motivated integration efforts. Common identity appears crucial for securing majorities' altruistic efforts to integrate immigrants and, thus, for achieving functional multiculturalism. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

High-Mobility Group Box 1-Induced Complement Activation Causes Sterile Inflammation.

PubMed

Kim, Sook Young; Son, Myoungsun; Lee, Sang Eun; Park, In Ho; Kwak, Man Sup; Han, Myeonggil; Lee, Hyun Sook; Kim, Eun Sook; Kim, Jae-Young; Lee, Jong Eun; Choi, Ji Eun; Diamond, Betty; Shin, Jeon-Soo

2018-01-01

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a well-known danger-associated molecular pattern molecule, acts as a pro-inflammatory molecule when secreted by activated immune cells or released after necrotic cell damage. HMGB1 binds to immunogenic bacterial components and augments septic inflammation. In this study, we show how HMGB1 mediates complement activation, promoting sterile inflammation. We show that HMGB1 activates the classical pathway of complement system in an antibody-independent manner after binding to C1q. The C3a complement activation product in human plasma and C5b-9 membrane attack complexes on cell membrane surface are detected after the addition of HMGB1. In an acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity model, APAP injection reduced HMGB1 levels and elevated C3 levels in C1q-deficient mouse serum samples, compared to that in wild-type (WT) mice. APAP-induced C3 consumption was inhibited by sRAGE treatment in WT mice. Moreover, in a mouse model of brain ischemia-reperfusion injury based on middle cerebral arterial occlusion, C5b-9 complexes were deposited on vessels where HMGB1 was accumulated, an effect that was suppressed upon HMGB1 neutralization. We propose that the HMGB1 released after cell necrosis and in ischemic condition can trigger the classical pathway of complement activation to exacerbate sterile inflammation.

High-Mobility Group Box 1-Induced Complement Activation Causes Sterile Inflammation

PubMed Central

Kim, Sook Young; Son, Myoungsun; Lee, Sang Eun; Park, In Ho; Kwak, Man Sup; Han, Myeonggil; Lee, Hyun Sook; Kim, Eun Sook; Kim, Jae-Young; Lee, Jong Eun; Choi, Ji Eun; Diamond, Betty; Shin, Jeon-Soo

2018-01-01

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a well-known danger-associated molecular pattern molecule, acts as a pro-inflammatory molecule when secreted by activated immune cells or released after necrotic cell damage. HMGB1 binds to immunogenic bacterial components and augments septic inflammation. In this study, we show how HMGB1 mediates complement activation, promoting sterile inflammation. We show that HMGB1 activates the classical pathway of complement system in an antibody-independent manner after binding to C1q. The C3a complement activation product in human plasma and C5b-9 membrane attack complexes on cell membrane surface are detected after the addition of HMGB1. In an acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity model, APAP injection reduced HMGB1 levels and elevated C3 levels in C1q-deficient mouse serum samples, compared to that in wild-type (WT) mice. APAP-induced C3 consumption was inhibited by sRAGE treatment in WT mice. Moreover, in a mouse model of brain ischemia–reperfusion injury based on middle cerebral arterial occlusion, C5b-9 complexes were deposited on vessels where HMGB1 was accumulated, an effect that was suppressed upon HMGB1 neutralization. We propose that the HMGB1 released after cell necrosis and in ischemic condition can trigger the classical pathway of complement activation to exacerbate sterile inflammation. PMID:29696019

Heterogeneous activity causes a nonlinear increase in the group energy use of ant workers isolated from queen and brood.

PubMed

Ferral, Nolan; Holloway, Kyara; Li, Mingzhong; Yin, Zhaozheng; Hou, Chen

2018-06-01

Increasing evidence has shown that the energy use of ant colonies increases sublinearly with colony size so that large colonies consume less per capita energy than small colonies. It has been postulated that social environment (e.g., in the presence of queen and brood) is critical for the sublinear group energetics, and a few studies of ant workers isolated from queens and brood observed linear relationships between group energetics and size. In this paper, we hypothesize that the sublinear energetics arise from the heterogeneity of activity in ant groups, that is, large groups have relatively more inactive members than small groups. We further hypothesize that the energy use of ant worker groups that are allowed to move freely increases more slowly than the group size even if they are isolated from queen and brood. Previous studies only provided indirect evidence for these hypotheses due to technical difficulties. In this study, we applied the automated behavioral monitoring and respirometry simultaneously on isolated worker groups for long time periods, and analyzed the image with the state-of-the-art algorithms. Our results show that when activity was not confined, large groups had lower per capita energy use, a lower percentage of active members, and lower average walking speed than small groups; while locomotion was confined, however, the per capita energy use was a constant regardless of the group size. The quantitative analysis shows a direct link between variation in group energy use and the activity level of ant workers when isolated from queen and brood. © 2016 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

75 FR 51525 - Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity Update

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-20

.... 63] Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity Update AGENCY: Federal Railroad... Committee (RSAC) Working Group Activities. SUMMARY: The FRA is updating its announcement of RSAC's Working.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice serves to update FRA's last announcement of working group activities and...

DOING Physics--Physics Activities for Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Glenn; Insley, Peter

1985-01-01

Explains two activities: (1) a "rotator demonstration" (a turntable, pendulum, chalk, and other materials), which can be used in many activities to demonstrate rotational concepts; and (2) an "Eskimo yo-yo," consisting of two balls (plus long strings and a glass tube) which rotate in opposite directions to show centripetal force. (JN)

75 FR 4904 - Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity Update

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

...-7257] Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity Update AGENCY: Federal Railroad... Committee (RSAC) Working Group Activities. SUMMARY: The FRA is updating its announcement of RSAC's Working... notice serves to update FRA's last announcement of working group activities and status reports of August...

77 FR 24257 - Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity Update

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-23

.... 69] Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity Update AGENCY: Federal Railroad... Committee (RSAC) Working Group Activities. SUMMARY: The FRA is updating its announcement of the RSAC Working.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice serves to update FRA's last announcement of working group activities and...

In vitro anti-mycobacterial activity of nine medicinal plants used by ethnic groups in Sonora, Mexico

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Sonoran ethnic groups (Yaquis, Mayos, Seris, Guarijíos, Pimas, Kikapúes and Pápagos) use mainly herbal based preparations as their first line of medicinal treatment. Among the plants used are those with anti-tuberculosis properties; however, no formal research is available. Methods Organic extracts were obtained from nine medicinal plants traditionally used by Sonoran ethnic groups to treat different kinds of diseases; three of them are mainly used to treat tuberculosis. All of the extracts were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv using the Alamar Blue redox bioassay. Results Methanolic extracts from Ambrosia confertiflora, Ambrosia ambrosioides and Guaiacum coulteri showed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 200, 790 and 1000 μg/mL, respectively, whereas no effect was observed with the rest of the methanolic extracts at the concentrations tested. Chloroform, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate extracts from Ambrosia confertiflora showed a MIC of 90, 120 and 160 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusions A. confertiflora and A. ambrosioides showed the best anti-mycobacterial activity in vitro. The activity of Guaiacum coulteri is consistent with the traditional use by Sonoran ethnic groups as anti-tuberculosis agent. For these reasons, it is important to investigate a broader spectrum of medicinal plants in order to find compounds active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PMID:24267469

Identification of new members of the MAPK gene family in plants shows diverse conserved domains and novel activation loop variants.

PubMed

Mohanta, Tapan Kumar; Arora, Pankaj Kumar; Mohanta, Nibedita; Parida, Pratap; Bae, Hanhong

2015-02-06

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling is of critical importance in plants and other eukaryotic organisms. The MAPK cascade plays an indispensible role in the growth and development of plants, as well as in biotic and abiotic stress responses. The MAPKs are constitute the most downstream module of the three tier MAPK cascade and are phosphorylated by upstream MAP kinase kinases (MAPKK), which are in turn are phosphorylated by MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK). The MAPKs play pivotal roles in regulation of many cytoplasmic and nuclear substrates, thus regulating several biological processes. A total of 589 MAPKs genes were identified from the genome wide analysis of 40 species. The sequence analysis has revealed the presence of several N- and C-terminal conserved domains. The MAPKs were previously believed to be characterized by the presence of TEY/TDY activation loop motifs. The present study showed that, in addition to presence of activation loop TEY/TDY motifs, MAPKs are also contain MEY, TEM, TQM, TRM, TVY, TSY, TEC and TQY activation loop motifs. Phylogenetic analysis of all predicted MAPKs were clustered into six different groups (group A, B, C, D, E and F), and all predicted MAPKs were assigned with specific names based on their orthology based evolutionary relationships with Arabidopsis or Oryza MAPKs. We conducted global analysis of the MAPK gene family of plants from lower eukaryotes to higher eukaryotes and analyzed their genomic and evolutionary aspects. Our study showed the presence of several new activation loop motifs and diverse conserved domains in MAPKs. Advance study of newly identified activation loop motifs can provide further information regarding the downstream signaling cascade activated in response to a wide array of stress conditions, as well as plant growth and development.

Soya bean tempe extracts show antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus cells and spores.

PubMed

Roubos-van den Hil, P J; Dalmas, E; Nout, M J R; Abee, T

2010-07-01

Tempe, a Rhizopus ssp.-fermented soya bean food product, was investigated for bacteriostatic and/or bactericidal effects against cells and spores of the food-borne pathogen Bacillus cereus. Tempe extract showed a high antibacterial activity against B. cereus ATCC 14579 based on optical density and viable count measurements. This growth inhibition was manifested by a 4 log CFU ml(-1) reduction, within the first 15 min of exposure. Tempe extracts also rapidly inactivated B. cereus spores upon germination. Viability and membrane permeability assessments using fluorescence probes showed rapid inactivation and permeabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane confirming the bactericidal mode of action. Cooked beans and Rhizopus grown on different media did not show antibacterial activity, indicating the unique association of the antibacterial activity with tempe. Subsequent characterization of the antibacterial activity revealed that heat treatment and protease addition nullified the bactericidal effect, indicating the proteinaceous nature of the bioactive compound. During fermentation of soya beans with Rhizopus, compounds are released with extensive antibacterial activity against B. cereus cells and spores. The results show the potential of producing natural antibacterial compounds that could be used as ingredients in food preservation and pathogen control. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Group cohesion and between session homework activities predict self-reported cognitive-behavioral skill use amongst participants of SMART Recovery groups.

PubMed

Kelly, Peter J; Deane, Frank P; Baker, Amanda L

2015-04-01

SMART Recovery groups are cognitive-behaviorally oriented mutual support groups for individuals with addictions. The aim of the study was to assess the extent to which the quality of group facilitation, group cohesion and the use of between session homework activities contribute to self-rated use of cognitive-behavioral skills amongst group participants. Participants attending SMART Recovery groups in Australia completed a cross sectional survey (N=124). The survey included measures of cognitive and behavioral skill utilization, group cohesion, quality of group facilitation and a rating of how frequently participants leave group meetings with an achievable between session homework plan. On average, participants had been attending SMART Recovery meetings for 9 months. Participants were most likely to attend SMART Recovery for problematic alcohol use. Regression analyses indicated that group cohesion significantly predicted use of cognitive restructuring, but that only provision of homework at the end of each group session predicted self-reported behavioral activation. Both group cohesion and leaving a group with an achievable homework plan predicted participant use of cognitive behavioral skills. The concrete actions associated with homework activities may facilitate behavioral activation. There is a need for longitudinal research to examine the relationship between the utilization of cognitive and behavioral skills and participant outcomes (e.g. substance use, mental health) for people attending SMART Recovery groups. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Leadership in physical activity groups for older adults: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Estabrooks, Paul A; Munroe, Krista J; Fox, Elizabeth H; Gyurcsik, Nancy C; Hill, Jennie L; Lyon, Robert; Rosenkranz, Sara; Shannon, Vanessa R

2004-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a theory-based framework could be used to deductively identify and understand the characteristics of motivational leaders of physical activity groups for older adults. Participants were 23 older adults (mean age = 78.5 +/- 8.0 years, 65% women). An interview-guide approach was employed to elicit older adults' thoughts on important characteristics of physical activity group leaders. The data suggested that effective leaders are those whom the participants feel are properly qualified, are able to develop a personal bond with participants, and can use their knowledge and the group to demonstrate collective accomplishments. It was concluded that the findings could be used to extend the leadership activities beyond the traditional technical performance and individual feedback to include activities of social integration. Furthermore, the conceptual framework identified can serve as a valuable tool in guiding future researchers in their examination of leadership in physical activity groups for older adults. Copyright 2004 Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.

Quantum chemical study of leaving group activation in T. vivax nucleoside hydrolase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loverix, Stefan; Versees, Wim; Steyaert, Jan; Geerlings, Paul

General acid catalysis is a powerful and widely used strategy in enzymatic nucleophilic displacement reactions. However, in the nucleoside hydrolase of the parasite Trypanosoma vivax, crystallographic and mutagenesis studies failed to identify a general acid. The only groups in the vicinity of the leaving group that contribute to catalysis are (i) the indole side chain of Trp260, and (ii) the 5'-group of the substrate's ribose moiety. The x-ray structure of the slow Asp10Ala mutant of nucleoside hydrolase with the substrate inosine bound in the active site displays a face-to-face aromatic stacking interaction between Trp260 and the purine base of the substrate, as well as a peculiar C4'-endo ribose pucker that allows the 5'-OH group to accept an intramolecular hydrogen bond from the C8 of the purine. The first interaction (aromatic stacking) has been shown to raise the pKa of the leaving purine. Here, we present a DFT study showing that the 5'-OH group of ribose fulfills a similar role, rather than stabilizing the oxocarbenium-like transition state.

Unlike adults, children and adolescents show predominantly increased neural activation to social exclusion by members of the opposite gender

PubMed Central

Bolling, Danielle Z.; Pelphrey, Kevin A.; Vander Wyk, Brent C.

2016-01-01

The effects of group membership on brain responses to social exclusion have been investigated in adults, revealing greater anterior cingulate responses to exclusion by members of one’s in-group (e.g. same-gender). However, social exclusion is a critical aspect of peer relations in youth and reaches heightened salience during adolescence, a time when social anxiety disorders are also emergent. While the behavioral and neural correlates of social exclusion in adolescence have been extensively explored, the effects of group membership on peer rejection are less clear. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the differential neural correlates of being excluded by peers of one’s same-versus opposite-gender during an online ball-toss game. Participants were a group of typically developing children and adolescents (7–17 years). As predicted, anterior cingulate cortex showed a main effect of social exclusion versus fair play. However, unlike a previous adult study, this region did not show increased activation to same-gender exclusion. Instead, several regions differentiating same-versus opposite-gender exclusion were exclusively more sensitive to exclusion by one’s opposite gender. These results are discussed in the context of adolescent socioemotional development. PMID:26592311

The Use of Group Activities in Introductory Biology Supports Learning Gains and Uniquely Benefits High-Achieving Students†

PubMed Central

Marbach-Ad, Gili; Rietschel, Carly H.; Saluja, Neeti; Carleton, Karen L.; Haag, Eric S.

2016-01-01

This study describes the implementation and effectiveness of small-group active engagement (GAE) exercises in an introductory biology course (BSCI207) taught in a large auditorium setting. BSCI207 (Principles of Biology III—Organismal Biology) is the third introductory core course for Biological Sciences majors. In fall 2014, the instructors redesigned one section to include GAE activities to supplement lecture content. One section (n = 198) employed three lectures per week. The other section (n = 136) replaced one lecture per week with a GAE class. We explored the benefits and challenges associated with implementing GAE exercises and their relative effectiveness for unique student groups (e.g., minority students, high- and low-grade point average [GPA] students). Our findings show that undergraduates in the GAE class exhibited greater improvement in learning outcomes than undergraduates in the traditional class. Findings also indicate that high-achieving students experienced the greatest benefit from GAE activities. Some at-risk student groups (e.g., two-year transfer students) showed comparably low learning gains in the course, despite the additional support that may have been afforded by active learning. Collectively, these findings provide valuable feedback that may assist other instructors who wish to revise their courses and recommendations for institutions regarding prerequisite coursework approval policies. PMID:28101262

The Use of Group Activities in Introductory Biology Supports Learning Gains and Uniquely Benefits High-Achieving Students.

PubMed

Marbach-Ad, Gili; Rietschel, Carly H; Saluja, Neeti; Carleton, Karen L; Haag, Eric S

2016-12-01

This study describes the implementation and effectiveness of small-group active engagement (GAE) exercises in an introductory biology course (BSCI207) taught in a large auditorium setting. BSCI207 (Principles of Biology III-Organismal Biology) is the third introductory core course for Biological Sciences majors. In fall 2014, the instructors redesigned one section to include GAE activities to supplement lecture content. One section ( n = 198) employed three lectures per week. The other section ( n = 136) replaced one lecture per week with a GAE class. We explored the benefits and challenges associated with implementing GAE exercises and their relative effectiveness for unique student groups (e.g., minority students, high- and low-grade point average [GPA] students). Our findings show that undergraduates in the GAE class exhibited greater improvement in learning outcomes than undergraduates in the traditional class. Findings also indicate that high-achieving students experienced the greatest benefit from GAE activities. Some at-risk student groups (e.g., two-year transfer students) showed comparably low learning gains in the course, despite the additional support that may have been afforded by active learning. Collectively, these findings provide valuable feedback that may assist other instructors who wish to revise their courses and recommendations for institutions regarding prerequisite coursework approval policies.

Trans activation of plasmid-borne promoters by adenovirus and several herpes group viruses.

PubMed Central

Everett, R D; Dunlop, M

1984-01-01

This paper describes experiments to test the ability of a number of viruses of the Herpes group, and also Adenovirus-2 and SV40, to activate transcription from the Herpes simplex virus-1 glycoprotein D and the rabbit beta-globin promoters. Plasmids containing these genes were transfected into HeLa cells which were then infected with various viruses. Transcriptional activation in trans of the plasmid-borne promoters was monitored by quantitative S1 nuclease analysis of total cytoplasmic RNA isolated after infection. The results showed that Herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2, Pseudorabies virus, Variella Zoster virus, Human Cytomegalovirus, Equine herpes virus-1 and Adenovirus-2 activate transcription from both promoters tested. In contrast, SV40 did not activate transcription in trans in this assay. The possible mechanisms of this activation are discussed. Images PMID:6089105

Overview af MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Griffin, Lisa; Williams, Robert

2004-01-01

This paper presents viewgraphs on NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities. The topics include: 1) Status of programs at MSFC; 2) Fluid Mechanics at MSFC; 3) Relevant Fluid Dynamics Activities at MSFC; and 4) Shuttle Return to Flight.

Antiparkinson drug--Mucuna pruriens shows antioxidant and metal chelating activity.

PubMed

Dhanasekaran, Muralikrishnan; Tharakan, Binu; Manyam, Bala V

2008-01-01

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder for which no neurorestorative therapeutic treatment is currently available. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. The ancient Indian medical system, Ayurveda, traditionally uses Mucuna pruriens to treat Parkinson's disease. In our earlier studies, Mucuna pruriens has been shown to possess antiparkinson and neuroprotective effects in animal models of Parkinson's disease. The antioxidant activity of Mucuna pruriens was demonstrated by its ability to scavenge DPPH radicals, ABTS radicals and reactive oxygen species. Mucuna pruriens significantly inhibited the oxidation of lipids and deoxyribose sugar. Mucuna pruriens exhibited divalent iron chelating activity and did not show any genotoxic/mutagenic effect on the plasmid DNA. These results suggest that the neuroprotective and neurorestorative effect of Mucuna pruriens may be related to its antioxidant activity independent of the symptomatic effect. In addition, the drug appears to be therapeutically safe in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

THE MERGER HISTORY, ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS, AND DWARF GALAXIES OF HICKSON COMPACT GROUP 59

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

Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Charlton, J. C.; Brandt, W. N.

2012-01-20

Compact group galaxies often appear unaffected by their unusually dense environment. Closer examination can, however, reveal the subtle, cumulative effects of multiple galaxy interactions. Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 59 is an excellent example of this situation. We present a photometric study of this group in the optical (Hubble Space Telescope), infrared (Spitzer), and X-ray (Chandra) regimes aimed at characterizing the star formation and nuclear activity in its constituent galaxies and intra-group medium. We associate five dwarf galaxies with the group and update the velocity dispersion, leading to an increase in the dynamical mass of the group of up to amore » factor of 10 (to 2.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 13} M{sub Sun }), and a subsequent revision of its evolutionary stage. Star formation is proceeding at a level consistent with the morphological types of the four main galaxies, of which two are star-forming and the other are two quiescent. Unlike in some other compact groups, star-forming complexes across HCG 59 closely follow mass-radius scaling relations typical of nearby galaxies. In contrast, the ancient globular cluster populations in galaxies HCG 59A and B show intriguing irregularities, and two extragalactic H II regions are found just west of B. We age-date a faint stellar stream in the intra-group medium at {approx}1 Gyr to examine recent interactions. We detect a likely low-luminosity active galactic nucleus in HCG 59A by its {approx}10{sup 40} erg s{sup -1} X-ray emission; the active nucleus rather than star formation can account for the UV+IR spectral energy distribution. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of galaxy evolution in dense environments.« less

Environmental distribution, abundance and activity of the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lloyd, K. G.; Biddle, J.; Teske, A.

2011-12-01

Many marine sedimentary microbes have only been identified by 16S rRNA sequences. Consequently, little is known about the types of metabolism, activity levels, or relative abundance of these groups in marine sediments. We found that one of these uncultured groups, called the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group (MCG), dominated clone libraries made from reverse transcribed 16S rRNA, and 454 pyrosequenced 16S rRNA genes, in the White Oak River estuary. Primers suitable for quantitative PCR were developed for MCG and used to show that 16S rRNA DNA copy numbers from MCG account for nearly all the archaeal 16S rRNA genes present. RT-qPCR shows much less MCG rRNA than total archaeal rRNA, but comparisons of different primers for each group suggest bias in the RNA-based work relative to the DNA-based work. There is no evidence of a population shift with depth below the sulfate-methane transition zone, suggesting that the metabolism of MCG may not be tied to sulfur or methane cycles. We classified 2,771 new sequences within the SSU Silva 106 database that, along with the classified sequences in the Silva database was used to make an MCG database of 4,646 sequences that allowed us to increase the named subgroups of MCG from 7 to 19. Percent terrestrial sequences in each subgroup is positively correlated with percent of the marine sequences that are nearshore, suggesting that membership in the different subgroups is not random, but dictated by environmental selective pressures. Given their high phylogenetic diversity, ubiquitous distribution in anoxic environments, and high DNA copy number relative to total archaea, members of MCG are most likely anaerobic heterotrophs who are integral to the post-depositional marine carbon cycle.

Thyroid-specific questions on work ability showed known-groups validity among Danes with thyroid diseases.

PubMed

Nexo, Mette Andersen; Watt, Torquil; Bonnema, Steen Joop; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Rasmussen, Åse Krogh; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla; Bjorner, Jakob Bue

2015-07-01

We aimed to identify the best approach to work ability assessment in patients with thyroid disease by evaluating the factor structure, measurement equivalence, known-groups validity, and predictive validity of a broad set of work ability items. Based on the literature and interviews with thyroid patients, 24 work ability items were selected from previous questionnaires, revised, or developed anew. Items were tested among 632 patients with thyroid disease (non-toxic goiter, toxic nodular goiter, Graves' disease (with or without orbitopathy), autoimmune hypothyroidism, and other thyroid diseases), 391 of which had participated in a study 5 years previously. Responses to select items were compared to general population data. We used confirmatory factor analyses for categorical data, logistic regression analyses and tests of differential item function, and head-to-head comparisons of relative validity in distinguishing known groups. Although all work ability items loaded on a common factor, the optimal factor solution included five factors: role physical, role emotional, thyroid-specific limitations, work limitations (without disease attribution), and work performance. The scale on thyroid-specific limitations showed the most power in distinguishing clinical groups and time since diagnosis. A global single item proved useful for comparisons with the general population, and a thyroid-specific item predicted labor market exclusion within the next 5 years (OR 5.0, 95 % CI 2.7-9.1). Items on work limitations with attribution to thyroid disease were most effective in detecting impact on work ability and showed good predictive validity. Generic work ability items remain useful for general population comparisons.

Adult total wellness: group differences based on sitting time and physical activity level

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background An increasing body of evidence associates a high level of sitting time with poor health outcomes. The benefits of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activities to various aspects of health are now well documented; however, individuals may engage in moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes on five or more days of the week and still exhibit a high level of sitting time. This purpose of this study was to examine differences in total wellness among adults relative to high/low levels of sitting time combined with insufficient/sufficient physical activity (PA). The construct of total wellness incorporates a holistic approach to the body, mind and spirit components of life, an approach which may be more encompassing than some definitions of health. Methods Data were obtained from 226 adult respondents (27 ± 6 years), including 116 (51%) males and 110 (49%) females. Total PA and total sitting time were assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) (short-version). The Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle Inventory was used to assess total wellness. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was utilised to assess the effects of the sitting time/physical activity group on total wellness. A covariate was included to partial out the effects of age, sex and work status (student or employed). Cross-tabulations were used to show associations between the IPAQ derived high/low levels of sitting time with insufficient/sufficient PA and the three total wellness groups (i.e. high level of wellness, moderate wellness and wellness development needed). Results The majority of the participants were located in the high total sitting time and sufficient PA group. There were statistical differences among the IPAQ groups for total wellness [F (2,220) = 32.5 (p <0.001)]. A Chi-square test revealed a significant difference in the distribution of the IPAQ categories within the classification of wellness [χ2 (N = 226) = 54.5, p < .001

Listening to young people with special needs: the influence of group activities.

PubMed

Burke, Peter

2005-12-01

The article reports on the experiences of group activities within an area of Yorkshire that helped young people with special needs to express their views and opinions. Significant issues were raised by the ethics of undertaking work with young people and these are reviewed. The young people involved in the research reported that their participation in the groups developed their self-confidence and advocacy skills. This led them to be more confident in expressing their needs at school and in the community. To establish wider generalizability for the study findings, the Yorkshire group activities were compared with another similar group in London where further data were collected from the young people involved. In facilitating group activities, willing staff were an important addition to the group because their presence provided and encouraged positive reactions to the distinctive achievements of the young people themselves. In both groups, members were committed to participation in project-based activities that raised their self-esteem and helped establish a sense of their own identity and purpose.

The three catalases in Deinococcus radiodurans: Only two show catalase activity.

PubMed

Jeong, Sun-Wook; Jung, Jong-Hyun; Kim, Min-Kyu; Seo, Ho Seong; Lim, Heon-Man; Lim, Sangyong

2016-01-15

Deinococcus radiodurans, which is extremely resistant to ionizing radiation and oxidative stress, is known to have three catalases (DR1998, DRA0146, and DRA0259). In this study, to investigate the role of each catalase, we constructed catalase mutants (Δdr1998, ΔdrA0146, and ΔdrA0259) of D. radiodurans. Of the three mutants, Δdr1998 exhibited the greatest decrease in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) resistance and the highest increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels following H2O2 treatments, whereas ΔdrA0146 showed no change in its H2O2 resistance or ROS level. Catalase activity was not attenuated in ΔdrA0146, and none of the three bands detected in an in-gel catalase activity assay disappeared in ΔdrA0146. The purified His-tagged recombinant DRA0146 did not show catalase activity. In addition, the phylogenetic analysis of the deinococcal catalases revealed that the DR1998-type catalase is common in the genus Deinococcus, but the DRA0146-type catalase was found in only 4 of 23 Deinococcus species. Taken together, these results indicate that DR1998 plays a critical role in the anti-oxidative system of D. radiodurans by detoxifying H2O2, but DRA0146 does not have catalase activity and is not involved in the resistance to H2O2 stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stellar Kinematic Groups. II. A Reexamination of the Membership, Activity, and Age of the Ursa Major Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Jeremy R.; Villarreal, Adam R.; Soderblom, David R.; Gulliver, Austin F.; Adelman, Saul J.

2003-04-01

Utilizing Hipparcos parallaxes, original radial velocities and recent literature values, new Ca II H and K emission measurements, literature-based abundance estimates, and updated photometry (including recent resolved measurements of close doubles), we revisit the Ursa Major moving group membership status of some 220 stars to produce a final clean list of nearly 60 assured members, based on kinematic and photometric criteria. Scatter in the velocity dispersions and H-R diagram is correlated with trial activity-based membership assignments, indicating the usefulness of criteria based on photometric and chromospheric emission to examine membership. Closer inspection, however, shows that activity is considerably more robust at excluding membership, failing to do so only for <=15% of objects, perhaps considerably less. Our UMa members demonstrate nonzero vertex deviation in the Bottlinger diagram, behavior seen in older and recent studies of nearby young disk stars and perhaps related to Galactic spiral structure. Comparison of isochrones and our final UMa group members indicates an age of 500+/-100 Myr, some 200 Myr older than the canonically quoted UMa age. Our UMa kinematic/photometric members' mean chromospheric emission levels, rotational velocities, and scatter therein are indistinguishable from values in the Hyades and smaller than those evinced by members of the younger Pleiades and M34 clusters, suggesting these characteristics decline rapidly with age over 200-500 Myr. None of our UMa members demonstrate inordinately low absolute values of chromospheric emission, but several may show residual fluxes a factor of >=2 below a Hyades-defined lower envelope. If one defines a Maunder-like minimum in a relative sense, then the UMa results may suggest that solar-type stars spend 10% of their entire main-sequence lives in periods of precipitously low activity, which is consistent with estimates from older field stars. As related asides, we note six evolved stars

Participation of group I p21-activated kinases in neuroplasticity.

PubMed

Koth, André P; Oliveira, Bruno R; Parfitt, Gustavo M; Buonocore, Juliana de Quadros; Barros, Daniela M

2014-01-01

PAKs are a family of serine/threonine protein kinases activated by small GTPases of the Rho family, including Rac and Cdc42, and are categorized into group I (isoforms 1, 2 and 3) and group II (isoforms 4, 5 and 6). PAK1 and PAK3 are critically involved in biological mechanisms associated with neurodevelopment, neuroplasticity and maturation of the nervous system, and changes in their activity have been detected in pathological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and mental retardation. The group I PAKs have been associated with neurological processes due to their involvement in intracellular mechanisms that result in molecular and cellular morphological alterations that promote cytoskeletal outgrowth, increasing the efficiency of synaptic transmission. Their substrates in these processes include other intracellular signaling molecules, such as Raf, Mek and LIMK, as well as other components of the cytoskeleton, such as MLC and FLNa. In this review, we describe the characteristics of group I PAKs, such as their molecular structure, mechanisms of activation and importance in the neurobiological processes involved in synaptic plasticity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 76070 - Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity Update

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

.... 65] Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC); Working Group Activity Update AGENCY: Federal Railroad... Committee (RSAC) Working Group Activities. SUMMARY: The FRA is updating its announcement of RSAC's Working.... [[Page 76071

The Use of a Group Blog to Actively Support Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duarte, Paulo

2015-01-01

Despite the widespread use of blogs in higher education, there remains a lack of knowledge and consensus about the use and value of blogging in higher education, particularly when used for long periods. This article investigates the use of a group blog to assist traditional teaching activities and foster collaborative learning through the…

Exploring participant appreciation of group-based principles for action in community-based physical activity programs for socially vulnerable groups in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Herens, Marion; Wagemakers, Annemarie; Vaandrager, Lenneke; Koelen, Maria

2015-11-25

Physical inactivity is a core risk factor for non-communicable diseases. In the Netherlands, socially vulnerable groups are relatively less active than groups with higher socio-economic status. Community-based health-enhancing physical activity (CBHEPA) programs aim to empower socially vulnerable groups by improving participants' health and wellbeing through physical activity. CBHEPA programs often revolve around group-based principles for action, such as active participation, enjoyment, and fostering group processes. As such principles are rarely made explicit, our study aims to identify which of the group-based principles for action are considered important by participants. Respondents (n = 76) from ten focus groups scored their individual appreciation of group-based principles for action - active participation, enjoyment, and fostering group processes - on a three-point, statement-based scale. Opinions were further discussed in the focus group. Focus group discussions were transcribed and analysed by a team of investigators. The coding procedures, identifying elements appreciated in group-based principles for action, were thematic and data driven. Statements about participatory programming generated much less consensus in appreciation among respondents than statements about enjoyment and fostering group processes. To some extent, group members participated in the development of program content. Participation in group formation or community initiatives was less frequently perceived as something within group members' control. Enjoyment, expressed as physical and emotional experiences, was found to be an individual driver of group exercise. Fostering group processes, expressed as social support, was found to contribute to enjoyment and learning achievements. Responsive leadership, ensuring responsive guidance, by an enthusiastic exercise trainer acting as a role model, were identified as additional necessary principles for action. Group-based principles for

26 CFR 1.513-3 - Qualified convention and trade show activity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 7 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Qualified convention and trade show activity. 1.513-3 Section 1.513-3 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Taxation of Business Income of Certain Exempt...

Effect of Different Types of Small-Group Activities on Students' Conversations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Krista K.; Talanquer, Vicente

2013-01-01

Teaching reform efforts in chemistry education often involve engaging students in small-group activities of different types. This study focused on the analysis of how activity type affected the nature of group conversations. In particular, we analyzed the small-group conversations of students enrolled in a chemistry course for nonscience majors.…

Overview of MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Wang, Tee-See; Griffin, Lisa; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This document is a presentation graphic which reviews the activities of the Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group at Marshall Space Flight Center (i.e., Code TD64). The work of this group focused on supporting the space transportation programs. The work of the group is in Computational Fluid Dynamic tool development. This development is driven by hardware design needs. The major applications for the design and analysis tools are: turbines, pumps, propulsion-to-airframe integration, and combustion devices.

Older adults show higher increases in lower-limb muscle activity during whole-body vibration exercise.

PubMed

Lienhard, Karin; Vienneau, Jordyn; Nigg, Sandro; Friesenbichler, Bernd; Nigg, Benno M

2017-02-08

The purpose of this study was to compare lower limb muscle activity during whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise between a young and an older study population. Thirty young (25.9±4.3yrs) and thirty older (64.2±5.3yrs) individuals stood on a side-alternating WBV platform while surface electromyography (sEMG) was measured for the tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius medialis (GM), soleus (SOL), vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and biceps femoris (BF). The WBV protocol included nine vibration settings consisting of three frequencies (6, 11, 16Hz) x three amplitudes (0.9, 2.5, 4.0mm), and three control trials without vibration (narrow, medium, wide stance). The vertical platform acceleration (peak values of maximal displacement from equilibrium) was quantified during each vibration exercise using an accelerometer. The outcomes of this study showed that WBV significantly increased muscle activity in both groups for most vibration conditions in the TA (averaged absolute increase: young: +3.9%, older: +18.4%), GM (young: +4.1%, older: +9.5%), VL (young: +6.3%, older: +12.6%) and VM (young: +5.4%, older: +8.0%), and for the high frequency-amplitude combinations in the SOL (young: +7.5%, older: +12.6%) and BF (young: +1.9%, older: +7.5%). The increases in sEMG activity were significantly higher in the older than the young adults for all muscles, i.e., TA (absolute difference: 13.8%, P<0.001), GM (4.6%, P=0.034), VL (7.6%, P=0.001), VM (6.7%, P=0.042), BF (6.4%, P<0.001), except for the SOL (0.3%, P=0.248). Finally, the vertical platform acceleration was a significant predictor of the averaged lower limb muscle activity in the young (r=0.917, P<0.001) and older adults (r=0.931, P<0.001). In conclusion, the older population showed greater increases in lower limb muscle activity during WBV exercise than their young counterparts, meaning that they might benefit more from WBV exercises. Additionally, training intensity can be increased by increasing the vertical

The 4′-Hydroxyl Group of Resveratrol Is Functionally Important for Direct Activation of PPARα

PubMed Central

Takizawa, Yoshie; Nakata, Rieko; Fukuhara, Kiyoshi; Yamashita, Hiroshi; Kubodera, Hideo; Inoue, Hiroyasu

2015-01-01

Long-term moderate consumption of red wine is associated with a reduced risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Therefore, resveratrol, a constituent of grapes and various other plants, has attracted substantial interest. This study focused on one molecular target of resveratrol, the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (PPARα). Our previous study in mice showed that resveratrol-mediated protection of the brain against stroke requires activation of PPARα; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in this process remain unknown. Here, we evaluated the chemical basis of the resveratrol-mediated activation of PPARα by performing a docking mode simulation and examining the structure-activity relationships of various polyphenols. The results of experiments using the crystal structure of the PPARα ligand-binding domain and an analysis of the activation of PPARα by a resveratrol analog 4-phenylazophenol (4-PAP) in vivo indicate that the 4′-hydroxyl group of resveratrol is critical for the direct activation of PPARα. Activation of PPARα by 5 μM resveratrol was enhanced by rolipram, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase (PDE) and forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase. We also found that resveratrol has a higher PDE inhibitory activity (IC50 = 19 μM) than resveratrol analogs trans-4-hydroxystilbene and 4-PAP (IC50 = 27-28 μM), both of which has only 4′-hydroxyl group, indicating that this 4′-hydroxyl group of resveratrol is not sufficient for the inhibition of PDE. This result is consistent with that 10 μM resveratrol has a higher agonistic activity of PPARα than these analogs, suggesting that there is a feedforward activation loop of PPARα by resveratrol, which may be involved in the long-term effects of resveratrol in vivo. PMID:25798826

Participation in recreational physical activity: why do socioeconomic groups differ?

PubMed

Burton, Nicola W; Turrell, Gavin; Oldenburg, Brian

2003-04-01

This qualitative study explored how influences on recreational physical activity (RPA) were patterned by socioeconomic position. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 10 males and 10 females in three socioeconomic groups (N = 60). Influences salient across all groups included previous opportunities, physical health. social assistance. safety. environmental aesthetics and urban design, physical and health benefits, and barriers of self-consciousness, low skill, and weather/time of year. Influences more salient to the high socioeconomic group included social benefits, achieving a balanced lifestyle, and the barrier of an unpredictable lifestyle. Influences more salient to the high and mid socioeconomic groups included efficacy, perceived need, activity demands, affiliation, emotional benefits, and the barrier of competing demands. Influences more salient to the low socioeconomic group included poor health and barriers of inconvenient access and low personal functioning. Data suggest that efforts to increase RPA in the population should include both general and socioeconomically targeted strategies.

Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor activation attenuates peripheral sensitization in inflammatory states

PubMed Central

Du, Junhui; Zhou, Shengtai; Carlton, Susan M.

2008-01-01

Several lines of evidence indicate that Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation can depress sensory transmission. We have reported the expression of Group II mGluRs on unmyelinated axons, many of which were presumed to be nociceptors, in the rat digital nerve (Carlton et al., 2001b). The goals of the present study are to further our understanding of Group II modulation of nociceptor processing in the periphery, documenting behavioral changes using inflammatory models and documenting, for the first time, cutaneous single fiber activity following exposure to a Group II agonist (2R,4R)-4-aminopyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate (APDC) and antagonist LY341495 (LY). The data indicate that peripheral Group II mGluR activation does not depress nociceptive behaviors or nociceptor fiber responses in the non-sensitized state (i.e. following brief nociceptive mechanical or thermal stimulation) but can depress these responses when nociceptors are sensitized by exposure to formalin or inflammatory soup. Group II mGluR agonist-induced inhibition can be blocked by a selective Group II antagonist. Peripheral Group II mGluR-induced inhibition evoked in these studies occurs through activation of local receptors and not through spinal or supraspinal mechanisms. The data indicate that administration of selective Group II agonists may be potent therapeutic agents for prevention of peripheral sensitization and for treatment of inflammatory pain. PMID:18487022

Noxious Noise or Sweet Sound: Adjusting the Volume of Group Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, George M.

2000-01-01

Group activities have become more common in second language instruction. For example, a few years ago I collaborated on a study comparing ESL coursebooks from the 1960s with those from the 1990s (Jacobs, Crookall, & Thiyaragarajali, 1997). My colleagues and I found many more group activities in the latter books. Key support for the increase in…

Influence of muscle groups' activation on proximal femoral growth tendency.

PubMed

Yadav, Priti; Shefelbine, Sandra J; Pontén, Eva; Gutierrez-Farewik, Elena M

2017-12-01

Muscle and joint contact force influence stresses at the proximal growth plate of the femur and thus bone growth, affecting the neck shaft angle (NSA) and femoral anteversion (FA). This study aims to illustrate how different muscle groups' activation during gait affects NSA and FA development in able-bodied children. Subject-specific femur models were developed for three able-bodied children (ages 6, 7, and 11 years) using magnetic resonance images. Contributions of different muscle groups-hip flexors, hip extensors, hip adductors, hip abductors, and knee extensors-to overall hip contact force were computed. Specific growth rate for the growth plate was computed, and the growth was simulated in the principal stress direction at each element in the growth front. The predicted growth indicated decreased NSA and FA (of about [Formula: see text] over a four-month period) for able-bodied children. Hip abductors contributed the most, and hip adductors, the least, to growth rate. All muscles groups contributed to a decrease in predicted NSA ([Formula: see text]0.01[Formula: see text]-0.04[Formula: see text] and FA ([Formula: see text]0.004[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]), except hip extensors and hip adductors, which showed a tendency to increase the FA ([Formula: see text]0.004[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]). Understanding influences of different muscle groups on long bone growth tendency can help in treatment planning for growing children with affected gait.

Activities in a social networking-based discussion group by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography doctors.

PubMed

Kang, Xiaoyu; Zhao, Lina; Liu, Na; Wang, Xiangping; Zhang, Rongchun; Liu, Zhiguo; Liang, Shuhui; Yao, Shaowei; Tao, Qin; Jia, Hui; Pan, Yanglin; Guo, Xuegang

2017-10-01

Online social networking is increasingly being used among medical practitioners. However, few studies have evaluated its use in therapeutic endoscopy. Here, we aimed to analyze the shared topics and activities of a group of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) doctors in a social networking-based endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography discussion group (EDG). Six ERCP trainers working in Xijing Hospital and 48 graduated endoscopists who had finished ERCP training in the same hospital were invited to join in EDG. All group members were informed not to divulge any private information of patients when using EDG. The activities of group members on EDG were retrospectively extracted. The individual data of the graduated endoscopists were collected by a questionnaire. From June 2014 to May 2015, 6924 messages were posted on EDG, half of which were ERCP related. In total, 214 ERCP-related topics were shared, which could be categorized into three types: sharing experience/cases (52.3%), asking questions (38.3%), and sharing literatures/advances (9.3%). Among the 48 graduated endoscopists, 21 had a low case volume of less than 50 per year and 27 had a high volume case volume of 50 or more. High-volume graduated endoscopists posted more ERCP-related messages (P=0.008) and shared more discussion topics (P=0.003) compared with low-volume graduated endoscopists. A survey showed that EDG was useful for graduated endoscopists in ERCP performance and management of post-ERCP complications, etc. A wide range of ERCP-related topics were shared on the social networking-based EDG. The ERCP-related behaviors on EDG were more active in graduated endoscopists with an ERCP case volume of more than 50 per year.

Benzoxazine derivatives of phytophenols show anti-plasmodial activity via sodium homeostasis disruption.

PubMed

Sharma, Vijeta; Amarnath, Nagarjuna; Shukla, Swapnil; Ayana, R; Kumar, Naveen; Yadav, Nisha; Kannan, Deepika; Sehrawat, Seema; Pati, Soumya; Lochab, Bimlesh; Singh, Shailja

2018-05-15

Development of new class of anti-malarial drugs is an essential requirement for the elimination of malaria. Bioactive components present in medicinal plants and their chemically modified derivatives could be a way forward towards the discovery of effective anti-malarial drugs. Herein, we describe a new class of compounds, 1,3-benzoxazine derivatives of pharmacologically active phytophenols eugenol (compound 3) and isoeugenol (compound 4) synthesised on the principles of green chemistry, as anti-malarials. Compound 4, showed highest anti-malarial activity with no cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells. Compound 4 induced alterations in the intracellular Na + levels and mitochondrial depolarisation in intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum leading to cell death. Knowing P-type cation ATPase PfATP4 is a regulator for sodium homeostasis, binding of compound 3, compound 4 and eugenol to PfATP4 was analysed by molecular docking studies. Compounds showed binding to the catalytic pocket of PfATP4, however compound 4 showed stronger binding due to the presence of propylene functionality, which corroborates its higher anti-malarial activity. Furthermore, anti-malarial half maximal effective concentration of compound 4 was reduced to 490 nM from 17.54 µM with nanomaterial graphene oxide. Altogether, this study presents anti-plasmodial potential of benzoxazine derivatives of phytophenols and establishes disruption of parasite sodium homeostasis as their mechanism of action. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adolescents' Views on Active and Non-Active Videogames: A Focus Group Study.

PubMed

Simons, Monique; de Vet, Emely; Hoornstra, Sjoukje; Brug, Johannes; Seidell, Jaap; Chinapaw, Mai

2012-06-01

Active games require whole-body movement and may be an innovative tool to substitute sedentary pastime with more active time and may therefore contribute to adolescents' health. To inform strategies aimed at reducing sedentary behavior by replacing non-active with active gaming, perceptions and context of active and non-active gaming are explored. Six focus groups were conducted with adolescents 12-16 years old representing a range of education levels. A semistructured question route was used containing questions about perceptions and the context of gaming. The adolescents had positive attitudes toward active gaming, especially the social interactive aspect, which was greatly appreciated. A substantial number of adolescents enjoyed non-active games more than active ones, mainly because of better game controls and more diversity in non-active games. Active games were primarily played when there was a social gathering. Few game-related rules and restrictions at home were reported. Given the positive attitudes of adolescents and the limited restrictions for gaming at home, active videogames may potentially be used in a home setting as a tool to reduce sedentary behavior. However, to make active games as appealing as non-active games, attention should be paid to the quality, diversity, and sustainability of active games, as these aspects are currently inferior to those of traditional non-active games.

Contexts, Mechanisms, and Outcomes That Matter in Dutch Community-Based Physical Activity Programs Targeting Socially Vulnerable Groups.

PubMed

Herens, Marion; Wagemakers, Annemarie; Vaandrager, Lenneke; van Ophem, Johan; Koelen, Maria

2017-09-01

This article presents a practitioner-based approach to identify key combinations of contextual factors (C) and mechanisms (M) that trigger outcomes (O) in Dutch community-based health-enhancing physical activity (CBHEPA) programs targeting socially vulnerable groups. Data were collected in six programs using semi-structured interviews and focus groups using a timeline technique. Sessions were recorded, anonymized, and transcribed. A realist synthesis protocol was used for data-driven and thematic analysis of CMO configurations. CMO configurations related to community outreach, program sustainability, intersectoral collaboration, and enhancing participants' active lifestyles. We have refined the CBHEPA program theory by showing that actors' passion for, and past experiences with, physical activity programs trigger outcomes, alongside their commitment to socially vulnerable target groups. Project discontinuity, limited access to resources, and a trainer's stand-alone position were negative configurations. The authors conclude that local governance structures appear often to lack adaptive capacity to accommodate multilevel processes to sustain programs.

26 CFR 1.513-3 - Qualified convention and trade show activity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 7 2014-04-01 2013-04-01 true Qualified convention and trade show activity. 1.513-3 Section 1.513-3 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Taxation of Business Income of Certain Exempt Organizations § 1.513-3 Qualified convention and...

The Pervasive Problem With Placebos in Psychology: Why Active Control Groups Are Not Sufficient to Rule Out Placebo Effects.

PubMed

Boot, Walter R; Simons, Daniel J; Stothart, Cary; Stutts, Cassie

2013-07-01

To draw causal conclusions about the efficacy of a psychological intervention, researchers must compare the treatment condition with a control group that accounts for improvements caused by factors other than the treatment. Using an active control helps to control for the possibility that improvement by the experimental group resulted from a placebo effect. Although active control groups are superior to "no-contact" controls, only when the active control group has the same expectation of improvement as the experimental group can we attribute differential improvements to the potency of the treatment. Despite the need to match expectations between treatment and control groups, almost no psychological interventions do so. This failure to control for expectations is not a minor omission-it is a fundamental design flaw that potentially undermines any causal inference. We illustrate these principles with a detailed example from the video-game-training literature showing how the use of an active control group does not eliminate expectation differences. The problem permeates other interventions as well, including those targeting mental health, cognition, and educational achievement. Fortunately, measuring expectations and adopting alternative experimental designs makes it possible to control for placebo effects, thereby increasing confidence in the causal efficacy of psychological interventions. © The Author(s) 2013.

Pre-Session Satiation as a Treatment for Stereotypy During Group Activities.

PubMed

Rispoli, Mandy; Camargo, Síglia Hoher; Neely, Leslie; Gerow, Stephanie; Lang, Russell; Goodwyn, Fara; Ninci, Jennifer

2014-05-01

Individuals with developmental disabilities may engage in automatically reinforced behaviors that may interfere with learning opportunities. Manipulation of motivating operations has been shown to reduce automatically maintained behavior in some individuals. Considering behavioral indicators of satiation may assist in identifying the point at which an abolishing operation has begun to effect behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pre-session satiation of automatic reinforcement on subsequent levels of stereotypy and activity engagement during group activities for three males ages 5 to 13 years with developmental disabilities. Following functional analyses with analogue conditions, an alternating treatment design compared a pre-session access to stereotypy condition with a no-pre-session access condition prior to group activity sessions. Results indicated that pre-session satiation of the putative reinforcer produced by stereotypy was effective in decreasing stereotypy and increasing activity engagement during subsequent group activities for all participants. These findings add to the literature supporting the effectiveness of abolishing operations to decrease automatically maintained stereotypy. © The Author(s) 2013.

Histamine excites groups III and IV afferents from the cat knee joint depending on their resting activity.

PubMed

Herbert, M K; Just, H; Schmidt, R F

2001-06-08

The effect of histamine on the sensory activity of primary afferents was studied in normal and acutely inflamed cat knee joints. A subpopulation of groups III and IV articular afferents could be activated by close-arterial bolus injections of histamine: units with a high resting activity (about 100/min) were particular sensitive to histamine and were excited even by 3.3 fg histamine. The lower the resting discharges of groups III and IV units both from normal and acutely inflamed joints, the higher the dose of histamine (up to 3.3 or 33 microg) necessary to excite the nerve fibres. Thirty-seven of 39 units without any resting activity were completely insensitive to histamine. In contrast to its clear excitatory effect, histamine caused only minor changes in the responses to joint movements. Movement-evoked activity remained unchanged in 22 of 28 units, 1 unit was sensitized and 5 units showed reduced activity after histamine (3.3 microg). The present results support the notion that histamine may participate in the mediation of pain from injured or inflamed tissue. It is remarkable that histamine has a profound excitatory action on a proportion of both groups III and IV articular afferents without changing their sensitivity to joint movements.

Interventions to improve physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups: an umbrella review.

PubMed

Craike, Melinda; Wiesner, Glen; Hilland, Toni A; Bengoechea, Enrique Garcia

2018-05-15

People from socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups are less likely to be physically active and more likely to experience adverse health outcomes than those who are less disadvantaged. In this umbrella review we examined across all age groups, (1) the effectiveness of interventions to improve physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, (2) the characteristics of effective interventions, and (3) directions for future research. PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus were searched up to May 2017 to identify systematic reviews reporting physical activity interventions in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations or sub-groups. Two authors independently conducted study screening and selection, data extraction (one author, with data checked by two others) and assessment of methodological quality using the 'Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews' scale. Results were synthesized narratively. Seventeen reviews met our inclusion criteria, with only 5 (30%) reviews being assessed as high quality. Seven (41%) reviews focused on obesity prevention and an additional four focused on multiple behavioural outcomes. For pre school children, parent-focused, group-based interventions were effective in improving physical activity. For children, school-based interventions and policies were effective; few studies focused on adolescents and those that did were generally not effective; for adults, there was mixed evidence of effectiveness but characteristics such as group-based interventions and those that focused on physical activity only were associated with effectiveness. Few studies focused on older adults. Across all ages, interventions that were more intensive tended to be more effective. Most studies reported short-term, rather than longer-term, outcomes and common methodological limitations included high probability of selection bias, low response rates, and high attrition. Interventions can be successful at improving physical activity among children from

Activity groups for persons with dementia: Personal predictors of participation, engagement and mood.

PubMed

Cohen-Mansfield, Jiska

2017-11-01

This study examined the relationship between personal characteristics and attendance, engagement, sleep, and mood outcomes of persons with dementia participating in group activities. The purpose of this study is to examine which persons with dementia benefit most from group interventions. Sixty-nine persons with dementia were observed by research and therapeutic recreation staff during 10 types of group activities (reading aloud with discussion, choral-singing, baking, creative storytelling, brain games, active games, exercise, reminiscence poetry, holiday newsletter, and holiday discussions) on multiple outcomes (attendance duration, sleep, engagement, active participation, attitude, and positive mood). Correlations between these outcomes and personal characteristics (demographics, functional and medical characteristics, personal preferences for group activities) were conducted. Variables with significant correlations were then entered into regression analyses. Many of the personal characteristics were significantly correlated with the outcomes. Cognitive function was the most consistent predictor of all outcomes. Personal characteristics, particularly cognitive function, can predict the responses of persons with dementia during group activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antibacterial activity of berberine-NorA pump inhibitor hybrids with a methylene ether linking group.

PubMed

Samosorn, Siritron; Tanwirat, Bongkot; Muhamad, Nussara; Casadei, Gabriele; Tomkiewicz, Danuta; Lewis, Kim; Suksamrarn, Apichart; Prammananan, Therdsak; Gornall, Karina C; Beck, Jennifer L; Bremner, John B

2009-06-01

Conjugation of the NorA substrate berberine and the NorA inhibitor 5-nitro-2-phenyl-1H-indole via a methylene ether linking group gave the 13-substituted berberine-NorA inhibitor hybrid, 3. A series of simpler arylmethyl ether hybrid structures were also synthesized. The hybrid 3 showed excellent antibacterial activity (MIC Staphylococcus aureus, 1.7 microM), which was over 382-fold more active than the parent antibacterial berberine, against this bacterium. This compound was also shown to block the NorA efflux pump in S. aureus.

Forestry Activities. A Guide for Youth Group Leaders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forest Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Twenty-six activities related to forestry, conservation, and outdoor education comprise the content of this leader's guide. Designed for use with youth groups, ideas and techniques range from forest conservation mobiles, locating forest fires, and Christmas tree uses to litterbug campaigns, watershed experiments, and crossword puzzles. Activities…

Effects of leadership style and group dynamics on enjoyment of physical activity.

PubMed

Fox, L D; Rejeski, W J; Gauvin, L

2000-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the independent and combined effects of leadership style and group dynamics on the enjoyment of physical activity. A completely randomized 2 x 2 factorial design was used in which the manipulation of "leadership style" (socially enriched vs. bland) was crossed with a manipulation of "group dynamics" (socially enriched vs. bland). The study was conducted in an aerobics studio on a university campus. The sample included 48 male and 42 female undergraduate students who were moderately active. Each participant was involved in a single session of step aerobics. A female graduate student provided either an enriched or bland series of interactions to manipulate leadership style, and a trained group of planted undergraduates was used to promote either an enriched or bland group environment. The outcome measures of interest were enjoyment and the probability of engaging in a similar activity in the future. Participants in the enriched leadership style plus enriched group dynamics condition reported higher enjoyment than did participants in the other three conditions. On average, the level of enjoyment was 22.07% higher in this condition than in the other three conditions (p < .001). The probability of future involvement was 13.93% higher for participants in the enriched group environment, irrespective of leadership style (p < .03). Enjoyment during physical activity is optimized when a positive and supportive leadership style is coupled with an enriched and supportive group environment. Future research is required to extend these findings to other activities and populations.

Factor analysis shows association between family activity environment and children's health behaviour.

PubMed

Hendrie, Gilly A; Coveney, John; Cox, David N

2011-12-01

To characterise the family activity environment in a questionnaire format, assess the questionnaire's reliability and describe its predictive ability by examining the relationships between the family activity environment and children's health behaviours - physical activity, screen time and fruit and vegetable intake. This paper describes the creation of a tool, based on previously validated scales, adapted from the food domain. Data are from 106 children and their parents (Adelaide, South Australia). Factor analysis was used to characterise factors within the family activity environment. Pearson-Product Moment correlations between the family environment and child outcomes, controlling for demographic variation, were examined. Three factors described the family activity environment - parental activity involvement, opportunity for role modelling and parental support for physical activity - and explained 37.6% of the variance. Controlling for demographic factors, the scale was significantly correlated with children's health behaviour - physical activity (r=0.27), screen time (r=-0.24) and fruit and vegetable intake (r=0.34). The family activity environment questionnaire shows high internal consistency and moderate predictive ability. This study has built on previous research by taking a more comprehensive approach to measuring the family activity environment. This research suggests the family activity environment should be considered in family-based health promotion interventions. © 2011 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2011 Public Health Association of Australia.

Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum essential oil prevented biofilm formation and showed antibacterial activity against planktonic and sessile bacterial cells.

PubMed

Schillaci, Domenico; Napoli, Edoardo Marco; Cusimano, Maria Grazia; Vitale, Maria; Ruberto, Andgiuseppe

2013-10-01

Essential oils from six different populations of Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum were compared for their antibiofilm properties. The six essential oils (A to F) were characterized by a combination of gas chromatography with flame ionization detector and gas chromatography with mass spectrometer detector analyses. All oils showed weak activity against the planktonic form of a group of Staphylococcus aureus strains and against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 reference strain. The ability to inhibit biofilm formation was investigated at sub-MIC levels of 200, 100, and 50 m g/ml by staining sessile cells with safranin. Sample E showed the highest average effectiveness against all tested strains at 50 m g/ml and had inhibition percentages ranging from 30 to 52%. In the screening that used preformed biofilm from the reference strain P. aeruginosa, essential oils A through E were inactive at 200 m g/ml; F was active with a percentage of inhibition equal to 53.2%. Oregano essential oil can inhibit the formation of biofilms of various food pathogens and food spoilage organisms.

Narcolepsy type 1 and hypersomnia associated with a psychiatric disorder show different slow wave activity dynamics.

PubMed

Walacik-Ufnal, Ewa; Piotrowska, Anna Justyna; Wołyńczyk-Gmaj, Dorota; Januszko, Piotr; Gmaj, Bartłomiej; Ufnal, Marcin; Kabat, Marek; Wojnar, Marcin

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to compare electrophysiological parameters of night sleep in narcolepsy type 1 and hypersomnia associated with a psychiatric disorder. Fortyfour patients: 15 with narcolepsy type 1, 14 with hypersomnia associated with a psychiatric disorder and 15 age- and sex-matched controls participated in the study. The study subjects filled in the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The severity of daytime sleepiness was quantified subjectively using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), and objectively using the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). All subjects underwent polysomnography (PSG) on the two consecutive nights. The data from the second night was analysed. The slow wave activity (SWA, 1-4 Hz) was calculated for the three consecutive sleep cycles, and topographic delta power maps were plotted. In contrast to narcoleptics, psychiatric hypersomniacs had undisturbed nocturnal sleep, high sleep efficiency, normal non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep proportions, normal REM latency and sleep latencies on MSLT and PSG. The subjective and objective sleepiness was significantly higher in narcolepsy group than in psychiatric hypersomnia group. In all the study groups SWA was the most prominent in frontal areas, while the greatest between-group differences were found in the central areas. There were significant differences between the groups in SWA in the second NREM episode. The highest SWA was observed in the hypersomnia group, while the lowest in the narcolepsy group. Psychiatric hypersomniacs and controls did not differ in the SWA exponential decline over consecutive NREM episodes, whereas narcoleptics exhibited a steeper dissipation of sleep pressure from the first to the second NREM episode. In conclusion, narcolepsy type1 and hypersomnia associated with psychiatric disorder differ in the SWA dynamics. Narcoleptics presented with the altered

Spontaneous Brain Activity Did Not Show the Effect of Violent Video Games on Aggression: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

PubMed

Pan, Wei; Gao, Xuemei; Shi, Shuo; Liu, Fuqu; Li, Chao

2017-01-01

A great many of empirical researches have proved that longtime exposure to violent video game can lead to a series of negative effects. Although research has focused on the neural basis of the correlation between violent video game and aggression, little is known whether the spontaneous brain activity is associated with violent video game exposure. To address this question, we measured the spontaneous brain activity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We used the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) to quantify spontaneous brain activity. The results showed there is no significant difference in ALFF, or fALFF, between violent video game group and the control part, indicating that long time exposure to violent video games won't significantly influence spontaneous brain activity, especially the core brain regions such as execution control, moral judgment and short-term memory. This implies the adverse impact of violent video games is exaggerated.

Spontaneous Brain Activity Did Not Show the Effect of Violent Video Games on Aggression: A Resting-State fMRI Study

PubMed Central

Pan, Wei; Gao, Xuemei; Shi, Shuo; Liu, Fuqu; Li, Chao

2018-01-01

A great many of empirical researches have proved that longtime exposure to violent video game can lead to a series of negative effects. Although research has focused on the neural basis of the correlation between violent video game and aggression, little is known whether the spontaneous brain activity is associated with violent video game exposure. To address this question, we measured the spontaneous brain activity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We used the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) to quantify spontaneous brain activity. The results showed there is no significant difference in ALFF, or fALFF, between violent video game group and the control part, indicating that long time exposure to violent video games won’t significantly influence spontaneous brain activity, especially the core brain regions such as execution control, moral judgment and short-term memory. This implies the adverse impact of violent video games is exaggerated. PMID:29375416

Effects of group exercise on functional abilities: Differences between physically active and physically inactive women.

PubMed

Cokorilo, Nebojsa; Mikalacki, Milena; Satara, Goran; Cvetkovic, Milan; Marinkovic, Dragan; Zvekic-Svorcan, Jelena; Obradovic, Borislav

2018-03-30

Aerobic exercises to music can have a positive effect on functional and motor skills of an exerciser, their health, as well as an aesthetic and socio-psychological component. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of reactive exercising in a group on functional capabilities in physically active and physically inactive women. A prospective study included 64 healthy women aged 40-60 years. The sample was divided into the experimental group (n= 36), i.e. physically active women who have been engaged in recreational group exercises at the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, and the control group (n= 28), which consisted of physically inactive women. All the participants were monitored using the same protocol before and after the implementation of the research. All women had their height, weight, body mass index measured as well as spiroergometric parameters determined according to the Bruce protocol. A univariate analysis of variance has shown that there is a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group in maximum speed, the total duration of the test, relative oxygen consumption, absolute oxygen consumption and ventilation during the final measurement. After the training intervention, the experimental group showed improvements in all the parameters analyzed compared with pretest values. The recreational group exercise model significantly improves aerobic capacity and functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, it is essential for women to be involved more in any form of recreational group exercising in order to improve functional capacity and health.

"Group Intelligence": An Active Learning Exploration of Diversity in Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Christopher J.; Salaita, Meisa K.; Hughes, Catherine H.; Lynn, David G.; Fristoe, Adam; Fristoe, Ariel; Grover, Martha A.

2017-01-01

"Group Intelligence" is an active learning, inquiry-based activity that introduces prebiotic chemistry, emergent complexity, and diversity's importance to adaptability across scales. Students explore the molecular emergence of order and function through theatrical exercises and games. Through 20 min of audio instruction and a discussion…

Alectinib shows potent antitumor activity against RET-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Kodama, Tatsushi; Tsukaguchi, Toshiyuki; Satoh, Yasuko; Yoshida, Miyuki; Watanabe, Yoshiaki; Kondoh, Osamu; Sakamoto, Hiroshi

2014-12-01

Alectinib/CH5424802 is a known inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and is being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of ALK fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recently, some RET and ROS1 fusion genes have been implicated as driver oncogenes in NSCLC and have become molecular targets for antitumor agents. This study aims to explore additional target indications of alectinib by testing its ability to inhibit the activity of kinases other than ALK. We newly verified that alectinib inhibited RET kinase activity and the growth of RET fusion-positive cells by suppressing RET phosphorylation. In contrast, alectinib hardly inhibited ROS1 kinase activity unlike other ALK/ROS1 inhibitors such as crizotinib and LDK378. It also showed antitumor activity in mouse models of tumors driven by the RET fusion. In addition, alectinib showed kinase inhibitory activity against RET gatekeeper mutations (RET V804L and V804M) and blocked cell growth driven by the KIF5B-RET V804L and V804M. Our results suggest that alectinib is effective against RET fusion-positive tumors. Thus, alectinib might be a therapeutic option for patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

This group view shows propellant preparation buidling 4241/E42, 4242/E43, and ...

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

This group view shows propellant preparation buidling 4241/E-42, 4242/E-43, and northwest (314 degrees). Note warning lights at the extreme left of the view, and the use of lightning rods on structures. Building 4241/E-42 housed solid rocket motors after they were cast and awaiting curing. Building 4241/E-42 was the Preparation Control center which housed remote controls for operations in the other two buildings. Building 4243/E-44 housed a remotely controlled mandrel puller for pulling mandrels (casting cores) from cured grain, and a vertical lathe for trimming grain to shape and size. - Jet Propulsion Laboratory Edwards Facility, Edwards Air Force Base, Boron, Kern County, CA

Contralateral delay activity tracks the influence of Gestalt grouping principles on active visual working memory representations

PubMed Central

Peterson, Dwight J.; Gözenman, Filiz; Arciniega, Hector; Berryhill, Marian E.

2015-01-01

Recent studies have demonstrated that factors influencing perception, such as Gestalt grouping cues, can influence the storage of information in visual working memory (VWM). In some cases, stationary cues such as stimulus similarity lead to superior VWM performance. However, the neural correlates underlying these benefits to VWM performance remain unclear. One neural index, the contralateral delay activity (CDA) is an event-related potential that shows increased amplitude according to the number of items held in VWM and asymptotes at an individual’s VWM capacity limit. Here, we applied the CDA to determine whether previously reported behavioral benefits supplied by similarity, proximity and uniform connectedness were reflected as a neural savings such that the CDA amplitude was reduced when these cues were present. We implemented VWM change detection tasks with arrays including similarity and proximity (Experiment 1); uniform connectedness (Experiments 2a and 2b); similarity/proximity and uniform connectedness (Experiment 3). The results indicated that when there was a behavioral benefit to VWM, this was echoed by a reduction in CDA amplitude, which suggests more efficient processing. However, not all perceptual grouping cues provided a VWM benefit in the same measure (e.g., accuracy) or of the same magnitude. We also found unexpected interactions between cues. We observed a mixed bag of effects, suggesting that these powerful perceptual grouping benefits are not as predictable in VWM. The current findings indicate that, when grouping cues produce behavioral benefits, there is a parallel reduction in the neural resources required to maintain grouped items within VWM. PMID:26018644

Contralateral delay activity tracks the influence of Gestalt grouping principles on active visual working memory representations.

PubMed

Peterson, Dwight J; Gözenman, Filiz; Arciniega, Hector; Berryhill, Marian E

2015-10-01

Recent studies have demonstrated that factors influencing perception, such as Gestalt grouping cues, can influence the storage of information in visual working memory (VWM). In some cases, stationary cues, such as stimulus similarity, lead to superior VWM performance. However, the neural correlates underlying these benefits to VWM performance remain unclear. One neural index, the contralateral delay activity (CDA), is an event-related potential that shows increased amplitude according to the number of items held in VWM and asymptotes at an individual's VWM capacity limit. Here, we applied the CDA to determine whether previously reported behavioral benefits supplied by similarity, proximity, and uniform connectedness were reflected as a neural savings such that the CDA amplitude was reduced when these cues were present. We implemented VWM change-detection tasks with arrays including similarity and proximity (Experiment 1); uniform connectedness (Experiments 2a and 2b); and similarity/proximity and uniform connectedness (Experiment 3). The results indicated that when there was a behavioral benefit to VWM, this was echoed by a reduction in CDA amplitude, which suggests more efficient processing. However, not all perceptual grouping cues provided a VWM benefit in the same measure (e.g., accuracy) or of the same magnitude. We also found unexpected interactions between cues. We observed a mixed bag of effects, suggesting that these powerful perceptual grouping benefits are not as predictable in VWM. The current findings indicate that when grouping cues produce behavioral benefits, there is a parallel reduction in the neural resources required to maintain grouped items within VWM.

Pilot intervention to increase physical activity among sedentary urban middle school girls: a two-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design.

PubMed

Robbins, Lorraine B; Pfeiffer, Karin A; Maier, Kimberly S; Lo, Yun-Jia; Wesolek Ladrig, Stacey M

2012-08-01

The primary purpose of the study was to determine whether girls in one school receiving nurse counseling plus an after-school physical activity club showed greater improvement in physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition than girls assigned to an attention control condition in another school (N = 69). Linear regressions controlling for baseline measures showed no statistically significant group differences, but the directionality of differences was consistent with greater intervention group improvement for minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity/hour (t = 0.95, p = .35), cardiovascular fitness (t = 1.26, p = .22), body mass index (BMI; t = -1.47, p = .15), BMI z score (t = -1.19, p = .24), BMI percentile (t = -0.59, p = .56), percentage body fat (t = -0.86, p = .39), and waist circumference (t = -0.19, p = .85). Findings support testing with a larger sample.

When Two Heads Aren't Better than One: Conformity in a Group Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fender, C. Melissa; Stickney, Lisa T.

2017-01-01

Group and team class decision-making activities often focus on demonstrating that "two heads are better than one." Typically, students solve a problem or complete an assessment individually, then in a group. Generally, the group does better and that is what the students learn. However, if that is all such an activity conveys, then a…

Group II p21-activated kinases as therapeutic targets in gastrointestinal cancer.

PubMed

Shao, Yang-Guang; Ning, Ke; Li, Feng

2016-01-21

P21-activated kinases (PAKs) are central players in various oncogenic signaling pathways. The six PAK family members are classified into group I (PAK1-3) and group II (PAK4-6). Focus is currently shifting from group I PAKs to group II PAKs. Group II PAKs play important roles in many fundamental cellular processes, some of which have particular significance in the development and progression of cancer. Because of their important functions, group II PAKs have become popular potential drug target candidates. However, few group II PAKs inhibitors have been reported, and most do not exhibit satisfactory kinase selectivity and "drug-like" properties. Isoform- and kinase-selective PAK inhibitors remain to be developed. This review describes the biological activities of group II PAKs, the importance of group II PAKs in the development and progression of gastrointestinal cancer, and small-molecule inhibitors of group II PAKs for the treatment of cancer.

Effects of Collaborative Activities on Group Identity in Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Hyungsung; Seo, Sumin

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of collaborative activities on group identity in a virtual world such as "Second Life." To achieve this purpose, this study adopted events that promoted participants' interactions using tools inherent in "Second Life." The interactive tools given to the control group in this…

Impact of physical activity in group versus individual physical activity on fatigue in patients with breast cancer: A pilot study.

PubMed

Desbiens, Christine; Filion, Myriam; Brien, Marie-Chantale; Hogue, Jean-Charles; Laflamme, Christian; Lemieux, Julie

2017-10-01

Physical activity improves the quality of life of cancer survivors, but whether there is a difference between individual vs. group physical activity is unknown. To compare fatigue at 12 weeks in breast cancer survivors after participation in a program of group vs. individual video-assisted physical activity. This was a randomized phase II pilot study carried out in breast cancer survivors at a tertiary breast cancer center. Eligible patients were randomized to individual or group 12-week physical activity program. The primary outcome was fatigue (FACT-F). Aerobic capacity (6-min walk test), muscular strength, and quality-of-life (FACT-G and FACT-B) were assessed. Because of poor accrual, 200 consecutive breast cancer patients were surveyed about their physical activity habits to assess reasons for low recruitment. For all participants (n = 26; n = 12 for group vs. n = 14 for individual), there were some improvement in FACT-F, FACT-G, FACT-B, physical activity level, aerobic capacity, and shoulder strength. Among the 200 patients surveyed, 58% were interested to increase their physical activity level, 15% declared that they were already exercising enough, 9% declared being unable to, 3% declared having no time, and 2% declared having no interest, and other reasons (13%). Among the 200 patients surveyed, 25% preferred in group, 57% preferred alone, and 18% had no preference. Low recruitment precluded conclusions about the efficacy of physical activity practiced in group vs. individually, but both groups derived a benefit. Low willingness to change exercising habits could be the biggest barrier to physical activity in breast cancer survivors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An active principle of Nigella sativa L., thymoquinone, showing significant antimicrobial activity against anaerobic bacteria.

PubMed

Randhawa, Mohammad Akram; Alenazy, Awwad Khalaf; Alrowaili, Majed Gorayan; Basha, Jamith

2017-01-01

Thymoquinone (TQ) is the major active principle of Nigella sativa seed (black seed) and is known to control many fungi, bacteria, and some viruses. However, the activity of TQ against anaerobic bacteria is not well demonstrated. Anaerobic bacteria can cause severe infections, including diarrhea, aspiration pneumonia, and brain abscess, particularly in immunodeficient individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of TQ against some anaerobic pathogens in comparison to metronidazole. Standard, ATCC, strains of four anaerobic bacteria ( Clostridium difficile , Clostridium perfringens , Bacteroides fragilis , and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron ), were initially isolated on special Brucella agar base (with hemin and vitamin K). Then, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of TQ and metronidazole were determined against these anaerobes when grown in Brucella agar, using serial agar dilution method according to the recommended guidelines for anaerobic organisms instructed by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. TQ showed a significant antimicrobial activity against anaerobic bacteria although much weaker than metronidazole. MICs of TQ and metronidazole against various anaerobic human pathogens tested were found to be between 10-160 mg/L and 0.19-6.25 mg/L, respectively. TQ controlled the anaerobic human pathogenic bacteria, which supports the use of N. sativa in the treatment of diarrhea in folk medicine. Further investigations are in need for determination of the synergistic effect of TQ in combination with metronidazole and the activity of derivatives of TQ against anaerobic infections.

Estimating municipal solid waste generation by different activities and various resident groups in five provinces of China.

PubMed

Fu, Hui-zhen; Li, Zhen-shan; Wang, Rong-hua

2015-07-01

The quantities and composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) are important factors in the planning and management of MSW. Daily human activities were classified into three groups: maintenance activities (meeting the basic needs of food, housing and personal care, MA); subsistence activities (providing the financial support requirements, SA); and leisure activities (social and recreational pursuits, LA). A model, based on the interrelationships of expenditure on consumer goods, time distribution, daily activities, residents groups, and waste generation, was employed to estimate MSW generation by different activities and resident groups in five provinces (Zhejiang, Guangdong, Hebei, Henan and Sichuan) of China. These five provinces were chosen for this study and the distribution patterns of MSW generated by different activities and resident groups were revealed. The results show that waste generation in SA and LA fluctuated slightly from 2003 to 2008. For general waste generation in the five provinces, MA accounts for more than 70% of total MSW, SA approximately 10%, and LA between 10% and 16% by urban residents in 2008. Females produced more daily MSW than males in MA. Males produced more daily MSW than females in SA and LA. The wastes produced at weekends in MA and LA were far greater than on weekdays, but less than on weekdays for SA wastes. Furthermore, one of the model parameters (the waste generation per unit of consumer expenditure) is inversely proportional to per-capita disposable income of urban residents. A significant correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) and waste generation by SA was observed with a high coefficient of determination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Small group activities within academic communities improve the connectedness of students and faculty.

PubMed

Brandl, Katharina; Schneid, Stephen D; Smith, Sunny; Winegarden, Babbi; Mandel, Jess; Kelly, Carolyn J

2017-08-01

The University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine implemented a curriculum change that included reduction of lectures, incorporation of problem-based learning and other small group activities. Six academic communities were introduced for teaching longitudinal curricular content and organizing extracurricular activities. Surveys were collected from 904 first- and second-year medical students over 6 years. Student satisfaction data with their sense of connectedness and community support were collected before and after the implementation of the new curriculum. In a follow-up survey, medical students rated factors that contributed to their sense of connectedness with faculty and students (n = 134). Students' perception of connectedness to faculty significantly increased following implementation of a curriculum change that included academic communities. Students ranked small group clinical skills activities within academic communities significantly higher than other activities concerning their sense of connectedness with faculty. Students' perception of connectedness among each other was high at baseline and did not significantly change. Small group activities scored higher than extracurricular activities regarding students' connectedness among themselves. The implementation of a new curriculum with more small group educational activities including academic communities enhanced connectedness between students and faculty and resulted in an increased sense of community.

Bipolar I disorder and major depressive disorder show similar brain activation during depression.

PubMed

Cerullo, Michael A; Eliassen, James C; Smith, Christopher T; Fleck, David E; Nelson, Erik B; Strawn, Jeffrey R; Lamy, Martine; DelBello, Melissa P; Adler, Caleb M; Strakowski, Stephen M

2014-11-01

Despite different treatments and courses of illness, depressive symptoms appear similar in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar I disorder (BP-I). This similarity of depressive symptoms suggests significant overlap in brain pathways underlying neurovegetative, mood, and cognitive symptoms of depression. These shared brain regions might be expected to exhibit similar activation in individuals with MDD and BP-I during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). fMRI was used to compare regional brain activation in participants with BP-I (n = 25) and MDD (n = 25) during a depressive episode as well as 25 healthy comparison (HC) participants. During the scans, participants performed an attentional task that incorporated emotional pictures. During the viewing of emotional images, subjects with BP-I showed decreased activation in the middle occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus compared to both subjects with MDD and HC participants. During attentional processing, participants with MDD had increased activation in the parahippocampus, parietal lobe, and postcentral gyrus. However, among these regions, only the postcentral gyrus also showed differences between MDD and HC participants. No differences in cortico-limbic regions were found between participants with BP-I and MDD during depression. Instead, the major differences occurred in primary and secondary visual processing regions, with decreased activation in these regions in BP-I compared to major depression. These differences were driven by abnormal decreases in activation seen in the participants with BP-I. Posterior activation changes are a common finding in studies across mood states in participants with BP-I. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Piper betle shows antioxidant activities, inhibits MCF-7 cell proliferation and increases activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase.

PubMed

Abrahim, Noor Nazirahanie; Kanthimathi, M S; Abdul-Aziz, Azlina

2012-11-15

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and the focus on finding chemotherapeutic agents have recently shifted to natural products. Piper betle is a medicinal plant with various biological activities. However, not much data is available on the anti-cancer effects of P. betle on breast cancer. Due to the current interest in the potential effects of antioxidants from natural products in breast cancer treatment, we investigated the antioxidant activities of the leaves of P. betle and its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of the breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. The leaves of P. betle were extracted with solvents of varying polarities (water, methanol, ethyl acetate and hexane) and their phenolic and flavonoid content were determined using colorimetric assays. Phenolic composition was characterized using HPLC. Antioxidant activities were measured using FRAP, DPPH, superoxide anion, nitric oxide and hyroxyl radical scavenging assays. Biological activities of the extracts were analysed using MTT assay and antioxidant enzyme (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase) assays in MCF-7 cells. Overall, the ethyl acetate extract showed the highest ferric reducing activity and radical scavenging activities against DPPH, superoxide anion and nitric oxide radicals. This extract also contained the highest phenolic content implying the potential contribution of phenolics towards the antioxidant activities. HPLC analyses revealed the presence of catechin, morin and quercetin in the leaves. The ethyl acetate extract also showed the highest inhibitory effect against the proliferation of MCF-7 cells (IC50=65 μg/ml). Treatment of MCF-7 cells with the plant extract increased activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase. Ethyl acetate is the optimal solvent for the extraction of compounds with antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities. The increased activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in the treated cells could alter the antioxidant defense

Piper betle shows antioxidant activities, inhibits MCF-7 cell proliferation and increases activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and the focus on finding chemotherapeutic agents have recently shifted to natural products. Piper betle is a medicinal plant with various biological activities. However, not much data is available on the anti-cancer effects of P. betle on breast cancer. Due to the current interest in the potential effects of antioxidants from natural products in breast cancer treatment, we investigated the antioxidant activities of the leaves of P. betle and its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of the breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. Methods The leaves of P. betle were extracted with solvents of varying polarities (water, methanol, ethyl acetate and hexane) and their phenolic and flavonoid content were determined using colorimetric assays. Phenolic composition was characterized using HPLC. Antioxidant activities were measured using FRAP, DPPH, superoxide anion, nitric oxide and hyroxyl radical scavenging assays. Biological activities of the extracts were analysed using MTT assay and antioxidant enzyme (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase) assays in MCF-7 cells. Results Overall, the ethyl acetate extract showed the highest ferric reducing activity and radical scavenging activities against DPPH, superoxide anion and nitric oxide radicals. This extract also contained the highest phenolic content implying the potential contribution of phenolics towards the antioxidant activities. HPLC analyses revealed the presence of catechin, morin and quercetin in the leaves. The ethyl acetate extract also showed the highest inhibitory effect against the proliferation of MCF-7 cells (IC50=65 μg/ml). Treatment of MCF-7 cells with the plant extract increased activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase. Conclusions Ethyl acetate is the optimal solvent for the extraction of compounds with antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities. The increased activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in the treated cells

Activities of the US-Japan Safety Monitor Joint Working Group

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

Richard L. Savercool; Lee C. Cadwallader

2004-09-01

This paper documents the activities of the US-Japan exchange in the area of personnel safety at magnetic and laser fusion experiments. A near-miss event with a visiting scientist to the US in 1992 was the impetus for forming the Joint Working Group on Fusion Safety. This exchnge has been under way for over ten years and has provided many safety insights for both US and Japanese facility personnel at national institutes and at universities. The background and activities of the Joint Working Group are described, including the facilities that have been visited for safety walkthroughs, the participants from both countries,more » and the main safety issues examined during visits. Based on these visits, some operational safety ideas to enhance experiment safety are given. The near-term future plans of the Safety Monitor Joint Working group are also discussed.« less

Collagen-Immobilized Lipases Show Good Activity and Reusability for Butyl Butyrate Synthesis.

PubMed

Dewei, Song; Min, Chen; Haiming, Cheng

2016-11-01

Candida rugosa lipases were immobilized onto collagen fibers through glutaraldehyde cross-linking method. The immobilization process has been optimized. Under the optimal immobilization conditions, the activity of the collagen-immobilized lipase reached 340 U/g. The activity was recovered of 28.3 % by immobilization. The operational stability of the obtained collagen-immobilized lipase for hydrolysis of olive oil emulsion was determined. The collagen-immobilized lipase showed good tolerance to temperature and pH variations in comparison to free lipase. The collagen-immobilized lipase was also applied as biocatalyst for synthesis of butyl butyrate from butyric acid and 1-butanol in n-hexane. The conversion yield was 94 % at the optimal conditions. Of its initial activity, 64 % was retained after 5 cycles for synthesizing butyl butyrate in n-hexane.

Pilot intervention to increase physical activity among sedentary urban middle school girls: a two-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design

PubMed Central

Robbins, Lorraine B.; Pfeiffer, Karin A.; Maier, Kimberly S.; Lo, Yun-Jia; Wesolek, Stacey M.

2012-01-01

The primary purpose of the study was to determine if girls in one school receiving nurse counseling plus an after-school Physical Activity Club showed greater improvement in physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition than girls assigned to an attention control condition in another school (N = 69). Linear regressions controlling for baseline measures showed no statistically significant group differences, but directionality of differences was consistent with greater intervention group improvement for minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity/hour (t = 0.95, p = .35), cardiovascular fitness (t = 1.26, p = .22), body mass index (BMI; t = −1.47, p = .15), BMI z-score (t = −1.19, p = .24), BMI percentile (t = −0.59, p = .56), percent body fat (t = −0.86, p = .39), and waist circumference (t = −0.19, p = .85). Findings support testing with a larger sample. PMID:22472632

Fission Activities of the Nuclear Reactions Group in Uppsala

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Adili, A.; Alhassan, E.; Gustavsson, C.; Helgesson, P.; Jansson, K.; Koning, A.; Lantz, M.; Mattera, A.; Prokofiev, A. V.; Rakopoulos, V.; Sjöstrand, H.; Solders, A.; Tarrío, D.; Österlund, M.; Pomp, S.

This paper highlights some of the main activities related to fission of the nuclear reactions group at Uppsala University. The group is involved for instance in fission yield experiments at the IGISOL facility, cross-section measurements at the NFS facility, as well as fission dynamics studies at the IRMM JRC-EC. Moreover, work is ongoing on the Total Monte Carlo (TMC) methodology and on including the GEF fission code into the TALYS nuclear reaction code. Selected results from these projects are discussed.

Essential features of long-term changes of areas and diameters of sunspot groups in solar activity cycles 12-24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efimenko, V. M.; Lozitsky, V. G.

2018-06-01

We analyze the Greenwich catalog data on areas of sunspot groups of last thirteen solar cycles. Various parameters of sunspots are considered, namely: average monthly smoothed areas, maximum area for each year and equivalent diameters of groups of sunspots. The first parameter shows an exceptional power of the 19th cycle of solar activity, which appears here more contrastively than in the numbers of spots (that is, in Wolf's numbers). It was found that in the maximum areas of sunspot groups for a year there is a unique phenomenon: a short and high jump in the 18th cycle (in 1946-1947) that has no analogues in other cycles. We also studied the integral distributions for equivalent diameters and found the following: (a) the average value of the index of power-law approximation is 5.4 for the last 13 cycles and (b) there is reliable evidence of Hale's double cycle (about 44 years). Since this indicator reflects the dispersion of sunspot group diameters, the results obtained show that the convective zone of the Sun generates embryos of active regions in different statistical regimes which change with a cycle of about 44 years.

[Protein intake in selected youth groups of different physical activity and requirements for athletes].

PubMed

Nazarewicz, Rafał; Babicz-Zielińska, Ewa

2004-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate protein intake in groups of different physical activity. The research was undertaken over a group of young people of different physical activity (age group 15-18 years) including ballet dancers, karate fighters, cross runners as well as adolescents of average physical activity (female and male). The investigation was performed in two series. The first--before intense exercise training and the second--after intense exercise training. In control group there was only one series. Urea was estimated by using urease which converts urea into ammonia, CO2 and glutamic dehydrogenase reaction via measurements of ammonia derived from urea. The amounts of urea were applied for counting quantity of consumed proteins. In the physically active groups the protein intake was too low in comparison to required.

The effect of online chronic disease personas on activation: within-subjects and between-groups analyses.

PubMed

Serio, Catherine Devany; Hessing, Jason; Reed, Becky; Hess, Christopher; Reis, Janet

2015-02-25

Although self-management of chronic disease is important, engaging patients and increasing activation for self-care using online tools has proven difficult. Designing more tailored interventions through the application of condition-specific personas may be a way to increase engagement and patient activation. Personas are developed from extensive interviews with patients about their shared values and assumptions about their health. The resulting personas tailor the knowledge and skills necessary for self-care and guide selection of the self-management tools for a particular audience. Pre-post changes in self-reported levels of activation for self-management were analyzed for 11 chronic health personas developed for 4 prevalent chronic diseases. Personas were created from 20 to 25 hour-long nondirected interviews with consumers with a common, chronic disease (eg, diabetes). The interviews were transcribed and coded for behaviors, feelings, and beliefs using the principles of grounded theory. A second group of 398 adults with self-reported chronic disease were recruited for online testing of the personas and their impact on activation. The activation variables, based on an integrated theory of health behavior, were knowledge of a given health issue, perceived self-management skills, confidence in improving health, and intention to take action in managing health. Pre-post changes in activation were analyzed with a mixed design with 1 within-subjects factor (pre-post) and 1 between-group factor (persona) using a general linear model with repeated measures. Sixteen pre-post changes for 4 measures of activation were analyzed. All but 2 of the within-subjects effects were statistically significant and all changes were in the direction of increased activation scores at posttest. Five significant differences between personas were observed, showing which personas performed better. Of low activation participants, 50% or more shifted to high activation across the 4 measures

Individual and Group-Based Engagement in an Online Physical Activity Monitoring Program in Georgia.

PubMed

Smith, Matthew Lee; Durrett, Nicholas K; Bowie, Maria; Berg, Alison; McCullick, Bryan A; LoPilato, Alexander C; Murray, Deborah

2018-06-07

Given the rising prevalence of obesity in the United States, innovative methods are needed to increase physical activity (PA) in community settings. Evidence suggests that individuals are more likely to engage in PA if they are given a choice of activities and have support from others (for encouragement, motivation, and accountability). The objective of this study was to describe the use of the online Walk Georgia PA tracking platform according to whether the user was an individual user or group user. Walk Georgia is a free, interactive online tracking platform that enables users to log PA by duration, activity, and perceived difficulty, and then converts these data into points based on metabolic equivalents. Users join individually or in groups and are encouraged to set weekly PA goals. Data were examined for 6,639 users (65.8% were group users) over 28 months. We used independent sample t tests and Mann-Whitney U tests to compare means between individual and group users. Two linear regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with activity logging. Users logged 218,766 activities (15,119,249 minutes of PA spanning 592,714 miles [41,858,446 points]). On average, group users had created accounts more recently than individual users (P < .001); however, group users logged more activities (P < .001). On average, group users logged more minutes of PA (P < .001) and earned more points (P < .001). Being in a group was associated with a larger proportion of weeks in which 150 minutes or more of weekly PA was logged (B = 20.47, P < .001). Use of Walk Georgia was significantly higher among group users than among individual users. To expand use and dissemination of online tracking of PA, programs should target naturally occurring groups (eg, workplaces, schools, faith-based groups).

Brain potentials show rapid activation of implicit attitudes towards young and old people.

PubMed

van der Lugt, Arie H; Banfield, Jane F; Osinsky, Roman; Münte, Thomas F

2012-01-06

While previous behavioural research suggests that attitudes, for example towards elderly people, may be activated automatically, this type of research does not provide information about the detailed time-course of such processing in the brain. We investigated the impact of age related attitude information in a Go/NoGo association task that paired photographs of elderly or young faces with positive or negative words. Event related brain potentials showed an N200 (NoGo) component, which appeared earlier in runs which required similar responses for congruent stimulus pairings (e.g. respond to pictures of elderly faces or negative words) than for incongruent pairings (e.g. respond to elderly faces or positive words). As information processing leading to a certain attitude must precede differential brain activity according to the congruence of the paired words and faces, we show that this type of information is activated almost immediately following the structural encoding of the face, between 170 and 230 ms after onset of the face. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

New Horizons in C-F Activation by Main Group Electrophiles

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

Ozerov, Oleg V.

2016-02-13

This technical report describes progress on the DOE sponsored project "New Horizons in C-F Activation by Main Group Electrophiles" during the period of 09/15/2010 – 08/31/2015. The main goal of this project was to develop improved catalysts for conversion of carbon-fluorine bonds in potentially harmful compounds. The approach involved combining of a highly reactive positively charged main-group compound with a highly unreactive negatively charged species (anions) as a way to access potent catalysts for carbon-fluorine bond activation. This report details progress made in improving synthetic pathways to a variety of new anions with improved properties and analysis of their potentialmore » in catalysis.« less

Understanding Mathematic Concept in Relation and Function Method through Active Learning Type Group to Group Distributed LKS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudri, F.; Rahmi, R.; Haryono, Y.

2018-04-01

This research is motivated by the lack of understanding of mathematical concepts students and teachers have not familiarize students discussed in groups. This researchaims to determine whether an understanding of mathematical concepts junior class VIII SMPN 2 in Ranah Batahan Kabupaten Pasaman Barat by applying active learning strategy group to group types with LKS better than conventional learning. The type of research is experimental the design of randomized trials on the subject. The population in the study were all students VIII SMPN 2 Ranah Batahan Kabupaten Pasaman Barat in year 2012/2013 which consists of our class room experiment to determine the grade and control class with do nerandomly, so that classes VIII1 elected as a experiment class and class VIII4 as a control class. The instruments used in the test empirically understanding mathematical concepts are shaped by the essay with rt=0,82 greater than rt=0,468 means reliable tests used. The data analysis technique used is the test with the help of MINITAB. Based on the results of the data analisis known that both of the sample are normal and homogenity in real rate α = 0,05, so the hypothesis of this research is received. So, it can be concluded students’ understanding mathematical concept applied the active Group to Group learning strategy with LKS is better than the students’ understanding mathematical concept with Conventional Learning.

In-vehicle group activity modeling and simulation in sensor-based virtual environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirkhodaie, Amir; Telagamsetti, Durga; Poshtyar, Azin; Chan, Alex; Hu, Shuowen

2016-05-01

Human group activity recognition is a very complex and challenging task, especially for Partially Observable Group Activities (POGA) that occur in confined spaces with limited visual observability and often under severe occultation. In this paper, we present IRIS Virtual Environment Simulation Model (VESM) for the modeling and simulation of dynamic POGA. More specifically, we address sensor-based modeling and simulation of a specific category of POGA, called In-Vehicle Group Activities (IVGA). In VESM, human-alike animated characters, called humanoids, are employed to simulate complex in-vehicle group activities within the confined space of a modeled vehicle. Each articulated humanoid is kinematically modeled with comparable physical attributes and appearances that are linkable to its human counterpart. Each humanoid exhibits harmonious full-body motion - simulating human-like gestures and postures, facial impressions, and hands motions for coordinated dexterity. VESM facilitates the creation of interactive scenarios consisting of multiple humanoids with different personalities and intentions, which are capable of performing complicated human activities within the confined space inside a typical vehicle. In this paper, we demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of VESM in terms of its capabilities to seamlessly generate time-synchronized, multi-source, and correlated imagery datasets of IVGA, which are useful for the training and testing of multi-source full-motion video processing and annotation. Furthermore, we demonstrate full-motion video processing of such simulated scenarios under different operational contextual constraints.

Antimicrobial strength increases with group size: implications for social evolution.

PubMed

Turnbull, Christine; Hoggard, Stephen; Gillings, Michael; Palmer, Chris; Stow, Adam; Beattie, Doug; Briscoe, David; Smith, Shannon; Wilson, Peter; Beattie, Andrew

2011-04-23

We hypothesize that aggregations of animals are likely to attract pathogenic micro-organisms and that this is especially the case for semisocial and eusocial insects where selection ultimately led to group sizes in the thousands or even millions, attracting the epithet 'superorganism'. Here, we analyse antimicrobial strength, per individual, in eight thrips species (Insecta: Thysanoptera) that present increasing innate group sizes and show that species with the largest group size (100-700) had the strongest antimicrobials, those with smaller groups (10-80) had lower antimicrobial activity, while solitary species showed none. Species with large innate group sizes showed strong antimicrobial activity while the semisocial species showed no activity until group size increased sufficiently to make activity detectable. The eusocial species behaved in a similar way, with detectable activity appearing once group size exceeded 120. These analyses show that antimicrobial strength is determined by innate group size. This suggests that the evolution of sociality that, by definition, increases group size, may have had particular requirements for defences against microbial pathogens. Thus, increase in group size, accompanied by increased antibiotic strength, may have been a critical factor determining the 'point of no return', early in the evolution of social insects, beyond which the evolution of social anatomical and morphological traits was irreversible. Our data suggest that traits that increase group size in general are accompanied by increased antimicrobial strength and that this was critical for transitions from solitary to social and eusocial organization.

Effect of ethyleneoxide groups of anionic surfactants on lipase activity.

PubMed

Magalhães, Solange S; Alves, Luís; Sebastião, Marco; Medronho, Bruno; Almeida, Zaida L; Faria, Tiago Q; Brito, Rui M M; Moreno, Maria J; Antunes, Filipe E

2016-09-01

The use of enzymes in laundry and dish detergent products is growing. Such tendency implies dedicated studies to understand surfactant-enzyme interactions. The interactions between surfactants and enzymes and their impact on the catalytic efficiency represent a central problem and were here evaluated using circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, and enzyme activity determinations. This work focuses on this key issue by evaluating the role of the ethyleneoxide (EO) groups of anionic surfactants on the structure and activity of a commercial lipase, and by focusing on the protein/surfactant interactions at a molecular level. The conformational changes and enzymatic activity of the protein were evaluated in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS also denoted as SLE 0 S) and of sodium lauryl ether sulfate with two EO units (SLE 2 S). The results strongly suggest that the presence of EO units in the surfactant polar headgroup determines the stability and the activity of the enzyme. While SDS promotes enzyme denaturation and consequent loss of activity, SLE 2 S preserves the enzyme structure and activity. The data further highlights that the electrostatic interactions among the protein groups are changed by the presence of the adsorbed anionic surfactants being such absorption mainly driven by hydrophobic interactions. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1276-1282, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Cocaine users with comorbid Cluster B personality disorders show dysfunctional brain activation and connectivity in the emotional regulation networks during negative emotion maintenance and reappraisal.

PubMed

Albein-Urios, Natalia; Verdejo-Román, Juan; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Asensio, Samuel; Martínez-González, José Miguel; Verdejo-García, Antonio

2013-12-01

Cocaine dependence often co-occurs with Cluster B personality disorders. Since both disorders are characterized by emotion regulation deficits, we predicted that cocaine comorbid patients would exhibit dysfunctional patterns of brain activation and connectivity during reappraisal of negative emotions. We recruited 18 cocaine users with comorbid Cluster B personality disorders, 17 cocaine users without comorbidities and 21 controls to be scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during performance on a reappraisal task in which they had to maintain or suppress the emotions induced by negative affective stimuli. We followed region of interest (ROI) and whole-brain approaches to investigate brain activations and connectivity associated with negative emotion experience and reappraisal. Results showed that cocaine users with comorbid personality disorders had reduced activation of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex during negative emotion maintenance and increased activation of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and the amygdala during reappraisal. Amygdala activation correlated with impulsivity and antisocial beliefs in the comorbid group. Connectivity analyses showed that in the cocaine comorbid group the subgenual cingulate was less efficiently connected with the amygdala and the fusiform gyri and more efficiently connected with the anterior insula during maintenance, whereas during reappraisal the left orbitofrontal cortex was more efficiently connected with the amygdala and the right orbitofrontal cortex was less efficiently connected with the dorsal striatum. We conclude that cocaine users with comorbid Cluster B personality disorders have distinctive patterns of brain activation and connectivity during maintenance and reappraisal of negative emotions, which correlate with impulsivity and dysfunctional beliefs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

A Group Contingency plus Self-Management Intervention Targeting At-Risk Secondary Students' Class-Work and Active Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trevino-Maack, Sylvia I.; Kamps, Debra; Wills, Howard

2015-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to show that an independent group contingency (GC) combined with self-management strategies and randomized-reinforcer components can increase the amount of written work and active classroom responding in high school students. Three remedial reading classes and a total of 15 students participated in this study.…

Barriers for recess physical activity: a gender specific qualitative focus group exploration.

PubMed

Pawlowski, Charlotte Skau; Tjørnhøj-Thomsen, Tine; Schipperijn, Jasper; Troelsen, Jens

2014-06-23

Many children, in particular girls, do not reach the recommended amount of daily physical activity. School recess provides an opportunity for both boys and girls to be physically active, but barriers to recess physical activity are not well understood. This study explores gender differences in children's perceptions of barriers to recess physical activity. Based on the socio-ecological model four types of environmental barriers were distinguished: natural, social, physical and organizational environment. Data were collected through 17 focus groups (at 17 different schools) with in total 111 children (53 boys) from fourth grade, with a mean age of 10.4 years. The focus groups included an open group discussion, go-along group interviews, and a gender segregated post-it note activity. A content analysis of the post-it notes was used to rank the children's perceived barriers. This was verified by a thematic analysis of transcripts from the open discussions and go-along interviews. The most frequently identified barriers for both boys and girls were weather, conflicts, lack of space, lack of play facilities and a newly-found barrier, use of electronic devices. While boys and girls identified the same barriers, there were both inter- and intra-gender differences in the perception of these barriers. Weather was a barrier for all children, apart from the most active boys. Conflicts were perceived as a barrier particularly by those boys who played ballgames. Girls said they would like to have more secluded areas added to the school playground, even in large schoolyards where lack of space was not a barrier. This aligned with girls' requests for more "hanging-out" facilities, whereas boys primarily wanted activity promoting facilities. Based on the results from this study, we recommend promoting recess physical activity through a combination of actions, addressing barriers within the natural, social, physical and organizational environment.

Fluorine bearing sydnones with styryl ketone group: synthesis and their possible analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities.

PubMed

Deshpande, Shreenivas Ramachandrarao; Pai, Karkala Vasantakumar

2012-04-01

In continuation of structure activity relationship studies, a panel of fluorine containing sydnones with styryl ketone group 4-[1-oxo-3-(substituted aryl)-2-propenyl]-3-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)sydnones 2a-i, was synthesized as better analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents. The title compounds were formed by condensing 4-acetyl-3-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)sydnone with various substituted aryl aldehydes, characterized by spectral studies and evaluated at 100 mg\\kg b.w., p.o. for analgesic, anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activities. Compounds 2c and 2e showed good analgesic effect in acetic acid-induced writhing while none showed significant activity in hot plate assay in mice. In carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema test, compound 2c and 2f exhibited good anti-inflammatory effect at 3rd h, whereas compounds 2c, 2e, 2d, 2g and 2h showed activity in croton oil induced ear oedema assay in mice. Compounds 2c and 2e were less ulcerogenic than ibuprofen in rats, when tested by ulcer index method. Compounds with electron attracting substituents such as 2c and 2e were found to be promising in terms of the ratio of efficacy and adverse effect. These compounds generally exhibited better activity than those of earlier series signifying fluorine substitution.

A Test of the Active-Day Fraction Method of Sunspot Group Number Calibration: Dependence on the Level of Solar Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willamo, T.; Usoskin, I. G.; Kovaltsov, G. A.

2018-04-01

The method of active-day fraction (ADF) was proposed recently to calibrate different solar observers to standard observational conditions. The result of the calibration may depend on the overall level of solar activity during the observational period. This dependency is studied quantitatively using data of the Royal Greenwich Observatory by formally calibrating synthetic pseudo-observers to the full reference dataset. It is shown that the sunspot group number is precisely estimated by the ADF method for periods of moderate activity, may be slightly underestimated by 0.5 - 1.5 groups ({≤} 10%) for strong and very strong activity, and is strongly overestimated by up to 2.5 groups ({≤} 30%) for weak-to-moderate activity. The ADF method becomes inapplicable for the periods of grand minima of activity. In general, the ADF method tends to overestimate the overall level of activity and to reduce the long-term trends.

Ultradian activity rhythms in large groups of newly hatched chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus).

PubMed

Nielsen, B L; Erhard, H W; Friggens, N C; McLeod, J E

2008-07-01

A clutch of young chicks housed with a mother hen exhibit ultradian (within day) rhythms of activity corresponding to the brooding cycle of the hen. In the present study clear evidence was found of ultradian activity rhythms in newly hatched domestic chicks housed in groups larger than natural clutch size without a mother hen or any other obvious external time-keeper. No consistent synchrony was found between groups housed in different pens within the same room. The ultradian rhythms disappeared with time and little evidence of group rhythmicity remained by the third night. This disappearance over time suggests that the presence of a mother hen may be pivotal for the long-term maintenance of these rhythms. The ultradian rhythm of the chicks may also play an important role in the initiation of brooding cycles during the behavioural transition of the mother hen from incubation to brooding. Computer simulations of individual activity rhythms were found to reproduce the observations made on a group basis. This was achievable even when individual chick rhythms were modelled as independent of each other, thus no assumptions of social facilitation are necessary to obtain ultradian activity rhythms on a group level.

Show Yourself, Asparaginase: An Enzymatic Reaction Explained through a Hands-On Interactive Activity

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Determining the catalytic activity of an enzyme can be the perfect method for its identification, for example during purification procedures or for isolation purposes. Herein, we used a pharmaceutically relevant protein to bring the concept of enzymatic activity to the classroom. We designed a hands-on interactive activity in which a medically relevant enzyme, asparaginase, was distinguished from a nonenzymatic protein based on its specific enzymatic activity. The experiment was carried out in the classroom, designed to impact different educational levels from elementary to high school. Our main purposes were to promote the emerging field of protein-based drugs as a source of scientific careers in bionanotechnology and to show the students an image of a “scientist” as that of a common and educated person working in an exciting profession. In addition of being inexpensive, this activity proved to be adaptable for various educational levels and can be easily implemented in different scenarios, for example, scientific fairs, some schools, and so forth. PMID:29599566

Systematic Review Shows Only Few Reliable Studies of Physical Activity Intervention in Adolescents

PubMed Central

Soares, Nara Michelle Moura; Leão, Arley Santos; Santos, Josivan Rosa; Monteiro, Glauber Rocha; dos Santos, Jorge Rollemberg; Thomazzi, Sara Maria; Silva, Roberto Jerônimo dos Santos

2014-01-01

Introduction. Several studies have pointed to the high prevalence of low levels of physical activity in adolescents, suggesting the need for more effective interventions for this group. The aim of this study was to present evidence of intervention programs for efficacy of physical activity for adolescents. Methods. Surveys in PubMed, SportDiscus, LiLacs, and SciELO databases were conducted using keywords to identify population, intervention, and outcome, as well as DeCS and MeSH terms in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, whenever appropriate. The review included observational studies with minimal intervention of six months, minimum sample size of 100 adolescents, written in any language, and those who have reached STROBE score greater than 70%. Results. Only seven studies met all inclusion criteria. Of these, five were pre- and postintervention and two had n > 2000 participants. Interventions were of several types, durations, and strategies for physical activity implementation. Behavior change was assessed in 43% of studies and three reported success in some way. Conclusion. Due to heterogeneity in their contents and methodologies, as well as the lack of jobs that accompany adolescents after the intervention period, one cannot draw conclusions about the actual effects of the intervention programs of physical activity on the behavior of young people. PMID:25152903

The value of psychosocial group activity in nursing education: A qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Choi, Yun-Jung

2018-05-01

Nursing faculty often struggle to find effective teaching strategies for nursing students that integrate group work into nursing students' learning activities. This study was conducted to evaluate students' experiences in a psychiatric and mental health nursing course using psychosocial group activities to develop therapeutic communication and interpersonal relationship skills, as well as to introduce psychosocial nursing interventions. A qualitative research design was used. The study explored nursing students' experiences of the course in accordance with the inductive, interpretative, and constructive approaches via focus group interviews. Participants were 17 undergraduate nursing students who registered for a psychiatric and mental health nursing course. The collected data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in 28 codes, 14 interpretive codes, 4 themes (developing interpersonal relationships, learning problem-solving skills, practicing cooperation and altruism, and getting insight and healing), and a core theme (interdependent growth in self-confidence). The psychosocial group activity provided constructive opportunities for the students to work independently and interdependently as healthcare team members through reflective learning experiences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fatigue-induced changes in group IV muscle afferent activity: differences between high- and low-frequency electrically induced fatigues.

PubMed

Darques, J L; Jammes, Y

1997-03-07

Recordings of group IV afferent activity of tibialis anterior muscle were performed in paralysed rabbits during runs of electrically induced fatigue produced by direct muscle stimulation at a high (100 Hz, high-frequency fatigue HFF) or a low rate (10 Hz, low-frequency fatigue LFF). In addition to analysis of afferent nerve action potentials, muscle force and compound muscle action potentials (M waves) elicited by direct muscle stimulation with single shocks were recorded. Changes in M wave configuration were used as an index of the altered propagation of membrane potentials and the associated efflux of potassium from muscle fibers. The data show that increased group IV afferent activity occurred during LFF as well as HFF trials and developed parallel with force failure. Enhanced afferent activity was significantly higher during LFF (maximal delta f(impulses) = 249 +/- 35%) than HFF (147 +/- 45%). No correlation was obtained between the responses of group IV afferents to LFF or to pressure exerted on tibialis anterior muscle. On the other hand, decreased M wave amplitude was minimal with LFF while it was pronounced with HFF. Close correlations were found between fatigue-induced activation of group IV afferents and decreases in force or M wave amplitude, but their strength was significantly higher with LFF compared to HFF. Thus, electrically induced fatigue activates group IV muscle afferents with a prominent effect of low-frequency stimulation. The mechanism of muscle afferent stimulation does not seem to be due to the sole increase in extracellular potassium concentration, but also by the efflux of muscle metabolites, present during fatiguing contractions at low rate of stimulation.

Supervised walking groups to increase physical activity in type 2 diabetic patients.

PubMed

Negri, Carlo; Bacchi, Elisabetta; Morgante, Susanna; Soave, Diego; Marques, Alessandra; Menghini, Elisabetta; Muggeo, Michele; Bonora, Enzo; Moghetti, Paolo

2010-11-01

To evaluate the impact of an exercise program organized into supervised walking groups in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Fifty-nine diabetic subjects were randomized to a control group receiving standard lifestyle recommendations or an intervention group assigned to three supervised walking sessions per week and counseling. Changes in metabolic features, weight, 6-min walk test, prescription of antidiabetic medications, and overall physical activity were assessed. Functional capacity and overall physical activity were higher in the intervention group, whereas metabolic changes were not different between groups after 4 months. However, in subjects who attended at least 50% of scheduled walking sessions, changes in A1C and fasting glucose were greater than in control subjects. Discontinuation or reduction of antidiabetic drugs occurred in 33% of these patients versus 5% of control subjects (P<0.05). Supervised walking may be beneficial in diabetic subjects, but metabolic improvement requires adequate compliance.

Parents' Networking Strategies: Participation of Formal and Informal Parent Groups in School Activities and Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanat, Carolyn L.

2010-01-01

This case study examined parent groups' involvement in school activities and their participation in decision making. Research questions included the following: (1) What is the nature of parent groups in schools? (2) What activities and issues gain parent groups' attention and participation? (3) How do parent groups communicate concerns about…

Triazole nucleoside derivatives bearing aryl functionalities on the nucleobases show antiviral and anticancer activity.

PubMed

Xia, Yi; Qu, Fanqi; Peng, Ling

2010-08-01

Synthetic nucleoside mimics are important candidates in the searing for antiviral and anticancer drugs. Ribavirin, the first antiviral nucleoside drug, is unique in its antiviral activity with mutilple modes of action, which are mainly due to its special triazole heterocycle as nucleobase. Additionally, introducing aromatic functionalities to the nucleobase is able to confer novel mechanisms of action for nucleoside mimics. With the aim to combine the special characteristics of unnatural triazole heterocycles with those of the appended aromatic groups on the nucleobases, novel 1,2,4-triazole nucleoside analogs bearing aromatic moieties were designed and developed. The present short review summarizes the molecular design, chemical synthesis and biological activity of these triazole nucleoside analogs. Indeed, the discovery of antiviral and anticancer activities shown by these triazole nucleosides as well as the new mechanism underlying the biological activity by one of the anticancer leads has validated the rationale for molecular design and impacted us to further explore the concept with the aim of developing structurally novel nucleoside drug candidates with new modes of action.

The Effect of Online Chronic Disease Personas on Activation: Within-Subjects and Between-Groups Analyses

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Although self-management of chronic disease is important, engaging patients and increasing activation for self-care using online tools has proven difficult. Designing more tailored interventions through the application of condition-specific personas may be a way to increase engagement and patient activation. Personas are developed from extensive interviews with patients about their shared values and assumptions about their health. The resulting personas tailor the knowledge and skills necessary for self-care and guide selection of the self-management tools for a particular audience. Objective Pre-post changes in self-reported levels of activation for self-management were analyzed for 11 chronic health personas developed for 4 prevalent chronic diseases. Methods Personas were created from 20 to 25 hour-long nondirected interviews with consumers with a common, chronic disease (eg, diabetes). The interviews were transcribed and coded for behaviors, feelings, and beliefs using the principles of grounded theory. A second group of 398 adults with self-reported chronic disease were recruited for online testing of the personas and their impact on activation. The activation variables, based on an integrated theory of health behavior, were knowledge of a given health issue, perceived self-management skills, confidence in improving health, and intention to take action in managing health. Pre-post changes in activation were analyzed with a mixed design with 1 within-subjects factor (pre-post) and 1 between-group factor (persona) using a general linear model with repeated measures. Results Sixteen pre-post changes for 4 measures of activation were analyzed. All but 2 of the within-subjects effects were statistically significant and all changes were in the direction of increased activation scores at posttest. Five significant differences between personas were observed, showing which personas performed better. Of low activation participants, 50% or more shifted to high

Boehmenan, a lignan from Hibiscus ficulneus, showed Wnt signal inhibitory activity.

PubMed

Shono, Takumi; Ishikawa, Naoki; Toume, Kazufumi; Arai, Midori A; Ahmed, Firoj; Sadhu, Samir K; Ishibashi, Masami

2015-07-15

The Wnt signal pathway modulates numerous biological processes, and its aberrant activation is related to various diseases. Therefore, inhibition of the Wnt signal may provide an effective (or efficient) strategy for these diseases. Cell-based luciferase assay targeting the Wnt signal (TOP assay) revealed that Hibiscus ficulneus extract inhibited the Wnt signal. The activity-guided isolation of the MeOH extract of H. ficulneus stems yielded four known (1-4) lignans along with myriceric acid (5). Compounds 1-4 potently inhibited the Wnt signal with TOPflash IC50 values of 1.0, 4.5, 6.3, and 1.9 μM, respectively. Compound 1 exhibited cytotoxicity against both Wnt-dependent (HCT116) and Wnt-independent (RKO) cells. Western blot analysis showed that 1 decreased the expression of full, cytosolic and nuclear β-catenin along with c-myc in STF/293 cells. Our results suggested that 1 may have inhibited the Wnt signal by decreasing β-catenin levels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunomodulatory Activity of Dietary Fiber: Arabinoxylan and Mixed-Linked Beta-Glucan Isolated from Barley Show Modest Activities in Vitro

PubMed Central

Samuelsen, Anne Berit; Rieder, Anne; Grimmer, Stine; Michaelsen, Terje E.; Knutsen, Svein H.

2011-01-01

High intake of dietary fiber is claimed to protect against development of colorectal cancer. Barley is a rich source of dietary fiber, and possible immunomodulatory effects of barley polysaccharides might explain a potential protective effect. Dietary fiber was isolated by extraction and enzyme treatment. A mixed-linked β-glucan (WSM-TPX, 96.5% β-glucan, Mw 886 kDa), an arabinoxylan (WUM-BS-LA, 96.4% arabinoxylan, Mw 156 kDa), a mixed-linked β-glucan rich fraction containing 10% arabinoxylan (WSM-TP) and an arabinoxylan rich fraction containing 30% mixed-linked β-glucan (WUM-BS) showed no significant effect on IL-8 secretion and proliferation of two intestinal epithelial cell lines, Caco-2 and HT-29, and had no significant effect on the NF-κB activity in the monocytic cell line U937-3κB-LUC. Further enriched arabinoxylan fractions (WUM-BS-LA) from different barley varieties (Tyra, NK96300, SB94897 and CDCGainer) were less active than the mixed-linked β-glucan rich fractions (WSM-TP and WSM-TPX) in the complement-fixing test. The mixed-linked β-glucan rich fraction from NK96300 and CDCGainer showed similar activities as the positive control while mixed-linked β-glucan rich fractions from Tyra and SB94897 were less active. From these results it is concluded that the isolated high molecular weight mixed-linked β-glucans and arabinoxylans from barley show low immunological responses in selected in vitro test systems and thus possible anti-colon cancer effects of barley dietary fiber cannot be explained by our observations. PMID:21340001

Healthy co-twins of patients with affective disorders show reduced risk-related activation of the insula during a monetary gambling task.

PubMed

Macoveanu, Julian; Miskowiak, Kamilla; Kessing, Lars V; Vinberg, Maj; Siebner, Hartwig R

2016-01-01

Healthy first-degree relatives of patients with affective disorders are at increased risk for affective disorders and express discrete structural and functional abnormalities in the brain reward system. However, value-based decision making is not well understood in these at-risk individuals. We investigated healthy monozygotic and dizygotic twins with or without a co-twin history of affective disorders (high-risk and low-risk groups, respectively) using functional MRI during a gambling task. We assessed group differences in activity related to gambling risk over the entire brain. We included 30 monozygotic and 37 dizygotic twins in our analysis. Neural activity in the anterior insula and ventral striatum increased linearly with the amount of gambling risk in the entire cohort. Individual neuroticism scores were positively correlated with the neural response in the ventral striatum to increasing gambling risk and negatively correlated with individual risk-taking behaviour. Compared with low-risk twins, the high-risk twins showed a bilateral reduction of risk-related activity in the middle insula extending into the temporal cortex with increasing gambling risk. Post hoc analyses revealed that this effect was strongest in dizygotic twins. The relatively old average age of the mono- and dizygotic twin cohort (49.2 yr) may indicate an increased resilience to affective disorders. The size of the monozygotic high-risk group was relatively small (n = 13). The reduced processing of risk magnitude in the middle insula may indicate a deficient integration of exteroceptive information related to risk-related cues with interoceptive states in individuals at familial risk for affective disorders. Impaired risk processing might contribute to increased vulnerability to affective disorders.

Nonplanar tertiary amides in rigid chiral tricyclic dilactams. Peptide group distortions and vibrational optical activity.

PubMed

Pazderková, Markéta; Profant, Václav; Hodačová, Jana; Sebestík, Jaroslav; Pazderka, Tomáš; Novotná, Pavlína; Urbanová, Marie; Safařík, Martin; Buděšínský, Miloš; Tichý, Miloš; Bednárová, Lucie; Baumruk, Vladimír; Maloň, Petr

2013-08-22

We investigate amide nonplanarity in vibrational optical activity (VOA) spectra of tricyclic spirodilactams 5,8-diazatricyclo[6,3,0,0(1,5)]undecan-4,9-dione (I) and its 6,6',7,7'-tetradeuterio derivative (II). These rigid molecules constrain amide groups to nonplanar geometries with twisted pyramidal arrangements of bonds to amide nitrogen atoms. We have collected a full range vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) and Raman optical activity (ROA) spectra including signals of C-H and C-D stretching vibrations. We report normal-mode analysis and a comparison of calculated to experimental VCD and ROA. The data provide band-to-band assignment and offer a possibility to evaluate roles of constrained nonplanar tertiary amide groups and rigid chiral skeletons. Nonplanarity shows as single-signed VCD and ROA amide I signals, prevailing the couplets expected to arise from the amide-amide interaction. Amide-amide coupling dominates amide II (mainly C'-N stretching, modified in tertiary amides by the absence of a N-H bond) transitions (strong couplet in VCD, no significant ROA) probably due to the close proximity of amide nitrogen atoms. At lower wavenumbers, ROA spectra exhibit another likely manifestation of amide nonplanarity, showing signals of amide V (δ(oop)(N-C) at ~570 cm(-1)) and amide VI (δ(oop)(C'═O) at ~700 cm(-1) and ~650 cm(-1)) vibrations.

Supervised Walking Groups to Increase Physical Activity in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

PubMed Central

Negri, Carlo; Bacchi, Elisabetta; Morgante, Susanna; Soave, Diego; Marques, Alessandra; Menghini, Elisabetta; Muggeo, Michele; Bonora, Enzo; Moghetti, Paolo

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of an exercise program organized into supervised walking groups in subjects with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Fifty-nine diabetic subjects were randomized to a control group receiving standard lifestyle recommendations or an intervention group assigned to three supervised walking sessions per week and counseling. Changes in metabolic features, weight, 6-min walk test, prescription of antidiabetic medications, and overall physical activity were assessed. RESULTS Functional capacity and overall physical activity were higher in the intervention group, whereas metabolic changes were not different between groups after 4 months. However, in subjects who attended at least 50% of scheduled walking sessions, changes in A1C and fasting glucose were greater than in control subjects. Discontinuation or reduction of antidiabetic drugs occurred in 33% of these patients versus 5% of control subjects (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Supervised walking may be beneficial in diabetic subjects, but metabolic improvement requires adequate compliance. PMID:20980426

Post-hoc analysis showing better clinical response with the loading dose of certolizumab pegol in Japanese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Tsutomu; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Yamanaka, Hisashi; Ishiguro, Naoki; Tanaka, Yoshiya; Eguchi, Katsumi; Watanabe, Akira; Origasa, Hideki; Kobayashi, Mariko; Shoji, Toshiharu; Togo, Osamu; Miyasaka, Nobuyuki; Koike, Takao

2016-07-01

To compare the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) with and without loading dose (LD) in a post-hoc analysis of two Japanese clinical studies. Data from the double-blind trials (DBT) J-RAPID and HIKARI, and their open-label extension (OLE) studies, were used. Patients randomized to CZP 200 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) groups starting with LD (400 mg Weeks 0/2/4; LD group; J-RAPID: n = 82, HIKARI: n = 116) and patients randomized to placebo groups who subsequently started CZP Q2W without LD in the OLEs (No-LD group; J-RAPID: n = 61, HIKARI: n = 99) were analyzed. Efficacy and pharmacokinetics were assessed during 24 weeks. Adverse events were reported from all studies. In both trials, the LD groups showed more rapid initial ACR20/50/70 kinetics, and maintained higher ACR50/70 responses until 24 weeks, compared with the No-LD groups. Anti-CZP antibody development was less frequent in the LD groups (J-RAPID: 1.2% versus 4.9%; HIKARI: 17.2% versus 27.3%). Similar safety profiles were reported between LD and No-LD groups (any AEs: 281.8 versus 315.7 [J-RAPID], 282.6 versus 321.3 [HIKARI] [incidence rate/100 patient-years]). Despite limitations, including comparing DBT and OLE studies, these results suggest that a CZP LD improves clinical response in active rheumatoid arthritis without altering the safety profile.

Psychoacoustic Tinnitus Loudness and Tinnitus-Related Distress Show Different Associations with Oscillatory Brain Activity

PubMed Central

Balkenhol, Tobias; Wallhäusser-Franke, Elisabeth; Delb, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

Background The phantom auditory perception of subjective tinnitus is associated with aberrant brain activity as evidenced by magneto- and electroencephalographic studies. We tested the hypotheses (1) that psychoacoustically measured tinnitus loudness is related to gamma oscillatory band power, and (2) that tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress are related to distinct brain activity patterns as suggested by the distinction between loudness and distress experienced by tinnitus patients. Furthermore, we explored (3) how hearing impairment, minimum masking level, and (4) psychological comorbidities are related to spontaneous oscillatory brain activity in tinnitus patients. Methods and Findings Resting state oscillatory brain activity recorded electroencephalographically from 46 male tinnitus patients showed a positive correlation between gamma band oscillations and psychoacoustic tinnitus loudness determined with the reconstructed tinnitus sound, but not with the other psychoacoustic loudness measures that were used. Tinnitus-related distress did also correlate with delta band activity, but at electrode positions different from those associated with tinnitus loudness. Furthermore, highly distressed tinnitus patients exhibited a higher level of theta band activity. Moreover, mean hearing loss between 0.125 kHz and 16 kHz was associated with a decrease in gamma activity, whereas minimum masking levels correlated positively with delta band power. In contrast, psychological comorbidities did not express significant correlations with oscillatory brain activity. Conclusion Different clinically relevant tinnitus characteristics show distinctive associations with spontaneous brain oscillatory power. Results support hypothesis (1), but exclusively for the tinnitus loudness derived from matching to the reconstructed tinnitus sound. This suggests to preferably use the reconstructed tinnitus spectrum to determine psychoacoustic tinnitus loudness. Results also support

Age-Group Differences in Medial Cortex Activity Associated with Thinking About Self-Relevant Agendas

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Karen J.; Raye, Carol L.; Ebner, Natalie C.; Tubridy, Shannon M.; Frankel, Hillary; Johnson, Marcia K.

2009-01-01

This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study compared young and older adults’ brain activity as they thought about motivationally self-relevant agendas (hopes and aspirations, duties and obligations) and concrete control items (e.g., shape of USA). Young adults’ activity replicated a double dissociation (Johnson et al., 2006): an area of medial frontal gyrus/anterior cingulate cortex was most active during hopes and aspirations trials and an area of medial posterior cortex, primarily posterior cingulate, was most active during duties and obligations trials. Compared to young adults, older adults showed attenuated responses in medial cortex, especially in medial prefrontal cortex, with both less activity during self-relevant trials and less deactivation during control trials. The fMRI data, together with post-scan reports and the behavioral literature on age-group differences in motivational orientation, suggest that the differences in medial cortex seen in this study reflect young and older adults’ focus on different information during motivationally self-relevant thought. Differences also may be related to an age-associated deficit in controlled cognitive processes that are engaged by complex self-reflection and mediated by prefrontal cortex. PMID:19485660

Calcium imaging of neuronal activity in the most rostral parafacial respiratory group of the newborn rat.

PubMed

Onimaru, Hiroshi; Dutschmann, Mathias

2012-01-01

The parafacial respiratory group (pFRG) is thought to be involved in respiratory rhythm generation in neonates. This subgroup expresses the transcription factor, Phox2b, and contains intrinsically CO(2) sensitive neurons. Calcium imaging has been widely used for analysis of neuronal activity at the cellular and network level. In the present study, we applied calcium imaging to analyze neuronal activity of the most-rostral pFRG in an in vitro brainstem-spinal cord preparation from neonatal rats. We detected strong pre-inspiratory neuron activity in the most rostral pFRG, suggesting that significant numbers of pre-inspiratory neurons are localized in the ventrolateral medulla near the rostral end of the medulla. We show that usage of calcium imaging would be very useful for analysis of neuronal activity over different time scales, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

The neural basis of the bystander effect--the influence of group size on neural activity when witnessing an emergency.

PubMed

Hortensius, Ruud; de Gelder, Beatrice

2014-06-01

Naturalistic observation and experimental studies in humans and other primates show that observing an individual in need automatically triggers helping behavior. The aim of the present study is to clarify the neurofunctional basis of social influences on individual helping behavior. We investigate whether when participants witness an emergency, while performing an unrelated color-naming task in an fMRI scanner, the number of bystanders present at the emergency influences neural activity in regions related to action preparation. The results show a decrease in activity with the increase in group size in the left pre- and postcentral gyri and left medial frontal gyrus. In contrast, regions related to visual perception and attention show an increase in activity. These results demonstrate the neural mechanisms of social influence on automatic action preparation that is at the core of helping behavior when witnessing an emergency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Helicobacter pylori Genotyping from American Indigenous Groups Shows Novel Amerindian vacA and cagA Alleles and Asian, African and European Admixture

PubMed Central

Camorlinga-Ponce, Margarita; Perez-Perez, Guillermo; Gonzalez-Valencia, Gerardo; Mendoza, Irma; Peñaloza-Espinosa, Rosenda; Ramos, Irma; Kersulyte, Dangeruta; Reyes-Leon, Adriana; Romo, Carolina; Granados, Julio; Muñoz, Leopoldo; Berg, Douglas E.; Torres, Javier

2011-01-01

It is valuable to extend genotyping studies of Helicobacter pylori to strains from indigenous communities across the world to better define adaption, evolution, and associated diseases. We aimed to genetically characterize both human individuals and their infecting H. pylori from indigenous communities of Mexico, and to compare them with those from other human groups. We studied individuals from three indigenous groups, Tarahumaras from the North, Huichols from the West and Nahuas from the center of Mexico. Volunteers were sampled at their community site, DNA was isolated from white blood cells and mtDNA, Y-chromosome, and STR alleles were studied. H. pylori was cultured from gastric juice, and DNA extracted for genotyping of virulence and housekeeping genes. We found Amerindian mtDNA haplogroups (A, B, C, and D), Y-chromosome DYS19T, and Amerindian STRs alleles frequent in the three groups, confirming Amerindian ancestry in these Mexican groups. Concerning H.pylori cagA phylogenetic analyses, although most isolates were of the Western type, a new Amerindian cluster neither Western nor Asian, was formed by some indigenous Mexican, Colombian, Peruvian and Venezuelan isolates. Similarly, vacA phylogenetic analyses showed the existence of a novel Amerindian type in isolates from Alaska, Mexico and Colombia. With hspA strains from Mexico and other American groups clustered within the three major groups, Asian, African or European. Genotyping of housekeeping genes confirmed that Mexican strains formed a novel Asian-related Amerindian group together with strains from remote Amazon Aborigines. This study shows that Mexican indigenous people with Amerindian markers are colonized with H. pylori showing admixture of Asian, European and African strains in genes known to interact with the gastric mucosa. We present evidence of novel Amerindian cagA and vacA alleles in indigenous groups of North and South America. PMID:22073291

Helicobacter pylori genotyping from American indigenous groups shows novel Amerindian vacA and cagA alleles and Asian, African and European admixture.

PubMed

Camorlinga-Ponce, Margarita; Perez-Perez, Guillermo; Gonzalez-Valencia, Gerardo; Mendoza, Irma; Peñaloza-Espinosa, Rosenda; Ramos, Irma; Kersulyte, Dangeruta; Reyes-Leon, Adriana; Romo, Carolina; Granados, Julio; Muñoz, Leopoldo; Berg, Douglas E; Torres, Javier

2011-01-01

It is valuable to extend genotyping studies of Helicobacter pylori to strains from indigenous communities across the world to better define adaption, evolution, and associated diseases. We aimed to genetically characterize both human individuals and their infecting H. pylori from indigenous communities of Mexico, and to compare them with those from other human groups. We studied individuals from three indigenous groups, Tarahumaras from the North, Huichols from the West and Nahuas from the center of Mexico. Volunteers were sampled at their community site, DNA was isolated from white blood cells and mtDNA, Y-chromosome, and STR alleles were studied. H. pylori was cultured from gastric juice, and DNA extracted for genotyping of virulence and housekeeping genes. We found Amerindian mtDNA haplogroups (A, B, C, and D), Y-chromosome DYS19T, and Amerindian STRs alleles frequent in the three groups, confirming Amerindian ancestry in these Mexican groups. Concerning H.pylori cagA phylogenetic analyses, although most isolates were of the Western type, a new Amerindian cluster neither Western nor Asian, was formed by some indigenous Mexican, Colombian, Peruvian and Venezuelan isolates. Similarly, vacA phylogenetic analyses showed the existence of a novel Amerindian type in isolates from Alaska, Mexico and Colombia. With hspA strains from Mexico and other American groups clustered within the three major groups, Asian, African or European. Genotyping of housekeeping genes confirmed that Mexican strains formed a novel Asian-related Amerindian group together with strains from remote Amazon Aborigines. This study shows that Mexican indigenous people with Amerindian markers are colonized with H. pylori showing admixture of Asian, European and African strains in genes known to interact with the gastric mucosa. We present evidence of novel Amerindian cagA and vacA alleles in indigenous groups of North and South America.

Serving Up Activities for TV Cooking Shows.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katchen, Johanna E.

This paper documents a presentation given on the use of English-language television cooking shows in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) classrooms in Taiwan. Such shows can be ideal for classroom use, since they have a predictable structure consisting of short segments, are of interest to most students,…

Production of broad-spectrum bacteriocin-like activity by group A streptococci of particular M-types.

PubMed

Hynes, W L; Tagg, J R

1985-04-01

Application of a bacteriocin production (P)-typing scheme to group A streptococci has shown that approximately 10% of the tested strains inhibit the growth of all 9 indicator bacteria, an activity referred to as P-type 777. Production of such activity was found to be restricted to 14 M-serotypes and within these M-types the incidence of P-type 777 activity was very high. There was no evidence of any correlation with the T-antigenic composition of the bacteria. Investigations of the conditions for production of P-type 777 activity and of its spectrum of activity indicate that the same inhibitory substance(s) are responsible for this inhibition in the various M-types of streptococci. Group C streptococcus strain T277 produces an inhibitor which has a similar activity spectrum to that of the P-type 777 group A streptococci, but there were considerable differences in the production conditions. Whereas the group C inhibitor was particularly dependent on conditions of incubation (37 degrees C, anaerobic) the group A activity was more dependent on the composition of the test medium (source of blood agar base and blood requirement). All of the tested P-type 777 group A streptococci had identical inhibitory spectra. This was principally directed against gram-positive bacteria, including the producer strains themselves. Of interest was the occurrence of some insensitive strains in otherwise susceptible species of bacteria and the discovery of one sensitive gram-negative strain, Bacteroides intermedius. Production of P-type 777 activity does not appear to correlate with production of various streptococcal enzymes, including protease, hemolysin, DNase and amylase. Many P-type 777 strains are producers of opacity factor, another M-type-associated product of group A streptococci. It is suggested that by the combined testing of group A streptococci for P-type 777 activity and for opacity factor it would be possible to narrow the choice of M-antisera to be used for typing purposes.

Involving postgraduate's students in undergraduate small group teaching promotes active learning in both

PubMed Central

Kalra, Ruchi; Modi, Jyoti Nath; Vyas, Rashmi

2015-01-01

Background: Lecture is a common traditional method for teaching, but it may not stimulate higher order thinking and students may also be hesitant to express and interact. The postgraduate (PG) students are less involved with undergraduate (UG) teaching. Team based small group active learning method can contribute to better learning experience. Aim: To-promote active learning skills among the UG students using small group teaching methods involving PG students as facilitators to impart hands-on supervised training in teaching and managerial skills. Methodology: After Institutional approval under faculty supervision 92 UGs and 8 PGs participated in 6 small group sessions utilizing the jigsaw technique. Feedback was collected from both. Observations: Undergraduate Feedback (Percentage of Students Agreed): Learning in small groups was a good experience as it helped in better understanding of the subject (72%), students explored multiple reading resources (79%), they were actively involved in self-learning (88%), students reported initial apprehension of performance (71%), identified their learning gaps (86%), team enhanced their learning process (71%), informal learning in place of lecture was a welcome change (86%), it improved their communication skills (82%), small group learning can be useful for future self-learning (75%). Postgraduate Feedback: Majority performed facilitation for first time, perceived their performance as good (75%), it was helpful in self-learning (100%), felt confident of managing students in small groups (100%), as facilitator they improved their teaching skills, found it more useful and better identified own learning gaps (87.5%). Conclusions: Learning in small groups adopting team based approach involving both UGs and PGs promoted active learning in both and enhanced the teaching skills of the PGs. PMID:26380201

Orbital operations study. Volume 2: Interfacing activities analyses. Part 3: Data management activity group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehrbach, E.; Turkel, S. H.

1972-01-01

A summary of the findings of the data management group of the orbital operations study is presented. Element interfaces, alternate approaches, design concepts, operational procedures, functional requirements, design influences, and approach selection are described. The following interfacing activities are considered: (1) communications, (2) rendezvous, (3) stationkeeping, and (4) detached element operations.

Anxiety patients show reduced working memory related dlPFC activation during safety and threat

PubMed Central

Balderston, Nicholas L.; Vytal, Katherine E.; O’Connell, Katherine; Torrisi, Salvatore; Letkiewicz, Allison; Ernst, Monique; Grillon, Christian

2016-01-01

Background Anxiety patients exhibit deficits in cognitive tasks that require prefrontal control of attention, including those that tap working memory (WM). However, it is unclear whether these deficits reflect threat-related processes or symptoms of the disorder. Here we distinguish between these hypotheses by determining the effect of shock threat vs. safety on the neural substrates of WM performance in anxiety patients and healthy controls. Methods Patients, diagnosed with generalized and/or social anxiety disorder, and controls performed blocks of an N-back WM task during periods of safety and threat of shock. We recorded BOLD activity during the task, and investigated the effect of clinical anxiety (patients vs. controls) and threat on WM load-related BOLD activation. Results Behaviorally, patients showed an overall impairment in both accuracy and reaction time compared to controls, independent of threat. At the neural level, patients showed less WM load-related activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region critical for cognitive control. In addition, patients showed less WM load-related deactivation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, which are regions of the default mode network. Most importantly, these effects were not modulated by threat. Conclusions This work suggests that the cognitive deficits seen in anxiety patients may represent a key component of clinical anxiety, rather than a consequence of threat. PMID:27110997

Generation of 3D templates of active sites of proteins with rigid prosthetic groups.

PubMed

Nebel, Jean-Christophe

2006-05-15

With the increasing availability of protein structures, the generation of biologically meaningful 3D patterns from the simultaneous alignment of several protein structures is an exciting prospect: active sites could be better understood, protein functions and protein 3D structures could be predicted more accurately. Although patterns can already be generated at the fold and topological levels, no system produces high-resolution 3D patterns including atom and cavity positions. To address this challenge, our research focuses on generating patterns from proteins with rigid prosthetic groups. Since these groups are key elements of protein active sites, the generated 3D patterns are expected to be biologically meaningful. In this paper, we present a new approach which allows the generation of 3D patterns from proteins with rigid prosthetic groups. Using 237 protein chains representing proteins containing porphyrin rings, our method was validated by comparing 3D templates generated from homologues with the 3D structure of the proteins they model. Atom positions were predicted reliably: 93% of them had an accuracy of 1.00 A or less. Moreover, similar results were obtained regarding chemical group and cavity positions. Results also suggested our system could contribute to the validation of 3D protein models. Finally, a 3D template was generated for the active site of human cytochrome P450 CYP17, the 3D structure of which is unknown. Its analysis showed that it is biologically meaningful: our method detected the main patterns of the cytochrome P450 superfamily and the motifs linked to catalytic reactions. The 3D template also suggested the position of a residue, which could be involved in a hydrogen bond with CYP17 substrates and the shape and location of a cavity. Comparisons with independently generated 3D models comforted these hypotheses. Alignment software (Nestor3D) is available at http://www.kingston.ac.uk/~ku33185/Nestor3D.html

Moms in motion: a group-mediated cognitive-behavioral physical activity intervention.

PubMed

Cramp, Anita G; Brawley, Lawrence R

2006-08-22

When examining the prevalence of physical inactivity by gender and age, women over the age of 25 are at an increased risk for sedentary behavior. Childbearing and motherhood have been explored as one possible explanation for this increased risk. Post natal exercise studies to date demonstrate promising physical and psychological outcomes, however few physical activity interventions have been theory-driven and tailored to post natal exercise initiates. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a group-mediated cognitive behavioral intervention based upon social-cognitive theory and group dynamics (GMCB) to a standard care postnatal exercise program (SE). A randomized, two-arm intervention design was used. Fifty-seven post natal women were randomized to one of two conditions: (1) a standard exercise treatment (SE) and (2) a standard exercise treatment plus group-mediated cognitive behavioral intervention (GMCB). Participants in both conditions participated in a four-week intensive phase where participants received standard exercise training. In addition, GMCB participants received self-regulatory behavioral skills training via six group-mediated counseling sessions. Following the intensive phase, participants engaged in a four-week home-based phase of self-structured exercise. Measures of physical activity, barrier efficacy, and proximal outcome expectations were administered and data were analyzed using ANCOVA procedures. ANCOVA of change scores for frequency, minutes, and volume of physical activity revealed significant treatment effects over the intensive and home-based phases (p's < 0.01). In addition, ANCOVA of change in mean barrier efficacy and proximal outcome expectations at the conclusion of the intensive phase demonstrated that GMCB participants increased their initial level of barrier efficacy and outcome expectations while SE participants decreased (p < 0.05). While both exercise programs resulted in improvements to exercise participation

Cerebellar subjects show impaired adaptation of anticipatory EMG during catching.

PubMed

Lang, C E; Bastian, A J

1999-11-01

We evaluated the role of the cerebellum in adapting anticipatory muscle activity during a multijointed catching task. Individuals with and without cerebellar damage caught a series of balls of different weights dropped from above. In Experiment 1 (light-heavy-light), each subject was required to catch light balls (baseline phase), heavy balls (adaptation phase), and then light balls again (postadaptation phase). Subjects were not told when the balls would be switched, and they were required to keep their hand within a vertical spatial "window" during the catch. During the series of trials, we measured three-dimensional (3-D) position and electromyogram (EMG) from the catching arm. We modeled the adaptation process using an exponential decay function; this model allowed us to dissociate adaptation from performance variability. Results from the position data show that cerebellar subjects did not adapt or adapted very slowly to the changed ball weight when compared with the control subjects. The cerebellar group required an average of 30.9 +/- 8.7 trials (mean +/- SE) to progress approximately two-thirds of the way through the adaptation compared with 1.7 +/- 0.2 trials for the control group. Only control subjects showed a negative aftereffect indicating storage of the adaptation. No difference in performance variability existed between the two groups. EMG data show that control subjects increased their anticipatory muscle activity in the flexor muscles of the arm to control the momentum of the ball at impact. Cerebellar subjects were unable to differentially increase the anticipatory muscle activity across three joints to perform the task successfully. In Experiment 2 (heavy-light-heavy), we tested to see whether the rate of adaptation changed when adapting to a light ball versus a heavy ball. Subjects caught the heavy balls (baseline phase), the light balls (adaptation phase), and then heavy balls again (postadaptation phase). Comparison of rates of adaptation

Evaluation of the active functional groups and structural rearrangement of parthenolide derivatives on their potential anticancer activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srakaew, Veeranuch; Tachaboonyakiat, Wanpen

2017-05-01

Two parthenolide derivatives (PDs) were synthesized by chemical modification of parthenolide with concentrated hydrochloric acid and to evaluate their cytotoxicity to Hep-G2 cells in terms of their active functional groups and polarity. The chemical structures of the PDs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and high resolution mass spectroscopy. Two PDs (PD1 and PD2) were fractionated by silica gel column chromatography with a Rf of 0.37 and 0.19, respectively, in a 1:1 (v/v) hexane: ethyl acetate mobile phase, indicating that PD1 was less polar than PD2. Compared to the parent parthenolide, both PD1 and PD2 had lost the active carbon-carbon double bond and epoxide functional groups, but retained the active 14-methyl and α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone groups. Although PD1 and PD2 possessed similar functional groups, they differed in their structural arrangement and consequentially their polarity. PD1 and PD2 exhibited an in vitro IC50 against the Hep-G2 cell line of 41.0 and 94.0 μg/ml, respectively, which was weaker than that for parthenolide (<1 μg/ml). Thus, the ranked polarity of PD2 > PD1 > parthenolide was inversely related to their cytotoxicity against the Hep-G2 cell line (parthenolide > PD1 > PD2). The obtained PDs may be potential novel anticancer substances.

Post-hoc analysis showing better clinical response with the loading dose of certolizumab pegol in Japanese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

Takeuchi, Tsutomu; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Yamanaka, Hisashi; Ishiguro, Naoki; Tanaka, Yoshiya; Eguchi, Katsumi; Watanabe, Akira; Origasa, Hideki; Kobayashi, Mariko; Shoji, Toshiharu; Togo, Osamu; Miyasaka, Nobuyuki; Koike, Takao

2016-01-01

Abstract Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) with and without loading dose (LD) in a post-hoc analysis of two Japanese clinical studies. Methods: Data from the double-blind trials (DBT) J-RAPID and HIKARI, and their open-label extension (OLE) studies, were used. Patients randomized to CZP 200 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) groups starting with LD (400 mg Weeks 0/2/4; LD group; J-RAPID: n = 82, HIKARI: n = 116) and patients randomized to placebo groups who subsequently started CZP Q2W without LD in the OLEs (No-LD group; J-RAPID: n = 61, HIKARI: n = 99) were analyzed. Efficacy and pharmacokinetics were assessed during 24 weeks. Adverse events were reported from all studies. Results: In both trials, the LD groups showed more rapid initial ACR20/50/70 kinetics, and maintained higher ACR50/70 responses until 24 weeks, compared with the No-LD groups. Anti-CZP antibody development was less frequent in the LD groups (J-RAPID: 1.2% versus 4.9%; HIKARI: 17.2% versus 27.3%). Similar safety profiles were reported between LD and No-LD groups (any AEs: 281.8 versus 315.7 [J-RAPID], 282.6 versus 321.3 [HIKARI] [incidence rate/100 patient-years]). Conclusions: Despite limitations, including comparing DBT and OLE studies, these results suggest that a CZP LD improves clinical response in active rheumatoid arthritis without altering the safety profile. PMID:26472043

Productivity, vitality and utility in a group of healthy professionally active individuals with nocturia.

PubMed

Kobelt, G; Borgström, F; Mattiasson, A

2003-02-01

To assess the effect of nocturia on productivity, vitality and utility in a selected group of professionally active individuals with nocturia, compared with matched controls, and investigate the effect of symptom severity, to test the hypothesis that lack of sleep caused by frequent sleep interruptions could reduce an individuals' daytime energy and activity levels. Subjects (203) were recruited in Sweden through advertisements, and their suitability for the study assessed in a structured interview. Controls (80) matched for age and gender were randomly selected from a market research panel and given the same interview. Both groups completed a productivity questionnaire, a generic quality-of-life questionnaire with a specific domain for vitality and a utility instrument. The study group with nocturia had a significantly lower level of vitality and utility, and greater impairment of work and activity, than the control group. Women were more affected than men. Symptom severity correlated with all three measures. In an otherwise healthy and professionally active group of individuals, waking at night to void significantly diminishes their overall well-being, vitality and productivity, leading to a significant level of indirect and intangible costs.

Emotional collectives: How groups shape emotions and emotions shape groups.

PubMed

van Kleef, Gerben A; Fischer, Agneta H

2016-01-01

Group settings are epicentres of emotional activity. Yet, the role of emotions in groups is poorly understood. How do group-level phenomena shape group members' emotional experience and expression? How are emotional expressions recognised, interpreted and shared in group settings? And how do such expressions influence the emotions, cognitions and behaviours of fellow group members and outside observers? To answer these and other questions, we draw on relevant theoretical perspectives (e.g., intergroup emotions theory, social appraisal theory and emotions as social information theory) and recent empirical findings regarding the role of emotions in groups. We organise our review according to two overarching themes: how groups shape emotions and how emotions shape groups. We show how novel empirical approaches break important new ground in uncovering the role of emotions in groups. Research on emotional collectives is thriving and constitutes a key to understanding the social nature of emotions.

78 FR 75905 - Credit for Increasing Research Activities: Intra-Group Gross Receipts

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-13

... CFR Part 1 [REG-159420-04] RIN 1545-BE14 Credit for Increasing Research Activities: Intra-Group Gross... Internal Revenue Code (Code) relating to the treatment of qualified research expenditures (QREs) and gross... trades or businesses under common control (intra-group transactions) for purposes of determining the...

Orbital operations study. Volume 2: Interfacing activities analysis. Part 4: Support operations activity group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinwachs, W. L.; Patrick, J. W.; Galvin, D. M.; Turkel, S. H.

1972-01-01

The findings of the support operations activity group of the orbital operations study are presented. Element interfaces, alternate approaches, design concepts, operational procedures, functional requirements, design influences, and approach selection are presented. The following areas are considered: (1) crew transfer, (2) cargo transfer, (3) propellant transfer, (4) attached element operations, and (5) attached element transport.

Defective homing is associated with altered Cdc42 activity in cells from patients with Fanconi anemia group A

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoling; Shang, Xun; Guo, Fukun; Murphy, Kim; Kirby, Michelle; Kelly, Patrick; Reeves, Lilith; Smith, Franklin O.; Williams, David A.

2008-01-01

Previous studies showed that Fanconi anemia (FA) murine stem cells have defective reconstitution after bone marrow (BM) transplantation. The mechanism underlying this defect is not known. Here, we report defective homing of FA patient BM progenitors transplanted into mouse models. Using cells from patients carrying mutations in FA complementation group A (FA-A), we show that when transplanted into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) recipient mice, FA-A BM cells exhibited impaired homing activity. FA-A cells also showed defects in both cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion. Complementation of FA-A deficiency by reexpression of FANCA readily restored adhesion of FA-A cells. A significant decrease in the activity of the Rho GTPase Cdc42 was found associated with these defective functions in patient-derived cells, and expression of a constitutively active Cdc42 mutant was able to rescue the adhesion defect of FA-A cells. These results provide the first evidence that FA proteins influence human BM progenitor homing and adhesion via the small GTPase Cdc42-regulated signaling pathway. PMID:18565850

Youth Group Engagement in Noncompliant Communities During Supplemental Immunization Activities in Kaduna, Nigeria, in 2014

PubMed Central

Musa, Audu; Mkanda, Pascal; Manneh, Fadinding; Korir, Charles; Warigon, Charity; Gali, Emmanuel; Banda, Richard; Umeh, Gregory; Nsubuga, Peter; Chevez, Ana; Vaz, Rui G.

2016-01-01

Introduction. One of the major challenges being faced in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative program is persistent refusal of oral polio vaccine (OPV) and harassment of vaccination team members by youths. The objective of the study was to describe the strategy of collaborating with recognized youth groups to reduce team harassment during vaccination campaigns and improve vaccination coverage in noncompliant communities. Methods. We assessed data from polio vaccination activities in OPV-refusing communities in the Igabi and Zaria local government areas (LGAs) of Kaduna State in Nigeria. We evaluated the following factors to determine trends: enhanced independent monitoring data on the proportion of children missed by vaccination activities (hereafter, “missed children”), lot quality assurance surveys, and vaccination team harassment. Results. The proportion of missed children decreased in both LGAs after the intervention. In Igabi LGA and Zaria LGA, the lowest proportions of missed children before and after the intervention decreased from 7% to 2% and from 5% to 1%, respectively. Lot quality assurance survey trends showed an improvement in immunization coverage 1 year after youth groups' engagement in both LGAs. Conclusions. Systematic engagement of youth groups has a great future in polio interruption as we approach the endgame strategy for polio eradication. It promises to be a veritable innovation in reaching chronically missed children in OPV-refusing communities. PMID:26609003

Using Group Drawings Activities to Facilitate the Understanding of the Systemic Aspects of Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arantes do Amaral, João Alberto; Hess, Aurélio; Gonçalves, Paulo; Rodrigues, Vinícius Picanço

2017-01-01

In this article, we present our findings regarding promoting group drawing activities in order to facilitate the learning of systemic aspects of projects. We discuss the approach we used to engage the students and foster learning in our classes. We used group drawing activities in two project management undergraduate courses. The courses, which…

The pronociceptive dorsal reticular nucleus contains mostly tonic neurons and shows a high prevalence of spontaneous activity in block preparation.

PubMed

Sousa, Mafalda; Szucs, Peter; Lima, Deolinda; Aguiar, Paulo

2014-04-01

Despite the importance and significant clinical impact of understanding information processing in the nociceptive system, the functional properties of neurons in many parts of this system are still unknown. In this work we performed whole cell patch-clamp recording in rat brain stem blocks to characterize the electrophysiological properties of neurons in the dorsal reticular nucleus (DRt), a region known to be involved in pronociceptive modulation. We also compared properties of DRt neurons with those in the adjacent parvicellular reticular nucleus and in neighboring regions outside the reticular formation. We found that neurons in the DRt and parvicellular reticular nucleus had similar electrophysiological properties and exhibited mostly toniclike firing patterns, whereas neurons outside the reticular formation showed a larger diversity of firing patterns. Interestingly, more than one-half of the neurons also showed spontaneous activity. While the general view of the reticular formation, being a loosely associated mesh of groups of neurons with diverse function, and earlier reports suggests more electrophysiological heterogeneity, we showed that this is indeed not the case. Our results indicate that functional difference of neurons in the reticular formation may mostly be determined by their connectivity profiles and not by their intrinsic electrophysiological properties. The dominance of tonic neurons in the DRt supports previous conclusions that these neurons encode stimulus intensity through their firing frequency, while the high prevalence of spontaneous activity most likely shapes nociceptive modulation by this brain stem region.

IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVATED CARBON'S OXYGEN SURFACE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS ON ELEMENTAL MERCURY ADSORPTION

EPA Science Inventory

The effect of varying physical and chemical properties of activated carbons on adsorption of elemental mercury [Hg(0)] was studied by treating two activated carbons to modify their surface functional groups and pore structures. Heat treatment (1200 K) in nitrogen (N2), air oxidat...

Resident-Assisted Montessori Programming (RAMP): training persons with dementia to serve as group activity leaders.

PubMed

Camp, Cameron J; Skrajner, Michael J

2004-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an activity implemented by means of Resident-Assisted Montessori Programming (RAMP). Four persons with early-stage dementia were trained to serve as leaders for a small-group activity played by nine persons with more advanced dementia. Assessments of leaders' ability to learn the procedures of leading a group, as well as their satisfaction with this role, were taken, as were measures of players' engagement and affect during standard activities programming and RAMP activities. Leaders demonstrated the potential to fill the role of group activity leader effectively, and they expressed a high level of satisfaction with this role. Players' levels of positive engagement and pleasure during the RAMP activity were higher than during standard group activities. This study suggests that to the extent that procedural learning is available to persons with early-stage dementia, especially when they are assisted with external cueing, these individuals can successfully fill the role of volunteers when working with persons with more advanced dementia. This can provide a meaningful social role for leaders and increase access to high quality activities programming for large numbers of persons with dementia. Copyright 2004 The Gerontological Society of America

Brain activation of semantic category-based grouping in multiple identity tracking task

PubMed Central

Wei, Liuqing; Lyu, Chuang; Hu, Siyuan; Li, Zhen

2017-01-01

Using Multiple Identity Tracking task and the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology, the present study aimed to isolate and visualize the functional anatomy of neural systems involved in the semantic category-based grouping process. Three experiment conditions were selected and compared: the category-based targets grouping (TG) condition, the targets-distractors grouping (TDG) condition and the homogenous condition. In the TG condition, observers could utilize the categorical distinction between targets and distractors, to construct a uniform presentation of targets, that is, to form a group of the targets to facilitate tracking. In the TDG condition, half the targets and half the distractors belonged to the same category. Observers had to inhibit the grouping of targets and distractors in one category to complete tracking. In the homogenous condition, where targets and distractors consisted of the same objects, no grouping could be formed. The “TG-Homogenous” contrast (p<0.01) revealed the activation of the left fusiform and the pars triangularis of inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). The “TG-TDG” contrast only revealed the activation of the left anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC). The fusiform and IFG pars triangularis might participate in the representation of semantic knowledge, IFG pars triangularis might relate intensely with the classification of semantic categories. The ACC might be responsible for the initiation and maintenance of grouping representation. PMID:28505166

Polymorphism of CRISPR shows separated natural groupings of Shigella subtypes and evidence of horizontal transfer of CRISPR

PubMed Central

Yang, Chaojie; Li, Peng; Su, Wenli; Li, Hao; Liu, Hongbo; Yang, Guang; Xie, Jing; Yi, Shengjie; Wang, Jian; Cui, Xianyan; Wu, Zhihao; Wang, Ligui; Hao, Rongzhang; Jia, Leili; Qiu, Shaofu; Song, Hongbin

2015-01-01

Clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) act as an adaptive RNA-mediated immune mechanism in bacteria. They can also be used for identification and evolutionary studies based on polymorphisms within the CRISPR locus. We amplified and analyzed 6 CRISPR loci from 237 Shigella strains belonging to the 4 species groups, as well as 13 Escherichia coli strains. The CRISPR-associated (cas) gene sequence arrays of these strains were screened and compared. The CRISPR sequences from Shigella were conserved among subtypes, suggesting that CRISPR may represent a new identification tool for the detection and discrimination of Shigella species. Secondary structure analysis showed a different stem-loop structure at the terminal repeat, suggesting a distinct recognition mechanism in the formation of crRNA. In addition, the presence of “self-target” spacers and polymorphisms within CRISPR in Shigella indicated a selective pressure for inhibition of this system, which has the potential to damage “self DNA.” Homology analysis of spacers showed that CRISPR might be involved in the regulation of virulence transmission. Phylogenetic analysis based on CRISPR sequences from Shigella and E. coli indicated that although phenotypic properties maintain convergent evolution, the 4 Shigella species do not represent natural groupings. Surprisingly, comparative analysis of Shigella repeats with other species provided new evidence for CRISPR horizontal transfer. Our results suggested that CRISPR analysis is applicable for the detection of Shigella species and for investigation of evolutionary relationships. PMID:26327282

Polymorphism of CRISPR shows separated natural groupings of Shigella subtypes and evidence of horizontal transfer of CRISPR.

PubMed

Yang, Chaojie; Li, Peng; Su, Wenli; Li, Hao; Liu, Hongbo; Yang, Guang; Xie, Jing; Yi, Shengjie; Wang, Jian; Cui, Xianyan; Wu, Zhihao; Wang, Ligui; Hao, Rongzhang; Jia, Leili; Qiu, Shaofu; Song, Hongbin

2015-01-01

Clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) act as an adaptive RNA-mediated immune mechanism in bacteria. They can also be used for identification and evolutionary studies based on polymorphisms within the CRISPR locus. We amplified and analyzed 6 CRISPR loci from 237 Shigella strains belonging to the 4 species groups, as well as 13 Escherichia coli strains. The CRISPR-associated (cas) gene sequence arrays of these strains were screened and compared. The CRISPR sequences from Shigella were conserved among subtypes, suggesting that CRISPR may represent a new identification tool for the detection and discrimination of Shigella species. Secondary structure analysis showed a different stem-loop structure at the terminal repeat, suggesting a distinct recognition mechanism in the formation of crRNA. In addition, the presence of "self-target" spacers and polymorphisms within CRISPR in Shigella indicated a selective pressure for inhibition of this system, which has the potential to damage "self DNA." Homology analysis of spacers showed that CRISPR might be involved in the regulation of virulence transmission. Phylogenetic analysis based on CRISPR sequences from Shigella and E. coli indicated that although phenotypic properties maintain convergent evolution, the 4 Shigella species do not represent natural groupings. Surprisingly, comparative analysis of Shigella repeats with other species provided new evidence for CRISPR horizontal transfer. Our results suggested that CRISPR analysis is applicable for the detection of Shigella species and for investigation of evolutionary relationships.

Relating group size and posting activity of an online community of financial investors: Regularities and seasonal patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Racca, P.; Casarin, R.; Dondio, P.; Squazzoni, F.

2018-03-01

Group size can potentially affect collective activity and individual propensity to contribute to collective goods. Mancur Olson, in his Logic of Collective Action, argued that individual contribution to a collective good tends to be lower in groups of large size. Today, online communication platforms represent an interesting ground to study such collaborative dynamics under possibly different conditions (e.g., lower costs related to gather and share information). This paper examines the relationship between group size and activity in an online financial forum, where users invest time in sharing news, analysis and comments with other investors. We looked at about 24 million messages shared in more than ten years in the finanzaonline.com online forum. We found that the relationship between the number of active users and the number of posts shared by those users is of the power type (with exponent α > 1) and is subject to periodic fluctuations, mostly driven by hour-of-the-day and day-of-the-week effects. The daily patterns of the exponent showed a divergence between working week and weekend days. In general, the exponent was lower before noon, where investors are typically interested in market news, higher in the late afternoon, where markets are closing and investors need better understanding of the situation. Further research is needed, especially at the micro level, to dissect the mechanisms behind these regularities.

Control of abdominal and expiratory intercostal muscle activity during vomiting - Role of ventral respiratory group expiratory neurons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Alan D.; Tan, L. K.; Suzuki, Ichiro

1987-01-01

The role of ventral respiratory group (VRG) expiratory (E) neurons in the control of abdominal and internal intercostal muscle activity during vomiting was investigated in cats. Two series of experiments were performed: in one, the activity of VRG E neurons was recorded during fictive vomiting in cats that were decerebrated, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated; in the second, the abdominal muscle activity during vomiting was compared before and after sectioning the axons of descending VRG E neurons in decerebrate spontaneously breathing cats. The results show that about two-thirds of VRG E neurons that project at least as far caudally as the lower thoracic cord contribute to internal intercostal muscle activity during vomiting. The remaining VRG E neurons contribute to abdominal muscle activation. As shown by severing the axons of the VRG E neurons, other, as yet unidenified, inputs (either descending from the brain stem or arising from spinal reflexes) can also produce abdominal muscle activation.

75 FR 49913 - Active Duty Service Determinations For Civilian or Contractual Groups

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-16

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Air Force Active Duty Service Determinations For Civilian or Contractual Groups SUMMARY: On July 30, 2010, the Secretary of the Air Force, acting as Executive... not be considered ``active duty'' for purposes of all laws administered by the Department of Veterans...

Using Electronic Communication Tools in Online Group Activities to Develop Collaborative Learning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khalil, Hanan; Ebner, Martin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using synchronous and asynchronous communication tools in online group activities to develop collaborative learning skills. An experimental study was implemented on a sample of faculty of education students in Mansoura University. The sample was divided into two groups, a group studied…

The effect of different physical activity levels on muscle fiber size and type distribution of lumbar multifidus. A biopsy study on low back pain patient groups and healthy control subjects.

PubMed

Mazis, N; Papachristou, D J; Zouboulis, P; Tyllianakis, M; Scopa, C D; Megas, P

2009-12-01

Previous studies examining the multifidus fiber characteristics among low back pain (LBP) patients have not considered the variable of physical activity. The present study sought to investigate the muscle fiber size and type distribution of the lumbar multifidus muscle among LBP patient groups with different physical activity levels and healthy controls. Sixty-four patients were assigned to one of three groups named according to the physical activity level, determined for each patient by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. These were low (LPA), medium (MPA) and high (HPA) physical activity groups. A control group comprising of 17 healthy individuals was also recruited. Muscle biopsy samples were obtained from the multifidus muscle at the level L4-L5. contrast with the control group, LBP patient groups showed a significantly higher Type II fiber distribution as well as reduced diameter in both fiber types (P<0.05). The physical activity level did not have an effect on multifidus characteristics since no significant differences were observed in fiber type and diameter (P>0.05) among LPA, MPA and HPA patient groups. Various pathological conditions were detected which were more pronounced in LBP groups compared to the control (P<0.05). Males had a larger fiber diameter compared to females for both fiber types (P<0.05). The results showed that the level of physical activity did not affect muscle fiber size and type distribution among LBP patients groups. These findings suggest that not only inactivity but also high physical activity levels can have an adverse effect on the multifidus muscle fiber characteristics.

Antitumor Activity of Lankacidin Group Antibiotics Is Due to Microtubule Stabilization via a Paclitaxel-like Mechanism.

PubMed

Ayoub, Ahmed Taha; Abou El-Magd, Rabab M; Xiao, Jack; Lewis, Cody Wayne; Tilli, Tatiana Martins; Arakawa, Kenji; Nindita, Yosi; Chan, Gordon; Sun, Luxin; Glover, Mark; Klobukowski, Mariusz; Tuszynski, Jack

2016-10-27

Lankacidin group antibiotics show strong antimicrobial activity against various Gram-positive bacteria. In addition, they were shown to have considerable antitumor activity against certain cell line models. For decades, the antitumor activity of lankacidin was associated with the mechanism of its antimicrobial action, which is interference with peptide bond formation during protein synthesis. This, however, was never confirmed experimentally. Due to significant similarity to paclitaxel-like hits in a previous computational virtual screening study, we suggested that the cytotoxic effect of lankacidin is due to a paclitaxel-like action. In this study, we tested this hypothesis computationally and experimentally and confirmed that lankacidin is a microtubule stabilizer that enhances tubulin assembly and displaces taxoids from their binding site. This study serves as a starting point for optimization of lankacidin derivatives for better antitumor activities. It also highlights the power of computational predictions and their aid in guiding experiments and formulating rigorous hypotheses.

Interrogating Surface Functional Group Heterogeneity of Activated Thermoplastics Using Super-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy.

PubMed

ONeil, Colleen E; Jackson, Joshua M; Shim, Sang-Hee; Soper, Steven A

2016-04-05

We present a novel approach for characterizing surfaces utilizing super-resolution fluorescence microscopy with subdiffraction limit spatial resolution. Thermoplastic surfaces were activated by UV/O3 or O2 plasma treatment under various conditions to generate pendant surface-confined carboxylic acids (-COOH). These surface functional groups were then labeled with a photoswitchable dye and interrogated using single-molecule, localization-based, super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to elucidate the surface heterogeneity of these functional groups across the activated surface. Data indicated nonuniform distributions of these functional groups for both COC and PMMA thermoplastics with the degree of heterogeneity being dose dependent. In addition, COC demonstrated relative higher surface density of functional groups compared to PMMA for both UV/O3 and O2 plasma treatment. The spatial distribution of -COOH groups secured from super-resolution imaging were used to simulate nonuniform patterns of electroosmotic flow in thermoplastic nanochannels. Simulations were compared to single-particle tracking of fluorescent nanoparticles within thermoplastic nanoslits to demonstrate the effects of surface functional group heterogeneity on the electrokinetic transport process.

Comparing the Effects of Group and Home-based Physical Activity on Mental Health in the Elderly.

PubMed

Mortazavi, Seyede Salehe; Shati, Mohsen; Ardebili, Hassan Eftekhar; Mohammad, Kazem; Beni, Reza Dorali; Keshteli, A H

2013-11-01

The present study focuses on comparing the effects of home-based (HB) and group-based (GB) physical activity on mental health in a sample of older adults in Shahr-e-kord. In this quasi-experimental study, a twice-weekly physical activity program for 2 months was provided either individually at home or in a group format for 181 people who were divided into two groups (HB and GB). The outcome, mental health, was measured with the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Mental health status improved after participation in the physical activity program. The decrease in GHQ-28 total score in GB group, 3 months after intervention, was 3.61 ± 2.28 (P < 0.001). In HB group, this reduction was 1.20 ± 2.32 during the same period (P < 0.001). The difference of these "before-after differences" between the two groups in the GHQ-28 and all its subscales was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Also, the effects of GB physical activity on mental health compared with HB physical activity, adjusted for related baseline variables, were significant. These findings reveal the probable effects of GB rather than HB physical activity on mental health among the elderly.

Townes Group Activities from 1983-2000: Personal Recollections of William Danchi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danchi, William C.

2015-01-01

I arrived in Berkeley in October 1983 as a post-doc, and my appointment was at the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL). During that time the group was very large, with multiple activities led by Charlie himself and also by Senior Fellows such as John Lacy, Dan Jaffe, and Al Betz at the top of the hill at Space Sciences. Another significant contingent of the Townes group was housed in Birge Hall on campus, led by Reinhard Genzel when he was an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department. Although the group encompassed two separate locations, it functioned as one large group. Either we rode with Charlie up and down the hill, or (if we were concerned about our safety!) we took the bus.

The impact of an online Facebook support group for people with multiple sclerosis on non-active users.

PubMed

Steadman, Jacqui; Pretorius, Chrisma

2014-01-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease and there is little research on support networks for people with MS (PwMS). More specifically, most studies on online support groups focus on those who actively participate in the group, whereas the majority of those who utilise online support groups do so in a passive way. This study therefore aimed to explore the experiences of non-active users of an online Facebook support group for PwMS. Emphasis was placed on the facilitators and the barriers that were associated with membership to this group. An exploratory qualitative research design was implemented, whereby thematic analysis was utilised to examine the ten semi-structured interviews that were conducted. Several facilitators were acquired through the online support group; namely emotional support (constant source of support, exposure to negative aspects of the disease), informational support (group as a source of knowledge, quality of information) and social companionship (place of belonging). Some barriers were also identified; namely emotional support (emotions lost online, response to messages, exposure to negative aspects of the disease), informational support (information posted on the group, misuse of group) and social companionship (non-active status). These findings demonstrate that the non-active members of the online support group for PwMS have valid reasons for their non-active membership status. More important, the findings suggest that the online Facebook support group provided the group members with an important support network in the form of emotional support, informational support and social companionship, despite their non-active membership status or the barriers that have been identified.

Human Activity Dampens the Benefits of Group Size on Vigilance in Khulan (Equus hemionus) in Western China.

PubMed

Wang, Mu-Yang; Ruckstuhl, Kathreen E; Xu, Wen-Xuan; Blank, David; Yang, Wei-Kang

2016-01-01

Animals receive anti-predator benefits from social behavior. As part of a group, individuals spend less time being vigilant, and vigilance decreases with increasing group size. This phenomenon, called "the many-eyes effect", together with the "encounter dilution effect", is considered among the most important factors determining individual vigilance behavior. However, in addition to group size, other social and environmental factors also influence the degree of vigilance, including disturbance from human activities. In our study, we examined vigilance behavior of Khulans (Equus hemionus) in the Xinjiang Province in western China to test whether and how human disturbance and group size affect vigilance. According to our results, Khulan showed a negative correlation between group size and the percentage time spent vigilant, although this negative correlation depended on the groups' disturbance level. Khulan in the more disturbed area had a dampened benefit from increases in group size, compared to those in the undisturbed core areas. Provision of continuous areas of high-quality habitat for Khulans will allow them to form larger undisturbed aggregations and to gain foraging benefits through reduced individual vigilance, as well as anti-predator benefits through increased probability of predator detection.

Medical Student Perspectives of Active Learning: A Focus Group Study.

PubMed

Walling, Anne; Istas, Kathryn; Bonaminio, Giulia A; Paolo, Anthony M; Fontes, Joseph D; Davis, Nancy; Berardo, Benito A

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Medical student perspectives were sought about active learning, including concerns, challenges, perceived advantages and disadvantages, and appropriate role in the educational process. Focus groups were conducted with students from all years and campuses of a large U.S. state medical school. Students had considerable experience with active learning prior to medical school and conveyed accurate understanding of the concept and its major strategies. They appreciated the potential of active learning to deepen and broaden learning and its value for long-term professional development but had significant concerns about the efficiency of the process, the clarity of expectations provided, and the importance of receiving preparatory materials. Most significantly, active learning experiences were perceived as disconnected from grading and even as impeding preparation for school and national examinations. Insights: Medical students understand the concepts of active learning and have considerable experience in several formats prior to medical school. They are generally supportive of active learning concepts but frustrated by perceived inefficiencies and lack of contribution to the urgencies of achieving optimal grades and passing United States Medical Licensing Examinations, especially Step 1.

Portrait of a Cult Film Audience: "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Bruce A.

1981-01-01

Examines the phenomenon of the cult film and the characteristics of the audiences of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Suggests that the preparation, waiting, and finally the active participation in the viewing of the film itself appear to be part of a group ritual which characterizes the cult film as an event. (JMF)

Improvement of oxygen-containing functional groups on olive stones activated carbon by ozone and nitric acid for heavy metals removal from aqueous phase.

PubMed

Bohli, Thouraya; Ouederni, Abdelmottaleb

2016-08-01

Recently, modification of surface structure of activated carbons in order to improve their adsorption performance toward especial pollutants has gained great interest. Oxygen-containing functional groups have been devoted as the main responsible for heavy metal binding on the activated carbon surface; their introduction or enhancement needs specific modification and impregnation methods. In the present work, olive stones activated carbon (COSAC) undergoes surface modifications in gaseous phase using ozone (O3) and in liquid phase using nitric acid (HNO3). The activated carbon samples were characterized using N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, SEM, pHpzc, FTIR, and Boehm titration. The activated carbon parent (COSAC) has a high surface area of 1194 m(2)/g and shows a predominantly microporous structure. Oxidation treatments with nitric acid and ozone show a decrease in both specific surface area and micropore volumes, whereas these acidic treatments have led to a fixation of high amount of surface oxygen functional groups, thus making the carbon surface more hydrophilic. Activated carbon samples were used as an adsorbent matrix for the removal of Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Adsorption isotherms were obtained at 30 °C, and the data are well fitted to the Redlich-Peterson and Langmuir equation. Results show that oxidized COSACs, especially COSAC(HNO3), are capable to remove more Co(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) from aqueous solution. Nitric acid-oxidized olive stones activated carbon was tested in its ability to remove metal ions from binary systems and results show an important maximum adsorbed amount as compared to single systems.

Formative evaluation on a physical activity health promotion program for the group home setting.

PubMed

Dixon-Ibarra, Alicia; Driver, Simon; VanVolkenburg, Haley; Humphries, Kathleen

2017-02-01

Physical inactivity and high rates of chronic conditions is a public health concern for adults with intellectual disability. Few health promotion programs target the group home setting which is the pre-dominant form of residential accommodation for persons with intellectual disability. A process evaluation of a physical activity health promotion program, Menu-Choice, was conducted with five group home sites for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Menu-Choice assists group home staff in including physical activity goals within resident schedules. The physical activity program was designed based on theoretical frameworks, community-based participatory approaches, and established health promotion guidelines for adults with disabilities. Fourteen program coordinators (age M 39; 77% females), 22 staff (age M 39; 82% females), and 18 residents (age M 59; 72% females; 56% ambulatory) participated. Results from the fidelity survey and program completion highlight potential challenges with implementation. Findings will assist with the refinement of the program for continued implementation trials in the group home community. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Increasing Physical Activity in Mothers Using Video Exercise Groups and Exercise Mobile Apps: Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Chan, June Maylin; Vittinghoff, Eric; Van Blarigan, Erin Lynn; Hecht, Frederick

2018-01-01

for all women. As hypothesized, in the prespecified stratum of women who were inactive at baseline (n=51), intervention participants significantly increased their activity by an average of 50 (95% CI 4.0-95.9, P=.03) MVPA minutes per week more than control participants. They had a corresponding statistically significant net increase of 19 (95% CI 3.2-34.8, P=.02) minutes of vigorous activity. Inactive women in the intervention arm also experienced promising reductions in depression, reporting a statistically significant net decrease in their depression score (−3.8, 95% CI −7.0 to −0.6; P=.02). Conclusions We found that a group exercise intervention using videoconferencing and mobile apps was a feasible and acceptable way to deliver a physical activity intervention to mothers. The intervention increased physical activity in inactive mothers. Further studies are needed to better establish how long these changes in physical activity can be maintained and whether these findings can be reproduced in a more diverse population. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02805140; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02805140 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6yYZwRveg) PMID:29776899

Active Learning in the Classroom: The Use of Group Role Plays.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitzerow, Phyllis

1990-01-01

Describes group role-playing activities that have been used to teach about education, criminology, and sex roles. Suggests that role play helps students to absorb and retain many of the insights about the issues involved. (DB)

The ACTIVATE study: results from a group-randomized controlled trial comparing a traditional worksite health promotion program with an activated consumer program.

PubMed

Terry, Paul E; Fowles, Jinnet Briggs; Xi, Min; Harvey, Lisa

2011-01-01

PURPOSE. This study compares a traditional worksite-based health promotion program with an activated consumer program and a control program DESIGN. Group randomized controlled trial with 18-month intervention. SETTING. Two large Midwestern companies. SUBJECTS. Three hundred and twenty employees (51% response). INTERVENTION. The traditional health promotion intervention offered population-level campaigns on physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. The activated consumer intervention included population-level campaigns for evaluating health information, choosing a health benefits plan, and understanding the risks of not taking medications as prescribed. The personal development intervention (control group) offered information on hobbies. The interventions also offered individual-level coaching for high risk individuals in both active intervention groups. MEASURES. Health risk status, general health status, consumer activation, productivity, and the ability to evaluate health information. ANALYSIS. Multivariate analyses controlled for baseline differences among the study groups. RESULTS. At the population level, compared with baseline performance, the traditional health promotion intervention improved health risk status, consumer activation, and the ability to recognize reliable health websites. Compared with baseline performance, the activated consumer intervention improved consumer activation, productivity, and the ability to recognize reliable health websites. At the population level, however, only the activated consumer intervention improved any outcome more than the control group did; that outcome was consumer activation. At the individual level for high risk individuals, both traditional health coaching and activated consumer coaching positively affected health risk status and consumer activation. In addition, both coaching interventions improved participant ability to recognize a reliable health website. Consumer activation coaching also

The Oral Antimalarial Drug Tafenoquine Shows Activity against Trypanosoma brucei

PubMed Central

Carvalho, Luis; Martínez-García, Marta; Pérez-Victoria, Ignacio; Manzano, José Ignacio; Yardley, Vanessa

2015-01-01

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei causes human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, a neglected tropical disease that requires new, safer, and more effective treatments. Repurposing oral drugs could reduce both the time and cost involved in sleeping sickness drug discovery. Tafenoquine (TFQ) is an oral antimalarial drug belonging to the 8-aminoquinoline family which is currently in clinical phase III. We show here that TFQ efficiently kills different T. brucei spp. in the submicromolar concentration range. Our results suggest that TFQ accumulates into acidic compartments and induces a necrotic process involving cell membrane disintegration and loss of cytoplasmic content, leading to parasite death. Cell lysis is preceded by a wide and multitarget drug action, affecting the lysosome, mitochondria, and acidocalcisomes and inducing a depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, elevation of intracellular Ca2+, and production of reactive oxygen species. This is the first report of an 8-aminoquinoline demonstrating significant in vitro activity against T. brucei. PMID:26195527

The Oral Antimalarial Drug Tafenoquine Shows Activity against Trypanosoma brucei.

PubMed

Carvalho, Luis; Martínez-García, Marta; Pérez-Victoria, Ignacio; Manzano, José Ignacio; Yardley, Vanessa; Gamarro, Francisco; Pérez-Victoria, José M

2015-10-01

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei causes human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, a neglected tropical disease that requires new, safer, and more effective treatments. Repurposing oral drugs could reduce both the time and cost involved in sleeping sickness drug discovery. Tafenoquine (TFQ) is an oral antimalarial drug belonging to the 8-aminoquinoline family which is currently in clinical phase III. We show here that TFQ efficiently kills different T. brucei spp. in the submicromolar concentration range. Our results suggest that TFQ accumulates into acidic compartments and induces a necrotic process involving cell membrane disintegration and loss of cytoplasmic content, leading to parasite death. Cell lysis is preceded by a wide and multitarget drug action, affecting the lysosome, mitochondria, and acidocalcisomes and inducing a depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, elevation of intracellular Ca(2+), and production of reactive oxygen species. This is the first report of an 8-aminoquinoline demonstrating significant in vitro activity against T. brucei. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The ties that bind: Group membership shapes the neural correlates of in-group favoritism.

PubMed

Telzer, Eva H; Ichien, Nicolas; Qu, Yang

2015-07-15

Across species, including non-human primates, rodents, and humans, prosocial behavior, the act of helping others, is preferentially provided to members of one's own group. Whereas a particularly ubiquitous example of this is kinship, whereby humans and animals expend greater resources and take more risks for their own kin, in-group prosocial behavior has been demonstrated among diverse shared social groups, including race and culture. In the current study, we made group membership salient by recruiting Chinese and American participants to engage in a prosocial decision-making task during fMRI with an American and Chinese confederate. We found across all participants that donations to the in-group relative to out-group was associated with increased activation in the ventral striatum. Moreover, participants with a greater sense of group identity and Chinese participants relative to American participants, showed heightened activation in self-control (VLPFC, ACC) and mentalizing (TPJ, DMPFC) regions when contributing to the out-group relative to in-group. Our findings provide novel evidence about the neural mechanisms involved in intergroup prosocial behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Active Classroom Participation in a Group Scribbles Primary Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Wenli; Looi, Chee-Kit

2011-01-01

A key stimulus of learning efficacy for students in the classroom is active participation and engagement in the learning process. This study examines the nature of teacher-student and student-student discourse when leveraged by an interactive technology--Group Scribbles (GS) in a Primary 5 Science classroom in Singapore which supports rapid…

A method to quantify movement activity of groups of animals using automated image analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jianyu; Yu, Haizhen; Liu, Ying

2009-07-01

Most physiological and environmental changes are capable of inducing variations in animal behavior. The behavioral parameters have the possibility to be measured continuously in-situ by a non-invasive and non-contact approach, and have the potential to be used in the actual productions to predict stress conditions. Most vertebrates tend to live in groups, herds, flocks, shoals, bands, packs of conspecific individuals. Under culture conditions, the livestock or fish are in groups and interact on each other, so the aggregate behavior of the group should be studied rather than that of individuals. This paper presents a method to calculate the movement speed of a group of animal in a enclosure or a tank denoted by body length speed that correspond to group activity using computer vision technique. Frame sequences captured at special time interval were subtracted in pairs after image segmentation and identification. By labeling components caused by object movement in difference frame, the projected area caused by the movement of every object in the capture interval was calculated; this projected area was divided by the projected area of every object in the later frame to get body length moving distance of each object, and further could obtain the relative body length speed. The average speed of all object can well respond to the activity of the group. The group activity of a tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) school to high (2.65 mg/L) levels of unionized ammonia (UIA) concentration were quantified based on these methods. High UIA level condition elicited a marked increase in school activity at the first hour (P<0.05) exhibiting an avoidance reaction (trying to flee from high UIA condition), and then decreased gradually.

Subunits of the Snf1 kinase heterotrimer show interdependence for association and activity.

PubMed

Elbing, Karin; Rubenstein, Eric M; McCartney, Rhonda R; Schmidt, Martin C

2006-09-08

The Snf1 kinase and its mammalian orthologue, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), function as heterotrimers composed of a catalytic alpha-subunit and two non-catalytic subunits, beta and gamma. The beta-subunit is thought to hold the complex together and control subcellular localization whereas the gamma-subunit plays a regulatory role by binding to and blocking the function of an auto-inhibitory domain (AID) present in the alpha-subunit. In addition, catalytic activity requires phosphorylation by a distinct upstream kinase. In yeast, any one of three Snf1-activating kinases, Sak1, Tos3, or Elm1, can fulfill this role. We have previously shown that Sak1 is the only Snf1-activating kinase that forms a stable complex with Snf1. Here we show that the formation of the Sak1.Snf1 complex requires the beta- and gamma-subunits in vivo. However, formation of the Sak1.Snf1 complex is not necessary for glucose-regulated phosphorylation of the Snf1 activation loop. Snf1 kinase purified from cells lacking the beta-subunits do not contain any gamma-subunit, indicating that the Snf1 kinase does not form a stable alphagamma dimer in vivo. In vitro kinase assays using purified full-length and truncated Snf1 proteins demonstrate that the kinase domain, which lacks the AID, is significantly more active than the full-length Snf1 protein. Addition of purified beta- and gamma-subunits could stimulate the kinase activity of the full-length alpha-subunit but only when all three subunits were present, suggesting an interdependence of all three subunits for assembly of a functional complex.

Building the Hot Intra-Group Medium in Spiral-Rich Compact Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Sullivan, Ewan

2014-11-01

Galaxy groups provide a natural laboratory for investigating the formation of the hot intergalactic medium (IGM). While galaxy clusters gain most of their hot gas through accretion and gravitational shocks, in groups the processes of galaxy evolution (stripping, collisions, star formation) play an important role in the initial build up of the hot halo. We present Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of groups still in the process of forming their IGM, including the well known compact groups HCG 16 and Stephan's Quintet (HCG 92). We show that starburst winds and shock-heating of stripped HI provide important contributions of gas and metals to the IGM, and discuss the impact of gas stripping, enhanced star formation and nuclear activity in the group member galaxies.

Large Starspot Groups on HAT-P-11 in Activity Cycle 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Brett M.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Hebb, Leslie

2018-02-01

HAT-P-11 is a planet-hosting K4V star in the Kepler field, with an activity cycle that bear similarities to the Sun's. The chromospheric activity of HAT-P-11 indicates that a new activity cycle is beginning. We report ground-based observations with holographic diffuser photometry to measure the starspots of HAT-P-11 in its second observed magnetic activity cycle (Cycle 1). We find the area coverage of starspots within the transit chord for UTC 2017-10-30 is 14% --- which makes this transit the most spotted HAT-P-11 transit observed to date. We suggest that we are likely observing occultations of large spot groups appearing at the beginning of Cycle 1.

The impact of an online Facebook support group for people with multiple sclerosis on non-active users

PubMed Central

Steadman, Jacqui

2014-01-01

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease and there is little research on support networks for people with MS (PwMS). More specifically, most studies on online support groups focus on those who actively participate in the group, whereas the majority of those who utilise online support groups do so in a passive way. Objectives This study therefore aimed to explore the experiences of non-active users of an online Facebook support group for PwMS. Emphasis was placed on the facilitators and the barriers that were associated with membership to this group. Method An exploratory qualitative research design was implemented, whereby thematic analysis was utilised to examine the ten semi-structured interviews that were conducted. Results Several facilitators were acquired through the online support group; namely emotional support (constant source of support, exposure to negative aspects of the disease), informational support (group as a source of knowledge, quality of information) and social companionship (place of belonging). Some barriers were also identified; namely emotional support (emotions lost online, response to messages, exposure to negative aspects of the disease), informational support (information posted on the group, misuse of group) and social companionship (non-active status) Conclusion These findings demonstrate that the non-active members of the online support group for PwMS have valid reasons for their non-active membership status. More important, the findings suggest that the online Facebook support group provided the group members with an important support network in the form of emotional support, informational support and social companionship, despite their non-active membership status or the barriers that have been identified. PMID:28730005

B-ring-aryl substituted luotonin A analogues with a new binding mode to the topoisomerase 1-DNA complex show enhanced cytotoxic activity.

PubMed

González-Ruiz, Víctor; Pascua, Irene; Fernández-Marcelo, Tamara; Ribelles, Pascual; Bianchini, Giulia; Sridharan, Vellaisamy; Iniesta, Pilar; Ramos, M Teresa; Olives, Ana I; Martín, M Antonia; Menéndez, J Carlos

2014-01-01

Topoisomerase 1 inhibition is an important strategy in targeted cancer chemotherapy. The drugs currently in use acting on this enzyme belong to the family of the camptothecins, and suffer severe limitations because of their low stability, which is associated with the hydrolysis of the δ-lactone moiety in their E ring. Luotonin A is a natural camptothecin analogue that lacks this functional group and therefore shows a much-improved stability, but at the cost of a lower activity. Therefore, the development of luotonin A analogues with an increased potency is important for progress in this area. In the present paper, a small library of luotonin A analogues modified at their A and B rings was generated by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate-catalyzed Friedländer reactions. All analogues showed an activity similar or higher than the natural luotonin A in terms of topoisomerase 1 inhibition and some compounds had an activity comparable to that of camptothecin. Furthermore, most compounds showed a better activity than luotonin A in cell cytotoxicity assays. In order to rationalize these results, the first docking studies of luotonin-topoisomerase 1-DNA ternary complexes were undertaken. Most compounds bound in a manner similar to luotonin A and to standard topoisomerase poisons such as topotecan but, interestingly, the two most promising analogues, bearing a 3,5-dimethylphenyl substituent at ring B, docked in a different orientation. This binding mode allows the hydrophobic moiety to be shielded from the aqueous environment by being buried between the deoxyribose belonging to the G(+1) guanine and Arg364 in the scissile strand and the surface of the protein and a hydrogen bond between the D-ring carbonyl and the basic amino acid. The discovery of this new binding mode and its associated higher inhibitory potency is a significant advance in the design of new topoisomerase 1 inhibitors.

Cross national study of leisure-time physical activity in Dutch and English populations with ethnic group comparisons.

PubMed

de Munter, Jeroen S L; Agyemang, Charles; van Valkengoed, Irene G M; Bhopal, Raj; Zaninotto, Paola; Nazroo, James; Kunst, Anton E; Stronks, Karien

2013-06-01

Variations between countries in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) can be used to test the convergence thesis, which expects that ethnic minority groups change towards the LTPA levels of the native population of host countries. The aim of this study was to test whether similar differences in LTPA between the native populations of England and the Netherlands are also observed among the Indian and African descent groups living in these countries. We used English and Dutch population-based health surveys that included participants aged 35-60 years of European (n(english) = 14,723, n(dutch) = 567), Indian (n(english) = 1264, n(dutch) = 370) and African-Caribbean (n(english) = 1112, n(dutch) = 689) descent. Levels of LTPA (30-minute walking, any reported cycling, gardening, dancing and playing sports) were estimated with age-sex-standardized prevalence rates. Comparisons among groups were made using adjusted Prevalence Ratios (PRs). Within both countries and compared with the European group, Indian and African groups had lower levels of gardening and cycling, whereas the African groups had higher levels of dancing. Between countries, among the European groups, the Netherlands showed higher prevalence of cycling than England, PR = 2.26 (95% CI: 2.06-2.48), and this was 2.85 (1.94-4.19) among Indian descent, and 2.77 (2.05-3.73) among African descent. For playing sports, this was PR = 1.30 (1.23-1.38), 1.43 (1.24-1.66) and 1.22 (1.10-1.34), whereas for gardening this was PR = 0.71 (0.65-0.78), 0.65 (0.52-0.81) and 0.75 (0.62-0.90), respectively. Walking and dancing showed inconsistent differences between the countries and ethnic groups. This cross-national comparison supports the expectation that LTPA of Indian and African descent groups converge towards the national levels of England and the Netherlands respectively.

TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein shows in vitro antibacterial activity and a stronger antitumor activity than solo TRAIL protein.

PubMed

Sang, Ming; Zhang, Jiaxin; Li, Bin; Chen, Yuqing

2016-06-01

A TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein in soluble form with tumor selective apoptosis and antibacterial functions was expressed in the Escherichia coli expression system and isolated through dialysis refolding and histidine-tag Nickel-affinity purification. Fresh Jurkat cells were treated with the TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein. Trypan blue staining and MTT analyses showed that, similar to a TRAIL positive control, Jurkat cell proliferation was significantly inhibited. Flow cytometry analyses using Annexin V-fluorescein revealed that Jurkat cells treated with the TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein exhibited increased apoptosis. Laser confocal microscopy showed that APB-CM4 and the fusion protein TRAIL-CM4 can bind to Jurkat cell membranes and initiate their destruction. ABP-CM4 enhances the antitumor activity of TRAIL by targeting and damaging the tumor cell membrane. In antibacterial experiments, agar well diffusion and bacterial growth inhibition curve assays revealed concentration-dependent TRAIL-CM4 antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli K12D31. The expressed TRAIL-CM4 fusion protein exhibited enhanced antitumor and antibacterial activities. Fusion protein expression allowed the two different proteins to function in combination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Correlation Between Functional Groups and Radical Scavenging Activities of Acidic Polysaccharides from Dendrobium].

PubMed

Liao, Ying; Yuan, Wen-yu; Zheng, Wen-ke; Luo, Ao-xue; Fan, Yi-jun

2015-11-01

To compare the radical scavenging activity of five different acidic polysaccharides, and to find the correlation with the functional groups. Alkali extraction method and Stepwise ethanol precipitation method were used to extract and concentrate the five Dendrobium polysaccharides, and to determine the contents of sulfuric acid and uronic acid of each kind of acidic polysaccharides, and the scavenging activity to ABTS+ radical and hydroxyl radical. Functional group structures were examined by FTIR Spectrometer. Five kinds of Dendrobium polysaccharides had different ability of scavenging ABTS+ free radical and hydroxyl free radical. Moreover, the study had shown that five kinds of antioxidant activity of acidic polysaccharides had obvious correlation withuronic acid and sulfuric acid. The antioxidant activity of each sample was positively correlated with the content of uronic acid, and negatively correlated with the content of sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid can inhibit the antioxidant activity of acidic polysaccharide but uronic acid can enhance the free radical scavenging activity. By analyzing the structure characteristics of five acidic polysaccharides, all samples have similar structures, however, Dendrobium denneanum, Dendrobium devonianum and Dendrobium officinale which had β configuration have higher antioxidant activity than Dendrobium nobile and Dendrobium fimbriatum which had a configuration.

Distributive Education--Fashion Show. Kit No. 88. Instructor's Manual [and] Student Learning Activity Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Brenda B.

An instructor's manual and student activity guide on fashion shows are provided in this set of prevocational education materials which focuses on the vocational area of distributive education. (This set of materials is one of ninety-two prevocational education sets arranged around a cluster of seven vocational offerings: agriculture, home…

Human Activity Dampens the Benefits of Group Size on Vigilance in Khulan (Equus hemionus) in Western China

PubMed Central

Wang, Mu-Yang; Ruckstuhl, Kathreen E.; Xu, Wen-Xuan; Blank, David; Yang, Wei-Kang

2016-01-01

Animals receive anti-predator benefits from social behavior. As part of a group, individuals spend less time being vigilant, and vigilance decreases with increasing group size. This phenomenon, called “the many-eyes effect”, together with the “encounter dilution effect”, is considered among the most important factors determining individual vigilance behavior. However, in addition to group size, other social and environmental factors also influence the degree of vigilance, including disturbance from human activities. In our study, we examined vigilance behavior of Khulans (Equus hemionus) in the Xinjiang Province in western China to test whether and how human disturbance and group size affect vigilance. According to our results, Khulan showed a negative correlation between group size and the percentage time spent vigilant, although this negative correlation depended on the groups’ disturbance level. Khulan in the more disturbed area had a dampened benefit from increases in group size, compared to those in the undisturbed core areas. Provision of continuous areas of high-quality habitat for Khulans will allow them to form larger undisturbed aggregations and to gain foraging benefits through reduced individual vigilance, as well as anti-predator benefits through increased probability of predator detection. PMID:26756993

Effects of a progressive muscle relaxation intervention on dementia symptoms, activities of daily living, and immune function in group home residents with dementia in Japan

PubMed Central

Momose, Yumiko

2016-01-01

Aim To evaluate the effects of progressive muscle relaxation on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, activities of daily living, and immune function of elderly patients with dementia in group homes. Methods The participants were ranked by their group home unit. Odd ranks were assigned to the intervention group and even ranks to the control group. The intervention group participated in progressive muscle relaxation for 15 min each day for 90 days in the group environment; the control group members continued with their normal routine. All the participants’ secretory immunoglobulin A was measured and they were assessed with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory‐Nursing Home version, Nishimura Mental State Scale for the Elderly, and Nishimura Activities of Daily Living Scale. Results The intervention group comprised 18 participants from six units and the control group comprised 19 participants from five units. After the intervention, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory scores were significantly better in the intervention group, particularly for Agitation and Anxiety. The intervention group also showed significantly lower Apathy and Irritability scores and significant improvement in the Interest, Volition, and Social relationships scores on the Mental State Scale, with improvement in the activities of daily living total. However, there was no difference in the secretory immunoglobulin A level between the groups. Conclusion The results suggest that progressive muscle relaxation improves the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and activities of daily living in group home residents with dementia, but does not affect their immune function. PMID:27696678

Tobacco-expressed Brassica juncea chitinase BjCHI1 shows antifungal activity in vitro.

PubMed

Fung, King-Leung; Zhao, Kai-Jun; He, Zhu-Mei; Chye, Mee-Len

2002-09-01

We have previously isolated a Brassica juncea cDNA encoding BjCHI1, a novel chitinase with two chitin-binding domains, and have shown that its mRNA is induced by wounding and methyl jasmonate treatment (K.-J. Zhao and M.-L. Chye, Plant Mol. Biol. 40 (1999) 1009-1018). By the presence of two chitin-binding domains, BjCHI1 resembles the precursor of UDA (Urtica dioica agglutinin) but, unlike UDA, BjCHI1 retains its chitinase catalytic domain after post-translational processing. Here, we indicate the role of BjCHI1 in plant defense by demonstrating its mRNA induction upon Aspergillus niger infection or caterpillar Pieris rapae (L.) feeding. To further investigate the biological properties of BjCHI1, we transformed tobacco with a construct expressing the BjCHI1 cDNA from the CaMV 35S promoter. Subsequently, we purified BjCHI1 from the resultant transgenic Ro plants using a regenerated chitin column followed by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). Also, the significance of the second chitin-binding domain in BjCHI1 was investigated by raising transgenic tobacco plants expressing BjCHI2, a deletion derivative of BjCHI1 lacking one chitin-binding domain. Colorimetric chitinase assays at 25 degrees C, pH 5, showed no significant differences between the activities of BjCHI1 and BjCHI2, suggesting that chitinase activity, due to the catalytic domain, is not enhanced by the presence of a second chitin-binding domain. Both BjCHI1 and BjCHI2 show in vitro anti-fungal activity toward Trichoderma viride, causing reductions in hyphal diameter, hyphal branching and conidia size.

Specialization of the DNA-Cleaving Activity of a Group I Ribozyme Through In Vitro Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsang, Joyce; Joyce, Gerald F.

1996-01-01

In an earlier study, an in vitro evolution procedure was applied to a large population of variants of the Tetrahymena group 1 ribozyme to obtain individuals with a 10(exp 5)-fold improved ability to cleave a target single-stranded DNA substrate under simulated physiological conditions. The evolved ribozymes also showed a twofold improvement, compared to the wild-type, in their ability to cleave a single-stranded RNA substrate. Here, we report continuation of the in vitro evolution process using a new selection strategy to achieve both enhanced DNA and diminished RNA-cleavage activity. Our strategy combines a positive selection for DNA cleavage with a negative selection against RNA binding. After 36 "generations" of in vitro evolution, the evolved population showed an approx. 100-fold increase in the ratio of DNA to RNA-cleavage activity. Site-directed mutagenesis experiment confirmed the selective advantage of two covarying mutations within the catalytic core of ribozyme that are largely responsible for this modified behavior. The population of ribozymes has now undergone a total of 63 successive generations of evolution, resulting in an average 28 mutations relative to the wild-type that are responsible for the altered phenotype.

Comparing of goal setting strategy with group education method to increase physical activity level: A randomized trial.

PubMed

Jiryaee, Nasrin; Siadat, Zahra Dana; Zamani, Ahmadreza; Taleban, Roya

2015-10-01

Designing an intervention to increase physical activity is important to be based on the health care settings resources and be acceptable by the subject group. This study was designed to assess and compare the effect of the goal setting strategy with a group education method on increasing the physical activity of mothers of children aged 1 to 5. Mothers who had at least one child of 1-5 years were randomized into two groups. The effect of 1) goal-setting strategy and 2) group education method on increasing physical activity was assessed and compared 1 month and 3 months after the intervention. Also, the weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference, and well-being were compared between the two groups before and after the intervention. Physical activity level increased significantly after the intervention in the goal-setting group and it was significantly different between the two groups after intervention (P < 0.05). BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, and well-being score were significantly different in the goal-setting group after the intervention. In the group education method, only the well-being score improved significantly (P < 0.05). Our study presented the effects of using the goal-setting strategy to boost physical activity, improving the state of well-being and decreasing BMI, waist, and hip circumference.

Space station group activities habitability module study: A synopsis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nixon, David; Glassman, Terry

1987-01-01

Space station habitability was studied by investigating crew activity routines, proximities, ergonomic envelopes, and group volumes. Ten alternative schematic interior designs were proposed. Preliminary conclusions include: (1) in-service interior modifications may be necessary and should be planned for; (2) design complexity will be increased if the module cluster is reduced from five to three; (3) the increased crew circulation attendant upon enhancement of space station activity may produce human traffic bottlenecks and should be planned for; (4) a single- or two-person quiet area may be desirable to provide crew members with needed solitude during waking hours; and (5) the decision to choose a two-shift or three-shift daily cycle will have a significant impact on the design configuration and operational efficiency of the human habitat.

Automated recording of home cage activity and temperature of individual rats housed in social groups: The Rodent Big Brother project

PubMed Central

Tse, Karen; Grant, Claire; Keerie, Amy; Simpson, David J.; Pedersen, John C.; Rimmer, Victoria; Leslie, Lauren; Klein, Stephanie K.; Karp, Natasha A.; Sillito, Rowland; Chartsias, Agis; Lukins, Tim; Heward, James; Vickers, Catherine; Chapman, Kathryn; Armstrong, J. Douglas

2017-01-01

Measuring the activity and temperature of rats is commonly required in biomedical research. Conventional approaches necessitate single housing, which affects their behavior and wellbeing. We have used a subcutaneous radiofrequency identification (RFID) transponder to measure ambulatory activity and temperature of individual rats when group-housed in conventional, rack-mounted home cages. The transponder location and temperature is detected by a matrix of antennae in a baseplate under the cage. An infrared high-definition camera acquires side-view video of the cage and also enables automated detection of vertical activity. Validation studies showed that baseplate-derived ambulatory activity correlated well with manual tracking and with side-view whole-cage video pixel movement. This technology enables individual behavioral and temperature data to be acquired continuously from group-housed rats in their familiar, home cage environment. We demonstrate its ability to reliably detect naturally occurring behavioral effects, extending beyond the capabilities of routine observational tests and conventional monitoring equipment. It has numerous potential applications including safety pharmacology, toxicology, circadian biology, disease models and drug discovery. PMID:28877172

Automated recording of home cage activity and temperature of individual rats housed in social groups: The Rodent Big Brother project.

PubMed

Redfern, William S; Tse, Karen; Grant, Claire; Keerie, Amy; Simpson, David J; Pedersen, John C; Rimmer, Victoria; Leslie, Lauren; Klein, Stephanie K; Karp, Natasha A; Sillito, Rowland; Chartsias, Agis; Lukins, Tim; Heward, James; Vickers, Catherine; Chapman, Kathryn; Armstrong, J Douglas

2017-01-01

Measuring the activity and temperature of rats is commonly required in biomedical research. Conventional approaches necessitate single housing, which affects their behavior and wellbeing. We have used a subcutaneous radiofrequency identification (RFID) transponder to measure ambulatory activity and temperature of individual rats when group-housed in conventional, rack-mounted home cages. The transponder location and temperature is detected by a matrix of antennae in a baseplate under the cage. An infrared high-definition camera acquires side-view video of the cage and also enables automated detection of vertical activity. Validation studies showed that baseplate-derived ambulatory activity correlated well with manual tracking and with side-view whole-cage video pixel movement. This technology enables individual behavioral and temperature data to be acquired continuously from group-housed rats in their familiar, home cage environment. We demonstrate its ability to reliably detect naturally occurring behavioral effects, extending beyond the capabilities of routine observational tests and conventional monitoring equipment. It has numerous potential applications including safety pharmacology, toxicology, circadian biology, disease models and drug discovery.

Increasing Physical Activity in Mothers Using Video Exercise Groups and Exercise Mobile Apps: Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Mascarenhas, Maya Nina; Chan, June Maylin; Vittinghoff, Eric; Van Blarigan, Erin Lynn; Hecht, Frederick

2018-05-18

the prespecified stratum of women who were inactive at baseline (n=51), intervention participants significantly increased their activity by an average of 50 (95% CI 4.0-95.9, P=.03) MVPA minutes per week more than control participants. They had a corresponding statistically significant net increase of 19 (95% CI 3.2-34.8, P=.02) minutes of vigorous activity. Inactive women in the intervention arm also experienced promising reductions in depression, reporting a statistically significant net decrease in their depression score (-3.8, 95% CI -7.0 to -0.6; P=.02). We found that a group exercise intervention using videoconferencing and mobile apps was a feasible and acceptable way to deliver a physical activity intervention to mothers. The intervention increased physical activity in inactive mothers. Further studies are needed to better establish how long these changes in physical activity can be maintained and whether these findings can be reproduced in a more diverse population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02805140; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02805140 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6yYZwRveg). ©Maya Nina Mascarenhas, June Maylin Chan, Eric Vittinghoff, Erin Lynn Van Blarigan, Frederick Hecht. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 18.05.2018.

DNA sequence-selective C8-linked pyrrolobenzodiazepine-heterocyclic polyamide conjugates show anti-tubercular-specific activities.

PubMed

Brucoli, Federico; Guzman, Juan D; Basher, Mohammad A; Evangelopoulos, Dimitrios; McMahon, Eleanor; Munshi, Tulika; McHugh, Timothy D; Fox, Keith R; Bhakta, Sanjib

2016-12-01

New chemotherapeutic agents with novel mechanisms of action are in urgent need to combat the tuberculosis pandemic. A library of 12 C8-linked pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBD)-heterocyclic polyamide conjugates (1-12) was evaluated for anti-tubercular activity and DNA sequence selectivity. The PBD conjugates were screened against slow-growing Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin and M. tuberculosis H 37 Rv, and fast-growing Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida and Rhodococcus sp. RHA1 bacteria. DNase I footprinting and DNA thermal denaturation experiments were used to determine the molecules' DNA recognition properties. The PBD conjugates were highly selective for the mycobacterial strains and exhibited significant growth inhibitory activity against the pathogenic M. tuberculosis H 37 Rv, with compound 4 showing MIC values (MIC=0.08 mg l -1 ) similar to those of rifampin and isoniazid. DNase I footprinting results showed that the PBD conjugates with three heterocyclic moieties had enhanced sequence selectivity and produced larger footprints, with distinct cleavage patterns compared with the two-heterocyclic chain PBD conjugates. DNA melting experiments indicated a covalent binding of the PBD conjugates to two AT-rich DNA-duplexes containing either a central GGATCC or GTATAC sequence, and showed that the polyamide chains affect the interactions of the molecules with DNA. The PBD-C8 conjugates tested in this study have a remarkable anti-mycobacterial activity and can be further developed as DNA-targeted anti-tubercular drugs.

Group fitness activities for the elderly: an innovative approach to reduce falls and injuries.

PubMed

Bianco, Antonino; Patti, Antonino; Bellafiore, Marianna; Battaglia, Giuseppe; Sahin, Fatma Nese; Paoli, Antonio; Cataldo, Maria Concetta; Mammina, Caterina; Palma, Antonio

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to examine the opportunity to adopt, for the elderly, already validated function ability tests to better understand how to prevent falls and injuries and to better plan group fitness activities like ballroom dance classes (e.g., Valzer, Polka, Mazurka). A cross-sectional study was conducted. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Barthel Index (BI) were administered and the occurrence of falls during the previous 2 years was evaluated by anamnesis. One hundred and twenty-two elderly subjects living in Palermo city participated to the study. According to the anamnesis, subjects were divided into two groups: experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). The EG consisted of 75 subjects attending classes of ballroom dancing (73.0 ± 5.6 years 26.1 ± 3.9 BMI), while the CG included 47 volunteers (74.3 ± 5.4 years, 26.8 ± 4.4 BMI). A threshold of 70 % for both scales (BBS-70 and BI-70 %) was set, according to the aims of the study. STATISTICA software was adopted to perform an unpaired t test. A P value lower than 0.05 was considered to be statistically relevant. The BI and BBS of CG were 76.7 ± 33.08 and 30.9 ± 14.9, respectively, while the BI and BBS of EG were 98.1 ± 6.9 and 50.5 ± 54. In EG the BBS-70 % showed 96.0 % of cases compared to 27.6 % of the CG. The BI showed a similar trend to BBS. In EG the BI-70 % showed 98.6 % of cases, while the BI-70 % of CG showed 70.2 % of cases. Moreover, only 36.0 % of EG reported falls previously, while CG reported 53.2 % of falls during the same period of time. The BBS seems to be a valid and reliable tool able to be adopted also by professionals of the ballroom dancing sector (e.g., Valzer, Polka and Mazurka classes). Instructors may evaluate the functional ability of their attendees through BBS to easily obtain more information and better plan ballroom dance classes. Moreover, we highlight that these conclusions need to be supported by other studies with different

The Effect of Science Activities on Concept Acquisition of Age 5-6 Children Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogru, Mustafa; Seker, Fatih

2012-01-01

Present research aims to determine the effect of science activities on concept development of preschool period age 5-6 children groups. Parallel to research objective, qualitative research pattern has been the selected method. Study group comprises of collectively 48 children from 5-6 age group attending to a private education institution in city…

FRESH ACTIVITY IN OLD SYSTEMS: RADIO AGNs IN FOSSIL GROUPS OF GALAXIES

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

Hess, Kelley M.; Wilcots, Eric M.; Hartwick, Victoria L., E-mail: hess@ast.uct.ac.za, E-mail: ewilcots@astro.wisc.edu, E-mail: vhartwick@wisc.edu

2012-08-15

We present the first systematic 1.4 GHz Very Large Array radio continuum survey of fossil galaxy group candidates. These are virialized systems believed to have assembled over a gigayear in the past through the merging of galaxy group members into a single, isolated, massive elliptical galaxy and featuring an extended hot X-ray halo. We use new photometric and spectroscopic data from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 to determine that three of the candidates are clearly not fossil groups. Of the remaining 30 candidates, 67% contain a radio-loud (L{sub 1.4GHz} > 10{sup 23} W Hz{sup -1}) active galactic nucleusmore » (AGN) at the center of their dominant elliptical galaxy. We find a weak correlation between the radio luminosity of the AGN and the X-ray luminosity of the halo suggesting that the AGN contributes to energy deposition into the intragroup medium. We only find a correlation between the radio and optical luminosity of the central elliptical galaxy when we include X-ray-selected, elliptically dominated non-fossil groups, indicating a weak relationship between AGN strength and the mass assembly history of the groups. The dominant elliptical galaxy of fossil groups is on average roughly an order of magnitude more luminous than normal group elliptical galaxies in optical, X-ray, and radio luminosities and our findings are consistent with previous results that the radio-loud fraction in elliptical galaxies is linked to the stellar mass of a population. The current level of activity in fossil groups suggests that AGN fueling continues long after the last major merger. We discuss several possibilities for fueling the AGN at the present epoch.« less

Control groups in paediatric epilepsy research: do first-degree cousins show familial effects?

PubMed

Hanson, Melissa; Morrison, Blaise; Jones, Jana E; Jackson, Daren C; Almane, Dace; Seidenberg, Michael; Zhao, Qianqian; Rathouz, Paul J; Hermann, Bruce P

2017-03-01

To determine whether first-degree cousins of children with idiopathic focal and genetic generalized epilepsies show any association across measures of cognition, behaviour, and brain structure. The presence/absence of associations addresses the question of whether and to what extent first-degree cousins may serve as unbiased controls in research addressing the cognitive, psychiatric, and neuroimaging features of paediatric epilepsies. Participants were children (aged 8-18) with epilepsy who had at least one first-degree cousin control enrolled in the study (n=37) and all enrolled cousin controls (n=100). Participants underwent neuropsychological assessment and brain imaging (cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar volumes), and parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). Data (based on 42 outcome measures) from cousin controls were regressed on the corresponding epilepsy cognitive, behavioural, and imaging measures in a linear mixed model and case/control correlations were examined. Of the 42 uncorrected correlations involving cognitive, behavioural, and neuroimaging measures, only two were significant (p<0.05). The median correlation was 0.06. A test for whether the distribution of p values deviated from the null distribution under no association was not significant (p>0.25). Similar results held for the cognition/behaviour and brain imaging measures separately. Given the lack of association between cases and first-degree cousin performances on measures of cognition, behaviour, and neuroimaging, the results suggest a non-significant genetic influence on control group performance. First-degree cousins appear to be unbiased controls for cognitive, behavioural, and neuroimaging research in paediatric epilepsy.

[Polygalacturonase activity of microscopic fungi of different trophic groups].

PubMed

Kurchenko, I N

2013-01-01

A comparative study of polygalacturonase activity of 85 saprophytic, plant pathogenic and endophytic strains of Fusarium poae, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium funiculosum and Mycelia sterilia was conducted. It was established that in general polygalacturonase activity of Mycelia sterilia and P. funiculosum strains was significantly higher than that of A. alternata and F. poae strains. The majority of the studied strains showed a middle level of polygalacturonase activity. High activity was characteristic of only endophytic F. poae, P. funiculosum and Mycelia sterilia strains. The dependence of polygalacturonase activity of the studied strains on their rate of linear growth, cultivation time, as well as species and organs of host plants, which they were isolated from, was not established. The polygalacturonase presence in the dominant and common species of endophytic fungi of the bog plants of Ukrainian Polesie suggests that endophytic microscopic fungi play an important role in the hydrolysis of pectic substances of plant tissues, as well as in migration of mineral elements in wetland ecosystems.

Side Chain Degradable Cationic-Amphiphilic Polymers with Tunable Hydrophobicity Show in Vivo Activity.

PubMed

Uppu, Divakara S S M; Samaddar, Sandip; Hoque, Jiaul; Konai, Mohini M; Krishnamoorthy, Paramanandham; Shome, Bibek R; Haldar, Jayanta

2016-09-12

Cationic-amphiphilic antibacterial polymers with optimal amphiphilicity generally target the bacterial membranes instead of mammalian membranes. To date, this balance has been achieved by varying the cationic charge or side chain hydrophobicity in a variety of cationic-amphiphilic polymers. Optimal hydrophobicity of cationic-amphiphilic polymers has been considered as the governing factor for potent antibacterial activity yet minimal mammalian cell toxicity. However, the concomitant role of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobicity with constant cationic charge in the interactions of antibacterial polymers with bacterial membranes is not understood. Also, degradable polymers that result in nontoxic degradation byproducts offer promise as safe antibacterial agents. Here we show that amide- and ester (degradable)-bearing cationic-amphiphilic polymers with tunable side chain hydrophobicity can modulate antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that an amide polymer can be a potent antibacterial agent with lower hydrophobicity whereas the corresponding ester polymer needs a relatively higher hydrophobicity to be as effective as its amide counterpart. Our studies reveal that at higher hydrophobicities both amide and ester polymers have similar profiles of membrane-active antibacterial activity and mammalian cell toxicity. On the contrary, at lower hydrophobicities, amide and ester polymers are less cytotoxic, but the former have potent antibacterial and membrane activity compared to the latter. Incorporation of amide and ester moieties made these polymers side chain degradable, with amide polymers being more stable than the ester polymers. Further, the polymers are less toxic, and their degradation byproducts are nontoxic to mice. More importantly, the optimized amide polymer reduces the bacterial burden of burn wound infections in mice models. Our design introduces a new strategy of interplay between the hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions

Group IIA secretory phospholipase A2 (GIIA) mediates apoptotic death during NMDA receptor activation in rat primary cortical neurons.

PubMed

Chiricozzi, Elena; Fernandez-Fernandez, Seila; Nardicchi, Vincenza; Almeida, Angeles; Bolaños, Juan Pedro; Goracci, Gianfrancesco

2010-03-01

Phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)) participate in neuronal death signalling pathways because of their ability to release lipid mediators, although the contribution of each isoform and mechanism of neurotoxicity are still elusive. Using a novel fluorogenic method to assess changes in a PLA(2) activity by flow cytometry, here we show that the group IIA secretory phospholipase A(2) isoform (GIIA) was specifically activated in cortical neurons following stimulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptor subtype (NMDAR). For activation, GIIA required Ca(2+) and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, and inhibition of its activity fully prevented NMDAR-mediated neuronal apoptotic death. Superoxide, nitric oxide or peroxynitrite donors stimulated GIIA activity, which mediated neuronal death. Intriguingly, we also found that GIIA activity induced mitochondrial superoxide production after NMDAR stimulation. These results reveal a novel role for GIIA in excitotoxicity both as target and producer of superoxide in a positive-loop of activation that may contribute to the propagation of neurodegeneration.

Synthesis and hypoglycemic activity of 9-O-(lipophilic group substituted) berberine derivatives.

PubMed

Zhang, Shanshan; Wang, Xiaohong; Yin, Weicheng; Liu, Zhenbao; Zhou, Mi; Xiao, Daipeng; Liu, Yanfei; Peng, Dongming

2016-10-01

A series of 9-O-(lipophilic group substituted) berberine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicity and hypoglycemic activity against HepG2 cells. All the results indicated that most of the synthesized compounds exhibited lower cytotoxicity and a certain degree of hypoglycemic activity. Especially the compounds 5g and 5h displayed dramatically increased hypoglycemic activity compared with berberine, and the cytotoxicity maintained or even lower than berberine, indicating that they are potential candidates for new anti-type 2 diabetes mellitus drugs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating municipal solid waste generation by different activities and various resident groups: a case study of Beijing.

PubMed

Li, Zhen-shan; Fu, Hui-zhen; Qu, Xiao-yan

2011-09-15

Reliable and accurate determinations of the quantities and composition of wastes is required for the planning of municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. A model, based on the interrelationships of expenditure on consumer goods, time distribution, daily activities, residents groups, and waste generation, was developed and employed to estimate MSW generation by different activities and resident groups in Beijing. The principle is that MSW is produced by consumption of consumer goods by residents in their daily activities: 'Maintenance' (meeting the basic needs of food, housing and personal care), 'Subsistence' (providing the financial requirements) and 'Leisure' (social and recreational pursuits) activities. Three series of important parameters - waste generation per unit of consumer expenditure, consumer expenditure distribution to activities in unit time, and time assignment to activities by different resident groups - were determined using a statistical analysis, a sampling survey and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, respectively. Data for analysis were obtained from the Beijing Statistical Yearbook (2004-2008) and questionnaire survey. The results reveal that 'Maintenance' activity produced the most MSW, distantly followed by 'Leisure' and 'Subsistence' activities. In 2008, in descending order of MSW generation the different resident groups were floating population, non-civil servants, retired people, civil servants, college students (including both undergraduates and graduates), primary and secondary students, and preschoolers. The new estimation model, which was successful in fitting waste generation by different activities and resident groups over the investigated years, was amenable to MSW prediction. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Group Time: Building Language at Group Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Church, Ellen Booth

2004-01-01

This article features energizing and surprising activities for children at group time. In the drawing activity, children are asked to give instructions on how to draw a picture using vocabulary and descriptive language. In the mailbox activity, children will be surprised to discover that they have mail at group time. Mailboxes can be used for…

Cytorhabdovirus phosphoprotein shows RNA silencing suppressor activity in plants, but not in insect cells.

PubMed

Mann, Krin S; Johnson, Karyn N; Dietzgen, Ralf G

2015-02-01

RNA silencing in plants and insects provides an antiviral defense and as a countermeasure most viruses encode RNA silencing suppressors (RSS). For the family Rhabdoviridae, no detailed functional RSS studies have been reported in plant hosts and insect vectors. In agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana leaves we show for the first time for a cytorhabdovirus, lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV), that one of the nucleocapsid core proteins, phosphoprotein (P) has relatively weak local RSS activity and delays systemic silencing of a GFP reporter. Analysis of GFP small RNAs indicated that the P protein did not prevent siRNA accumulation. To explore RSS activity in insects, we used a Flock House virus replicon system in Drosophila S2 cells. In contrast to the plant host, LNYV P protein did not exhibit RSS activity in the insect cells. Taken together our results suggest that P protein may target plant-specific components of RNA silencing post siRNA biogenesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The novel oral glucan synthase inhibitor SCY-078 shows in vitro activity against sessile and planktonic Candida spp.

PubMed

Marcos-Zambrano, Laura Judith; Gómez-Perosanz, Marta; Escribano, Pilar; Bouza, Emilio; Guinea, Jesús

2017-07-01

We studied the antifungal activity of SCY-078 (an orally bioavailable 1,3-β -d- glucan synthesis inhibitor), micafungin and fluconazole against the planktonic and sessile forms of 178 Candida and non- Candida isolates causing fungaemia in patients recently admitted to a large European hospital. The in vitro activity of SCY-078, micafungin and fluconazole against the planktonic form of the isolates was assessed using EUCAST EDef 7.3 and CLSI M27-A3. Antibiofilm activity was assessed using the XTT reduction assay. SCY-078 and micafungin showed potent in vitro activity against Candida and non- Candida isolates. The in vitro activity of both drugs was similar, but SYC-078 displayed significantly lower MIC values than micafungin against Candida parapsilosis and non- Candida isolates, whereas micafungin displayed significantly lower MIC values for the remaining species ( P  <0.001). In contrast, SCY-078 and micafungin showed essentially the same activity against the biofilms with the exception of Candida glabrata , in which the micafungin sessile MIC values were significantly lower ( P  <0.001). These observations were confirmed by assessing biofilm structure by scanning electron microscopy after antifungal treatment. Our study showed that the high in vitro activity of SCY-078 against invasive Candida isolates in both sessile and planktonic forms is comparable to that of micafungin. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG): Child-reported Physical Activity Parenting in African American and Non-Hispanic White Families.

PubMed

Lampard, Amy M; Nishi, Akihiro; Baskin, Monica L; Carson, Tiffany L; Davison, Kirsten K

2016-01-01

This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a child-report, multidimensional measure of physical activity (PA) parenting, the Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG), in African American and non-Hispanic white families. The ACTS-MG was administered to children aged 5 to 12 years. A three factor model of PA parenting (Modeling of PA, Logistic Support, and Restricting Access to Screen-based Activities) was tested separately for mother's and fathers' PA parenting. The proposed three-factor structure was supported in both racial groups for mothers' PA parenting and in the African American sample for fathers' PA parenting. Factorial invariance between racial groups was demonstrated for mother's PA parenting. Building on a previous study examining the ACTS-MG parent-report, this study supports the use of the ACTS-MG child-report for mothers' PA parenting. However, further research is required to investigate the measurement of fathers' PA parenting across racial groups.

Simulated rRNA/DNA Ratios Show Potential To Misclassify Active Populations as Dormant

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

Steven, Blaire; Hesse, Cedar; Soghigian, John

The use of rRNA/DNA ratios derived from surveys of rRNA sequences in RNA and DNA extracts is an appealing but poorly validated approach to infer the activity status of environmental microbes. To improve the interpretation of rRNA/DNA ratios, we performed simulations to investigate the effects of community structure, rRNA amplification, and sampling depth on the accuracy of rRNA/DNA ratios in classifying bacterial populations as “active” or “dormant.” Community structure was an insignificant factor. In contrast, the extent of rRNA amplification that occurs as cells transition from dormant to growing had a significant effect (P < 0.0001) on classification accuracy, withmore » misclassification errors ranging from 16 to 28%, depending on the rRNA amplification model. The error rate increased to 47% when communities included a mixture of rRNA amplification models, but most of the inflated error was false negatives (i.e., active populations misclassified as dormant). Sampling depth also affected error rates (P < 0.001). Inadequate sampling depth produced various artifacts that are characteristic of rRNA/DNA ratios generated from real communities. These data show important constraints on the use of rRNA/DNA ratios to infer activity status. Whereas classification of populations as active based on rRNA/DNA ratios appears generally valid, classification of populations as dormant is potentially far less accurate.« less

Simulated rRNA/DNA Ratios Show Potential To Misclassify Active Populations as Dormant

DOE PAGES

Steven, Blaire; Hesse, Cedar; Soghigian, John; ...

2017-03-31

The use of rRNA/DNA ratios derived from surveys of rRNA sequences in RNA and DNA extracts is an appealing but poorly validated approach to infer the activity status of environmental microbes. To improve the interpretation of rRNA/DNA ratios, we performed simulations to investigate the effects of community structure, rRNA amplification, and sampling depth on the accuracy of rRNA/DNA ratios in classifying bacterial populations as “active” or “dormant.” Community structure was an insignificant factor. In contrast, the extent of rRNA amplification that occurs as cells transition from dormant to growing had a significant effect (P < 0.0001) on classification accuracy, withmore » misclassification errors ranging from 16 to 28%, depending on the rRNA amplification model. The error rate increased to 47% when communities included a mixture of rRNA amplification models, but most of the inflated error was false negatives (i.e., active populations misclassified as dormant). Sampling depth also affected error rates (P < 0.001). Inadequate sampling depth produced various artifacts that are characteristic of rRNA/DNA ratios generated from real communities. These data show important constraints on the use of rRNA/DNA ratios to infer activity status. Whereas classification of populations as active based on rRNA/DNA ratios appears generally valid, classification of populations as dormant is potentially far less accurate.« less

Information Activities and Appropriation in Teacher Trainees' Digital, Group-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanell, Fredrik

2016-01-01

Introduction: This paper reports results from an ethnographic study of teacher trainees' information activities in digital, group-based learning and their relation to the interplay between use and appropriation of digital tools and the learning environment. Method: The participants in the present study are 249 pre-school teacher trainees in…

Promoting Physical Activity With Group Pictures. Affiliation-Based Visual Communication for High-Risk Populations.

PubMed

Reifegerste, Doreen; Rossmann, Constanze

2017-02-01

Past research in social and health psychology has shown that affiliation motivation is associated with health behavior, especially for high-risk populations, suggesting that targeting this motivation could be a promising strategy to promote physical activity. However, the effects that affiliation appeals (e.g., pictures depicting companionship during physical activities) and accompanying slogans have on motivating physical activity have been largely unexplored. Hence, our two studies experimentally tested the effects of exposure to affiliation-based pictures for overweight or less active people, as well as the moderating effect of affiliation motivation. The results of these two studies give some indication that group pictures (with or without an accompanying slogan) can be an effective strategy to improve high-risk populations' attitudes, self-efficacy, and intentions to engage in physical activity. Affiliation motivation as a personality trait did not interact with these effects, but was positively associated with attitudes, independent of the group picture effect.

Prediction of cloud condensation nuclei activity for organic compounds using functional group contribution methods

DOE PAGES

Petters, M. D.; Kreidenweis, S. M.; Ziemann, P. J.

2016-01-19

A wealth of recent laboratory and field experiments demonstrate that organic aerosol composition evolves with time in the atmosphere, leading to changes in the influence of the organic fraction to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) spectra. There is a need for tools that can realistically represent the evolution of CCN activity to better predict indirect effects of organic aerosol on clouds and climate. This work describes a model to predict the CCN activity of organic compounds from functional group composition. Following previous methods in the literature, we test the ability of semi-empirical group contribution methods in Kohler theory to predict themore » effective hygroscopicity parameter, kappa. However, in our approach we also account for liquid–liquid phase boundaries to simulate phase-limited activation behavior. Model evaluation against a selected database of published laboratory measurements demonstrates that kappa can be predicted within a factor of 2. Simulation of homologous series is used to identify the relative effectiveness of different functional groups in increasing the CCN activity of weakly functionalized organic compounds. Hydroxyl, carboxyl, aldehyde, hydroperoxide, carbonyl, and ether moieties promote CCN activity while methylene and nitrate moieties inhibit CCN activity. Furthermore, the model can be incorporated into scale-bridging test beds such as the Generator of Explicit Chemistry and Kinetics of Organics in the Atmosphere (GECKO-A) to evaluate the evolution of kappa for a complex mix of organic compounds and to develop suitable parameterizations of CCN evolution for larger-scale models.« less

Free-Standing Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Superlattices Constructed with Engineered Protein Containers Show in Crystallo Catalytic Activity.

PubMed

Lach, Marcel; Künzle, Matthias; Beck, Tobias

2017-12-11

The construction of defined nanostructured catalysts is challenging. In previous work, we established a strategy to assemble binary nanoparticle superlattices with oppositely charged protein containers as building blocks. Here, we show that these free-standing nanoparticle superlattices are catalytically active. The metal oxide nanoparticles inside the protein scaffold are accessible for a range of substrates and show oxidase-like and peroxidase-like activity. The stable superlattices can be reused for several reaction cycles. In contrast to bulk nanoparticle-based catalysts, which are prone to aggregation and difficult to characterize, nanoparticle superlattices based on engineered protein containers provide an innovative synthetic route to structurally defined heterogeneous catalysts with control over nanoparticle size and composition. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

'Physical activity at home (PAAH)', evaluation of a group versus home based physical activity program in community dwelling middle aged adults: rationale and study design.

PubMed

Freene, Nicole; Waddington, Gordon; Chesworth, Wendy; Davey, Rachel; Goss, John

2011-11-24

It is well recognised that the adoption and longer term adherence to physical activity by adults to reduce the risk of chronic disease is a challenge. Interventions, such as group and home based physical activity programs, have been widely reported upon. However few studies have directly compared these interventions over the longer term to determine their adherence and effectiveness. Participant preference for home based or group interventions is important. Some evidence suggests that home based physical activity programs are preferred by middle aged adults and provide better long term physical activity adherence. Physiotherapists may also be useful in increasing physical activity adherence, with limited research on their impact. 'Physical Activity at Home' is a 2 year pragmatic randomised control trial, with a non-randomised comparison to group exercise. Middle-aged adults not interested in, or unable to attend, a group exercise program will be targeted. Sedentary community dwelling 50-65 year olds with no serious medical conditions or functional impairments will be recruited via two mail outs using the Australian federal electoral roll. The first mail out will invite participants to a 6 month community group exercise program. The second mail out will be sent to those not interested in the group exercise program inviting them to take part in a home based intervention. Eligible home based participants will be randomised into a 6 month physiotherapy-led home based physical activity program or usual care. Outcome measures will be taken at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. The primary outcome is physical activity adherence via exercise diaries. Secondary outcomes include the Active Australia Survey, accelerometry, aerobic capacity (step test), quality of life (SF-12v2), blood pressure, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index. Costs will be recorded prospectively and qualitative data will be collected. The planned 18 month follow-up post

Use of a Wiki-Based Software to Manage Research Group Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ting; Vezenov, Dmitri V.; Simboli, Brian

2014-01-01

This paper discusses use of the wiki software Confluence to organize research group activities and lab resources. Confluence can serve as an electronic lab notebook (ELN), as well as an information management and collaboration tool. The article provides a case study in how researchers can use wiki software in "home-grown" fashion to…

Two Analogues of Fenarimol Show Curative Activity in an Experimental Model of Chagas Disease

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), is an increasing threat to global health. Available medicines were introduced over 40 years ago, have undesirable side effects, and give equivocal results of cure in the chronic stage of the disease. We report the development of two compounds, 6 and (S)-7, with PCR-confirmed curative activity in a mouse model of established T. cruzi infection after once daily oral dosing for 20 days at 20 mg/kg 6 and 10 mg/kg (S)-7. Compounds 6 and (S)-7 have potent in vitro activity, are noncytotoxic, show no adverse effects in vivo following repeat dosing, are prepared by a short synthetic route, and have druglike properties suitable for preclinical development. PMID:24304150

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors with triazole-linked cap group.

PubMed

Chen, Po C; Patil, Vishal; Guerrant, William; Green, Patience; Oyelere, Adegboyega K

2008-05-01

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition is a recent, clinically validated therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Small molecule HDAC inhibitors identified so far fall in to three distinct structural motifs: the zinc-binding group (ZBG), a hydrophobic linker, and a recognition cap group. Here we report the suitability of a 1,2,3-triazole ring as a surface recognition cap group-linking moiety in suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid-like (SAHA-like) HDAC inhibitors. Using "click" chemistry (Huisgen cycloaddition reaction), several triazole-linked SAHA-like hydroxamates were synthesized. Structure-activity relationship revealed that the position of the triazole moiety as well as the identity of the cap group markedly affected the in vitro HDAC inhibition and cell growth inhibitory activities of this class of compounds.

C8-Linked Pyrrolobenzodiazepine Monomers with Inverted Building Blocks Show Selective Activity against Multidrug Resistant Gram-Positive Bacteria.

PubMed

Andriollo, Paolo; Hind, Charlotte K; Picconi, Pietro; Nahar, Kazi S; Jamshidi, Shirin; Varsha, Amrit; Clifford, Melanie; Sutton, J Mark; Rahman, Khondaker Miraz

2018-02-09

Antimicrobial resistance has become a major global concern. Development of novel antimicrobial agents for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens is an urgent priority. Pyrrolobenzodiazepines (PBDs) are a promising class of antibacterial agents initially discovered and isolated from natural sources. Recently, C8-linked PBD biaryl conjugates have been shown to be active against some MDR Gram-positive strains. To explore the role of building block orientations on antibacterial activity and obtain structure activity relationship (SAR) information, four novel structures were synthesized in which the building blocks of previously reported compounds were inverted, and their antibacterial activity was studied. The compounds showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in the range of 0.125-32 μg/mL against MDR Gram-positive strains with a bactericidal mode of action. The results showed that a single inversion of amide bonds reduces the activity while the double inversion restores the activity against MDR pathogens. All inverted compounds did not stabilize DNA and lacked eukaryotic toxicity. The compounds inhibit DNA gyrase in vitro, and the most potent compound was equally active against both wild-type and mutant DNA gyrase in a biochemical assay. The observed activity of the compounds against methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains with equivalent gyrase mutations is consistent with gyrase inhibition being the mechanism of action in vivo, although this has not been definitively confirmed in whole cells. This conclusion is supported by a molecular modeling study showing interaction of the compounds with wild-type and mutant gyrases. This study provides important SAR information about this new class of antibacterial agents.

REECo activities and sample logistics in support of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group

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

Wireman, D.L.; Rosenberry, C.E. Jr.; White, M.G.

Activities and sample logistics of Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Co., Inc. (REECo), in support of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG), are discussed in this summary report. Activities include the collection, preparation, and shipment of samples of soils, vegetation, and small animals collected at Pu-contaminated areas of the Nevada Test Site and Tonopah Test Range. (CH)

Optimization of amino group density on surfaces of titanium dioxide nanoparticles covalently bonded to a silicone substrate for antibacterial and cell adhesion activities.

PubMed

Okada, Masahiro; Yasuda, Shoji; Kimura, Tsuyoshi; Iwasaki, Mitsunobu; Ito, Seishiro; Kishida, Akio; Furuzono, Tsutomu

2006-01-01

A composite consisting of titanium dioxide (TiO2) particle, the surface of which was modified with amino groups, and a silicone substrate through covalent bonding at their interface was developed, and antibacterial and cell adhesion activities of the composite were evaluated. The density of the amino groups on the TiO2 particle surface was controlled by the reaction time of the modification reaction. The degradation rate of CH3CHO in the presence of the TiO2 particles under UV irradiation decreased with an increase in the amino group density on the TiO2 surface. On the other hand, the number of L929 cells adhering on the TiO2/silicone composite increased with an increase in the amino group density. From the above two results, the optimum density of amino groups for both photoreactivity and cell adhesiveness was estimated to be 2.0-4.0 molecules/nm2. The optimum amino group-modified TiO2/silicone composite sheet (amino group density, 3.0 molecules/nm2) showed an effective antibacterial activity for Escherichia coli bacteria under UV irradiation. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Disturbance gradient shows logging affects plant functional groups more than fire.

PubMed

Blair, David P; McBurney, Lachlan M; Blanchard, Wade; Banks, Sam C; Lindenmayer, David B

2016-10-01

Understanding the impacts of natural and human disturbances on forest biota is critical for improving forest management. Many studies have examined the separate impacts on fauna and flora of wildfire, conventional logging, and salvage logging, but empirical comparisons across a broad gradient of simultaneous disturbances are lacking. We quantified species richness and frequency of occurrence of vascular plants, and functional group responses, across a gradient of disturbances that occurred concurrently in 2009 in the mountain ash forests of southeastern Australia. Our study encompassed replicated sites in undisturbed forest (~70 yr post fire), forest burned at low severity, forest burned at high severity, unburned forest that was clearcut logged, and forest burned at high severity that was clearcut salvage logged post-fire. All sites were sampled 2 and 3 yr post fire. Mean species richness decreased across the disturbance gradient from 30.1 species/site on low-severity burned sites and 28.9 species/site on high-severity burned sites, to 25.1 species/site on clearcut sites and 21.7 species/site on salvage logged sites. Low-severity burned sites were significantly more species-rich than clearcut sites and salvage logged sites; high-severity burned sites supported greater species richness than salvage logged sites. Specific traits influenced species' sensitivity to disturbance. Resprouting species dominated undisturbed mountain ash forests, but declined significantly across the gradient. Fern and midstory trees decreased significantly in frequency of occurrence across the gradient. Ferns (excluding bracken) decreased from 34% of plants in undisturbed forest to 3% on salvage logged sites. High-severity burned sites supported a greater frequency of occurrence and species richness of midstory trees compared to clearcut and salvage logged sites. Salvage logging supported fewer midstory trees than any other disturbance category, and were distinctly different from

Group cognitive behavioural therapy and group recreational activity for adults with autism spectrum disorders: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Hesselmark, Eva; Plenty, Stephanie; Bejerot, Susanne

2014-08-01

Although adults with autism spectrum disorder are an increasingly identified patient population, few treatment options are available. This preliminary randomized controlled open trial with a parallel design developed two group interventions for adults with autism spectrum disorders and intelligence within the normal range: cognitive behavioural therapy and recreational activity. Both interventions comprised 36 weekly 3-h sessions led by two therapists in groups of 6-8 patients. A total of 68 psychiatric patients with autism spectrum disorders participated in the study. Outcome measures were Quality of Life Inventory, Sense of Coherence Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and an exploratory analysis on measures of psychiatric health. Participants in both treatment conditions reported an increased quality of life at post-treatment (d = 0.39, p < 0.001), with no difference between interventions. No amelioration of psychiatric symptoms was observed. The dropout rate was lower with cognitive behavioural therapy than with recreational activity, and participants in cognitive behavioural therapy rated themselves as more generally improved, as well as more improved regarding expression of needs and understanding of difficulties. Both interventions appear to be promising treatment options for adults with autism spectrum disorder. The interventions' similar efficacy may be due to the common elements, structure and group setting. Cognitive behavioural therapy may be additionally beneficial in terms of increasing specific skills and minimizing dropout. © The Author(s) 2013.

Group cognitive behavioural therapy and group recreational activity for adults with autism spectrum disorders: A preliminary randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Plenty, Stephanie; Bejerot, Susanne

2014-01-01

Although adults with autism spectrum disorder are an increasingly identified patient population, few treatment options are available. This preliminary randomized controlled open trial with a parallel design developed two group interventions for adults with autism spectrum disorders and intelligence within the normal range: cognitive behavioural therapy and recreational activity. Both interventions comprised 36 weekly 3-h sessions led by two therapists in groups of 6–8 patients. A total of 68 psychiatric patients with autism spectrum disorders participated in the study. Outcome measures were Quality of Life Inventory, Sense of Coherence Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and an exploratory analysis on measures of psychiatric health. Participants in both treatment conditions reported an increased quality of life at post-treatment (d = 0.39, p < 0.001), with no difference between interventions. No amelioration of psychiatric symptoms was observed. The dropout rate was lower with cognitive behavioural therapy than with recreational activity, and participants in cognitive behavioural therapy rated themselves as more generally improved, as well as more improved regarding expression of needs and understanding of difficulties. Both interventions appear to be promising treatment options for adults with autism spectrum disorder. The interventions’ similar efficacy may be due to the common elements, structure and group setting. Cognitive behavioural therapy may be additionally beneficial in terms of increasing specific skills and minimizing dropout. PMID:24089423

Reducing Capacities and Distribution of Redox-Active Functional Groups in Low Molecular Weight Fractions of Humic Acids.

PubMed

Yang, Zhen; Kappler, Andreas; Jiang, Jie

2016-11-15

Humic substances (HS) are redox-active organic compounds with a broad spectrum of molecular sizes and reducing capacities, that is, number of electrons donated or accepted. However, it is unknown which role the distribution of redox-active functional groups in different molecule sizes plays for HS redox reactions in varying pore sizes microenvironments. We used dialysis experiments to separate bulk humic acids (HA) into low molecular weight fractions (LMWF) and retentate, for example, the remaining HA in the dialysis bag. LMWF accounted for only 2% of the total organic carbon content of the HA. However, their reducing capacities per gram of carbon were up to 33 times greater than either those of the bulk HA or the retentate. For a structural/mechanistic understanding of the high reducing capacity of the LMWF, we used fluorescence spectroscopy. We found that the LWMF showed significant fluorescence intensities for quinone-like functional groups, as indicated by the quinoid π-π* transition, that are probably responsible for the high reducing capacities. Therefore, the small-sized HS fraction can play a major role for redox transformation of metals or pollutants trapped in soil micropores (<2.5 nm diameter).

Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Four Ethnic Groups of Midlife Women

PubMed Central

Im, Eun-Ok; Ham, Ok Kyung; Chee, Eunice; Chee, Wonshik

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between physical activity and depression and the multiple contextual factors influencing these associations in four major ethnic-groups of midlife women in the U.S. This was a secondary analysis of the data from 542 midlife women. The instruments included questions on background characteristics and health and menopausal status; the Depression Index for Midlife Women; and the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey. The data were analyzed using chi-square tests, the ANOVA, twoway ANOVA, correlation analyses, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The women's depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with active living and sports/exercise physical activities whereas they were positively correlated with occupational physical activities (p < .01). Family income was the strongest predictor of their depressive symptoms. Increasing physical activity may improve midlife women's depressive symptoms, but the types of physical activity and multiple contextual factors need to be considered in intervention development. PMID:24879749

Physical activity and depressive symptoms in four ethnic groups of midlife women.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Ok; Ham, Ok Kyung; Chee, Eunice; Chee, Wonshik

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between physical activity and depression and the multiple contextual factors influencing these associations in four major ethnic groups of midlife women in the United States. This was a secondary analysis of the data from 542 midlife women. The instruments included questions on background characteristics and health and menopausal status; the Depression Index for Midlife Women (DIMW); and the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey (KPAS). The data were analyzed using chi-square tests, the ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, correlation analyses, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The women's depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with active living and sports/exercise physical activities whereas they were positively correlated with occupational physical activities (p < .01). Family income was the strongest predictor of their depressive symptoms. Increasing physical activity may improve midlife women's depressive symptoms, but the types of physical activity and multiple contextual factors need to be considered in intervention development. © The Author(s) 2014.

Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Myrcia (Myrtaceae): A Review of an Aromatic and Medicinal Group of Plants.

PubMed

Cascaes, Márcia Moraes; Guilhon, Giselle Maria Skelding Pinheiro; de Aguiar Andrade, Eloisa Helena; das Graças Bichara Zoghbi, Maria; da Silva Santos, Lourivaldo

2015-10-09

Myrcia is one of the largest genera of the economically important family Myrtaceae. Some of the species are used in folk medicine, such as a group known as "pedra-hume-caá" or "pedra-ume-caá" or "insulina vegetal" (insulin plant) that it is used for the treatment of diabetes. The species are an important source of essential oils, and most of the chemical studies on Myrcia describe the chemical composition of the essential oils, in which mono- and sesquiterpenes are predominant. The non-volatile compounds isolated from Myrcia are usually flavonoids, tannins, acetophenone derivatives and triterpenes. Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities have been described to Myrcia essential oils, while hypoglycemic, anti-hemorrhagic and antioxidant activities were attributed to the extracts. Flavonoid glucosides and acetophenone derivatives showed aldose reductase and α-glucosidase inhibition, and could explain the traditional use of Myrcia species to treat diabetes. Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory are some of the activities observed for other isolated compounds from Myrcia.

The novel HSP90 inhibitor NVP-AUY922 shows synergistic anti-leukemic activity with cytarabine in vivo.

PubMed

Wendel, Torunn; Zhen, Yan; Suo, Zenhe; Bruheim, Skjalg; Wiedlocha, Antoni

2016-01-15

HSP90 is a molecular chaperone essential for stability, activity and intracellular sorting of many proteins, including oncoproteins, such as tyrosine kinases, transcription factors and cell cycle regulatory proteins. Therefore, inhibitors of HSP90 are being investigated for their potential as anti-cancer drugs. Here we show that the HSP90 inhibitor NVP-AUY922 induced degradation of the fusion oncoprotein FOP2-FGFR1 in a human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line, KG-1a. Concordantly, downstream signaling cascades, such as STAT1, STAT3 and PLCγ were abrogated. At concentrations that caused FOP2-FGFR1 degradation and signaling abrogation, NVP-AUY922 treatment caused significant cell death and inhibition of proliferation of KG-1a cells in vitro. In an animal model for AML, NVP-AUY922 administrated alone showed no anti-leukemic activity. However, when NVP-AUY922 was administered in combination with cytarabine, the two compounds showed significant synergistic anti-leukemic activity in vivo. Thus NVP-AUY922 and cytarabine combination therapy might be a prospective strategy for AML treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Group Membership Modulates the Neural Circuitry Underlying Third Party Punishment

PubMed Central

Sambataro, Fabio; Perussia, Felice; Valentini, Maria Consuelo; Bara, Bruno G.; Bosco, Francesca M.

2016-01-01

This research aims to explore the neural correlates involved in altruistic punishment, parochial altruism and anti-social punishment, using the Third-Party Punishment (TPP) game. In particular, this study considered these punishment behaviors in in-group vs. out-group game settings, to compare how people behave with members of their own national group and with members of another national group. The results showed that participants act altruistically to protect in-group members. This study indicates that norm violation in in-group (but not in out-group) settings results in increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction, brain regions involved in the mentalizing network, as the third-party attempts to understand or justify in-group members’ behavior. Finally, exploratory analysis during anti-social punishment behavior showed brain activation recruitment of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area associated with altered regulation of emotions. PMID:27835675

Group Membership Modulates the Neural Circuitry Underlying Third Party Punishment.

PubMed

Morese, Rosalba; Rabellino, Daniela; Sambataro, Fabio; Perussia, Felice; Valentini, Maria Consuelo; Bara, Bruno G; Bosco, Francesca M

2016-01-01

This research aims to explore the neural correlates involved in altruistic punishment, parochial altruism and anti-social punishment, using the Third-Party Punishment (TPP) game. In particular, this study considered these punishment behaviors in in-group vs. out-group game settings, to compare how people behave with members of their own national group and with members of another national group. The results showed that participants act altruistically to protect in-group members. This study indicates that norm violation in in-group (but not in out-group) settings results in increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction, brain regions involved in the mentalizing network, as the third-party attempts to understand or justify in-group members' behavior. Finally, exploratory analysis during anti-social punishment behavior showed brain activation recruitment of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area associated with altered regulation of emotions.

Physical Workload and Work Capacity across Occupational Groups

PubMed Central

Brighenti-Zogg, Stefanie; Mundwiler, Jonas; Schüpbach, Ulla; Dieterle, Thomas; Wolfer, David Paul; Leuppi, Jörg Daniel; Miedinger, David

2016-01-01

This study aimed to determine physical performance criteria of different occupational groups by investigating physical activity and energy expenditure in healthy Swiss employees in real-life workplaces on workdays and non-working days in relation to their aerobic capacity (VO2max). In this cross-sectional study, 337 healthy and full-time employed adults were recruited. Participants were classified (nine categories) according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988 and merged into three groups with low-, moderate- and high-intensity occupational activity. Daily steps, energy expenditure, metabolic equivalents and activity at different intensities were measured using the SenseWear Mini armband on seven consecutive days (23 hours/day). VO2max was determined by the 20-meter shuttle run test. Data of 303 subjects were considered for analysis (63% male, mean age: 33 yrs, SD 12), 101 from the low-, 102 from the moderate- and 100 from the high-intensity group. At work, the high-intensity group showed higher energy expenditure, metabolic equivalents, steps and activity at all intensities than the other groups (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in physical activity between the occupational groups on non-working days. VO2max did not differ across groups when stratified for gender. The upper workload limit was 21%, 29% and 44% of VO2max in the low-, moderate- and high-intensity group, respectively. Men had a lower limit than women due to their higher VO2max (26% vs. 37%), when all groups were combined. While this study did confirm that the average workload limit is one third of VO2max, it showed that the average is misrepresenting the actual physical work demands of specific occupational groups, and that it does not account for gender-related differences in relative workload. Therefore, clinical practice needs to consider these differences with regard to a safe return to work, particularly for the high-intensity group. PMID:27136206

Young children seek out biased information about social groups.

PubMed

Over, Harriet; Eggleston, Adam; Bell, Jenny; Dunham, Yarrow

2018-05-01

Understanding the origins of prejudice necessitates exploring the ways in which children participate in the construction of biased representations of social groups. We investigate whether young children actively seek out information that supports and extends their initial intergroup biases. In Studies 1 and 2, we show that children choose to hear a story that contains positive information about their own group and negative information about another group rather than a story that contains negative information about their own group and positive information about the other group. In a third study, we show that children choose to present biased information to others, thus demonstrating that the effects of information selection can start to propagate through social networks. In Studies 4 and 5, we further investigate the nature of children's selective information seeking and show that children prefer ingroup-favouring information to other types of biased information and even to balanced, unbiased information. Together, this work shows that children are not merely passively recipients of social information; they play an active role in the creation and transmission of intergroup attitudes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

76 FR 62400 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Focus Groups as...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-07

... Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Focus Groups as Used by EPA for Economics Projects (Renewal... used by EPA for Economics Projects (Renewal). ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2205.07, OMB Control No. 2090... interviews (hereafter jointly referred to as focus groups) related to economics projects. Over the next three...

Altering state policy: interest group effectiveness among state-level advocacy groups.

PubMed

Hoefer, Richard

2005-07-01

Because social policy making continues to devolve to the state level, social workers should understand how advocacy and policy making occur at that level. Interest groups active in the human services arena were surveyed and data were used to test a model of interest group effectiveness in four states. The independent variables were amount of resources invested, strategy used, relationships with key actors, use of coalitions, and policy positions taken. Results indicate that the model explains low to middling amounts of the variation in group effectiveness. Results also show that the model fits different states to different degrees, indicating that social workers need to approach advocacy in different ways to achieve maximum effectiveness in altering state policy. Implications for altering state policy are provided.

78 FR 10055 - Special Conditions: Tamarack Aerospace Group, Cirrus Model SR22; Active Technology Load...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-13

... with Tamarack Aerospace Group's modification. The design change will install winglets and an Active... not aware of the failure. Warning systems must not activate the control system. (b) The design of the... abrupt Tamarack Active Control Surface (TACS) operation. (b) The load alleviation system must be designed...

The Reverse Transcription Inhibitor Abacavir Shows Anticancer Activity in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

PubMed Central

Molinari, Agnese; Parisi, Chiara; Bozzuto, Giuseppina; Toccacieli, Laura; Formisano, Giuseppe; De Orsi, Daniela; Paradisi, Silvia; Grober, OlÌ Maria Victoria; Ravo, Maria; Weisz, Alessandro; Arcieri, Romano; Vella, Stefano; Gaudi, Simona

2010-01-01

Background Transposable Elements (TEs) comprise nearly 45% of the entire genome and are part of sophisticated regulatory network systems that control developmental processes in normal and pathological conditions. The retroviral/retrotransposon gene machinery consists mainly of Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINEs-1) and Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) that code for their own endogenous reverse transcriptase (RT). Interestingly, RT is typically expressed at high levels in cancer cells. Recent studies report that RT inhibition by non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) induces growth arrest and cell differentiation in vitro and antagonizes growth of human tumors in animal model. In the present study we analyze the anticancer activity of Abacavir (ABC), a nucleoside reverse transcription inhibitor (NRTI), on PC3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines. Principal Findings ABC significantly reduces cell growth, migration and invasion processes, considerably slows S phase progression, induces senescence and cell death in prostate cancer cells. Consistent with these observations, microarray analysis on PC3 cells shows that ABC induces specific and dose-dependent changes in gene expression, involving multiple cellular pathways. Notably, by quantitative Real-Time PCR we found that LINE-1 ORF1 and ORF2 mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated by ABC treatment. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the potential of ABC as anticancer agent able to induce antiproliferative activity and trigger senescence in prostate cancer cells. Noteworthy, we show that ABC elicits up-regulation of LINE-1 expression, suggesting the involvement of these elements in the observed cellular modifications. PMID:21151977

Group engagement in persons with dementia: The concept and its measurement.

PubMed

Cohen-Mansfield, Jiska; Hai, Tasmia; Comishen, Michael

2017-05-01

Although a few papers documented benefits of group therapeutic activities for individuals with dementia, there is a dearth of studies that have investigated the effects of group activities on persons with dementia. This paper introduces a theoretical framework of studying group therapeutic recreational activity, the Comprehensive Process Model of Group Engagement, and an assessment tool, the Group Observational Measurement of Engagement (GOME). We also report the psychometric properties of this assessment. One hundred and four persons with dementia took part in ten different group activities, with each activity conducted twice at random order so that 20 activities were observed for each group of participants. Following each group activity, research and therapeutic recreation staff members used the GOME assessment to independently rate participants on individual-level measures of attendance duration and engagement, and group level measures (e.g., positive and negative interactions among group members). Reliability and validity analyses comparing observer ratings for each group activity on the individual-level measures of attendance and engagement showed good psychometric properties. Different measures collected on a group level differed with respect to their psychometric quality. We present a theoretical framework to understand group engagement and present measures that could be used in future research and practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intrinsic atopic dermatitis shows similar TH2 and higher TH17 immune activation compared with extrinsic atopic dermatitis.

PubMed

Suárez-Fariñas, Mayte; Dhingra, Nikhil; Gittler, Julia; Shemer, Avner; Cardinale, Irma; de Guzman Strong, Cristina; Krueger, James G; Guttman-Yassky, Emma

2013-08-01

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is classified as extrinsic and intrinsic, representing approximately 80% and 20% of patients with the disease, respectively. Although sharing a similar clinical phenotype, only extrinsic AD is characterized by high serum IgE levels. Because most patients with AD exhibit high IgE levels, an "allergic"/IgE-mediated disease pathogenesis was hypothesized. However, current models associate AD with T-cell activation, particularly TH2/TH22 polarization, and epidermal barrier defects. We sought to define whether both variants share a common pathogenesis. We stratified 51 patients with severe AD into extrinsic AD (n = 42) and intrinsic AD (n = 9) groups (with similar mean disease activity/SCORAD scores) and analyzed the molecular and cellular skin pathology of lesional and nonlesional intrinsic AD and extrinsic AD by using gene expression (real-time PCR) and immunohistochemistry. A significant correlation between IgE levels and SCORAD scores (r = 0.76, P < 10(-5)) was found only in patients with extrinsic AD. Marked infiltrates of T cells and dendritic cells and corresponding epidermal alterations (keratin 16, Mki67, and S100A7/A8/A9) defined lesional skin of patients with both variants. However, higher activation of all inflammatory axes (including TH2) was detected in patients with intrinsic AD, particularly TH17 and TH22 cytokines. Positive correlations between TH17-related molecules and SCORAD scores were only found in patients with intrinsic AD, whereas only patients with extrinsic AD showed positive correlations between SCORAD scores and TH2 cytokine (IL-4 and IL-5) levels and negative correlations with differentiation products (loricrin and periplakin). Although differences in TH17 and TH22 activation exist between patients with intrinsic AD and those with extrinsic AD, we identified common disease-defining features of T-cell activation, production of polarized cytokines, and keratinocyte responses to immune products. Our data indicate that a

Effects of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing functional groups of activated carbon nanotubes on the electrochemical performance in supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Haiyan; Song, Huaihe; Chen, Xiaohong; Zhang, Su; Zhou, Jisheng; Ma, Zhaokun

2015-07-01

A kind of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing activated carbon nanotubes (ACNTs) has been prepared by carbonization and activation of polyaniline nanotubes obtained by rapidly mixed reaction. The ACNTs show oxygen content of 15.7% and nitrogen content of 2.97% (atomic ratio). The ACNTs perform high capacitance and good rate capability (327 F g-1 at the current density of 10 A g-1) when used as the electrode materials for supercapacitors. Hydrogen reduction has been further used to investigate the effects of surface functional groups on the electrochemical performance. The changes for both structural component and electrochemical performance reveal that the quinone oxygen, pyridinic nitrogen, and pyrrolic nitrogen of carbon have the most obvious influence on the capacitive property because of their pseudocapacitive contributions.

An Update on the VAMOS Extremes Working Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Siegfried; Cavalcanti, Iracema

2011-01-01

We review here the progress of the Variability of the American MOnsoon Systems (VAMOS) extremes working group since it was formed in February of 2010. The goals of the working group are to 1) develop an atlas of warm-season extremes over the Americas, 2) evaluate existing and planned simulations, and 3) suggest new model runs to address mechanisms and predictability of extremes. Substantial progress has been made in the development of an extremes atlas based on gridded observations and several reanalysis products including Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) and Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR). The status of the atlas, remaining issues and plans for its expansion to include model data will be discussed. This includes the possibility of adding a companion atlas based on station observations based on the software developed under the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Expert Team on Climate Change. Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) activity. We will also review progress on relevant research and plans for the use and validation of the atlas results.

Human active X-specific DNA methylation events showing stability across time and tissues

PubMed Central

Joo, Jihoon Eric; Novakovic, Boris; Cruickshank, Mark; Doyle, Lex W; Craig, Jeffrey M; Saffery, Richard

2014-01-01

The phenomenon of X chromosome inactivation in female mammals is well characterised and remains the archetypal example of dosage compensation via monoallelic expression. The temporal series of events that culminates in inactive X-specific gene silencing by DNA methylation has revealed a ‘patchwork' of gene inactivation along the chromosome, with approximately 15% of genes escaping. Such genes are therefore potentially subject to sex-specific imbalance between males and females. Aside from XIST, the non-coding RNA on the X chromosome destined to be inactivated, very little is known about the extent of loci that may be selectively silenced on the active X chromosome (Xa). Using longitudinal array-based DNA methylation profiling of two human tissues, we have identified specific and widespread active X-specific DNA methylation showing stability over time and across tissues of disparate origin. Our panel of X-chromosome loci subject to methylation on Xa reflects a potentially novel mechanism for controlling female-specific X inactivation and sex-specific dimorphisms in humans. Further work is needed to investigate these phenomena. PMID:24713664

Chroman-4-One Derivatives Targeting Pteridine Reductase 1 and Showing Anti-Parasitic Activity.

PubMed

Di Pisa, Flavio; Landi, Giacomo; Dello Iacono, Lucia; Pozzi, Cecilia; Borsari, Chiara; Ferrari, Stefania; Santucci, Matteo; Santarem, Nuno; Cordeiro-da-Silva, Anabela; Moraes, Carolina B; Alcantara, Laura M; Fontana, Vanessa; Freitas-Junior, Lucio H; Gul, Sheraz; Kuzikov, Maria; Behrens, Birte; Pöhner, Ina; Wade, Rebecca C; Costi, Maria Paola; Mangani, Stefano

2017-03-08

Flavonoids have previously been identified as antiparasitic agents and pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) inhibitors. Herein, we focus our attention on the chroman-4-one scaffold. Three chroman-4-one analogues ( 1 - 3 ) of previously published chromen-4-one derivatives were synthesized and biologically evaluated against parasitic enzymes ( Trypanosoma brucei PTR1- Tb PTR1 and Leishmania major-Lm PTR1) and parasites ( Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania infantum ). A crystal structure of Tb PTR1 in complex with compound 1 and the first crystal structures of Lm PTR1-flavanone complexes (compounds 1 and 3 ) were solved. The inhibitory activity of the chroman-4-one and chromen-4-one derivatives was explained by comparison of observed and predicted binding modes of the compounds. Compound 1 showed activity both against the targeted enzymes and the parasites with a selectivity index greater than 7 and a low toxicity. Our results provide a basis for further scaffold optimization and structure-based drug design aimed at the identification of potent anti-trypanosomatidic compounds targeting multiple PTR1 variants.

Symptomatic rotator cuff tears show higher radioisotope uptake on bone scintigraphy compared with asymptomatic tears.

PubMed

Koike, Yoichi; Sano, Hirotaka; Kita, Atushi; Itoi, Eiji

2013-09-01

Some patients with rotator cuff tears complain of pain, whereas others are asymptomatic. Previous studies have pointed out the presence of active bone metabolism in the painful shoulder, identified with increased radioisotope uptake during bone scintigraphy. Shoulders with symptomatic rotator cuff tears will demonstrate higher radioisotope uptake than shoulders with asymptomatic tears with bone scintigraphy, reflecting active bone metabolism in symptomatic tears. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. The study consisted of 3 groups: patients with symptomatic tears (symptomatic group), patients with asymptomatic tears (asymptomatic group), and controls (no tear group). The symptomatic group consisted of 28 shoulders from 28 patients with symptomatic rotator cuff tears (pain score ≤4 on the University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA] shoulder evaluation form) who underwent bone scintigraphy followed by rotator cuff repair. Of 70 volunteers who had previously undergone bone scintigraphy for diseases unrelated to their shoulder, 34 were selected for the asymptomatic group (pain score ≥8 on the UCLA shoulder form), and 32 were selected for the no tear group. The mean radioisotope uptake in the symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in the asymptomatic group (P = .02) and the no tear group (P = .02). Ten of 28 shoulders (36%) in the symptomatic group showed increased radioisotope uptake exceeding 2 standard deviations from the mean of the no tear group. This percentage was significantly higher when compared with the asymptomatic group (0%) (P < .01). Shoulders with a symptomatic rotator cuff tear showed higher radioisotope uptake on bone scintigraphy than those with an asymptomatic tear. The radioisotope uptake in shoulders with an asymptomatic tear was comparable with that in shoulders without a tear. Positive radioisotope uptake may be associated with pain in a subgroup of patients with rotator cuff tears.

Antimalarial activity of abietane ferruginol analogues possessing a phthalimide group.

PubMed

González, Miguel A; Clark, Julie; Connelly, Michele; Rivas, Fatima

2014-11-15

The abietane-type diterpenoid (+)-ferruginol, a bioactive compound isolated from New Zealand's Miro tree (Podocarpus ferruginea), displays relevant pharmacological properties, including antimicrobial, cardioprotective, anti-oxidative, anti-plasmodial, leishmanicidal, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer. Herein, we demonstrate that ferruginol (1) and some phthalimide containing analogues 2-12 have potential antimalarial activity. The compounds were evaluated against malaria strains 3D7 and K1, and cytotoxicity was measured against a mammalian cell line panel. A promising lead, compound 3, showed potent activity with an EC50 = 86 nM (3D7 strain), 201 nM (K1 strain) and low cytotoxicity in mammalian cells (SI>290). Some structure-activity relationships have been identified for the antimalarial activity in these abietane analogues. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DC-159a Shows Inhibitory Activity against DNA Gyrases of Mycobacterium leprae.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Tomoyuki; Yokoyama, Kazumasa; Nakajima, Chie; Suzuki, Yasuhiko

2016-09-01

Fluoroquinolones are a class of antibacterial agents used for leprosy treatment. Some new fluoroquinolones have been attracting interest due to their remarkable potency that is reportedly better than that of ofloxacin, the fluoroquinolone currently recommended for treatment of leprosy. For example, DC-159a, a recently developed 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone, has been found to be highly potent against various bacterial species. Nonetheless, the efficacy of DC-159a against Mycobacterium leprae is yet to be examined. To gather data that can support highly effective fluoroquinolones as candidates for new remedies for leprosy treatment, we conducted in vitro assays to assess and compare the inhibitory activities of DC-159a and two fluoroquinolones that are already known to be more effective against M. leprae than ofloxacin. The fluoroquinolone-inhibited DNA supercoiling assay using recombinant DNA gyrases of wild type and ofloxacin-resistant M. leprae revealed that inhibitory activities of DC-159a and sitafloxacin were at most 9.8- and 11.9-fold higher than moxifloxacin. Also the fluoroquinolone-mediated cleavage assay showed that potencies of those drugs were at most 13.5- and 9.8-fold higher than moxifloxacin. In addition, these two drugs retained their inhibitory activities even against DNA gyrases of ofloxacin-resistant M. leprae. The results indicated that DC-159a and sitafloxacin are more effective against wild type and mutant M. leprae DNA gyrases than moxifloxacin, suggesting that these antibacterial drugs can be good candidates that may supersede current fluoroquinolone remedies. DC-159a in particular is very promising because it is classified in a subgroup of fluoroquinolones that is known to be less likely to cause adverse effects. Our results implied that DC-159a is well worth further investigation to ascertain its in vivo effectiveness and clinical safety for humans.

Assessing Activity and Location of Individual Laying Hens in Large Groups Using Modern Technology

PubMed Central

Siegford, Janice M.; Berezowski, John; Biswas, Subir K.; Daigle, Courtney L.; Gebhardt-Henrich, Sabine G.; Hernandez, Carlos E.; Thurner, Stefan; Toscano, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Simple Summary Tracking of individual animals within large groups is increasingly possible offering an exciting opportunity to researchers. Whereas previously only relatively indistinguishable groups of individual animals could be observed and combined into pen level data, we can now focus on individual actors and track their activities across time and space with minimal intervention and disturbance. We describe several tracking systems that are currently in use for laying hens and review each, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, as well as environments or conditions for which they may be most suited, and relevant issues to fit the best technology for the intended purpose. Abstract Tracking individual animals within large groups is increasingly possible, offering an exciting opportunity to researchers. Whereas previously only relatively indistinguishable groups of individual animals could be observed and combined into pen level data, we can now focus on individual actors within these large groups and track their activities across time and space with minimal intervention and disturbance. The development is particularly relevant to the poultry industry as, due to a shift away from battery cages, flock sizes are increasingly becoming larger and environments more complex. Many efforts have been made to track individual bird behavior and activity in large groups using a variety of methodologies with variable success. Of the technologies in use, each has associated benefits and detriments, which can make the approach more or less suitable for certain environments and experiments. Within this article, we have divided several tracking systems that are currently available into two major categories (radio frequency identification and radio signal strength) and review the strengths and weaknesses of each, as well as environments or conditions for which they may be most suitable. We also describe related topics including types of analysis for the data and concerns

Supporting active learning in an undergraduate geotechnical engineering course using group-based audience response systems quizzes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donohue, Shane

2014-01-01

The use of audience response systems (ARSs) or 'clickers' in higher education has increased over the recent years, predominantly owing to their ability to actively engage students, for promoting individual and group learning, and for providing instantaneous feedback to students and teachers. This paper describes how group-based ARS quizzes have been integrated into an undergraduate civil engineering course on foundation design. Overall, the ARS summary quizzes were very well received by the students. Feedback obtained from the students indicates that the majority believed the group-based quizzes were useful activities, which helped to improve their understanding of course materials, encouraged self-assessment, and assisted preparation for their summative examination. Providing students with clickers does not, however, necessarily guarantee the class will be engaged with the activity. If an ARS activity is to be successful, careful planning and design must be carried out and modifications adopted where necessary, which should be informed by the literature and relevant student feedback.

Structural variants of yeast prions show conformer-specific requirements for chaperone activity

PubMed Central

Stein, Kevin C.; True, Heather L.

2016-01-01

Summary Molecular chaperones monitor protein homeostasis and defend against the misfolding and aggregation of proteins that is associated with protein conformational disorders. In these diseases, a variety of different aggregate structures can form. These are called prion strains, or variants, in prion diseases, and cause variation in disease pathogenesis. Here, we use variants of the yeast prions [RNQ+] and [PSI+] to explore the interactions of chaperones with distinct aggregate structures. We found that prion variants show striking variation in their relationship with Hsp40s. Specifically, the yeast Hsp40 Sis1, and its human ortholog Hdj1, had differential capacities to process prion variants, suggesting that Hsp40 selectivity has likely changed through evolution. We further show that such selectivity involves different domains of Sis1, with some prion conformers having a greater dependence on particular Hsp40 domains. Moreover, [PSI+] variants were more sensitive to certain alterations in Hsp70 activity as compared to [RNQ+] variants. Collectively, our data indicate that distinct chaperone machinery is required, or has differential capacity, to process different aggregate structures. Elucidating the intricacies of chaperone-client interactions, and how these are altered by particular client structures, will be crucial to understanding how this system can go awry in disease and contribute to pathological variation. PMID:25060529

A Content Analysis of Physical Activity in TV Shows Popular Among Adolescents

PubMed Central

Gietzen, Megan S.; Gollust, Sarah E.; Linde, Jennifer A.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Eisenberg, Marla E.

2017-01-01

Purpose Previous research demonstrates that television has the potential to influence youth behaviors, but little evidence exists on how television depicts physical activity (PA), an important public health priority for youth. This mixed-methods study investigates depictions of television characters’ participation in PA in the top 25 favorite shows ranked by a diverse sample of 2,793 adolescents. Method Randomly selected episodes from each show were content analyzed for PA incidents, reasons and context, and in relation to the gender and weight status of participating characters. Results A total of 374 incidents of PA were coded across 75 episodes, with an average of 5.0 incidents per episode. Although male and female characters were equally likely to engage in at least one incident of PA, male characters were involved in a statistically significantly larger proportion of PA incidents than female characters and were more likely to engage in PA for competitive sport. There was no statistically significant difference in engagement in PA or the proportion of PA incidents for characters coded as overweight compared to non-overweight characters. Conclusions Although female characters tended to be underrepresented in PA, this study reveals positive messages for how gender and weight are portrayed in relation to PA on TV. PMID:28151062

AGN POPULATION IN HICKSON COMPACT GROUPS. I. DATA AND NUCLEAR ACTIVITY CLASSIFICATION

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

MartInez, M. A.; Del Olmo, A.; Perea, J.

2010-03-15

We have conducted a new spectroscopic survey to characterize the nature of nuclear activity in Hickson compact group (HCG) galaxies and establish its frequency. We have obtained new intermediate-resolution optical spectroscopy for 200 member galaxies and corrected for underlying stellar population contamination using galaxy templates. Spectra for 11 additional galaxies have been acquired from the ESO and 6dF public archives, and emission-line ratios have been taken from the literature for 59 more galaxies. Here we present the results of our classification of the nuclear activity for 270 member galaxies, which belong to a well-defined sample of 64 HCGs. We foundmore » a large fraction of galaxies, 63%, with emission lines. Using standard diagnostic diagrams, 45% of the emission-line galaxies were classified as pure active galactic nuclei (AGNs), 23% as Transition Objects (TOs), and 32% as star-forming nuclei (SFNs). In the HCGs, the AGN activity appears as the most frequent activity type. Adopting the interpretation that in TOs a low-luminosity AGN coexists with circumnuclear star formation, the fraction of galaxies with an AGN could rise to 42% of the whole sample. The low frequency (20%) of SFNs confirms that there is no star formation enhancement in HCGs. After extinction correction, we found a median AGN H{alpha} luminosity of 7.1 x 10{sup 39} erg s{sup -1}, which implies that AGNs in HCG have a characteristically low luminosity. This result added to the fact that there is an almost complete absence of broad-line AGNs in compact groups (CGs) as found by MartInez et al. and corroborated in this study for HCGs, is consistent with very few gas left in these galaxies. In general, therefore, what may characterize the level of activity in CGs is a severe deficiency of gas.« less

Active placebo control groups of pharmacological interventions were rarely used but merited serious consideration: a methodological overview.

PubMed

Jensen, Jakob Solgaard; Bielefeldt, Andreas Ørsted; Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn

2017-07-01

Active placebos are control interventions that mimic the side effects of the experimental interventions in randomized trials and are sometimes used to reduce the risk of unblinding. We wanted to assess how often randomized clinical drug trials use active placebo control groups; to provide a catalog, and a characterization, of such trials; and to analyze methodological arguments for and against the use of active placebo. An overview consisting of three thematically linked substudies. In an observational substudy, we assessed the prevalence of active placebo groups based on a random sample of 200 PubMed indexed placebo-controlled randomized drug trials published in October 2013. In a systematic review, we identified and characterized trials with active placebo control groups irrespective of publication time. In a third substudy, we reviewed publications with substantial methodological comments on active placebo groups (searches in PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and HighWirePress). The prevalence of trials with active placebo groups published in 2013 was 1 out of 200 (95% confidence interval: 0-2), 0.5% (0-1%). We identified and characterized 89 randomized trials (published 1961-2014) using active placebos, for example, antihistamines, anticholinergic drugs, and sedatives. Such trials typically involved a crossover design, the experimental intervention had noticeable side effects, and the outcomes were patient-reported. The use of active placebos was clustered in specific research settings and did not appear to reflect consistently the side effect profile of the experimental intervention, for example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were compared with active placebos in pain trials but not in depression trials. We identified and analyzed 25 methods publications with substantial comments. The main argument for active placebo was to reduce risk of unblinding; the main argument against was the risk of unintended therapeutic effect. Pharmacological

Structure-transfection activity relationships in a series of novel cationic lipids with heterocyclic head-groups.

PubMed

Ivanova, Ekaterina A; Maslov, Mikhail A; Kabilova, Tatyana O; Puchkov, Pavel A; Alekseeva, Anna S; Boldyrev, Ivan A; Vlassov, Valentin V; Serebrennikova, Galina A; Morozova, Nina G; Zenkova, Marina A

2013-11-07

Cationic liposomes are promising candidates for the delivery of various therapeutic nucleic acids. Here, we report a convenient synthesis of carbamate-type cationic lipids with various hydrophobic domains (tetradecanol, dialkylglycerol, cholesterol) and positively charged head-groups (pyridinium, N-methylimidazolium, N-methylmorpholinium) and data on the structure-transfection activity relationships. It was found that single-chain lipids possess high surface activity, which correlates with high cytotoxicity due to their ability to disrupt the cellular membrane by combined hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Liposomes containing these lipids also display high cytotoxicity with respect to all cell lines. Irrespective of chemical structures, all cationic lipids form liposomes with similar sizes and surface potentials. The characteristics of complexes composed of cationic liposomes and nucleic acids depend mostly on the type of nucleic acid and P/N ratios. In the case of oligodeoxyribonucleotide delivery, the transfection activity depends on the type of cationic head-group regardless of the type of hydrophobic domain: all types of cationic liposomes mediate efficient oligonucleotide transfer into 80-90% of the eukaryotic cells, and liposomes based on lipids with N-methylmorpholinium cationic head-group display the highest transfection activity. In the case of plasmid DNA and siRNA, the type of hydrophobic domain determines the transfection activity: liposomes composed of cholesterol-based lipids were the most efficient in DNA transfer, while liposomes containing glycerol-based lipids exhibited reasonable activity in siRNA delivery under serum-free conditions.

Orbital operations study. Volume 2: Interfacing activities analysis. Part 2: Structural and mechanical group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattson, H. L.; Gianformaggio, A.; Anderson, N. R.

1972-01-01

The activities of the structural and mechanical activity group of the orbital operations study project are discussed. Element interfaces, alternate approaches, design concepts, operational procedures, functional requirements, design influences, and approach selection are presented. The following areas are considered: (1) mating, (2) orbital assembly, (3) separation, EOS payload deployment, and EOS payload retraction.

Upper Elementary Boys' Participation during Group Singing Activities in Single-Sex and Coeducational Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bazzy, Zadda M.

2010-01-01

As boys in the upper elementary grades become increasingly influenced by peer pressure, many are less likely to participate in singing activities because singing is considered a "feminine" activity. The purpose of this research was to explore if there was an effect on upper elementary boys' level of participation during group singing activities…

What Do We Want Small Group Activities For? Voices from EFL Teachers in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kato, Yoshitaka

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the fundamental issue of why small group activities are utilized in the language learning classroom. Although these activities have gained popularity in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), supported by a sound theoretical base, few studies have so far examined the reasons why language teachers are…

Apratoxin A Shows Novel Pancreas-Targeting Activity through the Binding of Sec 61.

PubMed

Huang, Kuan-Chun; Chen, Zhihong; Jiang, Yimin; Akare, Sandeep; Kolber-Simonds, Donna; Condon, Krista; Agoulnik, Sergei; Tendyke, Karen; Shen, Yongchun; Wu, Kuo-Ming; Mathieu, Steven; Choi, Hyeong-Wook; Zhu, Xiaojie; Shimizu, Hajime; Kotake, Yoshihiko; Gerwick, William H; Uenaka, Toshimitsu; Woodall-Jappe, Mary; Nomoto, Kenichi

2016-06-01

Apratoxin A is a natural product with potent antiproliferative activity against many human cancer cell lines. However, we and other investigators observed that it has a narrow therapeutic window in vivo Previous mechanistic studies have suggested its involvement in the secretory pathway as well as the process of chaperone-mediated autophagy. Still the link between the biologic activities of apratoxin A and its in vivo toxicity has remained largely unknown. A better understanding of this relationship is critically important for any further development of apratoxin A as an anticancer drug. Here, we describe a detailed pathologic analysis that revealed a specific pancreas-targeting activity of apratoxin A, such that severe pancreatic atrophy was observed in apratoxin A-treated animals. Follow-up tissue distribution studies further uncovered a unique drug distribution profile for apratoxin A, showing high drug exposure in pancreas and salivary gland. It has been shown previously that apratoxin A inhibits the protein secretory pathway by preventing cotranslational translocation. However, the molecule targeted by apratoxin A in this pathway has not been well defined. By using a (3)H-labeled apratoxin A probe and specific Sec 61α/β antibodies, we identified that the Sec 61 complex is the molecular target of apratoxin A. We conclude that apratoxin A in vivo toxicity is likely caused by pancreas atrophy due to high apratoxin A exposure. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(6); 1208-16. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Discovery of HDAC Inhibitors That Lack an Active Site Zn(2+)-Binding Functional Group.

PubMed

Vickers, Chris J; Olsen, Christian A; Leman, Luke J; Ghadiri, M Reza

2012-06-14

Natural and synthetic histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors generally derive their strong binding affinity and high potency from a key functional group that binds to the Zn(2+) ion within the enzyme active site. However, this feature is also thought to carry the potential liability of undesirable off-target interactions with other metalloenzymes. As a step toward mitigating this issue, here, we describe the design, synthesis, and structure-activity characterizations of cyclic α3β-tetrapeptide HDAC inhibitors that lack the presumed indispensable Zn(2+)-binding group. The lead compounds (e.g., 15 and 26) display good potency against class 1 HDACs and are active in tissue culture against various human cancer cell lines. Importantly, enzymological analysis of 26 indicates that the cyclic α3β-tetrapeptide is a fast-on/off competitive inhibitor of HDACs 1-3 with K i values of 49, 33, and 37 nM, respectively. Our proof of principle study supports the idea that novel classes of HDAC inhibitors, which interact at the active-site opening, but not with the active site Zn(2+), can have potential in drug design.

Exquisite Moments: Achieving Optimal Flow in Three Activity-Based Groups Regardless of Early-Childhood Adversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Paula; Jaque, S. Victoria

2016-01-01

Flow experiences (also known as optimal performance) occur when people engage in activities they enjoy. The authors discuss such events in their study that examined a number of healthy, active individuals (performing artists, athletes, and others engaged in a range of recreational activities) and divided these into three groups based on adverse…

A Paradox of Syntactic Priming: Why Response Tendencies Show Priming for Passives, and Response Latencies Show Priming for Actives

PubMed Central

Segaert, Katrien; Menenti, Laura; Weber, Kirsten; Hagoort, Peter

2011-01-01

Speakers tend to repeat syntactic structures across sentences, a phenomenon called syntactic priming. Although it has been suggested that repeating syntactic structures should result in speeded responses, previous research has focused on effects in response tendencies. We investigated syntactic priming effects simultaneously in response tendencies and response latencies for active and passive transitive sentences in a picture description task. In Experiment 1, there were priming effects in response tendencies for passives and in response latencies for actives. However, when participants' pre-existing preference for actives was altered in Experiment 2, syntactic priming occurred for both actives and passives in response tendencies as well as in response latencies. This is the first investigation of the effects of structure frequency on both response tendencies and latencies in syntactic priming. We discuss the implications of these data for current theories of syntactic processing. PMID:22022352

Design, Multicomponent Synthesis, and Anticancer Activity of a Focused Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibitor Library with Peptoid-Based Cap Groups.

PubMed

Krieger, Viktoria; Hamacher, Alexandra; Gertzen, Christoph G W; Senger, Johanna; Zwinderman, Martijn R H; Marek, Martin; Romier, Christophe; Dekker, Frank J; Kurz, Thomas; Jung, Manfred; Gohlke, Holger; Kassack, Matthias U; Hansen, Finn K

2017-07-13

In this work, we report the multicomponent synthesis of a focused histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor library with peptoid-based cap groups and different zinc-binding groups. All synthesized compounds were tested in a cellular HDAC inhibition assay and an MTT assay for cytotoxicity. On the basis of their noteworthy activity in the cellular HDAC assays, four compounds were further screened for their inhibitory activity against recombinant HDAC1-3, HDAC6, and HDAC8. All four compounds showed potent inhibition of HDAC1-3 as well as significant inhibition of HDAC6 with IC 50 values in the submicromolar concentration range. Compound 4j, the most potent HDAC inhibitor in the cellular HDAC assay, revealed remarkable chemosensitizing properties and enhanced the cisplatin sensitivity of the cisplatin-resistant head-neck cancer cell line Cal27CisR by almost 7-fold. Furthermore, 4j almost completely reversed the cisplatin resistance in Cal27CisR. This effect is related to a synergistic induction of apoptosis as seen in the combination of 4j with cisplatin.

Differences in SpeB protease activity among group A streptococci associated with superficial, invasive, and autoimmune disease

PubMed Central

Walwyn, Odaelys L.; Tanz, Robert R.; Shulman, Stanford T.; Kabat, William

2017-01-01

The secreted cysteine proteinase SpeB is an important virulence factor of group A streptococci (GAS), whereby SpeB activity varies widely among strains. To establish the degree to which SpeB activity correlates with disease, GAS organisms were recovered from patients with pharyngitis, impetigo, invasive disease or acute rheumatic fever (ARF), and selected for analysis using rigorous sampling criteria; >300 GAS isolates were tested for SpeB activity by casein digestion assays, and each GAS isolate was scored as a SpeB-producer or non-producer. Highly significant statistical differences (p < 0.01) in SpeB production are observed between GAS recovered from patients with ARF (41.5% SpeB-non-producers) compared to pharyngitis (20.5%), invasive disease (16.7%), and impetigo (5.5%). SpeB activity differences between pharyngitis and impetigo isolates are also significant, whereas pharyngitis versus invasive isolates show no significant difference. The disproportionately greater number of SpeB-non-producers among ARF-associated isolates may indicate an altered transcriptional program for many rheumatogenic strains and/or a protective role for SpeB in GAS-triggered autoimmunity. PMID:28545045

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Occupational Exposure to Agricultural Pesticide Chemical Groups and Active Ingredients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Schinasi, Leah; Leon, Maria E.

2014-01-01

This paper describes results from a systematic review and a series of meta-analyses of nearly three decades worth of epidemiologic research on the relationship between non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and occupational exposure to agricultural pesticide active ingredients and chemical groups. Estimates of associations of NHL with 21 pesticide chemical groups and 80 active ingredients were extracted from 44 papers, all of which reported results from analyses of studies conducted in high-income countries. Random effects meta-analyses showed that phenoxy herbicides, carbamate insecticides, organophosphorus insecticides and the active ingredient lindane, an organochlorine insecticide, were positively associated with NHL. In a handful of papers, associations between pesticides and NHL subtypes were reported; B cell lymphoma was positively associated with phenoxy herbicides and the organophosphorus herbicide glyphosate. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was positively associated with phenoxy herbicide exposure. Despite compelling evidence that NHL is associated with certain chemicals, this review indicates the need for investigations of a larger variety of pesticides in more geographic areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries, which, despite producing a large portion of the world’s agriculture, were missing in the literature that were reviewed. PMID:24762670

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and occupational exposure to agricultural pesticide chemical groups and active ingredients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Schinasi, Leah; Leon, Maria E

2014-04-23

This paper describes results from a systematic review and a series of meta-analyses of nearly three decades worth of epidemiologic research on the relationship between non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and occupational exposure to agricultural pesticide active ingredients and chemical groups. Estimates of associations of NHL with 21 pesticide chemical groups and 80 active ingredients were extracted from 44 papers, all of which reported results from analyses of studies conducted in high-income countries. Random effects meta-analyses showed that phenoxy herbicides, carbamate insecticides, organophosphorus insecticides and the active ingredient lindane, an organochlorine insecticide, were positively associated with NHL. In a handful of papers, associations between pesticides and NHL subtypes were reported; B cell lymphoma was positively associated with phenoxy herbicides and the organophosphorus herbicide glyphosate. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was positively associated with phenoxy herbicide exposure. Despite compelling evidence that NHL is associated with certain chemicals, this review indicates the need for investigations of a larger variety of pesticides in more geographic areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries, which, despite producing a large portion of the world's agriculture, were missing in the literature that were reviewed.

Engaging families in physical activity research: a family-based focus group study.

PubMed

Brown, Helen Elizabeth; Schiff, Annie; van Sluijs, Esther M F

2015-11-25

Family-based interventions present a much-needed opportunity to increase children's physical activity levels. However, little is known about how best to engage parents and their children in physical activity research. This study aimed to engage with the whole family to understand how best to recruit for, and retain participation in, physical activity research. Families (including a 'target' child aged between 8 and 11 years, their parents, siblings, and others) were recruited through schools and community groups. Focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured approach (informed by a pilot session). Families were asked to order cards listing the possible benefits of, and the barriers to, being involved in physical activity research and other health promotion activities, highlighting the items they consider most relevant, and suggesting additional items. Duplicate content analysis was used to identify transcript themes and develop a coding frame. Eighty-two participants from 17 families participated, including 17 'target' children (mean age 9.3 ± 1.1 years, 61.1% female), 32 other children and 33 adults (including parents, grandparents, and older siblings). Social, health and educational benefits were cited as being key incentives for involvement in physical activity research, with emphasis on children experiencing new things, developing character, and increasing social contact (particularly for shy children). Children's enjoyment was also given priority. The provision of child care or financial reward was not considered sufficiently appealing. Increased time commitment or scheduling difficulties were quoted as the most pertinent barriers to involvement (especially for families with several children), but parents commented these could be overcome if the potential value for children was clear. Lessons learned from this work may contribute to the development of effective recruitment and retention strategies for children and their families. Making the wide

Oxime amides as a novel zinc binding group in histone deacetylase inhibitors: synthesis, biological activity, and computational evaluation.

PubMed

Botta, Cinzia B; Cabri, Walter; Cini, Elena; De Cesare, Lucia; Fattorusso, Caterina; Giannini, Giuseppe; Persico, Marco; Petrella, Antonello; Rondinelli, Francesca; Rodriquez, Manuela; Russo, Adele; Taddei, Maurizio

2011-04-14

Several oxime containing molecules, characterized by a SAHA-like structure, were explored to select a potentially new biasing binding element for the zinc in HDAC catalytic site. All compounds were evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity against the 11 human HDACs isoforms. After identification of a "hit" molecule, a programmed variation at the cap group and at the linker was carried out in order to increase HDAC inhibition and/or paralogue selectivity. Some of the new derivatives showed increased activity against a number of HDAC isoforms, even if their overall activity range is still far from the inhibition values reported for SAHA. Moreover, different from what was reported for their hydroxamic acid analogues the new α-oxime amide derivatives do not select between class I and class II HDACs; rather they target specific isoforms in each class. These somehow contradictory results were finally rationalized by a computational assisted SAR, which gave us the chance to understand how the oxime derivatives interact with the catalytic site and justify the observed activity profile.

Coaching Paraprofessionals to Promote Engagement and Social Interactions during Small Group Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ledford, Jennifer R.; Zimmerman, Kathleen N.; Chazin, Kate T.; Patel, Natasha M.; Morales, Vivian A.; Bennett, Brittany P.

2017-01-01

Paraprofessionals need adequate training and supports to assist young children with autism spectrum disorders to engage in appropriate social interactions during small group activities with their peers. In this study, we used in-situ coaching and brief post-session feedback to improve the use of environmental arrangement, prompting, and praise by…

Coaching Paraprofessionals to Promote Engagement and Social Interactions during Small Group Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ledford, Jennifer R.; Zimmerman, Kathleen N.; Chazin, Kate T.; Patel, Natasha M.; Morales, Vivian A.; Bennett, Brittany P.

2017-01-01

Paraprofessionals need adequate training and supports to assist young children with autism spectrum disorders to engage in appropriate social interactions during small group activities with their peers. In this study, we used in situ coaching and brief post-session feedback to improve the use of environmental arrangement, prompting, and praise by…

Influence of surface oxygenated groups on the formation of active Cu species and the catalytic activity of Cu/AC catalyst for the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guoqiang; Li, Zhong; Zheng, Huayan; Hao, Zhiqiang; Wang, Xia; Wang, Jiajun

2016-12-01

Activated carbon (AC) supported Cu catalysts are employed to study the influence of surface oxygenated groups on the formation of active Cu species and the catalytic activity of Cu/AC catalyst for oxidative carbonylation of methanol to dimethyl carbonate (DMC). The AC supports are thermal treated under different temperatures in order to adjust the levels of surface oxygenated groups. The AC supports are characterized by BET, TPD-MS and XRD, and the Cu/AC catalysts are characterized by BET, XRD, TEM, XPS, AAS, CH3OH-TPD and N2O chemisorption. The results show that as the treatment temperature is below 800 °C, the BET surface area of the corresponding AC supports are nearly unchanged and close to that of the original AC (1529.6 m2/g). But as the thermal treatment temperature is elevated from 1000 to 1600 °C, the BET surface area of AC supports gradually decreases from 1407.6 to 972.2 m2/g. After loading of Cu, the BET surface area of copper catalysts is in the range of 834.4 to 1545.3 m2/g, which is slightly less than that of the respective supports. When AC is thermal treated at 400 and 600 °C, the unstable carboxylic acid and anhydrides groups are selectively removed, which has weakened the mobility and agglomeration of Cu species during the calcination process, and thus improve the Cu species dispersion over AC support. But as the treatment temperature is elevated from 600 °C to 1200 °C, the Cu species dispersion begins to decline suggesting further removal of stable surface oxygenated groups is unfavorable for Cu species dispersion. Moreover, higher thermal treatment temperature (above 1200 °C) promotes the graphitization degree of AC and leds to the decrease of Cu loading on AC support. Meanwhile, the removal of surface oxygenated groups by thermal treatment is conducive to the formation of more π-sites, and thus promote the reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+ and Cu0 as active centers. The specific surface area of (Cu+ + Cu0) is improved by thermal treatment of AC

Honey shows potent inhibitory activity against the bovine testes hyaluronidase.

PubMed

Kolayli, Sevgi; Sahin, Huseyin; Can, Zehra; Yildiz, Oktay; Sahin, Kübra

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-hyaluronidase activities of honeys from different botanical origins honeys in order to determine their anti-inflammatory properties. The total phenolic contents, total flavonoids and total tannin levels of six types of honey, chestnut, oak, heather, pine, buckwheat and mixed blossom, were determined. Concentration-related inhibition values were tested turbidimetrically on bovine testis hyaluronidase (BTHase) as IC50 (mg/mL). All honeys exhibited various concentration-dependent degrees of inhibition against BTHase. Inhibition values varied significantly depending on honeys' levels of phenolic contents, flavonoid and tannin. The honeys with the highest anti-hyaluronidase activity were oak, chestnut and heather. In conclusion, polyphenol-rich honeys have high anti-hyaluronidase activity, and these honeys have high protective and complementary potential against hyaluronidase-induced anti-inflammatory failures.

The effect of functional groups on reduction and activation of quinone bioreductive agents by DT-diaphorase.

PubMed

Fourie, Jeanne; Oleschuk, Curtis J; Guziec, Frank; Guziec, Lynn; Fiterman, Derek J; Monterrosa, Cielo; Begleiter, Asher

2002-02-01

Bioreductive antitumor agents are an important class of anticancer drugs that include the clinically used drug, mitomycin C, and new agents such as EO9 and tirapazamine that have recently been tested in clinical trials. These agents require activation by reductive enzymes such as DT-diaphorase or NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase. A major focus for improving cancer chemotherapy has been to increase the selectivity and targeting of antitumor drugs to tumor cells. Bioreductive antitumor agents are ideally suited to improving tumor selectivity by an enzyme-directed approach to tumor targeting. However, none of the bioreductive agents developed to date has been specific for activation by a single reductive enzyme. This is in part due to a lack of knowledge about structural factors that confer selectivity for activation by reductive enzymes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of specific functional groups to modify reduction and activation of quinone bioreductive agents by DT-diaphorase. We used a series of model benzoquinone mustard (BM) bioreductive agents and compared the parent compound BM to MBM, which has a strong electron-donating methoxy group, MeBM, which has a weaker electron-donating methyl group, CBM, which has an electron-withdrawing chloro group, and PBM and its structural isomer, meta-PBM (m-PBM), which both have sterically bulky benzene rings attached to the quinone moiety. We determined the rate of reduction of these agents by purified human DT-diaphorase under hypoxic and aerobic conditions. We also measured the cytotoxic activity of these agents in human tumor cell lines with and without the DT-diaphorase inhibitor, dicoumarol. Under hypoxic conditions in vitro, the t(1/2) values for reduction of the analogs by purified DT-diaphorase were 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 21 min for BM, MeBM, CBM, MBM, PBM and m-PBM, respectively. Under aerobic conditions the rank order of redox cycling after two-electron reduction by DT-diaphorase was MBM > Me

The role of beaded activated carbon's surface oxygen groups on irreversible adsorption of organic vapors.

PubMed

Jahandar Lashaki, Masoud; Atkinson, John D; Hashisho, Zaher; Phillips, John H; Anderson, James E; Nichols, Mark

2016-11-05

The objective of this study is to determine the contribution of surface oxygen groups to irreversible adsorption (aka heel formation) during cyclic adsorption/regeneration of organic vapors commonly found in industrial systems, including vehicle-painting operations. For this purpose, three chemically modified activated carbon samples, including two oxygen-deficient (hydrogen-treated and heat-treated) and one oxygen-rich sample (nitric acid-treated) were prepared. The samples were tested for 5 adsorption/regeneration cycles using a mixture of nine organic compounds. For the different samples, mass balance cumulative heel was 14 and 20% higher for oxygen functionalized and hydrogen-treated samples, respectively, relative to heat-treated sample. Thermal analysis results showed heel formation due to physisorption for the oxygen-deficient samples, and weakened physisorption combined with chemisorption for the oxygen-rich sample. Chemisorption was attributed to consumption of surface oxygen groups by adsorbed species, resulting in formation of high boiling point oxidation byproducts or bonding between the adsorbates and the surface groups. Pore size distributions indicated that different pore sizes contributed to heel formation - narrow micropores (<7Å) in the oxygen-deficient samples and midsize micropores (7-12Å) in the oxygen-rich sample. The results from this study help explain the heel formation mechanism and how it relates to chemically tailored adsorbent materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Myrcia (Myrtaceae): A Review of an Aromatic and Medicinal Group of Plants

PubMed Central

Cascaes, Márcia Moraes; Guilhon, Giselle Maria Skelding Pinheiro; Andrade, Eloisa Helena de Aguiar; Zoghbi, Maria das Graças Bichara; Santos, Lourivaldo da Silva

2015-01-01

Myrcia is one of the largest genera of the economically important family Myrtaceae. Some of the species are used in folk medicine, such as a group known as “pedra-hume-caá” or “pedra-ume-caá” or “insulina vegetal” (insulin plant) that it is used for the treatment of diabetes. The species are an important source of essential oils, and most of the chemical studies on Myrcia describe the chemical composition of the essential oils, in which mono- and sesquiterpenes are predominant. The non-volatile compounds isolated from Myrcia are usually flavonoids, tannins, acetophenone derivatives and triterpenes. Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities have been described to Myrcia essential oils, while hypoglycemic, anti-hemorrhagic and antioxidant activities were attributed to the extracts. Flavonoid glucosides and acetophenone derivatives showed aldose reductase and α-glucosidase inhibition, and could explain the traditional use of Myrcia species to treat diabetes. Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory are some of the activities observed for other isolated compounds from Myrcia. PMID:26473832

Comparison Between Individually and Group-Based Insulin Pump Initiation by Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing

PubMed Central

Ridderstråle, Martin

2017-01-01

Background: Depending on available resources, competencies, and pedagogic preference, initiation of insulin pump therapy can be performed on either an individual or a group basis. Here we compared the two models with respect to resources used. Methods: Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) was used to compare initiating insulin pump treatment in groups (GT) to individual treatment (IT). Activities and cost drivers were identified, timed, or estimated at location. Medical quality and patient satisfaction were assumed to be noninferior and were not measured. Results: GT was about 30% less time-consuming and 17% less cost driving per patient and activity compared to IT. As a batch driver (16 patients in one group) GT produced an upward jigsaw-shaped accumulative cost curve compared to the incremental increase incurred by IT. Taking the alternate cost for those not attending into account, and realizing the cost of opportunity gained, suggested that GT was cost neutral already when 5 of 16 patients attended, and that a second group could be initiated at no additional cost as the attendance rate reached 15:1. Conclusions: We found TDABC to be effective in comparing treatment alternatives, improving cost control and decision making. Everything else being equal, if the setup is available, our data suggest that initiating insulin pump treatment in groups is far more cost effective than on an individual basis and that TDABC may be used to find the balance point. PMID:28366085

Isolating Age-Group Differences in Working Memory Load-Related Neural Activity: Assessing the Contribution of Working Memory Capacity Using a Partial-Trial fMRI Method

PubMed Central

Bennett, Ilana J.; Rivera, Hannah G.; Rypma, Bart

2013-01-01

Previous studies examining age-group differences in working memory load-related neural activity have yielded mixed results. When present, age-group differences in working memory capacity are frequently proposed to underlie these neural effects. However, direct relationships between working memory capacity and working memory load-related activity have only been observed in younger adults. These relationships remain untested in healthy aging. Therefore, the present study examined patterns of working memory load-related activity in 22 younger and 20 older adults and assessed the contribution of working memory capacity to these load-related effects. Participants performed a partial-trial delayed response item recognition task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. In this task, participants encoded either 2 or 6 letters, maintained them during a delay, and then indicated whether a probe was present in the memory set. Behavioral results revealed faster and more accurate responses to load 2 versus 6, with age-group differences in this load condition effect for the accuracy measure. Neuroimaging results revealed one region (medial superior frontal gyrus) that showed age-group differences in load-related activity during the retrieval period, with less (greater) neural activity for the low versus high load condition in younger (older) adults. Furthermore, for older adults, load-related activity did not vary as a function of working memory capacity. Thus, working memory-related activity varies with healthy aging, but these patterns are not due solely to working memory capacity. Neurocognitive aging theories that feature capacity will need to account for these results. PMID:23357076

Isolating age-group differences in working memory load-related neural activity: assessing the contribution of working memory capacity using a partial-trial fMRI method.

PubMed

Bennett, Ilana J; Rivera, Hannah G; Rypma, Bart

2013-05-15

Previous studies examining age-group differences in working memory load-related neural activity have yielded mixed results. When present, age-group differences in working memory capacity are frequently proposed to underlie these neural effects. However, direct relationships between working memory capacity and working memory load-related activity have only been observed in younger adults. These relationships remain untested in healthy aging. Therefore, the present study examined patterns of working memory load-related activity in 22 younger and 20 older adults and assessed the contribution of working memory capacity to these load-related effects. Participants performed a partial-trial delayed response item recognition task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. In this task, participants encoded either 2 or 6 letters, maintained them during a delay, and then indicated whether a probe was present in the memory set. Behavioral results revealed faster and more accurate responses to load 2 versus 6, with age-group differences in this load condition effect for the accuracy measure. Neuroimaging results revealed one region (medial superior frontal gyrus) that showed age-group differences in load-related activity during the retrieval period, with less (greater) neural activity for the low versus high load condition in younger (older) adults. Furthermore, for older adults, load-related activity did not vary as a function of working memory capacity. Thus, working memory-related activity varies with healthy aging, but these patterns are not due solely to working memory capacity. Neurocognitive aging theories that feature capacity will need to account for these results. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Qualitative Evaluation of a Physical Activity Health Promotion Programme for People with Intellectual Disabilities in a Group Home Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon-Ibarra, A.; Driver, S.; Nery-Hurwit, M.; VanVolkenburg, H.

2018-01-01

Background: There is a lack of health promotion programming designed to change the physical activity environment of the group home setting. The Menu-Choice programme assists staff in creating physical activity goals alongside residents with intellectual disabilities and provides strategies to incorporate activity into the group home schedule. The…

Group Work vs. Whole Class Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanveer, Asma

2008-01-01

Group work has only been recently introduced in the education system of Pakistan but many primary teachers, especially in the public schools, are still not aware of how different kinds of strategies that is group work and whole class teaching facilitate learning among students. This paper aims to provide an overview of teaching strategies to…

[Intervention study of compassion fatigue of oncology nurses in Balint group activities].

PubMed

Yao, L Y; Xiang, M L; Ye, Z H; Qian, Y; Lu, Q; Yan, L J; Jiang, L Y; Zhong, H B

2017-12-20

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of Balint group on compassion fatigue among oncology nurses. Methods: From January to December 2016, 35 oncology nurses from one general hospital were enrolled. 18 cases were allocated in the observation group and 17 cases in the control group by computer randomization. Nurses in the observation group were received a total of 8 times Balint Group activities, with 2 times a month and 1.5 hours each time, which is aiming to discuss difficult cases encountered in the clinic to help nurses have a deeper experience and a better understanding of the emotions and behaviors, fantasies and needs between nurse-patient interaction. Nurses in the control group without intervention. All the Participants were requested to complete the survey of the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) , the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals (JSE-HP) , and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) at pre and post intervention. Results: Before intervention, two group of nurses in age, working years, marriage, and education were not statistically significant ( P >0.05). There was no difference in the scores of empathy, compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and General health ( P >0.05). After intervention, the scores of JSE-HP and its three dimensions of perspective taking, emotional care, and trans-positional consideration in the observation group had significantly higher than the control group ( P <0.05). The level of compassion satisfaction in the observation group was higher, and the general health status was lower ( P <0.05). There was no statistically difference in the level of burnout and secondary traumatic stress between two groups ( P >0.05) . Conclusion: Balint group has a positive role in promoting nurses'empathetic skills, compassion satisfaction and mental health.

Characterization of PepB, a group B streptococcal oligopeptidase.

PubMed Central

Lin, B; Averett, W F; Novak, J; Chatham, W W; Hollingshead, S K; Coligan, J E; Egan, M L; Pritchard, D G

1996-01-01

Group B streptococci were recently reported to possess a cell-associated collagenase. Although the enzyme hydrolyzed the synthetic collagen-like substrate N-(3-[2-furyl]acryloyl)-Leu-Gly-Pro-Ala, we found that neither the highly purified enzyme nor crude group B streptococcal cell lysate solubilized a film of reconstituted rat tail collagen, an activity regarded as obligatory for a true collagenase. We cloned and sequenced the gene for the enzyme (pepB). The deduced amino acid sequence showed 66.4% identity to the PepF oligopeptidase from Lactococcus lactis, a member of the M3 or thimet family of zinc metallopeptidases. The group B streptococcal enzyme also showed oligopeptidase activity and degraded a variety of small bioactive peptides, including bradykinin, neurotensin, and peptide fragments of substance P and adrenocorticotropin. PMID:8757883

Spike-train communities: finding groups of similar spike trains.

PubMed

Humphries, Mark D

2011-02-09

Identifying similar spike-train patterns is a key element in understanding neural coding and computation. For single neurons, similar spike patterns evoked by stimuli are evidence of common coding. Across multiple neurons, similar spike trains indicate potential cell assemblies. As recording technology advances, so does the urgent need for grouping methods to make sense of large-scale datasets of spike trains. Existing methods require specifying the number of groups in advance, limiting their use in exploratory analyses. I derive a new method from network theory that solves this key difficulty: it self-determines the maximum number of groups in any set of spike trains, and groups them to maximize intragroup similarity. This method brings us revealing new insights into the encoding of aversive stimuli by dopaminergic neurons, and the organization of spontaneous neural activity in cortex. I show that the characteristic pause response of a rat's dopaminergic neuron depends on the state of the superior colliculus: when it is inactive, aversive stimuli invoke a single pattern of dopaminergic neuron spiking; when active, multiple patterns occur, yet the spike timing in each is reliable. In spontaneous multineuron activity from the cortex of anesthetized cat, I show the existence of neural ensembles that evolve in membership and characteristic timescale of organization during global slow oscillations. I validate these findings by showing that the method both is remarkably reliable at detecting known groups and can detect large-scale organization of dynamics in a model of the striatum.

Emergent Leadership in Children's Cooperative Problem Solving Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Jingjng; Anderson, Richard C.; Perry, Michelle; Lin, Tzu-Jung

2017-01-01

Social skills involved in leadership were examined in a problem-solving activity in which 252 Chinese 5th-graders worked in small groups on a spatial-reasoning puzzle. Results showed that students who engaged in peer-managed small-group discussions of stories prior to problem solving produced significantly better solutions and initiated…

Differences in muscle activity during hand-dexterity tasks between women with arthritis and a healthy reference group.

PubMed

Brorsson, Sofia; Nilsdotter, Anna; Thorstensson, Carina; Bremander, Ann

2014-05-15

Impaired hand function is common in patients with arthritis and it affects performance of daily activities; thus, hand exercises are recommended. There is little information on the extent to which the disease affects activation of the flexor and extensor muscles during these hand-dexterity tasks. The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activation during such tasks in subjects with arthritis and in a healthy reference group. Muscle activation was measured in m. extensor digitorium communis (EDC) and in m. flexor carpi radialis (FCR) with surface electromyography (EMG) in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n = 20), hand osteoarthritis (HOA, n = 16) and in a healthy reference group (n = 20) during the performance of four daily activity tasks and four hand exercises. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) was measured to enable intermuscular comparisons, and muscle activation is presented as %MVIC. The arthritis group used a higher %MVIC than the reference group in both FCR and EDC when cutting with a pair of scissors, pulling up a zipper and-for the EDC-also when writing with a pen and using a key (p < 0.02). The exercise "rolling dough with flat hands" required the lowest %MVIC and may be less effective in improving muscle strength. Women with arthritis tend to use higher levels of muscle activation in daily tasks than healthy women, and wrist extensors and flexors appear to be equally affected. It is important that hand training programs reflect real-life situations and focus also on extensor strength.

77 FR 42949 - Special Conditions: Tamarack Aerospace Group, Cirrus Model SR22; Active Technology Load...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-23

... novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with Tamarack Aerospace Group's modification. The design... not aware of the failure. Warning systems must not activate the control system. (b) The design of the... Active Control Surface (TACS) must be designed and installed to prevent jamming, chafing, and...

Neural activity reveals perceptual grouping in working memory.

PubMed

Rabbitt, Laura R; Roberts, Daniel M; McDonald, Craig G; Peterson, Matthew S

2017-03-01

There is extensive evidence that the contralateral delay activity (CDA), a scalp recorded event-related brain potential, provides a reliable index of the number of objects held in visual working memory. Here we present evidence that the CDA not only indexes visual object working memory, but also the number of locations held in spatial working memory. In addition, we demonstrate that the CDA can be predictably modulated by the type of encoding strategy employed. When individual locations were held in working memory, the pattern of CDA modulation mimicked previous findings for visual object working memory. Specifically, CDA amplitude increased monotonically until working memory capacity was reached. However, when participants were instructed to group individual locations to form a constellation, the CDA was prolonged and reached an asymptote at two locations. This result provides neural evidence for the formation of a unitary representation of multiple spatial locations. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Syzyguim guineense Extracts Show Antioxidant Activities and Beneficial Activities on Oxidative Stress Induced by Ferric Chloride in the Liver Homogenate

PubMed Central

Pieme, Constant Anatole; Ngoupayo, Joseph; Khou-Kouz Nkoulou, Claude Herve; Moukette Moukette, Bruno; Njinkio Nono, Borgia Legrand; Ama Moor, Vicky Jocelyne; Ze Minkande, Jacqueline; Yonkeu Ngogang, Jeanne

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro antioxidant activity, free radical scavenging property and the beneficial effects of extracts of various parts of Syzygium guineense in reducing oxidative stress damage in the liver. The effects of extracts on free radicals were determined on radicals DPPH, ABTS, NO and OH followed by the antioxidant properties using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power assay (FRAP) and hosphomolybdenum (PPMB). The phytochemical screening of these extracts was performed by determination of the phenolic content. The oxidative damage inhibition in the liver was determined by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase. Overall, the bark extract of the ethanol/water or methanol showed the highest radical scavenging activities against DPPH, ABTS and OH radicals compared to the other extracts. This extract also contained the highest phenolic content implying the potential contribution of phenolic compounds towards the antioxidant activities. However, the methanol extract of the root demonstrated the highest protective effects of SOD and CAT against ferric chloride while the hydro-ethanol extract of the leaves exhibited the highest inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation. These findings suggest that antioxidant properties of S. guineense extracts could be attributed to phenolic compounds revealed by phytochemical studies. Thus, the present results indicate clearly that the extracts of S. guineense possess antioxidant properties and could serve as free radical inhibitors or scavengers, acting possibly as primary antioxidants. The antioxidant properties of the bark extract may thus sustain its various biological activities. PMID:26785075

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

The comparative effectiveness of a team-based versus group-based physical activity intervention for cancer survivors.

PubMed

Carter, Cindy L; Onicescu, Georgiana; Cartmell, Kathleen B; Sterba, Katherine R; Tomsic, James; Alberg, Anthony J

2012-08-01

Physical activity benefits cancer survivors, but the comparative effectiveness of a team-based delivery approach remains unexplored. The hypothesis tested was that a team-based physical activity intervention delivery approach has added physical and psychological benefits compared to a group-based approach. A team-based sport accessible to survivors is dragon boating, which requires no previous experience and allows for diverse skill levels. In a non-randomized trial, cancer survivors chose between two similarly structured 8-week programs, a dragon boat paddling team (n = 68) or group-based walking program (n = 52). Three separate intervention rounds were carried out in 2007-2008. Pre-post testing measured physical and psychosocial outcomes. Compared to walkers, paddlers had significantly greater (all p < 0.01) team cohesion, program adherence/attendance, and increased upper-body strength. For quality-of-life outcomes, both interventions were associated with pre-post improvements, but with no clear-cut pattern of between-intervention differences. These hypothesis-generating findings suggest that a short-term, team-based physical activity program (dragon boat paddling) was associated with increased cohesion and adherence/attendance. Improvements in physical fitness and psychosocial benefits were comparable to a traditional, group-based walking program. Compared to a group-based intervention delivery format, the team-based intervention delivery format holds promise for promoting physical activity program adherence/attendance in cancer survivors.

Expert approaches to promote adolescent physical activity in Iran: development of the promoting strategies using the Nominal Group Technique meeting.

PubMed

Baheiraei, Azam; Hamzehgardeshi, Zeinab; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Mohammadi, Eesa; Vedadhir, AbouAli

2014-07-01

Several studies have shown that physical activity decreases as the age increases. This study was for evaluating the perspectives of health sciences specialists or informants on the strategies for increasing physical activity among Iranian adolescents using Nominal Group Technique (NGT). a semiquantitative/qualitative methodology research using NGT for prioritizing the strategies for alleviating the physical activities among Iranian adolescents based on the opinions of health sciences experts. This study conducted in Tehran, Iran, 2011. Overall, 16 items received scores from 2-29 and were further listed as the accepted strategies for promoting physical activity among adolescents. The most and least recommended strategies were respectively in the categories of school, neighborhood and family. This study findings show 'the constructionist activities or strategies (eg, claim-making, image-making, myth-constructing and framing) among adolescents using main claim-makers of Iranian society, including the state-sponsored media.,' received the highest score by all the participants of NGT. The interesting finding of this study is the special view point of the specialists to role of socioecological factors in promoting physical activity in the context of Iranian society.

Novel, high-activity hydroprocessing catalysts: Iron group phosphides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xianqin

A series of iron, cobalt and nickel transition metal phosphides was synthesized by means of temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) of the corresponding phosphates. The same materials, Fe2P, CoP and NO, were also prepared on a silica (SiO2) support. The phase purity of these catalysts was established by x-ray diffraction (XRD), and the surface properties were determined by N2 BET specific surface area (Sg) measurements and CO chemisorption. The activities of the silica-supported catalysts were tested in a three-phase trickle bed reactor for the simultaneous hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of quinoline and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene using a model liquid feed at realistic conditions (30 atm, 370°C). The reactivity studies showed that the nickel phosphide (Ni2P/SiO2) was the most active of the catalysts. Compared with a commercial Ni-Mo-S/gamma-Al 2O3 catalyst at the same conditions, Ni2P/silica had a substantially higher HDS activity (100% vs. 76%) and HDN activity (82% vs. 38%). Because of their good hydrotreating activity, an extensive study of the preparation of silica supported nickel phosphides, Ni2P/SiO 2, was carried out. The parameters investigated were the phosphorus content and the weight loading of the active phase. The most active composition was found to have a starting synthesis Ni/P ratio close to 1/2, and the best loading of this sample on silica was observed to be 18 wt.%. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) measurements were employed to determine the structures of the supported samples. The main phase before and after reaction was found to be Ni2P, but some sulfur was found to be retained after reaction. A comprehensive scrutiny of the HDN reaction mechanism was also made over the Ni2P/SiO2 sample (Ni/P = 1/2) by comparing the HDN activity of a series of piperidine derivatives of different structure. It was found that piperidine adsorption involved an alpha-H activation

Development and results of a new methodology to perform focus group with preschool children on their beliefs and attitudes on physical activity.

PubMed

Cammisa, Maria; Montrone, Rosa; Caroli, Margherita

2011-10-01

The aim of this study is to develop and test a method to perform focus groups (FGs) and to elicit the subjective views of preschool-age children on physical activity and perceived kindergarten barriers to practice it. FGs have been held in three different kindergarten classes with 49 children who were 4-5 years old. Children were asked to draw themselves in their preferred way of playing and were asked few questions about their drawings to understand their behaviours and ideas. In class A and B, 67% and 75% of the children, respectively, drew sedentary plays (table and impersonation games). Children referred that the main obstacle to perform active games outside home/kindergarten was the parents' and teachers' perceived risk that they could be hurt or catch a cold. The children would like to have more table games in the kindergarten. 81% of children in class C drew active group games. All these children were well satisfied with their kindergarten environment and did not refer to any adults' fear regarding active play. This class teacher spent a lot of time to develop children's motor abilities through active games and often used the garden to let the children to play freely. The use of drawings to understand children's habits on physical activity has turned out to be a reliable and easy tool in preschool children. The different results obtained in the two children groups show the need to change the beliefs and the behaviours of teachers and parents who seem to be non-architectural "invisible" barriers to be knocked down. This protocol has been developed by ASL Brindisi within the framework of PERISCOPE's objective to develop new methodologies.

Connexin30-deficient mice show increased emotionality and decreased rearing activity in the open-field along with neurochemical changes.

PubMed

Dere, E; De Souza-Silva, M A; Frisch, C; Teubner, B; Söhl, G; Willecke, K; Huston, J P

2003-08-01

Gap-junction channels in the brain, formed by connexin (Cx) proteins with a distinct regional/cell-type distribution, allow intercellular electrical and metabolic communication. In astrocytes, mainly the connexins 43, 26 and 30 are expressed. In addition, connexin30 is expressed in ependymal and leptomeningeal cells, as well as in skin and cochlea. The functional implications of the astrocytic gap-junctional network are not well understood and evidence regarding their behavioural relevance is lacking. Thus, we have tested groups of Cx30-/-, Cx30+/-, and Cx30+/+ mice in the open-field, an object exploration task, in the graded anxiety test and on the rotarod. The Cx30-/- mice showed reduced exploratory activity in terms of rearings but not locomotion in the open-field and object exploration task. Furthermore, Cx30-/- mice exhibited anxiogenic behaviour as shown by higher open-field centre avoidance and corner preference. Graded anxiety test and rotarod performance was similar across groups. The Cx30-/- mice had elevated choline levels in the ventral striatum, possibly related to their aberrant behavioural phenotypes. The Cx30+/- mice had lower dopamine and metabolite levels in the amygdala and ventral striatum and lower hippocampal 5-hydroxyindole acid (5-HIAA) concentrations relative to Cx30+/+ mice. Furthermore, the Cx30+/- mice had lower acetylcholine concentrations in the ventral striatum and higher choline levels in the neostriatum, relative to Cx30+/+ mice. Our data suggest that the elimination of connexin30 can alter the reactivity to novel environments, pointing to the importance of gap-junctional signalling in behavioural processes.

Aged rats show dominant modulation of lower frequency hippocampal theta rhythm during running.

PubMed

Li, Jia-Yi; Kuo, Terry B J; Yang, Cheryl C H

2016-10-01

Aging causes considerable decline in both physiological and mental functions, particularly cognitive function. The hippocampal theta rhythm (4-12Hz) is related to both cognition and locomotion. Aging-related findings of the frequency and amplitude of hippocampal theta oscillations are inconsistent and occasionally contradictory. This inconsistency may be due to the effects of the sleep/wake state and different frequency subbands being overlooked. We assumed that aged rats have lower responses of the hippocampal theta rhythm during running, which is mainly due to the dominant modulation of theta frequency subbands related to cognition. By simultaneously recording electroencephalography, physical activity (PA), and the heart rate (HR), this experiment explored the theta oscillations before, during, and after treadmill running at a constant speed in 8-week-old (adult) and 60-week-old (middle-aged) rats. Compared with adult rats, the middle-aged rats exhibited lower theta activity in all frequency ranges before running. Running increased the theta frequency (Frq, 4-12Hz), total activity of the whole theta band (total power, TP), activity of the middle theta frequency (MT, 6.5-9.5Hz), and PA in both age groups. However, the middle-aged rats still showed fewer changes in these parameters during the whole running process. After the waking baseline values were substracted, middle-aged rats showed significantly fewer differences in ΔFrq, ΔTP, and ΔMT but significantly more differences in low-frequency theta activity (4.0-6.5Hz) and HR than the adult rats did. Therefore, the decreasing activity and response of the whole theta band in the middle-aged rats resulted in dominant modulation of the middle to lower frequency (4.0-9.5Hz) theta rhythm. The different alterations in the theta rhythm during treadmill running in the two groups may reflect that learning decline with age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of background EEG activity of different groups of patients with idiopathic epilepsy using Shannon spectral entropy and cluster-based permutation statistical testing

PubMed Central

Artieda, Julio; Iriarte, Jorge

2017-01-01

Idiopathic epilepsy is characterized by generalized seizures with no apparent cause. One of its main problems is the lack of biomarkers to monitor the evolution of patients. The only tools they can use are limited to inspecting the amount of seizures during previous periods of time and assessing the existence of interictal discharges. As a result, there is a need for improving the tools to assist the diagnosis and follow up of these patients. The goal of the present study is to compare and find a way to differentiate between two groups of patients suffering from idiopathic epilepsy, one group that could be followed-up by means of specific electroencephalographic (EEG) signatures (intercritical activity present), and another one that could not due to the absence of these markers. To do that, we analyzed the background EEG activity of each in the absence of seizures and epileptic intercritical activity. We used the Shannon spectral entropy (SSE) as a metric to discriminate between the two groups and performed permutation-based statistical tests to detect the set of frequencies that show significant differences. By constraining the spectral entropy estimation to the [6.25–12.89) Hz range, we detect statistical differences (at below 0.05 alpha-level) between both types of epileptic patients at all available recording channels. Interestingly, entropy values follow a trend that is inversely related to the elapsed time from the last seizure. Indeed, this trend shows asymptotical convergence to the SSE values measured in a group of healthy subjects, which present SSE values lower than any of the two groups of patients. All these results suggest that the SSE, measured in a specific range of frequencies, could serve to follow up the evolution of patients suffering from idiopathic epilepsy. Future studies remain to be conducted in order to assess the predictive value of this approach for the anticipation of seizures. PMID:28922360

Photovoltaic Reliability Group activities in USA and Brazil (Presentation Recording)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhere, Neelkanth G.; Cruz, Leila R. O.

2015-09-01

Recently prices of photovoltaic (PV) systems have been reduced considerably and may continue to be reduced making them attractive. If these systems provide electricity over the stipulated warranty period, it would be possible attain socket parity within the next few years. Current photovoltaic module qualifications tests help in minimizing infant mortality but do not guarantee useful lifetime over the warranty period. The PV Module Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT) is trying to formulate accelerated tests that will be useful towards achieving the ultimate goal of assuring useful lifetime over the warranty period as well as to assure manufacturing quality. Unfortunately, assuring the manufacturing quality may require 24/7 presence. Alternatively, collecting data on the performance of fielded systems would assist in assuring manufacturing quality. Here PV systems installed by home-owners and small businesses can constitute as an important untapped source of data. The volunteer group, PV - Reliable, Safe and Sustainable Quality! (PVRessQ!) is providing valuable service to small PV system owners. Photovoltaic Reliability Group (PVRG) is initiating activities in USA and Brazil to assist home owners and small businesses in monitoring photovoltaic (PV) module performance and enforcing warranty. It will work in collaboration with small PV system owners, consumer protection agencies. Brazil is endowed with excellent solar irradiance making it attractive for installation of PV systems. Participating owners of small PV systems would instruct inverter manufacturers to copy the daily e-mails to PVRG and as necessary, will authorize the PVRG to carry out review of PV systems. The presentation will consist of overall activities of PVRG in USA and Brazil.

Hedgehog signaling pathway is active in GBM with GLI1 mRNA expression showing a single continuous distribution rather than discrete high/low clusters.

PubMed

Chandra, Vikas; Das, Tapojyoti; Gulati, Puneet; Biswas, Nidhan K; Rote, Sarang; Chatterjee, Uttara; Ghosh, Samarendra N; Deb, Sumit; Saha, Suniti K; Chowdhury, Anup K; Ghosh, Subhashish; Rudin, Charles M; Mukherjee, Ankur; Basu, Analabha; Dhara, Surajit

2015-01-01

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is a valid therapeutic target in a wide range of malignancies. We focus here on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a lethal malignancy of the central nervous system (CNS). By analyzing RNA-sequencing based transcriptomics data on 149 clinical cases of TCGA-GBM database we show here a strong correlation (r = 0.7) between GLI1 and PTCH1 mRNA expression--as a hallmark of the canonical Hh-pathway activity in this malignancy. GLI1 mRNA expression varied in 3 orders of magnitude among the GBM patients of the same cohort showing a single continuous distribution-unlike the discrete high/low-GLI1 mRNA expressing clusters of medulloblastoma (MB). When compared with MB as a reference, the median GLI1 mRNA expression in GBM appeared 14.8 fold lower than that of the "high-Hh" cluster of MB but 5.6 fold higher than that of the "low-Hh" cluster of MB. Next, we demonstrated statistically significant up- and down-regulation of GLI1 mRNA expressions in GBM patient-derived low-passage neurospheres in vitro by sonic hedgehog ligand-enriched conditioned media (shh-CM) and by Hh-inhibitor drug vismodegib respectively. We also showed clinically achievable dose (50 μM) of vismodegib alone to be sufficient to induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in these low-passage GBM neurospheres in vitro. Vismodegib showed an effect on the neurospheres, both by down-regulating GLI1 mRNA expression and by inducing apoptosis/cell cycle arrest, irrespective of their relative endogenous levels of GLI1 mRNA expression. We conclude from our study that this single continuous distribution pattern of GLI1 mRNA expression technically puts almost all GBM patients in a single group rather than discrete high- or low-clusters in terms of Hh-pathway activity. That is suggestive of therapies with Hh-pathway inhibitor drugs in this malignancy without a need for further stratification of patients on the basis of relative levels of Hh-pathway activity among them.

A socio-ecological approach promoting physical activity and limiting sedentary behavior in adolescence showed weight benefits maintained 2.5 years after intervention cessation.

PubMed

Simon, C; Kellou, N; Dugas, J; Platat, C; Copin, N; Schweitzer, B; Hausser, F; Bergouignan, A; Lefai, E; Blanc, S

2014-07-01

Obesity in youth remains a major public health issue. Yet no effective long-term preventive strategy exists. We previously showed that a school-based socio-ecological approach targeting behavior and social/environmental influences on physical activity (PA) prevented 4-year excessive weight gain in 12-year olds. In this study, we investigated if this efficacy persists 30 months after intervention cessation. The program targeted students, family, school and the living environment to promote/support PA and prevent sedentary behavior (SB). A total of 732 students from eight randomized middle schools completed the 4-year trial. At the 30-month post-trial follow-up, body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), leisure PA (LPA), home/school/workplace active commuting, TV/video time (TVT), and attitudes toward PA were measured in 531 adolescents. The beneficial effects of the intervention on the excess BMI increase (+0.01 vs +0.34 kg m(-2) in the intervention and control groups, respectively) and on the overweight incidence in initially non-overweight students (4.3% vs 8.6%; odds ratio=0.48 (95% confidence interval: 0.23-1.01)) were maintained at the post-trial follow-up. LPA was not maintained at the level achieved during the trial. However, we still observed a prevention of the age-related decrease of the adolescents' percentage reporting regular LPA (-14.4% vs -26.5%) and a higher intention to exercise in the intervention group. The intervention promoted lower TVT (-14.0 vs +13.6 min per day) and higher active commuting changes (+11.7% vs -4.8%). Trends in higher BMI reduction in students with high initial TVT and in the least wealthy group were noted. TVT changes throughout the follow-up predicted excess BMI and FMI changes. Long-term multilevel approach targeting PA and SB prevents excessive weight gain up to 30 months after intervention cessation. The efficacy may be higher in the most sedentary and least wealthy adolescents. Healthy PA-related behavior

Diterpenes from buds of Wikstroemia chamaedaphne showing anti-hepatitis B virus activities.

PubMed

Li, Shi-Fei; Jiao, Ying-Ying; Zhang, Zhi-Qiang; Chao, Jian-Bin; Jia, Jie; Shi, Xun-Long; Zhang, Li-Wei

2018-07-01

Phytochemical study of the buds of Wikstroemia chamaedaphne Meisn. led to the isolation of seven previously undescribed diterpenes, including one tigliane diterpene (wikstchalide A), two daphnane diterpenes (wikstroelides W-X), and four lathyrane diterpenes (laurifoliosides A-B and 2-epi-laurifoliosides A-B), along with four known diterpenes. The structures of these compounds were established by extensive spectroscopic evidence and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Wikstchalide A possesses a 5,6-epoxy ring in the tigliane skeleton. Two compounds exhibited potential anti-hepatitis B virus activities, with IC 50 values of 46.5 and 88.3 μg/mL against hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg), and six compounds showed certain inhibitory effects on HBV-DNA replication with the inhibition ratios ranging from 2.0% to 33.0% at the concentrations ranging from 0.39 to 6.25 μg/mL. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of physical activity on functional MRI activation associated with cognitive control in children: a randomized controlled intervention

PubMed Central

Chaddock-Heyman, Laura; Erickson, Kirk I.; Voss, Michelle W.; Knecht, Anya M.; Pontifex, Matthew B.; Castelli, Darla M.; Hillman, Charles H.; Kramer, Arthur F.

2013-01-01

This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the influence of a 9-month physical activity program on task-evoked brain activation during childhood. The results demonstrated that 8- to 9-year-old children who participated in 60+ min of physical activity, 5 days per week, for 9 months, showed decreases in fMRI brain activation in the right anterior prefrontal cortex coupled with within-group improvements in performance on a task of attentional and interference control. Children assigned to a wait-list control group did not show changes in brain function. Furthermore, at post-test, children in the physical activity group showed similar anterior frontal brain patterns and incongruent accuracy rates to a group of college-aged young adults. Children in the wait-list control group still differed from the young adults in terms of anterior prefrontal activation and performance at post-test. There were no significant changes in fMRI activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) for either group. These results suggest that physical activity during childhood may enhance specific elements of prefrontal cortex function involved in cognitive control. PMID:23487583

A Group Contingency Plus Self-Management Intervention Targeting At-Risk Secondary Students’ Class-Work and Active Engagement

PubMed Central

Trevino-Maack, Sylvia I.; Kamps, Debra; Wills, Howard

2015-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to show that an independent group contingency (GC) combined with self-management strategies and randomized-reinforcer components can increase the amount of written work and active classroom responding in high school students. Three remedial reading classes and a total of 15 students participated in this study. Students used self-management strategies during independent reading time to increase the amount of writing in their reading logs. They used self-monitoring strategies to record whether or not they performed expected behaviors in class. A token economy using points and tickets was included in the GC to provide positive reinforcement for target responses. The results were analyzed through visual inspection of graphs and effect size computations and showed that the intervention increased the total amount of written words in the students’ reading logs and overall classroom and individual student academic engagement. PMID:26617432

Characterization of bacterial functional groups and microbial activity in microcosms with glyphosate application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyano, Sofia; Bonetto, Mariana; Baigorria, Tomas; Pegoraro, Vanesa; Ortiz, Jimena; Faggioli, Valeria; Conde, Belen; Cazorla, Cristian; Boccolini, Monica

2017-04-01

Glyphosate is a worldwide used herbicide as c. 90% of transgenic crops are tolerant to it. Microbial degradation of glyphosate molecule in soil is considered the most important process that determines its persistence in the environment. However, the impact of this herbicide on target groups of soil biota remains poorly understood. Our objective was to characterize the abundance of bacterial groups and global microbial activity, under controlled conditions with application of increasing doses of glyphosate. A bioassay was carried out in microcosms using an agricultural soil (Typic Argiudoll) with registered history of glyphosate application from National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA, EEA Marcos Juarez, Argentina). Glyphosate of commercial formulation (74.7%) was used and the following treatments were evaluated: Soil without glyphosate (control), and Soil with doses equivalent to 1.12 and 11.2 kg ai ha-1. Microbiological parameters were estimated at 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after herbicide application by counting heterotrophic, cellulolytic, nitrogen fixing (N), and nitrifying bacteria; and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA), microbial respiration (MR) and microbial biomass (C-BM). The N cycle related bacteria showed greater sensitivity to glyphosate with significant increases in abundance. On the other hand the C cycle parameters were strongly conditioned by the time elapsed since the application of the herbicide, as did the MR. The FDA declined with the highest dose, while the C-BM was not affected. Therefore, we conclude that in the studied experimental conditions glyphosate stimulated bacterial growth (i.e. target abundances) representing a source of N, C and nutrients. On the other hand, enzymatic activity (FDA) decreased when glyphosate was applied in the highest dose, whereas, it had no effect on the MR nor C-BM, which could be attributable to the organic matter content of the soil. However, future research in field conditions is necessary, for

Electrophysiological evidence showing muscarinic agonist-antagonist activities of N-desmethylclozapine using hippocampal excitatory and inhibitory neurons.

PubMed

Sugawara, Yuto; Kikuchi, Yui; Yoneda, Mitsugu; Ohno-Shosaku, Takako

2016-07-01

The atypical antipsychotic clozapine is widely used for treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients. Clozapine and its major active metabolite, N-desmethylclozapine (NDMC), have complex pharmacological properties, and interact with various neurotransmitter receptors. There are several biochemical studies reporting that NDMC exhibits a partial agonist profile at the human recombinant M1 muscarinic receptors. However, direct electrophysiological evidence showing the ability of NDMC to activate native M1 receptors in intact neurons is poor. Using rat hippocampal neurons, we previously demonstrated that activation of muscarinic receptors by a muscarinic agonist, oxotremorine M (oxo-M), induces a decrease in outward K(+)current at -40mV. In the present study, using this muscarinic current response we assessed agonist and antagonist activities of clozapine and NDMC at native muscarinic receptors in intact hippocampal excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Suppression of the oxo-M-induced current response by the M1 antagonist pirenzepine was evident only in excitatory neurons, while the M3 antagonist darifenacin was effective in both types of neurons. Muscarinic agonist activity of NDMC was higher than that of clozapine, higher in excitatory neurons than in inhibitory neurons, sensitive to pirenzepine, and partially masked when co-applied with clozapine. Muscarinic antagonist activity of clozapine as well as NDMC was not different between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, but clozapine was more effective than NDMC. These results demonstrate that NDMC has the ability to activate native M1 receptors expressed in hippocampal excitatory neurons, but its agonist activity might be limited in clozapine-treated patients because of the presence of excessive clozapine with muscarinic antagonist activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alpha casein micelles show not only molecular chaperone-like aggregation inhibition properties but also protein refolding activity from the denatured state.

PubMed

Sakono, Masafumi; Motomura, Konomi; Maruyama, Tatsuo; Kamiya, Noriho; Goto, Masahiro

2011-01-07

Casein micelles are a major component of milk proteins. It is well known that casein micelles show chaperone-like activity such as inhibition of protein aggregation and stabilization of proteins. In this study, it was revealed that casein micelles also possess a high refolding activity for denatured proteins. A buffer containing caseins exhibited higher refolding activity for denatured bovine carbonic anhydrase than buffers including other proteins. In particular, a buffer containing α-casein showed about a twofold higher refolding activity compared with absence of α-casein. Casein properties of surface hydrophobicity, a flexible structure and assembly formation are thought to contribute to this high refolding activity. Our results indicate that casein micelles stabilize milk proteins by both chaperone-like activity and refolding properties. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing participants' perceptions on group-based principles for action in community-based health enhancing physical activity programmes: The APEF tool.

PubMed

Herens, Marion; Wagemakers, Annemarie

2017-12-01

In community-based health enhancing physical activity (CBHEPA) programmes, group-based principles for action such as active participation, enjoyment, and fostering group processes are widely advocated. However, not much is known about participants' perceptions of these principles as there are no assessment tools available. Therefore, this article describes the development of the APEF (Active Participation, Enjoyment, and Fostering group processes) tool and reports on its implementation in a Dutch CBHEPA programme. Indicators for the principles have been identified from literature research, interviews with professionals, and secondary analysis of three group interviews with 11 practitioners. To address the identified indicators, the APEF tool was developed, pretested, and used in 10 focus groups with 76 participants. The APEF tool consists of eight statements about group-based principles for action, on which CBHEPA participants vote, followed by in-depth discussion. The voting procedure engages participants. Spider diagrams visualise participants' perceptions of group-based principles. The APEF tool addresses the challenge of relating group level outcomes to individual outcomes such as physical activity behaviour. The tool facilitates as well as evaluates group-based principles for action, it stimulates dialogue and is culturally sensitive, but it needs strong facilitating skills to manage group dynamics. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Theoretical study of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane and β-hexachlorocyclohexane isomers interaction with surface groups of activated carbon model.

PubMed

Enriquez-Victorero, Carlos; Hernández-Valdés, Daniel; Montero-Alejo, Ana Lilian; Durimel, Axelle; Gaspard, Sarra; Jáuregui-Haza, Ulises

2014-06-01

Activated carbon (AC) is employed in drinking water purification without almost any knowledge about the adsorption mechanism of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) onto it. Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) is an organochlorinated contaminant present in water and soils of banana crops production zones of the Caribbean. The most relevant isomers of HCH are γ-HCH and β-HCH, both with great environmental persistence. A theoretical study of the influence of AC surface groups (SGs) on HCH adsorption is done in order to help to understand the process and may lead to improve the AC selection process. A simplified AC model consisting of naphthalene with a functional group was used to assess the influence of SGs over the adsorption process. The Multiple Minima Hypersurface (MMH) methodology was employed to study γ-HCH and β-HCH interactions with different AC SGs (hydroxyl and carboxyl) under different hydration and pH conditions. The results obtained showed that association of HCH with SGs preferentially occurs between the axial protons of HCH and SG's oxygen atom, and the most favorable interactions occurring with charged SGs. An increase in carboxylic SGs content is proposed to enhance HCH adsorption onto AC under neutral pH conditions. Finally, this work presents an inexpensive computer aided methodology for preselecting activated carbon SGs content for the removal of a given compound. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rotation and activity among solar-type stars of the Ursa Major Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soderblom, David R.; Mayor, Michel

1993-01-01

We examine rotation and chromospheric activity among G and K dwarfs recently shown to be members of the Ursa Major Group (UMaG). Rotation periods for UMaG stars are smaller than for stars of the same colors in the Hyades, and by an amount corresponding to the Skumanich relation. Most UMaG stars have about the same level of Ca II and K emission, implying that they also have nearly uniform intrinsic rotation rates. That means that the diversity of rotation rates and levels of activity seen among solar-type stars in the Alpha Persei and Pleiades clusters has largely converged by the age of UMaG (0.3 Gyr).

Insurance Applications of Active Fault Maps Showing Epistemic Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, G.

2005-12-01

Insurance loss modeling for earthquakes utilizes available maps of active faulting produced by geoscientists. All such maps are subject to uncertainty, arising from lack of knowledge of fault geometry and rupture history. Field work to undertake geological fault investigations drains human and monetary resources, and this inevitably limits the resolution of fault parameters. Some areas are more accessible than others; some may be of greater social or economic importance than others; some areas may be investigated more rapidly or diligently than others; or funding restrictions may have curtailed the extent of the fault mapping program. In contrast with the aleatory uncertainty associated with the inherent variability in the dynamics of earthquake fault rupture, uncertainty associated with lack of knowledge of fault geometry and rupture history is epistemic. The extent of this epistemic uncertainty may vary substantially from one regional or national fault map to another. However aware the local cartographer may be, this uncertainty is generally not conveyed in detail to the international map user. For example, an area may be left blank for a variety of reasons, ranging from lack of sufficient investigation of a fault to lack of convincing evidence of activity. Epistemic uncertainty in fault parameters is of concern in any probabilistic assessment of seismic hazard, not least in insurance earthquake risk applications. A logic-tree framework is appropriate for incorporating epistemic uncertainty. Some insurance contracts cover specific high-value properties or transport infrastructure, and therefore are extremely sensitive to the geometry of active faulting. Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) to the capital markets may also be considered. In order for such insurance or ART contracts to be properly priced, uncertainty should be taken into account. Accordingly, an estimate is needed for the likelihood of surface rupture capable of causing severe damage. Especially where a

"Convivência" groups: building active and healthy communities of older adults in Brazil.

PubMed

Benedetti, Tânia R Bertoldo; d'Orsi, Eleonora; Schwingel, Andiara; Chodzko-Zajko, Wojtek J

2012-01-01

In old age, social groups can be a crucial component for health and well-being. In 2009-2010, a follow-up survey was carried out in Florianópolis, Brazil to understand the impact of a variety of programs established since 2002 that were designed to enhance social activities among the older adult population. This study employed two surveys within the population of older adults in Florianópolis. The first survey interviewed a total of 875 older adults in 2002, and the second survey involved 1,705 older adults between 2009 and 2010. By 2010, many new programs were offered in the community and the enrollment of older adults in social programs followed similar trends. "Convivência" groups stood out as extremely popular social groups among this population. This paper discusses some of the potential outcomes associated with participation in "convivência" groups.

Exploring the Self/Group Initiated and On-the-Job Learning Activities of Low Income Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butterwick, Shauna

The self- and group-initiated and on-the-job learning activities of low-income women were explored in a study of a small group of low-income mothers living in the greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. During the study, the low-income women attended meetings during which a participating researcher documented the women's experiences.…

[Nursing activities in family medicine groups for patients with chronic pain].

PubMed

Bergeron, Dave A; Bourgault, Patricia; Gallagher, Frances

2015-01-01

Thousands of people treated in primary care are currently experiencing chronic pain (CP), for which management is often inadequate. In Quebec, nurses in family medicine groups (FMGs) play a key role in the management of chronic health problems. The present study aimed to describe the activities performed by FMG nurses in relation to CP management and to describe barriers to those activities. A descriptive correlational cross-sectional postal survey was used. The accessible population includes FMG nurses on the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec list. All nurses on the list who provided consent to be contacted at home for research purposes were contacted. A self-administered postal questionnaire (Pain Management Activities Questionnaire) was completed by 53 FMG nurses. Three activities most often performed by nurses were to establish a therapeutic relationship with the client; discuss the effectiveness of therapeutic measures with the physician; and conduct personalized teaching for the patient. The average number of individuals seen by interviewed nurses that they believe suffer from CP was 2.68 per week. The lack of knowledge of possible interventions in pain management (71.7%) and the nonavailability of information on pain management (52.8%) are the main barriers perceived by FMG nurses. FMG nurses are currently performing few activities in CP management. The nonrecognition of CP may explain this situation.

Restricted mobility of specific functional groups reduces anti-cancer drug activity in healthy cells

DOE PAGES

Martins, Murillo L.; Ignazzi, Rosanna; Eckert, Juergen; ...

2016-03-02

We report that the most common cancer treatments currently available are radio- and chemo-therapy. These therapies have, however, drawbacks, such as, the reduction in quality of life and the low efficiency of radiotherapy in cases of multiple metastases. To lessen these effects, we have encapsulated an anti-cancer drug into a biocompatible matrix. In-vitro assays indicate that this bio-nanocomposite is able to interact and cause morphological changes in cancer cells. Meanwhile, no alterations were observed in monocytes and fibroblasts, indicating that this system might carry the drug in living organisms with reduced clearance rate and toxicity. X-rays and neutrons were usedmore » to investigate the carrier structure, as well as to assess the drug mobility within the bio-nanocomposite. In conclusion, from these unique data we show that partial mobility restriction of active groups of the drug molecule suggests why this carrier design is potentially safer to healthy cells.« less

Restricted mobility of specific functional groups reduces anti-cancer drug activity in healthy cells

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

Martins, Murillo L.; Ignazzi, Rosanna; Eckert, Juergen

We report that the most common cancer treatments currently available are radio- and chemo-therapy. These therapies have, however, drawbacks, such as, the reduction in quality of life and the low efficiency of radiotherapy in cases of multiple metastases. To lessen these effects, we have encapsulated an anti-cancer drug into a biocompatible matrix. In-vitro assays indicate that this bio-nanocomposite is able to interact and cause morphological changes in cancer cells. Meanwhile, no alterations were observed in monocytes and fibroblasts, indicating that this system might carry the drug in living organisms with reduced clearance rate and toxicity. X-rays and neutrons were usedmore » to investigate the carrier structure, as well as to assess the drug mobility within the bio-nanocomposite. In conclusion, from these unique data we show that partial mobility restriction of active groups of the drug molecule suggests why this carrier design is potentially safer to healthy cells.« less

Factors affecting walking activity of older people from culturally diverse groups: an Australian experience.

PubMed

Bird, Stephen R; Radermacher, Harriet; Sims, Jane; Feldman, Susan; Browning, Colette; Thomas, Shane

2010-07-01

This study sought to investigate the walking habits of older people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and to identify the factors associated with their walking. Three hundred and thirty three people over the age of 60 years were recruited from seven culturally diverse groups from the Western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. A survey questionnaire recording physical activity, and various factors related to activity, was interviewer-administered in the participants' preferred language. Data were analysed using Kruskal-Wallis, chi(2) and Mann-Whitney tests. Forty-seven percent of the participants walked at least 150 min per week, with no significant difference in prevalence between genders or cultural groups. Some cultural differences were found in relation to reasons and locations for walking, and women were more likely than men to report walking in the shopping mall, whilst men were more likely than women to report walking in the park and along walking trails. Those who attained >150 min of walking were more likely to report health and fitness as reasons for walking, to perceive their walking environment as more pleasurable, to use walking trails, and to consider their environment safe and to facilitate social interaction. This study indicates that the continued advocating of walking as a health promoting activity should be central to future campaigns to increase physical activity in this age group. The provision of locations that are accessible, safe, aesthetically pleasing, and encourage social engagement are likely to facilitate older people's participation in walking. For maximum effectiveness, however, strategies may benefit from being tailored to meet specific gender and cultural preferences. Copyright 2009 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peer Interactions among Children with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities during Group Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nijs, Sara; Penne, Anneleen; Vlaskamp, Carla; Maes, Bea

2016-01-01

Background: Children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) meet other children with PIMD in day care centres or schools. This study explores the peer-directed behaviours of children with PIMD, the peer interaction-influencing behaviour of the direct support workers and the children's positioning. Method: Group activities for…

Neural activation in the "reward circuit" shows a nonlinear response to facial attractiveness.

PubMed

Liang, Xiaoyun; Zebrowitz, Leslie A; Zhang, Yi

2010-01-01

Positive behavioral responses to attractive faces have led neuroscientists to investigate underlying neural mechanisms in a "reward circuit" that includes brain regions innervated by dopamine pathways. Using male faces ranging from attractive to extremely unattractive, disfigured ones, this study is the first to demonstrate heightened responses to both rewarding and aversive faces in numerous areas of this putative reward circuit. Parametric analyses employing orthogonal linear and nonlinear regressors revealed positive nonlinear effects in anterior cingulate cortex, lateral orbital frontal cortex (LOFC), striatum (nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen), and ventral tegmental area, in addition to replicating previously documented linear effects in medial orbital frontal cortex (MOFC) and LOFC and nonlinear effects in amygdala and MOFC. The widespread nonlinear responses are consistent with single cell recordings in animals showing responses to both rewarding and aversive stimuli, and with some human fMRI investigations of non-face stimuli. They indicate that the reward circuit does not process face valence with any simple dissociation of function across structures. Perceiver gender modulated some responses to our male faces: Women showed stronger linear effects, and men showed stronger nonlinear effects, which may have functional implications. Our discovery of nonlinear responses to attractiveness throughout the reward circuit echoes the history of amygdala research: Early work indicated a linear response to threatening stimuli, including faces; later work also revealed a nonlinear response with heightened activation to affectively salient stimuli regardless of valence. The challenge remains to determine how such dual coding influences feelings, such as pleasure and pain, and guides goal-related behavioral responses, such as approach and avoidance.

Promoting physical activity using a wearable activity tracker in college students: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Kim, Youngdeok; Lumpkin, Angela; Lochbaum, Marc; Stegemeier, Steven; Kitten, Karla

2018-08-01

This study examined the effects of utilizing a wearable activity tracker in a credit-based physical activity instructional program (PAIP) for promoting physical activity (PA) in college students. Fourteen PAIP courses in a large public university were randomly assigned into intervention (k = 7; n = 101) and control (k = 7; n = 86) groups. All courses focused on a core curriculum that covers basic exercise and behavioral science contents through lectures and activity sessions. A Misfit Flash activity tracker was provided to students in the intervention group. Objective PA assessments occurred at baseline, mid-, and end-of-semester during a 15-week academic semester. The control group showed a significant reduction in moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) minutes from baseline to the end-of-semester (P <.05), whereas the intervention group showed no changes in MVPA minutes over time. However, the intervention group also showed increased sedentary time and decreased time spent in light-intensity PA during the intervention period. Taken together, the present study found null effects of utilizing the wearable activity tracker in promoting PA in college students suggesting that intervention of primary using the wearable activity tracker as a behavior change strategy may not be effective to increase in PA in this setting.

Effect of Allylic Groups on SN2 Reactivity

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The activating effects of the benzyl and allyl groups on SN2 reactivity are well-known. 6-Chloromethyl-6-methylfulvene, also a primary, allylic halide, reacts 30 times faster with KI/acetone than does benzyl chloride at room temperature. The latter result, as well as new experimental observations, suggests that the fulvenyl group is a particularly activating allylic group in SN2 reactions. Computational work on identity SN2 reactions, e.g., chloride– displacing chloride– and ammonia displacing ammonia, shows that negatively charged SN2 transition states (tss) are activated by allylic groups according to the Galabov–Allen–Wu electrostatic model but with the fulvenyl group especially effective at helping to delocalize negative charge due to some cyclopentadienide character in the transition state (ts). In contrast, the triafulvenyl group is deactivating. However, the positively charged SN2 transition states of the ammonia reactions are dramatically stabilized by the triafulvenyl group, which directly conjugates with a reaction center having SN1 character in the ts. Experiments and calculations on the acidities of a variety of allylic alcohols and carboxylic acids support the special nature of the fulvenyl group in stabilizing nearby negative charge and highlight the ability of fulvene species to dramatically alter the energetics of processes even in the absence of direct conjugation. PMID:24977317

The brown algae Pl.LSU/2 group II intron-encoded protein has functional reverse transcriptase and maturase activities.

PubMed

Zerbato, Madeleine; Holic, Nathalie; Moniot-Frin, Sophie; Ingrao, Dina; Galy, Anne; Perea, Javier

2013-01-01

Group II introns are self-splicing mobile elements found in prokaryotes and eukaryotic organelles. These introns propagate by homing into precise genomic locations, following assembly of a ribonucleoprotein complex containing the intron-encoded protein (IEP) and the spliced intron RNA. Engineered group II introns are now commonly used tools for targeted genomic modifications in prokaryotes but not in eukaryotes. We speculate that the catalytic activation of currently known group II introns is limited in eukaryotic cells. The brown algae Pylaiella littoralis Pl.LSU/2 group II intron is uniquely capable of in vitro ribozyme activity at physiological level of magnesium but this intron remains poorly characterized. We purified and characterized recombinant Pl.LSU/2 IEP. Unlike most IEPs, Pl.LSU/2 IEP displayed a reverse transcriptase activity without intronic RNA. The Pl.LSU/2 intron could be engineered to splice accurately in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and splicing efficiency was increased by the maturase activity of the IEP. However, spliced transcripts were not expressed. Furthermore, intron splicing was not detected in human cells. While further tool development is needed, these data provide the first functional characterization of the PI.LSU/2 IEP and the first evidence that the Pl.LSU/2 group II intron splicing occurs in vivo in eukaryotes in an IEP-dependent manner.

The Brown Algae Pl.LSU/2 Group II Intron-Encoded Protein Has Functional Reverse Transcriptase and Maturase Activities

PubMed Central

Zerbato, Madeleine; Holic, Nathalie; Moniot-Frin, Sophie; Ingrao, Dina; Galy, Anne; Perea, Javier

2013-01-01

Group II introns are self-splicing mobile elements found in prokaryotes and eukaryotic organelles. These introns propagate by homing into precise genomic locations, following assembly of a ribonucleoprotein complex containing the intron-encoded protein (IEP) and the spliced intron RNA. Engineered group II introns are now commonly used tools for targeted genomic modifications in prokaryotes but not in eukaryotes. We speculate that the catalytic activation of currently known group II introns is limited in eukaryotic cells. The brown algae Pylaiella littoralis Pl.LSU/2 group II intron is uniquely capable of in vitro ribozyme activity at physiological level of magnesium but this intron remains poorly characterized. We purified and characterized recombinant Pl.LSU/2 IEP. Unlike most IEPs, Pl.LSU/2 IEP displayed a reverse transcriptase activity without intronic RNA. The Pl.LSU/2 intron could be engineered to splice accurately in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and splicing efficiency was increased by the maturase activity of the IEP. However, spliced transcripts were not expressed. Furthermore, intron splicing was not detected in human cells. While further tool development is needed, these data provide the first functional characterization of the PI.LSU/2 IEP and the first evidence that the Pl.LSU/2 group II intron splicing occurs in vivo in eukaryotes in an IEP-dependent manner. PMID:23505475

Determinants of performance of supplemental immunization activities for polio eradication in Uttar Pradesh, India: social mobilization activities of the Social mobilization Network (SM Net) and Core Group Polio Project (CGPP)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The primary strategy to interrupt transmission of wild poliovirus in India is to improve supplemental immunization activities (SIAs) and routine immunization coverage in priority districts. The CORE Group, part of the Social Mobilization Network (SM Net), has been successful in improving SIA coverage in high-risk areas of Uttar Pradesh (UP). The SM Net works through community level mobilisers (from the CORE Group and UNICEF) and covers more than 2 million children under the age of five. In this paper, we examine the reasons the CORE Group had been successful through exploration of which social mobilization activities of the CORE Group predicted better performance of SIAs. Methods We carried out a secondary data analysis of routine monitoring information collected by the CORE Group and the Government of India for SIAs. These data included information about vaccination outcomes of SIAs in CORE Group areas and non-CORE Group areas within the districts where the CORE Group operates, along with information about the number of various social mobilization activities carried out for each SIA. We employed Generalized Linear Latent and Mixed Model (GLLAMM) statistical analysis methods to identify which social mobilization activities predicted SIA performance, and to account for the intra-class correlation (ICC) between multiple observations within the same geographic areas over time. Results The number of mosque announcements carried out was the most consistent determinant of improved SIA performance across various performance measures. The number of Bullawa Tollies carried out also appeared to be an important determinant of improved SIA performance. The number of times other social mobilization activities were carried out did not appear to determine better SIA performance. Conclusions Social mobilization activities can improve the performance of mass vaccination campaigns. In the CORE Group areas, the number of mosque announcements and Bullawa Tollies carried out

Characterization of an antimicrobial peptide produced by Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizezinii showing inhibitory activity towards Haemophilus parasuis.

PubMed

Teixeira, Mário Lettieri; Dalla Rosa, Andréia; Brandelli, Adriano

2013-05-01

Haemophilus parasuis is the pathogen that causes Glässer's disease, a major illness affecting young pigs. The aim of this work was to investigate the antagonistic activity of antimicrobial substances produced by Bacillus species against H. parasuis. Among the tested strains, only Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 inhibited H. parasuis growth. The antibacterial substance was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-50 and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The purification was about 100-fold with a yield of 0.33 %. The purified substance was resistant up to 80 °C and pH ranging 3-7, but the substance lost its activity when it was treated with proteases. The peptide had a molecular mass of 1083 Da and its sequence was determined by MS as NRWCFAGDD, which showed no homology with other known antimicrobial peptides. The complete inhibition of H. parasuis growth was observed at 20 µg peptide ml(-1) after 20 min of exposure. The peptide obtained by chemical synthesis also showed antimicrobial activity on H. parasuis. The identification of antimicrobial substances that can be effective against H. parasuis is very relevant to combat this pathogen that causes important losses in swine production.

Crystal structure of plant light-harvesting complex shows the active, energy-transmitting state

PubMed Central

Barros, Tiago; Royant, Antoine; Standfuss, Jörg; Dreuw, Andreas; Kühlbrandt, Werner

2009-01-01

Plants dissipate excess excitation energy as heat by non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). NPQ has been thought to resemble in vitro aggregation quenching of the major antenna complex, light harvesting complex of photosystem II (LHC-II). Both processes are widely believed to involve a conformational change that creates a quenching centre of two neighbouring pigments within the complex. Using recombinant LHC-II lacking the pigments implicated in quenching, we show that they have no particular role. Single crystals of LHC-II emit strong, orientation-dependent fluorescence with an emission maximum at 680 nm. The average lifetime of the main 680 nm crystal emission at 100 K is 1.31 ns, but only 0.39 ns for LHC-II aggregates under identical conditions. The strong emission and comparatively long fluorescence lifetimes of single LHC-II crystals indicate that the complex is unquenched, and that therefore the crystal structure shows the active, energy-transmitting state of LHC-II. We conclude that quenching of excitation energy in the light-harvesting antenna is due to the molecular interaction with external pigments in vitro or other pigment–protein complexes such as PsbS in vivo, and does not require a conformational change within the complex. PMID:19131972

[Perceptions of a group of elderly people regarding the influence of physical activity on their lives].

PubMed

Navarro, Fabiana Magalhães; Rabelo, Juliana Furlan; Faria, Suelen Teixeira; Lopes, Mislaine Casagrande de Lima; Marcon, Sonia Silva

2008-12-01

A descriptive exploratory study was conducted in the municipality of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil to identify the profile of a group of elderly people participating in a geriatric care project in regard to socio-demographic factors and family interaction, as well as to describe how physical activity influenced their lives. The data were collected in September 2006 through a semistructured interview with 35 members of a group practicing physical activities. The results revealed the individuals were mainly females, 70 years old or younger, married retired and living with their families. They described as positive their family life, which was characterized by going out together, making decisions and experiencing few conflicts. Most of them said that the fitness activities had improved their physical and emotional health. It was concluded that besides the physical improvement, the activities created opportunities for social contacts and therefore, contributed to emotional wellbeing.

Soft Skills: An Important Asset Acquired from Organizing Regional Student Group Activities

PubMed Central

de Ridder, Jeroen; Meysman, Pieter; Oluwagbemi, Olugbenga; Abeel, Thomas

2014-01-01

Contributing to a student organization, such as the International Society for Computational Biology Student Council (ISCB-SC) and its Regional Student Group (RSG) program, takes time and energy. Both are scarce commodities, especially when you are trying to find your place in the world of computational biology as a graduate student. It comes as no surprise that organizing ISCB-SC-related activities sometimes interferes with day-to-day research and shakes up your priority list. However, we unanimously agree that the rewards, both in the short as well as the long term, make the time spent on these extracurricular activities more than worth it. In this article, we will explain what makes this so worthwhile: soft skills. PMID:24992198

Soft skills: an important asset acquired from organizing regional student group activities.

PubMed

de Ridder, Jeroen; Meysman, Pieter; Oluwagbemi, Olugbenga; Abeel, Thomas

2014-07-01

Contributing to a student organization, such as the International Society for Computational Biology Student Council (ISCB-SC) and its Regional Student Group (RSG) program, takes time and energy. Both are scarce commodities, especially when you are trying to find your place in the world of computational biology as a graduate student. It comes as no surprise that organizing ISCB-SC-related activities sometimes interferes with day-to-day research and shakes up your priority list. However, we unanimously agree that the rewards, both in the short as well as the long term, make the time spent on these extracurricular activities more than worth it. In this article, we will explain what makes this so worthwhile: soft skills.

Supporting Active Learning in an Undergraduate Geotechnical Engineering Course Using Group-Based Audience Response Systems Quizzes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donohue, Shane

2014-01-01

The use of audience response systems (ARSs) or "clickers" in higher education has increased over the recent years, predominantly owing to their ability to actively engage students, for promoting individual and group learning, and for providing instantaneous feedback to students and teachers. This paper describes how group-based ARS…

Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 isoform 2-knockout mice show reduced enzyme activity, airway hyporeactivity, and lung pathology

PubMed Central

Hüttemann, Maik; Lee, Icksoo; Gao, Xiufeng; Pecina, Petr; Pecinova, Alena; Liu, Jenney; Aras, Siddhesh; Sommer, Natascha; Sanderson, Thomas H.; Tost, Monica; Neff, Frauke; Aguilar-Pimentel, Juan Antonio; Becker, Lore; Naton, Beatrix; Rathkolb, Birgit; Rozman, Jan; Favor, Jack; Hans, Wolfgang; Prehn, Cornelia; Puk, Oliver; Schrewe, Anja; Sun, Minxuan; Höfler, Heinz; Adamski, Jerzy; Bekeredjian, Raffi; Graw, Jochen; Adler, Thure; Busch, Dirk H.; Klingenspor, Martin; Klopstock, Thomas; Ollert, Markus; Wolf, Eckhard; Fuchs, Helmut; Gailus-Durner, Valérie; Hrabě de Angelis, Martin; Weissmann, Norbert; Doan, Jeffrey W.; Bassett, David J. P.; Grossman, Lawrence I.

2012-01-01

Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is the terminal enzyme of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The purpose of this study was to analyze the function of lung-specific cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 isoform 2 (COX4i2) in vitro and in COX4i2-knockout mice in vivo. COX was isolated from cow lung and liver as control and functionally analyzed. COX4i2-knockout mice were generated and the effect of the gene knockout was determined, including COX activity, tissue energy levels, noninvasive and invasive lung function, and lung pathology. These studies were complemented by a comprehensive functional screen performed at the German Mouse Clinic (Neuherberg, Germany). We show that isolated cow lung COX containing COX4i2 is about twice as active (88 and 102% increased activity in the presence of allosteric activator ADP and inhibitor ATP, respectively) as liver COX, which lacks COX4i2. In COX4i2-knockout mice, lung COX activity and cellular ATP levels were significantly reduced (−50 and −29%, respectively). Knockout mice showed decreased airway responsiveness (60% reduced Penh and 58% reduced airway resistance upon challenge with 25 and 100 mg methacholine, respectively), and they developed a lung pathology deteriorating with age that included the appearance of Charcot-Leyden crystals. In addition, there was an interesting sex-specific phenotype, in which the knockout females showed reduced lean mass (−12%), reduced total oxygen consumption rate (−8%), improved glucose tolerance, and reduced grip force (−14%) compared to wild-type females. Our data suggest that high activity lung COX is a central determinant of airway function and is required for maximal airway responsiveness and healthy lung function. Since airway constriction requires energy, we propose a model in which reduced tissue ATP levels explain protection from airway hyperresponsiveness, i.e., absence of COX4i2 leads to reduced lung COX activity and ATP levels, which results in impaired airway constriction

The effect of group exercise program on the self-efficacy and activities of daily living in adults with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Kim, Byeong-Jo; Kim, Soo-Min; Kwon, Hae-Yeon

2017-12-01

[Purpose] This study was carried out to examine the effect of the application of group exercise program composed to induce interests and assertive participation of adults with cerebral palsy on the self-efficacy and activities of daily living, as well as to provide basic clinical data that are effective and trustworthy in enhancing the physical and emotional interaction in the future. [Subjects and Methods] Those among the 23 adult with cerebral palsy who are the subjects of research and able to participate only in the evaluation of measurement tools prior to and after the experiment were allocated to the control group while only those who can participate in the group exercise program implemented over 12 sessions were allocated to the experimental group. For the control group, a range of motion of joint exercise and stretching exercise were executed on the arms, legs and trunk, while for the experimental group, group exercise that is implemented with participation of several subjects simultaneously was executed 2 times a week with 40 minutes for each session over a period of 6 weeks for the total of 12 sessions. [Results] In both the experimental group and the control group, there were statistically significant changes in the average scores of self-efficacy and activities of daily living after the exercise in comparison to that prior to the exercise. Moreover, there were statistically significant differences in self-efficacy and activities of daily living in terms of quantity of change prior to and after the exercise between the two groups. [Conclusion] Therefore, group exercise program composed to induce physical and emotional interaction, and active participation of adults with cerebral palsy can be considered as an effective intervention method in improving their self-efficacy and activities of daily living.