Industry sponsorship and research outcome.

PubMed

Lundh, Andreas; Lexchin, Joel; Mintzes, Barbara; Schroll, Jeppe B; Bero, Lisa

2017-02-16

Clinical research affecting how doctors practice medicine is increasingly sponsored by companies that make drugs and medical devices. Previous systematic reviews have found that pharmaceutical-industry sponsored studies are more often favorable to the sponsor's product compared with studies with other sources of sponsorship. A similar association between sponsorship and outcomes have been found for device studies, but the body of evidence is not as strong as for sponsorship of drug studies. This review is an update of a previous Cochrane review and includes empirical studies on the association between sponsorship and research outcome. To investigate whether industry sponsored drug and device studies have more favorable outcomes and differ in risk of bias, compared with studies having other sources of sponsorship. In this update we searched MEDLINE (2010 to February 2015), Embase (2010 to February 2015), the Cochrane Methodology Register (2015, Issue 2) and Web of Science (June 2015). In addition, we searched reference lists of included papers, previous systematic reviews and author files. Cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses that quantitatively compared primary research studies of drugs or medical devices sponsored by industry with studies with other sources of sponsorship. We had no language restrictions. Two assessors screened abstracts and identified and included relevant papers. Two assessors extracted data, and we contacted authors of included papers for additional unpublished data. Outcomes included favorable results, favorable conclusions, effect size, risk of bias and whether the conclusions agreed with the study results. Two assessors assessed risk of bias of included papers. We calculated pooled risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous data (with 95% confidence intervals (CIs)). Twenty-seven new papers were included in this update and in total the review contains 75 included papers. Industry sponsored studies more often had favorable efficacy results, RR: 1.27 (95% CI: 1.17 to 1.37) (25 papers) (moderate quality evidence), similar harms results RR: 1.37 (95% CI: 0.64 to 2.93) (four papers) (very low quality evidence) and more often favorable conclusions RR: 1.34 (95% CI: 1.19 to 1.51) (29 papers) (low quality evidence) compared with non-industry sponsored studies. Nineteen papers reported on sponsorship and efficacy effect size, but could not be pooled due to differences in their reporting of data and the results were heterogeneous. We did not find a difference between drug and device studies in the association between sponsorship and conclusions (test for interaction, P = 0.98) (four papers). Comparing industry and non-industry sponsored studies, we did not find a difference in risk of bias from sequence generation, allocation concealment, follow-up and selective outcome reporting. However, industry sponsored studies more often had low risk of bias from blinding, RR: 1.25 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.50) (13 papers), compared with non-industry sponsored studies. In industry sponsored studies, there was less agreement between the results and the conclusions than in non-industry sponsored studies, RR: 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70 to 0.98) (six papers). Sponsorship of drug and device studies by the manufacturing company leads to more favorable efficacy results and conclusions than sponsorship by other sources. Our analyses suggest the existence of an industry bias that cannot be explained by standard 'Risk of bias' assessments.

Combustion chemistry of solid propellants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baer, A. D.; Ryan, N. W.

1974-01-01

Several studies are described of the chemistry of solid propellant combustion which employed a fast-scanning optical spectrometer. Expanded abstracts are presented for four of the studies which were previously reported. One study of the ignition of composite propellants yielded data which suggested early ammonium perchlorate decomposition and reaction. The results of a study of the spatial distribution of molecular species in flames from uncatalyzed and copper or lead catalyzed double-based propellants support previously published conclusions concerning the site of action of these metal catalysts. A study of the ammonium-perchlorate-polymeric-fuel-binder reaction in thin films, made by use of infrared absorption spectrometry, yielded a characterization of a rapid condensed-phase reaction which is likely important during the ignition transient and the burning process.

Is More Always Better? The Curvilinear Relationships between College Student Experiences and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Nicholas A.; Trolian, Teniell L.

2017-01-01

Many higher education studies have examined linear relationships between student experiences and outcomes, but this assumption may be questionable. In two notable examples previous research that assumed a linear relationship reached different substantive conclusions and implications than did research that explored non-linear associations among the…

Why Do Countries Differ in Their Rates of Outbound Student Mobility?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kritz, Mary M.

2016-01-01

International student mobility has increased rapidly since 1975. This article examined country differences in outbound student mobility and the correlates of those differences. Previous studies have addressed this question but differ in their conclusions depending on whether they focus on factors associated with student outflows or inflows. UNESCO…

Atmospheric carbon dioxide and the climate record

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

Ellsaesser, H.W.

1989-04-01

This paper is an attempt to provide a summary review of conclusions from previous studies on this subject. Subject headings include: conceptualization of the greenhouse effect, the climatic effect of doubled CO/sub 2/, interpretation of the climatic record, diagnosis of apparent and possible model deficiencies, and the palaeoclimatic record.

Breastfeeding Is Positively Associated with Child Intelligence Even Net of Parental IQ

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanazawa, Satoshi

2015-01-01

Some previous reviews conclude that breastfeeding is not significantly associated with increased intelligence in children once mother's IQ is statistically controlled. The conclusion may potentially have both theoretical and methodological problems. The National Child Development Study allows the examination of the effect of breastfeeding on…

Magnetic Resonance Characterization of Axonal Response to Spinal Cord Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

Outcomes 6 Conclusions 6 References 6-29 Appendices Introduction During the first year we pursued studies of Magnetic Resonance q-space imaging...QSI) of the spinal cord and myelin imaging. The QSI studies extended our previous work establishing our ability to define the distribution of axon...Conventional MR imaging of the central nervous systems studies water protons exclusively. Although other compounds, such a lipid and proteins, have

Job Knowledge Test Design: A Cognitively-Oriented Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-07-01

protocol analyses and related methods. We employed a plan-goal graph representation to capture the knowledge content and goal structure of the studied task...between job knowledge and hands-on performance from previous studies was .38. For the subset of Marines in this sample who had recently been examined...the job knowledge test provided similar results to conventional, total number correct scoring. Conclusion The evidence provided by this study supports

Polychlorinated biphenyl exposure, diabetes and endogenous hormones: a cross-sectional study in men previously employed at a capacitor manufacturing plant

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Studies have shown associations of diabetes and endogenous hormones with exposure to a wide variety of organochlorines. We have previously reported positive associations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and inverse associations of selected steroid hormones with diabetes in postmenopausal women previously employed in a capacitor manufacturing plant. Methods This paper examines associations of PCBs with diabetes and endogenous hormones in 63 men previously employed at the same plant who in 1996 underwent surveys of their exposure and medical history and collection of bloods and urine for measurements of PCBs, lipids, liver function, hematologic markers and endogenous hormones. Results PCB exposure was positively associated with diabetes and age and inversely associated with thyroid stimulating hormone and triiodothyronine-uptake. History of diabetes was significantly related to total PCBs and all PCB functional groupings, but not to quarters worked and job score, after control for potential confounders. None of the exposures were related to insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in non-diabetic men. Conclusions Associations of PCBs with specific endogenous hormones differ in some respects from previous findings in postmenopausal women employed at the capacitor plant. Results from this study, however, do confirm previous reports relating PCB exposure to diabetes and suggest that these associations are not mediated by measured endogenous hormones. PMID:22931295

Executive Summary and Policy Recommendations. Part IV. The Work of Nets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherer, Jacqueline

This summary, the last of a four-part study of social networks in Pontiac, Michigan, presents highlights from the three previous volumes and advocates the use of network research for understanding the dissemination process in educational innovation. Based on the conclusion that social networks provide a metaphor for understanding complex social…

Cardiac Reactivity and Stimulant Use in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Comorbid ADHD Versus ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bink, M.; Popma, A.; Bongers, I. L.; van Boxtel, G. J. M.; Denissen, A.; van Nieuwenhuizen, Ch.

2015-01-01

A large number of youngsters with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) display comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. However, previous studies are not conclusive whether psychophysiological correlates, like cardiac reactivity, are different for ASD with comorbid ADHD (ASD+) compared to ADHD. Therefore, the current study…

ADVANCED INTRAMOLECULAR DIELS-ALDER STUDY TOWARD THE SYNTHESIS OF (-)-MORPHINE: STRUCTURE CORRECTION OF A PREVIOUSLY REPORTED DIELS-ALDER PRODUCT. (R826113)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Early Intervention Curricula and Subsequent Adolescent Social Development: A Longitudinal Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Kevin N.; Mills, Paulette E.; Jenkins, Joseph R.; Dale, Philip S.

2005-01-01

In a previous study of the differential effects of contrasting early intervention programs on later social behavior (Mills, Cole, Jenkins, & Dale, 2002), we found no differences in self-report of juvenile delinquency at age 15 for children enrolled in direct instruction and child-directed models. These results disconfirmed the conclusion of…

Gender Symmetry in the Self-Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Ko Ling

2012-01-01

Research has not conclusively determined whether men and women are equally likely to commit intimate partner violence (IPV). One explanation for the disparity in previous findings may be gender-based differences in reporting styles. The present study investigated whether there was any gender difference in self-reported IPV prevalence. A total of…

A pilot study of the effects of interview content, retention interval, and grade on accuracy of dietary information from children

PubMed Central

Baxter, Suzanne Domel; Hitchcock, David B; Guinn, Caroline H; Royer, Julie A; Wilson, Dawn K; Pate, Russell R; McIver, Kerry L; Dowda, Marsha

2013-01-01

Objective Investigate differences in dietary recall accuracy by interview content (diet-only; diet-and-physical-activity), retention interval (same-day; previous-day), and grade (3rd; 5th). Methods Thirty-two children observed eating school-provided meals and interviewed once each; interview content and retention interval randomly assigned. Multivariate analysis of variance on rates for omissions (foods observed but unreported) and intrusions (foods reported but unobserved); independent variables—interview content, retention interval, grade. Results Accuracy differed by retention interval (P = .05; better for same-day [omission rate, intrusion rate: 28%, 20%] than previous-day [54%, 45%]) but not interview content (P > .48; diet-only: 41%, 33%; diet-and-physical-activity: 41%, 33%) or grade (P > .27; 3rd: 48%, 42%; 5th: 34%, 24%). Conclusions and Implications Although the small sample limits firm conclusions, results provide evidence-based direction to enhance accuracy; specifically, to shorten the retention interval. Larger validation studies need to investigate the combined effect of interview content, retention interval, and grade on accuracy. PMID:23562487

Digital multishaker modal testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blair, M.; Craig, R. R., Jr.

1983-01-01

A review of several modal testing techniques is made, along with brief discussions of their advantages and limitations. A new technique is presented which overcomes many of the previous limitations. Several simulated experiments are included to verify the validity and accuracy of the new method. Conclusions are drawn from the simulation studies and recommendations for further work are presented. The complete computer code configured for the simulation study is presented.

Consanguinity and recurrence risk of stillbirth and infant death.

PubMed Central

Stoltenberg, C; Magnus, P; Skrondal, A; Lie, R T

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the recurrence risk for stillbirth and infant death and compare results for offspring of first-cousin parents with results for offspring of unrelated parents. METHODS: The study population consisted of all single births with a previous sibling born in Norway between 1967 and 1994. Altogether, 629,888 births were to unrelated parents, and 3466 births were to parents who were first cousins. The risk of stillbirth and infant death was estimated for subsequent siblings contingent on parental consanguinity and survival of the previous sibling. RESULTS: For unrelated parents, the risk of early death (stillbirth plus infant death) for the subsequent sibling was 17 of 1000 if the previous child survived and 67 of 1000 if the previous child died before 1 year of age. For parents who were first cousins, the risk of early death for the subsequent sibling was 29 of 1000 if the previous child survived and 116 of 1000 if the previous child died. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of recurrence of stillbirth and infant death is higher for offspring of first-cousin parents compared with offspring of unrelated parents. PMID:10191794

Chickenpox complications, incidence and financial burden in previously healthy children and those with an underlying disease in Ankara in the pre-vaccination period.

PubMed

Ozdemir, Halil; Candir, Mehmet Onur; Karbuz, Adem; Belet, Nurşen; Tapisiz, Anil; Ciftçi, Ergin; Ince, Erdal

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the complications, financial burden and mortality caused by chickenpox using the data of Ankara, Turkey in the pre-vaccination period. The study was conducted as a retrospective sectional study. Of the 65 patients admitted to our hospital, 34 (52.3%) had been previously healthy, 10 (15.4%) had previous chronic disease and 21 (32.3%) were immunocompromised. The most common complications of chickenpox in those patient groups were skin and soft tissue infections (41.2%), hematological complications (50%) and gastrointestinal complications (38.1%), respectively. We found 10.6/100,000 and 8.7/100,000 rates of hospitalization due to chickenpox in Ankara for all children and for previously healthy children, respectively. The chickenpox-related mortality rate for the 0-17 age group was 3.03/1,000,000 in Ankara. In conclusion, we feel that a national vaccination program for chickenpox will lead to a significant decrease in the overall cost to our country.

Comparing DNS and Experiments of Subcritical Flow Past an Isolated Surface Roughness Element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doolittle, Charles; Goldstein, David

2009-11-01

Results are presented from computational and experimental studies of subcritical roughness within a Blasius boundary layer. This work stems from discrepancies presented by Stephani and Goldstein (AIAA Paper 2009-585) where DNS results did not agree with hot-wire measurements. The near wake regions of cylindrical surface roughness elements corresponding to roughness-based Reynolds numbers Rek of about 202 are of specific concern. Laser-Doppler anemometry and flow visualization in water, as well as the same spectral DNS code used by Stephani and Goldstein are used to obtain both quantitative and qualitative comparisons with previous results. Conclusions regarding previous studies will be presented alongside discussion of current work including grid resolution studies and an examination of vorticity dynamics.

Back Pain Prevalence and Its Associated Factors in Brazilian Athletes from Public High Schools: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Noll, Matias; de Avelar, Ivan Silveira; Lehnen, Georgia Cristina; Vieira, Marcus Fraga

2016-01-01

Most studies on the prevalence of back pain have evaluated it in developed countries (Human Development Index--HDI > 0.808), and their conclusions may not hold for developing countries. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of back pain in representative Brazilian athletes from public high schools. This cross-sectional study was performed during the state phase of the 2015 Jogos dos Institutos Federais (JIF), or Federal Institutes Games, in Brazil (HDI = 0.744), and it enrolled 251 athletes, 173 males and 78 females (14-20 years old). The dependent variable was back pain, and the independent variables were demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, hereditary, exercise-level, anthropometric, strength, behavioral, and postural factors. The prevalence ratio (PR) was calculated using multivariable analysis according to the Poisson regression model (α = 0.05). The prevalence of back pain in the three months prior to the study was 43.7% (n = 104), and 26% of the athletes reported feeling back pain only once. Multivariable analysis showed that back pain was associated with demographic (sex), psychosocial (loneliness and loss of sleep in the previous year), hereditary (ethnicity, parental back pain), strength (lumbar and hand forces), anthropometric (body mass index), behavioral (sleeping time per night, reading and studying in bed, smoking habits in the previous month), and postural (sitting posture while writing, while on a bench, and while using a computer) variables. Participants who recorded higher levels of lumbar and manual forces reported a lower prevalence of back pain (PR < 0.79), whereas feeling lonely in the previous year, obesity, and ethnicity exhibited the highest prevalence ratio (PR > 1.30). In conclusion, there is no association between exercise levels and back pain but there is an association between back pain and non-exercise related variables.

The cosmic-ray ground-level enhancement of 1989 September 29

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

Moraal, H.; Caballero-Lopez, R. A.

2014-08-01

The ground-level enhancement (GLE) of 1989 September 29 is one of the largest of 71 solar energetic particle events observed by neutron monitors on Earth. It was smaller than the record-breaking GLE 5 of 1956 February 23, but by some measures it was larger than GLE 69 of 2005 January 20. It is also the most extensively studied of the 71 GLEs, and it was observed by more than 50 ground-based detectors in the worldwide network. This paper contains another study of the event, with the main difference from previous studies that all the existing observations are employed, instead ofmore » the usual selection of stations. An effort is made to represent all the information graphically. This reveals new insight in the event, mainly about its time profile. The main conclusion is that the event is the best example available of a 'classical' GLE that has a gradual increase toward peak intensity and does not contain two or more distinct peaks as inferred previously. It does, however, suggest that there were two acceleration or release mechanisms: a prompt, rapid one and a delayed, slower one. This conclusion is based on a detailed comparison with GLE 69 of 2005 January 20, which is the best-known example of a double-peaked event with a 'prompt' component. It is also found that the rigidity spectrum was probably softer than derived in several previous studies, and that the decay phase of the event reveals that the cosmic-ray diffusion coefficient in the neutron monitor range is proportional to rigidity.« less

Examining Differences in the Levels of False Memories in Children and Adults Using Child-Normed Lists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anastasi, Jeffrey S.; Rhodes, Matthew G.

2008-01-01

Several previous studies have demonstrated that children, when compared with adults, exhibit both lower levels of veridical memory and fewer intrusions when given semantically associated lists. However, researchers have drawn these conclusions using semantically associated word lists that were normed with adults, which may not lead to the same…

Drawing Firmer Conclusions: Autistic Children Show No Evidence of a Local Processing Bias in a Controlled Copying Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Alastair D.; Kenny, Lorcan; Rudnicka, Anna; Briscoe, Josie; Pellicano, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Drawing tasks are frequently used to test competing theories of visuospatial skills in autism. Yet, methodological differences between studies have led to inconsistent findings. To distinguish between accounts based on local bias or global deficit, we present a simple task that has previously revealed dissociable local/global impairments in…

Speaker-Versus Listener-Oriented Disfluency: A Re-Examination of Arguments and Assumptions from Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelhardt, Paul E.; Alfridijanta, Oliver; McMullon, Mhairi E. G.; Corley, Martin

2017-01-01

We re-evaluate conclusions about disfluency production in high-functioning forms of autism spectrum disorder (HFA). Previous studies examined individuals with HFA to address a theoretical question regarding speaker- and listener-oriented disfluencies. Individuals with HFA tend to be self-centric and have poor pragmatic language skills, and should…

Increasing Minority Children's Participation in Gifted Classes Using the NNAT: A Response to Lohman

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naglieri, Jack A.; Ford, Donna Y.

2005-01-01

In a previous article, we (Naglieri & Ford, 2003) provided evidence from a large-scale study that similar proportions of White, Black, and Hispanic children would be identified as gifted using the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT; Naglieri, 1997). Lohman (2005) has taken issue with our conclusions and our methods. We provide several…

The Horizontal Distribution of Female Managers within Organizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stover, Dana L.

1994-01-01

A study of 99 departments at 2 universities led to conclusions about the placement of female managers: (1) women were less likely to manage powerful departments; (2) they were more likely to manage those that were not growing, previously had women managers, or had high proportions of female workers; and (3) older departments were not less likely…

QCD axion star collapse with the chiral potential

DOE PAGES

Eby, Joshua; Leembruggen, Madelyn; Suranyi, Peter; ...

2017-06-05

In a previous study, we analyzed collapsing axion stars using the low-energy instanton potential, showing that the total energy is always bounded and that collapsing axion stars do not form black holes. In this paper, we provide a proof that the conclusions are unchanged when using instead the more general chiral potential for QCD axions.

Effect of Belief Bias on the Development of Undergraduate Students' Reasoning about Inference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Jennifer K.

2009-01-01

Psychologists have discovered a phenomenon called "Belief Bias" in which subjects rate the strength of arguments based on the believability of the conclusions. This paper reports the results of a small qualitative pilot study of undergraduate students who had previously taken an algebra-based introduction to statistics class. The subjects in this…

The Prevalence of Undiagnosed Concussions in Athletes

PubMed Central

Meehan, William P.; Mannix, Rebekah C.; O'Brien, Michael J.; Collins, Michael W.

2013-01-01

Objective Previous studies suggest athletes underreport concussions. We sought to determine whether athletes in our clinics have sustained previous concussions that went undiagnosed. Design Multi-centered, cross sectional study. Setting Two sport concussion clinics. Patients Patients diagnosed with sport-related concussions or concussions with injury mechanisms and forces similar to those observed in sports were included. Main Outcome Measures The proportion of patients that answered “yes” to the following question were defined as having a previously undiagnosed concussion: “Have you ever sustained a blow to the head which was NOT diagnosed as a concussion but was followed by one or more of the signs and symptoms listed in the Post Concussion Symptom Scale.” Results Of the 486 patients included in the final analysis, 148 (30.5%) reported a previously undiagnosed concussion. Athletes reporting previously undiagnosed concussions had a higher mean Post Concussion Symptom Scale score (33 v. 25; p < 0.004) and were more likely to have lost consciousness (31% v. 22%; p = 0.038) with their current injury than athletes without previously undiagnosed concussions. Conclusions Nearly one third of athletes have sustained previously undiagnosed concussions, defined as a blow to the head followed by the signs and symptoms included in the post concussion symptom scale. Furthermore, these previously undiagnosed concussions are associated with higher post concussion symptom scale scores and higher loss of consciousness rates when future concussions occur. PMID:23727697

A meta-analysis but not a systematic review: an evaluation of the Global BMI Mortality Collaboration.

PubMed

Flegal, Katherine M; Ioannidis, John P A

2017-08-01

Meta-analyses of individual participant data (MIPDs) offer many advantages and are considered the highest level of evidence. However, MIPDs can be seriously compromised when they are not solidly founded upon a systematic review. These data-intensive collaborative projects may be led by experts who already have deep knowledge of the literature in the field and of the results of published studies and how these results vary based on different analytical approaches. If investigators tailor the searches, eligibility criteria, and analysis plan of the MIPD, they run the risk of reaching foregone conclusions. We exemplify this potential bias in a MIPD on the association of body mass index with mortality conducted by a collaboration of outstanding and extremely knowledgeable investigators. Contrary to a previous meta-analysis of group data that used a systematic review approach, the MIPD did not seem to use a formal search: it considered 239 studies, of which the senior author was previously aware of at least 238, and it violated its own listed eligibility criteria to include those studies and exclude other studies. It also preferred an analysis plan that was also known to give a specific direction of effects in already published results of most of the included evidence. MIPDs where results of constituent studies are already largely known need safeguards to their validity. These may include careful systematic searches, adherence to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of individual participant data guidelines, and exploration of the robustness of results with different analyses. They should also avoid selective emphasis on foregone conclusions based on previously known results with specific analytical choices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and effectiveness of alcohol in the disinfection of semi-critical materials: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Ribeiro, Maíra Marques; Neumann, Verena Ashley; Padoveze, Maria Clara; Graziano, Kazuko Uchikawa

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective: to assess the efficacy and the effectiveness of 60-80% alcohol (v/v) in the disinfection of semi-critical materials which were either previously cleaned or not. Method: studies obtained from BIREME, IBECS, MEDLINE, ScIELO, PubMed, Ask Medline web portals, and references from other studies. Criteria were created to assess the methodological quality of articles. Out of the 906 studies found, 14 have been included. Results: after materials were disinfected with alcohol, microorganisms were detected in 104/282 (36.9%) effectiveness tests and in 23/92 (25.0%) efficacy tests that were conducted. In the field studies, disinfection was not achieved for 74/218 (33.9%) of the products that were submitted to previous cleaning and for 30/64 (46.9%) of the ones which were not submitted to previous cleaning. In the experimental studies, alcohol disinfection was not efficacy in 11/30 (36.7%) and 12/62 (19.4%) of products, respectively. The studies were not found to have followed standardized methods. Conclusion: disinfection of semi-critical products with alcohol 70% - or in an approximate concentration - cannot be recommended to all health care products in an unrestricted way. However, according to the type of semi-critical product, disinfection can be attained with or without previous cleaning. PMID:26444178

Impulsivity Moderates the Relationship between Previous Quit Failure and Cue-induced Craving

PubMed Central

Erblich, Joel; Michalowski, Alexandra

2015-01-01

Introduction Poor inhibitory control has been shown to be an important predictor of relapse to a number of drugs, including nicotine. Indeed, smokers who exhibit higher levels of impulsivity are thought to have impaired regulation of urges to smoke, and previous research has suggested that impulsivity may moderate cue-induced cigarette cravings. To that end, we conducted a study to evaluate the interplay between failed smoking cessation, cue-induced craving, and impulsivity. Methods Current smokers (n=151) rated their cigarette cravings before and after laboratory to exposure to smoking cues, and completed questionnaires assessing impulsivity and previous failed quit attempts. Results Findings indicated that shorter duration of previous failed quit attempts was related to higher cue-induced cigarette craving, especially among smokers with higher levels of impulsivity. Conclusions Results underscore the importance of considering trait impulsivity as a factor in better understanding the management of cue-induced cravings. PMID:26183443

Understanding titanium-catalysed radical-radical reactions: a DFT study unravels the complex kinetics of ketone-nitrile couplings.

PubMed

Streuff, Jan; Himmel, Daniel; Younas, Sara L

2018-04-03

The computational investigation of a titanium-catalysed reductive radical-radical coupling is reported. The results match the conclusions from an earlier experimental study and enable a further interpretation of the previously observed complex reaction kinetics. Furthermore, the interplay between neutral and cationic reaction pathways in titanium(iii)-catalysed reactions is investigated for the first time. The results show that hydrochloride additives and reaction byproducts play an important role in the respective equilibria. A full reaction profile is assembled and the computed activation barrier is found to be in reasonable agreement with the experiment. The conclusions are of fundamental importance to the field of low-valent titanium catalysis and the understanding of related catalytic radical-radical coupling reactions.

Study of interhemispheric asymmetries in electroencephalographic signals by frequency analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapata, J. F.; Garzón, J.

2011-01-01

This study provides a new method for the detection of interhemispheric asymmetries in patients with continuous video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring at Intensive Care Unit (ICU), using wavelet energy. We obtained the registration of EEG signals in 42 patients with different pathologies, and then we proceeded to perform signal processing using the Matlab program, we compared the abnormalities recorded in the report by the neurophysiologist, the images of each patient and the result of signals analysis with the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). Conclusions: there exists correspondence between the abnormalities found in the processing of the signal with the clinical reports of findings in patients; according to previous conclusion, the methodology used can be a useful tool for diagnosis and early quantitative detection of interhemispheric asymmetries.

NO news is no new news

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fotheringham, C.J.; Keeley, J.E.

2005-01-01

In the paper 'NO News', Preston et al. (2004) make a number of erroneous assumptions regarding nitrogen oxide chemistry. These authors also present some very significant misinterpretations of previous research into the effects of various nitrogen oxides on germination of post-fire followers. Methodological differences between the study by Preston et al. (2004) and previous work are also problematic, such as using NO-donors in solution versus the use of direct application of various nitrogen oxides in the gaseous phase. A closer review of these studies, with the proper understanding of nitrogen oxide chemistry, and interpretations of the available literature, would lead to the conclusion that, contrary to the authors' assertions, the Preston et al. (2004) study supports, rather than refutes, earlier findings by Keeley and Fotheringham (1997, 1998a, b, 2000). ?? CAB International 2005.

Sex Ratio at Birth in India, Its Relation to Birth Order, Sex of Previous Children and Use of Indigenous Medicine

PubMed Central

Manchanda, Samiksha; Saikia, Bedangshu; Gupta, Neeraj; Chowdhary, Sona; Puliyel, Jacob M.

2011-01-01

Objective Sex-ratio at birth in families with previous girls is worse than those with a boy. Our aim was to prospectively study in a large maternal and child unit sex-ratio against previous birth sex and use of traditional medicines for sex selection. Main Outcome Measures Sex-ratio among mothers in families with a previous girl and in those with a previous boy, prevalence of indigenous medicine use and sex-ratio in those using medicines for sex selection. Results Overall there were 806 girls to 1000 boys. The sex-ratio was 720∶1000 if there was one previous girl and 178∶1000 if there were two previous girls. In second children of families with a previous boy 1017 girls were born per 1000 boys. Sex-ratio in those with one previous girl, who were taking traditional medicines for sex selection, was 928∶1000. Conclusion Evidence from the second children clearly shows the sex-ratio is being manipulated by human interventions. More mothers with previous girls tend to use traditional medicines for sex selection, in their subsequent pregnancies. Those taking such medication do not seem to be helped according to expectations. They seem to rely on this method and so are less likely use more definitive methods like sex selective abortions. This is the first such prospective investigation of sex ratio in second children looked at against the sex of previous children. More studies are needed to confirm the findings. PMID:21697990

Do men perform better than women in trauma?

PubMed

Hernández-Tejedor, Alberto; García-Fuentes, Carlos; Alted-López, Emilio

2014-02-27

In recent decades, numerous studies have compared survival according to gender of patients admitted to general hospitals and particularly to intensive care units. In a previous issue of Critical Care, Schoeneberg and colleagues presented the results of a German observational study on a sample from a 10 year registry in a Level 1 trauma center. The conclusion is that there is a trend towards a higher mortality in women than in men.

Comparison of Federal and Private Sector Pay and Benefits. Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Civil Service, Post Office, and General Services Committee on Government Affairs, United States Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

A study compared the compensation packages offered to private sector and Federal white-collar employees. The conclusions drawn in the study were based on data from previous and ongoing research conducted by the General Accounting Office (GAO). Analysis of these data revealed that whereas the Employment Cost Index has shown a cumulative increase of…

X-Ray Standing Waves on Surfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

dependent distributional changes of iodine on Pt 6.3 X-ray standing wave study of a Langmuir - Blodgett multilayer film 7. Conclusions 8. Acknowledgments...4B. 6.3 X-ray standing wave study of a Langmuir - Blodgett multilayer film As mentioned previously the total external reflection condition occurs...for a Zn atom layer embedded in the top arachidate bilayer of a Langmuir - Blodgett (LB) multilayer film which was deposited on the surface of a gold

Can We Draw General Conclusions from Interval Training Studies?

PubMed

Viana, Ricardo Borges; de Lira, Claudio Andre Barbosa; Naves, João Pedro Araújo; Coswig, Victor Silveira; Del Vecchio, Fabrício Boscolo; Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo; Vieira, Carlos Alexandre; Gentil, Paulo

2018-04-19

Interval training (IT) has been used for many decades with the purpose of increasing performance and promoting health benefits while demanding a relatively small amount of time. IT can be defined as intermittent periods of intense exercise separated by periods of recovery and has been divided into high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprint interval training (SIT), and repeated sprint training (RST). IT use has resulted in the publication of many studies and many of them with conflicting results and positions. The aim of this article was to move forward and understand the studies' protocols in order to draw accurate conclusions, as well as to avoid previous mistakes and effectively reproduce previous protocols. When analyzing the literature, we found many inconsistencies, such as the controversial concept of 'supramaximal' effort, a misunderstanding with regard to the term 'high intensity,' and the use of different strategies to control intensity. The adequate definition and interpretation of training intensity seems to be vital, since the results of IT are largely dependent on it. These observations are only a few examples of the complexity involved in IT prescription, and are discussed to illustrate some problems with the current literature regarding IT. Therefore, it is our opinion that it is not possible to draw general conclusions about IT without considering all variables used in IT prescription, such as exercise modality, intensity, effort and rest times, and participants' characteristics. In order to help guide researchers and health professionals in their practices it is important that experimental studies report their methods in as much detail as possible and future reviews and meta-analyses should critically discuss the articles included in the light of their methods to avoid inappropriate generalizations.

Overturning conclusions of Lévy flight movement patterns by fishing boats and foraging animals.

PubMed

Edwards, Andrew M

2011-06-01

A surprisingly diverse variety of foragers have previously been concluded to exhibit movement patterns known as Lévy flights, a special type of random walk. These foragers range in size from microzooplankton in experiments to fishermen in the Pacific Ocean and the North Sea. The Lévy flight conclusion implies that all the foragers have similar scale-free movement patterns that can be described by a single dimensionless parameter, the exponent micro of a power-law (Pareto) distribution. However, the previous conclusions have been made using methods that have since been shown to be problematic: inaccurate techniques were used to estimate micro, and the power-law distribution was usually assumed to hold without testing any alternative hypotheses. Therefore, I address the open question of whether the previous data still support the Lévy flight hypothesis, and thus determine whether Lévy flights really are so ubiquitous in ecology. I present a comprehensive reanalysis of 17 data sets from seven previous studies for which Lévy flight behavior had been concluded, covering marine, terrestrial, and experimental systems from four continents. I use the modern likelihood and Akaike weights approach to test whether simple alternative models are more supported by the data than Lévy flights. The previously estimated values of the power-law exponent micro do not match those calculated here using the accurate likelihood approach, and almost all of them lie outside of the likelihood-based 95% confidence intervals. Furthermore, the original power-law Lévy flight model is overwhelmingly rejected for 16 out of the 17 data sets when tested against three other simple models. For one data set, the data are consistent with coming from a bounded power-law distribution (a truncated Lévy flight). For three other data sets, an exponential distribution corresponding to a simple Poisson process is suitable. Thus, Lévy flight movement patterns are not the common phenomena that was once thought, and are not suitable for use as ecosystem indicators for fisheries management, as has been proposed.

ANALYSIS OF DESIGN RANGE FOR A STROKING SEAT ON A STROKING FLOOR TO MITIGATE BLAST LOADING EFFECTS

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-16

and the optimal design points that can mitigate the occupant injury to a range of input parameters. One key conclusion from the study is that blast...stroking) in another case . The results from this study are shown in Figure 10. The original two baseline design points explored in the previous...this study , occupant is positioned with feet on the foot-rest attached to the seat system. However, a particular vehicle design may have the

Cocaine, Appetitive Memory and Neural Connectivity

PubMed Central

Ray, Suchismita

2013-01-01

This review examines existing cognitive experimental and brain imaging research related to cocaine addiction. In section 1, previous studies that have examined cognitive processes, such as implicit and explicit memory processes in cocaine users are reported. Next, in section 2, brain imaging studies are reported that have used chronic users of cocaine as study participants. In section 3, several conclusions are drawn. They are: (a) in cognitive experimental literature, no study has examined both implicit and explicit memory processes involving cocaine related visual information in the same cocaine user, (b) neural mechanisms underlying implicit and explicit memory processes for cocaine-related visual cues have not been directly investigated in cocaine users in the imaging literature, and (c) none of the previous imaging studies has examined connectivity between the memory system and craving system in the brain of chronic users of cocaine. Finally, future directions in the field of cocaine addiction are suggested. PMID:25009766

Re-evaluation of Yellowstone grizzly bear population dynamics not supported by empirical data: response to Doak & Cutler

USGS Publications Warehouse

van Manen, Frank T.; Ebinger, Michael R.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Harris, Richard B.; Higgs, Megan D.; Cherry, Steve; White, Gary C.; Schwartz, Charles C.

2014-01-01

Doak and Cutler critiqued methods used by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) to estimate grizzly bear population size and trend in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Here, we focus on the premise, implementation, and interpretation of simulations they used to support their arguments. They argued that population increases documented by IGBST based on females with cubs-of-the-year were an artifact of increased search effort. However, we demonstrate their simulations were neither reflective of the true observation process nor did their results provide statistical support for their conclusion. They further argued that survival and reproductive senescence should be incorporated into population projections, but we demonstrate their choice of extreme mortality risk beyond age 20 and incompatible baseline fecundity led to erroneous conclusions. The conclusions of Doak and Cutler are unsubstantiated when placed within the context of a thorough understanding of the data, study system, and previous research findings and publications.

The association between MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism and ALL risk based on a meta-analysis involving 17,469 subjects.

PubMed

Zhang, Beibei; Zhang, Weiming; Yan, Liang; Wang, Daogang

2017-03-01

The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T polymorphism is closely related to the acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) indicated by many previous epidemiologic studies. However, their conclusions were still conflicting. Our aim is to evaluate their associations using a more comprehensive updated meta-analysis. Electronic searches were conducted to select published studies prior to February, 2016. Totally, 39 case-control studies including 6551 ALL cases and 10,918 controls were selected in current meta-analysis. The association was detected significantly between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and ALL reducing susceptibility. Our results indicate that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism may be a promising ALL biomarker and studies to explore the protein levels of the variants and their functional role are required for the definitive conclusions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acute tryptophan depletion in humans: a review of theoretical, practical and ethical aspects

PubMed Central

Young, Simon N.

2013-01-01

The acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) technique has been used extensively to study the effect of low serotonin in the human brain. This review assesses the validity of a number of published criticisms of the technique and a number of previously unpublished potential criticisms. The conclusion is that ATD can provide useful information when results are assessed in conjunction with results obtained using other techniques. The best-established conclusion is that low serotonin function after tryptophan depletion lowers mood in some people. However, this does not mean that other variables, altered after tryptophan depletion, are necessarily related to low serotonin. Each aspect of brain function has to be assessed separately. Furthermore, a negative tryptophan depletion study does not mean that low serotonin cannot influence the variable studied. This review suggests gaps in knowledge that need to be filled and guidelines for carrying out ATD studies. PMID:23428157

Incidence of Tardive Dyskinesia with Atypical and Conventional Antipsychotic Medications: Prospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Woods, Scott W.; Morgenstern, Hal; Saksa, John R.; Walsh, Barbara C.; Sullivan, Michelle C.; Money, Roy; Hawkins, Keith A.; Gueorguieva, Ralitza V.; Glazer, William M.

2011-01-01

Objective Most previous studies of the incidence of tardive dyskinesia with atypical compared to conventional antipsychotics have not had tardive dyskinesia as their primary focus. The current study aimed to compare the incidence of tardive dyskinesia with atypical vs. conventional antipsychotics using methods similar to those from a previous prospective cohort study at our site in the 1980s. Method 352 initially tardive dyskinesia-free psychiatric outpatients were examined for a new diagnosis of tardive dyskinesia every 6 months for up to 4 years at a community mental health center. At baseline, subjects were receiving conventional antipsychotics only (23%), atypicals only (64%), or both (14%). Only 26 subjects had never received conventional antipsychotics. Results Compared with subjects treated with conventional antipsychotics alone since the previous visit, the adjusted tardive dyskinesia incidence rate-ratio for subjects treated with atypical antipsychotics alone was 0.68 (95% confidence interval 0.29 to 1.64). The incidence and prevalence of tardive dyskinesia was similar to previous findings at this site in the 1980s. Conclusion The incidence of tardive dyskinesia with recent exposure to atypical antipsychotics alone was more similar to that for conventional antipsychotics than in most previous studies. Despite high penetration of atypical antipsychotics into clinical practice, the incidence and prevalence of tardive dyskinesia appeared relatively unchanged since the 1980s. Clinicians should continue to monitor for tardive dyskinesia, and researchers should continue to pursue efforts to treat or prevent it. PMID:20156410

Industry sponsorship and research outcome.

PubMed

Lundh, Andreas; Sismondo, Sergio; Lexchin, Joel; Busuioc, Octavian A; Bero, Lisa

2012-12-12

Clinical research affecting how doctors practice medicine is increasingly sponsored by companies that make drugs and medical devices. Previous systematic reviews have found that pharmaceutical industry sponsored studies are more often favorable to the sponsor's product compared with studies with other sources of sponsorship. This review is an update using more stringent methodology and also investigating sponsorship of device studies. To investigate whether industry sponsored drug and device studies have more favorable outcomes and differ in risk of bias, compared with studies having other sources of sponsorship. We searched MEDLINE (1948 to September 2010), EMBASE (1980 to September 2010), the Cochrane Methodology Register (Issue 4, 2010) and Web of Science (August 2011). In addition, we searched reference lists of included papers, previous systematic reviews and author files. Cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses that quantitatively compared primary research studies of drugs or medical devices sponsored by industry with studies with other sources of sponsorship. We had no language restrictions. Two assessors identified potentially relevant papers, and a decision about final inclusion was made by all authors. Two assessors extracted data, and we contacted authors of included papers for additional unpublished data. Outcomes included favorable results, favorable conclusions, effect size, risk of bias and whether the conclusions agreed with the study results. Two assessors assessed risk of bias of included papers. We calculated pooled risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous data (with 95% confidence intervals). Forty-eight papers were included. Industry sponsored studies more often had favorable efficacy results, risk ratio (RR): 1.24 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14 to 1.35), harms results RR: 1.87 (95% CI: 1.54 to 2.27) and conclusions RR: 1.31 (95% CI: 1.20 to 1.44) compared with non-industry sponsored studies. Ten papers reported on sponsorship and effect size, but could not be pooled due to differences in their reporting of data. The results were heterogeneous; five papers found larger effect sizes in industry sponsored studies compared with non-industry sponsored studies and five papers did not find a difference in effect size. Only two papers (including 120 device studies) reported separate data for devices and we did not find a difference between drug and device studies on the association between sponsorship and conclusions (test for interaction, P = 0.23). Comparing industry and non-industry sponsored studies, we did not find a difference in risk of bias from sequence generation, allocation concealment and follow-up. However, industry sponsored studies more often had low risk of bias from blinding, RR: 1.32 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.65), compared with non-industry sponsored studies. In industry sponsored studies, there was less agreement between the results and the conclusions than in non-industry sponsored studies, RR: 0.84 (95% CI: 0.70 to 1.01). Sponsorship of drug and device studies by the manufacturing company leads to more favorable results and conclusions than sponsorship by other sources. Our analyses suggest the existence of an industry bias that cannot be explained by standard 'Risk of bias' assessments.

Structural properties of lead-lithium alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khambholja, S. G.; Satikunvar, D. D.; Abhishek, Agraj; Thakore, B. Y.

2018-05-01

Lead-Lihtium alloys have found large number of applications as liquid metal coolants in nuclear reactors. Large number of experimental work is reported for this system. However, complete theoretical description is still rare. In this scenario, we in the present work report the study of ground state properties of Lead-Lithium system. The present study is performed using plane wave pseudopotential density functional theory as implemented in Quantum ESPRESSO package. The theoretical findings are in agreement with previously reported experimental data. Some conclusions are drawn based on present study, which will be helpful for a comprehensive study.

National Waterways Study. Commercial Water Transportation Users.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

34superfund" legislation would further increase the costs associated with hazardous materials transporta- tion, because industry would be subject to a tax to...high tax in Oregon. As previously discussed, this advantage may disapper if environmental restrictions on dumping increase in the future. Aside from...Fleeting 435 Other Issues 438 Conclusions 439 XI POSSIBLE ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION 442 Introduction 442 Increasing Lock

Impaired Performance on See-Know Tasks amongst Children with Autism: Evidence of Specific Difficulties with Theory of Mind or Domain-General Task Factors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lind, Sophie E.; Bowler, Dermot M.

2010-01-01

It is widely assumed that children with autism have a diminished understanding of the perception-knowledge relationship, as a specific manifestation of a theory of mind (ToM) impairment. However, such a conclusion may not be justified on the basis of previous studies, which have suffered from significant methodological weaknesses. The current…

Mechanical property studies of human gallstones.

PubMed

Stranne, S K; Cocks, F H; Gettliffe, R

1990-08-01

The recent development of gallstone fragmentation methods has increased the significance of the study of the mechanical properties of human gallstones. In the present work, fracture strength data and microhardness values of gallstones of various chemical compositions are presented as tested in both dry and simulated bile environments. Generally, both gallstone hardness and fracture strength values were significantly less than kidney stone values found in previous studies. However, a single calcium carbonate stone was found to have an outer shell hardness exceeding those values found for kidney stones. Diametral compression measurements in simulated bile conclusively demonstrated low gallstone fracture strength as well as brittle fracture in the stones tested. Based on the results of this study, one may conclude that the wide range of gallstone microhardnesses found may explain the reported difficulties previous investigators have experienced using various fragmentation techniques on specific gallstones. Moreover, gallstone mechanical properties may be relatively sensitive to bile-environment composition.

Update on the epidemiology of the rheumatic diseases.

PubMed

Gabriel, S E

1996-03-01

Epidemiologic studies continue to enhance our understanding of the rheumatic diseases. Such studies now indicate that 26 million American women are at risk for osteoporotic fractures. Contrary to previous recommendations, the identification and treatment of patients at risk for osteoporosis may be valuable even among very elderly people. Other epidemiologic studies suggest that the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis is decreasing and that it is a more benign disease than previously recognized. Osteoarthritis remains a leading cause of physical and work disability in North America. The roles of occupational physical activity, obesity, and highly competitive (though not low-impact) exercise as risk factors for osteoarthritis continue to be explored. Pharmacoepidemiologic research has recently demonstrated that a policy of prior authorization for prescription of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be highly cost effective. Finally, controlled epidemiologic studies have not confirmed an association between silicone breast implants and connective tissue diseases, a conclusion recently endorsed by the American College of Rheumatology.

From Inductive Reasoning to Proof

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yopp, David A.

2009-01-01

Mathematical proof is an expression of deductive reasoning (drawing conclusions from previous assertions). However, it is often inductive reasoning (conclusions drawn on the basis of examples) that helps learners form their deductive arguments, or proof. In addition, not all inductive arguments generate more formal arguments. This article draws a…

Refill adherence and persistence to lipid‐lowering medicines in patients with type 2 diabetes: A nation‐wide register‐based study

PubMed Central

Hero, Christel; Eliasson, Björn; Franzén, Stefan; Svensson, Ann‐Marie; Miftaraj, Mervete; Gudbjörnsdottir, Soffia; Eeg‐Olofsson, Katarina; Andersson Sundell, Karolina

2017-01-01

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to describe and compare refill adherence and persistence to lipid‐lowering medicines in patients with type 2 diabetes by previous cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods We followed 97 595 patients (58% men; 23% with previous CVD) who were 18 years of age or older when initiating lipid‐lowering medicines in 2007–2010 until first fill of multi‐dose dispensed medicines, death, or 3 years. Using personal identity numbers, we linked individuals' data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, the Swedish National Diabetes Register, the National Patient Register, the Cause of Death Register, and the Longitudinal Integration Database for Health Insurance and Labour Market Studies. We assessed refill adherence using the medication possession ratio (MPR) and the maximum gap method, and measured persistence from initiation to discontinuation of treatment or until 3 years after initiation. We analyzed differences in refill adherence and persistence by previous CVD in multiple regression models, adjusted for socioeconomic status, concurrent medicines, and clinical characteristics. Results The mean age of the study population was 64 years, 80% were born in Sweden, and 56% filled prescriptions for diabetes medicines. Mean MPR was 71%, 39% were adherent according to the maximum gap method, and mean persistence was 758 days. Patients with previous CVD showed higher MPR (3%) and lower risk for discontinuing treatment (12%) compared with patients without previous CVD (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Patients with previous CVD were more likely to be adherent to treatment and had lower risk for discontinuation compared with patients without previous CVD. PMID:28799214

Standardized Interpretation of Chest Radiographs in Cases of Pediatric Pneumonia From the PERCH Study.

PubMed

Fancourt, Nicholas; Deloria Knoll, Maria; Barger-Kamate, Breanna; de Campo, John; de Campo, Margaret; Diallo, Mahamadou; Ebruke, Bernard E; Feikin, Daniel R; Gleeson, Fergus; Gong, Wenfeng; Hammitt, Laura L; Izadnegahdar, Rasa; Kruatrachue, Anchalee; Madhi, Shabir A; Manduku, Veronica; Matin, Fariha Bushra; Mahomed, Nasreen; Moore, David P; Mwenechanya, Musaku; Nahar, Kamrun; Oluwalana, Claire; Ominde, Micah Silaba; Prosperi, Christine; Sande, Joyce; Suntarattiwong, Piyarat; O'Brien, Katherine L

2017-06-15

Chest radiographs (CXRs) are a valuable diagnostic tool in epidemiologic studies of pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) methodology for the interpretation of pediatric CXRs has not been evaluated beyond its intended application as an endpoint measure for bacterial vaccine trials. The Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) study enrolled children aged 1-59 months hospitalized with WHO-defined severe and very severe pneumonia from 7 low- and middle-income countries. An interpretation process categorized each CXR into 1 of 5 conclusions: consolidation, other infiltrate, both consolidation and other infiltrate, normal, or uninterpretable. Two members of a 14-person reading panel, who had undertaken training and standardization in CXR interpretation, interpreted each CXR. Two members of an arbitration panel provided additional independent reviews of CXRs with discordant interpretations at the primary reading, blinded to previous reports. Further discordance was resolved with consensus discussion. A total of 4172 CXRs were obtained from 4232 cases. Observed agreement for detecting consolidation (with or without other infiltrate) between primary readers was 78% (κ = 0.50) and between arbitrators was 84% (κ = 0.61); agreement for primary readers and arbitrators across 5 conclusion categories was 43.5% (κ = 0.25) and 48.5% (κ = 0.32), respectively. Disagreement was most frequent between conclusions of other infiltrate and normal for both the reading panel and the arbitration panel (32% and 30% of discordant CXRs, respectively). Agreement was similar to that of previous evaluations using the WHO methodology for detecting consolidation, but poor for other infiltrates despite attempts at a rigorous standardization process. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Pulsatile flow in ventricular catheters for hydrocephalus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giménez, Á.; Galarza, M.; Thomale, U.; Schuhmann, M. U.; Valero, J.; Amigó, J. M.

2017-05-01

The obstruction of ventricular catheters (VCs) is a major problem in the standard treatment of hydrocephalus, the flow pattern of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) being one important factor thereof. As a first approach to this problem, some of the authors studied previously the CSF flow through VCs under time-independent boundary conditions by means of computational fluid dynamics in three-dimensional models. This allowed us to derive a few basic principles which led to designs with improved flow patterns regarding the obstruction problem. However, the flow of the CSF has actually a pulsatile nature because of the heart beating and blood flow. To address this fact, here we extend our previous computational study to models with oscillatory boundary conditions. The new results will be compared with the results for constant flows and discussed. It turns out that the corrections due to the pulsatility of the CSF are quantitatively small, which reinforces our previous findings and conclusions. This article is part of the themed issue `Mathematical methods in medicine: neuroscience, cardiology and pathology'.

Bilirubin Level is Associated with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Independent of Blood Pressure in Previously Untreated Hypertensive Patients

PubMed Central

Ayaz, Teslime; Kocaman, Sinan Altan; Durakoğlugil, Tuğba; Erdoğan, Turan; Şahin, Osman Zikrullah; Şahin, Serap Baydur; Çiçek, Yüksel; Şatiroğlu, Ömer

2014-01-01

Background and Objectives Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), a sign of subclinical cardiovascular disease, is an important predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of our study was to determine the association of left ventricular mass (LVM) with possible causative anthropometric and biochemical parameters as well as carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) as surrogates of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction, respectively, in previously untreated hypertensive patients. Subjects and Methods Our study included 114 consecutive previously untreated hypertensive patients who underwent echocardiography and ultrasonography to evaluate their vascular status and function via brachial artery CIMT and FMD. Results Among all study parameters, age, systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, pulse pressure, plasma glucose, uric acid, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, hemoglobin, and CIMT were positively correlated with the LVM index. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that office systolic BP, age, male gender, and total bilirubin were independent predictors of LVH. Conclusion Bilirubin seems to be related to LVM and LVH. The positive association of bilirubin with these parameters is novel and requires further research. PMID:25278987

Stressful Life Events and Daily Stressors Affect Awakening Cortisol Level in Midlife Mothers of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Wong, Jen D.; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Greenberg, Jan S.; Hong, Jinkuk; Almeida, David M.; Coe, Christopher L.

2012-01-01

Objectives The current study examines the awakening cortisol level in midlife mothers (M=51.4 years old, SD=8.4) of individuals (M=22.1 years old, SD=7.1) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) under stressful conditions that are not specific to the son or daughter's ASD symptoms. Methods In addition to completing a set of questionnaires and in-home interviews, 82 mothers from the Adolescents and Adults with Autism Study (AAA) participated in a Daily Diary Study. Results Findings from the multilevel models indicated that mothers who previously were exposed to no negative life events in the previous period had an increased awakening cortisol level on days following a greater number and more severe stressors, a normative stress response. In contrast, we observed a flatter cortisol level of daily stressors in mothers who experienced a greater number of negative life events in the previous period. Conclusion These findings highlight the sustained toll that global and everyday stressors have on awakening cortisol level of midlife and aging mothers of individuals with ASD. PMID:22640177

Back Pain Prevalence and Its Associated Factors in Brazilian Athletes from Public High Schools: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Noll, Matias; de Avelar, Ivan Silveira; Lehnen, Georgia Cristina; Vieira, Marcus Fraga

2016-01-01

Most studies on the prevalence of back pain have evaluated it in developed countries (Human Development Index—HDI > 0.808), and their conclusions may not hold for developing countries. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of back pain in representative Brazilian athletes from public high schools. This cross-sectional study was performed during the state phase of the 2015 Jogos dos Institutos Federais (JIF), or Federal Institutes Games, in Brazil (HDI = 0.744), and it enrolled 251 athletes, 173 males and 78 females (14–20 years old). The dependent variable was back pain, and the independent variables were demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, hereditary, exercise-level, anthropometric, strength, behavioral, and postural factors. The prevalence ratio (PR) was calculated using multivariable analysis according to the Poisson regression model (α = 0.05). The prevalence of back pain in the three months prior to the study was 43.7% (n = 104), and 26% of the athletes reported feeling back pain only once. Multivariable analysis showed that back pain was associated with demographic (sex), psychosocial (loneliness and loss of sleep in the previous year), hereditary (ethnicity, parental back pain), strength (lumbar and hand forces), anthropometric (body mass index), behavioral (sleeping time per night, reading and studying in bed, smoking habits in the previous month), and postural (sitting posture while writing, while on a bench, and while using a computer) variables. Participants who recorded higher levels of lumbar and manual forces reported a lower prevalence of back pain (PR < 0.79), whereas feeling lonely in the previous year, obesity, and ethnicity exhibited the highest prevalence ratio (PR > 1.30). In conclusion, there is no association between exercise levels and back pain but there is an association between back pain and non-exercise related variables. PMID:26938456

An Overview of Total Quality Management (TQM) practice in Construction Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likita, A. J.; Zainun, N. Y.; Rahman, I. Abdul; Awal, A. S. M. Abdul; Alias, A. R.; Rahman, M. Q. Abdul; Ghazali, F. E. Mohamed

2018-04-01

In construction sector TQM can be termed as a philosophy which guides construction professionals on the proper execution of construction projects in terms of quality. The aim of this paper is to discuss on quality management practice in construction sector. This paper evaluated five previous researches and the findings were discussed to find a conclusion of TQM practise in construction sector. The study found that TQM had been successfully practice in construction sector at Saudi Arabia, India, US and South Africa. Application of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) help to improve the implementation of TQM in construction sector. In conclusion, quality management practices will give better control of processes in construction sector.

Vortex dynamics in ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trylesinski, Gabriel; Varble, Nicole; Xiang, Jianping; Meng, Hui

2013-11-01

Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are potentially devastating pathological dilations of arterial walls that affect 2-5% of the population. In our previous CFD study of 119 IAs, we found that ruptured aneurysms were correlated with complex flow pattern and statistically predictable by low wall shear stress and high oscillatory shear index. To understand flow mechanisms that drive the pathophysiology of aneurysm wall leading to either stabilization or growth and rupture, we aim at exploring vortex dynamics of aneurysmal flow and provide insight into the correlation between the previous predictive morphological parameters and wall hemodynamic metrics. We adopt the Q-criterion definition of coherent structures (CS) and analyze the CS dynamics in aneurysmal flows for both ruptured and unruptured IA cases. For the first time, we draw relevant biological conclusions concerning aneurysm flow mechanisms and pathophysiological outcome. In pulsatile simulations, the coherent structures are analyzed in these 119 patient-specific geometries obtained using 3D angiograms. The images were reconstructed and CFD were performed. Upon conclusion of this work, better understanding of flow patterns of unstable aneurysms may lead to improved clinical outcome.

The coherence effect: Blending cold and hot cognitions.

PubMed

Simon, Dan; Stenstrom, Douglas M; Read, Stephen J

2015-09-01

Previous research has shown that making complex judgments and decisions entails a mental reconstruction of the task in a way that increases the state of coherence between the emerging conclusion and its underlying attributes: The attributes that support the conclusion grow stronger, whereas the attributes that support the losing option weaken. This coherence effect is understood to occur bidirectionally, in that conclusions follow from the decision-maker's evaluation of the attributes, while the evaluations of the attributes shift to cohere with the emerging conclusion. The current studies were designed to extend the coherence effect to encompass cognitions that could be considered "hot," such as valence evaluations, motivation toward outcomes of events, liking and disliking of actors, and emotions toward actors. Study 1 found that evaluations of a complex social relationship were accompanied not only by supportive interpretations of the ambiguous facts, but also by concordant hot cognitions. Studies 2 through 4 included manipulations to demonstrate the spreading of coherence from cold to hot cognitions and in the opposite direction. We observed these effects following a manipulation of the facts (Study 2), a manipulation of participants' emotions toward the actor (Study 3), and a manipulation of participants' motivation toward the outcome of the case (Study 4). These results support the proposition that complex judgments and decisions are performed by coherence-based reasoning: a holistic, connectionist process that maximizes coherence among and between the myriad of factors involved in the tasks and the hot cognitive reactions to them. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

First-principles study of point defects at a semicoherent interface

DOE PAGES

Metsanurk, E.; Tamm, A.; Caro, A.; ...

2014-12-19

Most of the atomistic modeling of semicoherent metal-metal interfaces has so far been based on the use of semiempirical interatomic potentials. Here, we show that key conclusions drawn from previous studies are in contradiction with more precise ab-initio calculations. In particular we find that single point defects do not delocalize, but remain compact near the interfacial plane in Cu-Nb multilayers. Lastly, we give a simple qualitative explanation for this difference on the basis of the well known limited transferability of empirical potentials.

Lemur behaviour informs the evolution of social monogamy.

PubMed

Kappeler, Peter M

2014-11-01

Recent comparative analyses reached contradictory conclusions about the evolutionary origins of social monogamy in primates and other mammals, but they ignored variation in social bond quality between pair-partners. Recent field studies of Malagasy primates (lemurs) with variable intersexual bonds indicate independent evolutionary transitions to pair-living from solitary and group-living ancestors, respectively, as well as four cumulative steps in evolutionary transitions from a solitary life style to pair-living that resolve some contradictory results of previous studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delusion proneness and 'jumping to conclusions': relative and absolute effects.

PubMed

van der Leer, L; Hartig, B; Goldmanis, M; McKay, R

2015-04-01

That delusional and delusion-prone individuals 'jump to conclusions' is one of the most robust and important findings in the literature on delusions. However, although the notion of 'jumping to conclusions' (JTC) implies gathering insufficient evidence and reaching premature decisions, previous studies have not investigated whether the evidence gathering of delusion-prone individuals is, in fact, suboptimal. The standard JTC effect is a relative effect but using relative comparisons to substantiate absolute claims is problematic. In this study we investigated whether delusion-prone participants jump to conclusions in both a relative and an absolute sense. Healthy participants (n = 112) completed an incentivized probabilistic reasoning task in which correct decisions were rewarded and additional information could be requested for a small price. This combination of rewards and costs generated optimal decision points. Participants also completed measures of delusion proneness, intelligence and risk aversion. Replicating the standard relative finding, we found that delusion proneness significantly predicted task decisions, such that the more delusion prone the participants were, the earlier they decided. This finding was robust when accounting for the effects of risk aversion and intelligence. Importantly, high-delusion-prone participants also decided in advance of an objective rational optimum, gathering fewer data than would have maximized their expected payoff. Surprisingly, we found that even low-delusion-prone participants jumped to conclusions in this absolute sense. Our findings support and clarify the claim that delusion formation is associated with a tendency to 'jump to conclusions'. In short, most people jump to conclusions, but more delusion-prone individuals 'jump further'.

Colonic stem cell data are consistent with the immortal model of stem cell division under non-random strand segregation.

PubMed

Walters, K

2009-06-01

Colonic stem cells are thought to reside towards the base of crypts of the colon, but their numbers and proliferation mechanisms are not well characterized. A defining property of stem cells is that they are able to divide asymmetrically, but it is not known whether they always divide asymmetrically (immortal model) or whether there are occasional symmetrical divisions (stochastic model). By measuring diversity of methylation patterns in colon crypt samples, a recent study found evidence in favour of the stochastic model, assuming random segregation of stem cell DNA strands during cell division. Here, the effect of preferential segregation of the template strand is considered to be consistent with the 'immortal strand hypothesis', and explore the effect on conclusions of previously published results. For a sample of crypts, it is shown how, under the immortal model, to calculate mean and variance of the number of unique methylation patterns allowing for non-random strand segregation and compare them with those observed. The calculated mean and variance are consistent with an immortal model that incorporates non-random strand segregation for a range of stem cell numbers and levels of preferential strand segregation. Allowing for preferential strand segregation considerably alters previously published conclusions relating to stem cell numbers and turnover mechanisms. Evidence in favour of the stochastic model may not be as strong as previously thought.

GLUT3 protein and mRNA in autopsy muscle specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuart, C. A.; Wen, G.; Jiang, J.

1999-01-01

GLUT3 is expressed in rat muscle, but this glucose transporter protein has not been identified previously in adult human skeletal muscle. We quantified the rapidity of disappearance of mRNA and protein from human skeletal muscle at room temperature and at 4 degrees C. Fifty percent of the immunologically detectable GLUT3 protein disappeared by 1 hour at 20 degrees C and by 2 hours at 4 degrees C. mRNA for GLUT3 was decreased 50% by 2.2 hours at 20 degrees C and by 24 hours at 4 degrees C. Half of the measurable mRNAs for GLUT4, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), alpha-actin, and beta-myosin disappeared by 0.8 to 2.1 hours at 20 degrees C and by 5.0 to 16.6 hours at 4 degrees C. Previous conclusions that GLUT3 is not expressed in human muscle were likely drawn because of artifacts related to degradation of GLUT3 protein in the specimens prior to study. Because of the rapid degradation of protein and mRNA, autopsy specimens of muscle must be obtained within 6 hours of death, and even then, protein and mRNA data will likely dramatically underestimate their expression in fresh muscle. Some previously published conclusions and recommendations regarding autopsy specimens are not stringent enough to consistently yield useful protein and mRNA.

A Time Series Analysis: Weather Factors, Human Migration and Malaria Cases in Endemic Area of Purworejo, Indonesia, 2005–2014

PubMed Central

REJEKI, Dwi Sarwani Sri; NURHAYATI, Nunung; AJI, Budi; MURHANDARWATI, E. Elsa Herdiana; KUSNANTO, Hari

2018-01-01

Background: Climatic and weather factors become important determinants of vector-borne diseases transmission like malaria. This study aimed to prove relationships between weather factors with considering human migration and previous case findings and malaria cases in endemic areas in Purworejo during 2005–2014. Methods: This study employed ecological time series analysis by using monthly data. The independent variables were the maximum temperature, minimum temperature, maximum humidity, minimum humidity, precipitation, human migration, and previous malaria cases, while the dependent variable was positive malaria cases. Three models of count data regression analysis i.e. Poisson model, quasi-Poisson model, and negative binomial model were applied to measure the relationship. The least Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) value was also performed to find the best model. Negative binomial regression analysis was considered as the best model. Results: The model showed that humidity (lag 2), precipitation (lag 3), precipitation (lag 12), migration (lag1) and previous malaria cases (lag 12) had a significant relationship with malaria cases. Conclusion: Weather, migration and previous malaria cases factors need to be considered as prominent indicators for the increase of malaria case projection. PMID:29900134

Minimum Period of Rotation of Millisecond Pulsars and Pulsar Matter Equations of State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikheev, Sergey; Tsvetkov, Victor

2018-02-01

Based on the findings of our previous studies of fast-rotating Newtonian polytropes, we found the relation between the minimum pulsar rotation period, the value of pulsar central density, and the polytropic index. From this relation we come to the conclusion that the value of minimum central density of a pulsar with a peak period is 2.5088 • 1014 g/cm3.

Σ--antihyperon correlations in Z0 decay and investigation of the baryon production mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbiendi, G.; Ainsley, C.; Åkesson, P. F.; Alexander, G.; Anagnostou, G.; Anderson, K. J.; Asai, S.; Axen, D.; Bailey, I.; Barberio, E.; Barillari, T.; Barlow, R. J.; Batley, R. J.; Bechtle, P.; Behnke, T.; Bell, K. W.; Bell, P. J.; Bella, G.; Bellerive, A.; Benelli, G.; Bethke, S.; Biebel, O.; Boeriu, O.; Bock, P.; Boutemeur, M.; Braibant, S.; Brown, R. M.; Burckhart, H. J.; Campana, S.; Capiluppi, P.; Carnegie, R. K.; Carter, A. A.; Carter, J. R.; Chang, C. Y.; Charlton, D. G.; Ciocca, C.; Csilling, A.; Cuffiani, M.; Dado, S.; Dallavalle, M.; de Roeck, A.; de Wolf, E. A.; Desch, K.; Dienes, B.; Dubbert, J.; Duchovni, E.; Duckeck, G.; Duerdoth, I. P.; Etzion, E.; Fabbri, F.; Ferrari, P.; Fiedler, F.; Fleck, I.; Ford, M.; Frey, A.; Gagnon, P.; Gary, J. W.; Geich-Gimbel, C.; Giacomelli, G.; Giacomelli, P.; Giunta, M.; Goldberg, J.; Gross, E.; Grunhaus, J.; Gruwé, M.; Gupta, A.; Hajdu, C.; Hamann, M.; Hanson, G. G.; Harel, A.; Hauschild, M.; Hawkes, C. M.; Hawkings, R.; Herten, G.; Heuer, R. D.; Hill, J. C.; Horváth, D.; Igo-Kemenes, P.; Ishii, K.; Jeremie, H.; Jovanovic, P.; Junk, T. R.; Kanzaki, J.; Karlen, D.; Kawagoe, K.; Kawamoto, T.; Keeler, R. K.; Kellogg, R. G.; Kennedy, B. W.; Kluth, S.; Kobayashi, T.; Kobel, M.; Komamiya, S.; Krämer, T.; Krasznahorkay, A.; Krieger, P.; von Krogh, J.; Kuhl, T.; Kupper, M.; Lafferty, G. D.; Landsman, H.; Lanske, D.; Lellouch, D.; Letts, J.; Levinson, L.; Lillich, J.; Lloyd, S. L.; Loebinger, F. K.; Lu, J.; Ludwig, A.; Ludwig, J.; Mader, W.; Marcellini, S.; Martin, A. J.; Mashimo, T.; Mättig, P.; McKenna, J.; McPherson, R. A.; Meijers, F.; Menges, W.; Merritt, F. S.; Mes, H.; Meyer, N.; Michelini, A.; Mihara, S.; Mikenberg, G.; Miller, D. J.; Mohr, W.; Mori, T.; Mutter, A.; Nagai, K.; Nakamura, I.; Nanjo, H.; Neal, H. A.; O'Neale, S. W.; Oh, A.; Oreglia, M. J.; Orito, S.; Pahl, C.; Pásztor, G.; Pater, J. R.; Pilcher, J. E.; Pinfold, J.; Plane, D. E.; Pooth, O.; Przybycień, M.; Quadt, A.; Rabbertz, K.; Rembser, C.; Renkel, P.; Roney, J. M.; Rossi, A. M.; Rozen, Y.; Runge, K.; Sachs, K.; Saeki, T.; Sarkisyan, E. K. G.; Schaile, A. D.; Schaile, O.; Scharff-Hansen, P.; Schieck, J.; Schörner-Sadenius, T.; Schröder, M.; Schumacher, M.; Seuster, R.; Shears, T. G.; Shen, B. C.; Sherwood, P.; Skuja, A.; Smith, A. M.; Sobie, R.; Söldner-Rembold, S.; Spano, F.; Stahl, A.; Strom, D.; Ströhmer, R.; Tarem, S.; Tasevsky, M.; Teuscher, R.; Thomson, M. A.; Torrence, E.; Toya, D.; Trigger, I.; Trócsányi, Z.; Tsur, E.; Turner-Watson, M. F.; Ueda, I.; Ujvári, B.; Vollmer, C. F.; Vannerem, P.; Vértesi, R.; Verzocchi, M.; Voss, H.; Vossebeld, J.; Ward, C. P.; Ward, D. R.; Watkins, P. M.; Watson, A. T.; Watson, N. K.; Wells, P. S.; Wengler, T.; Wermes, N.; Wetterling, D.; Wilson, G. W.; Wilson, J. A.; Wolf, G.; Wyatt, T. R.; Yamashita, S.; Zer-Zion, D.; Zivkovic, L.

2009-12-01

Data collected around sqrt{s}=91 GeV by the OPAL experiment at the LEP e+e- collider are used to study the mechanism of baryon formation. As the signature, the fraction of Σ- hyperons whose baryon number is compensated by the production of a overline{Σ-},overline{Λ} or overline{Ξ-} antihyperon is determined. The method relies entirely on quantum number correlations of the baryons, and not rapidity correlations, making it more model independent than previous studies. Within the context of the JETSET implementation of the string hadronization model, the diquark baryon production model without the popcorn mechanism is strongly disfavored with a significance of 3.8 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. It is shown that previous studies of the popcorn mechanism with Λ overline{Λ} and p\\uppi overline{p} correlations are not conclusive, if parameter uncertainties are considered.

The Role of Prediction In Perception: Evidence From Interrupted Visual Search

PubMed Central

Mereu, Stefania; Zacks, Jeffrey M.; Kurby, Christopher A.; Lleras, Alejandro

2014-01-01

Recent studies of rapid resumption—an observer’s ability to quickly resume a visual search after an interruption—suggest that predictions underlie visual perception. Previous studies showed that when the search display changes unpredictably after the interruption, rapid resumption disappears. This conclusion is at odds with our everyday experience, where the visual system seems to be quite efficient despite continuous changes of the visual scene; however, in the real world, changes can typically be anticipated based on previous knowledge. The present study aimed to evaluate whether changes to the visual display can be incorporated into the perceptual hypotheses, if observers are allowed to anticipate such changes. Results strongly suggest that an interrupted visual search can be rapidly resumed even when information in the display has changed after the interruption, so long as participants not only can anticipate them, but also are aware that such changes might occur. PMID:24820440

The Problem of Confounding in Studies of the Effect of Maternal Drug Use on Pregnancy Outcome

PubMed Central

Källén, Bengt

2012-01-01

In most epidemilogical studies, the problem of confounding adds to the uncertainty in conclusions drawn. This is also true for studies on the effect of maternal drug use on birth defect risks. This paper describes various types of such confounders and discusses methods to identify and adjust for them. Such confounders can be found in maternal characteristics like age, parity, smoking, use of alcohol, and body mass index, subfertility, and previous pregnancies including previous birth of a malformed child, socioeconomy, race/ethnicity, or country of birth. Confounding by concomitant maternal drug use may occur. A geographical or seasonal confounding can exist. In rare instances, infant sex and multiple birth can appear as confounders. The most difficult problem to solve is often confounding by indication. The problem of confounding is less important for congenital malformations than for many other pregnancy outcomes. PMID:22190949

Updated determination of stress parameters for nine well-recorded earthquakes in eastern North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boore, David M.

2012-01-01

Stress parameters (Δσ) are determined for nine relatively well-recorded earthquakes in eastern North America for ten attenuation models. This is an update of a previous study by Boore et al. (2010). New to this paper are observations from the 2010 Val des Bois earthquake, additional observations for the 1988 Saguenay and 2005 Riviere du Loup earthquakes, and consideration of six attenuation models in addition to the four used in the previous study. As in that study, it is clear that Δσ depends strongly on the rate of geometrical spreading (as well as other model parameters). The observations necessary to determine conclusively which attenuation model best fits the data are still lacking. At this time, a simple 1/R model seems to give as good an overall fit to the data as more complex models.

Different Pearl Indices in studies of hormonal contraceptives in the United States: Impact of study population

PubMed Central

Gerlinger, Christoph; Trussell, James; Mellinger, Uwe; Merz, Martin; Marr, Joachim; Bannemerschult, Ralf; Schellschmidt, Ilka; Endrikat, Jan

2014-01-01

Objective To examine the impact of subject characteristics on efficacy as measured by the Pearl Index (PI) in clinical trials and to make study populations similar by matching. Methods Our analysis used US data from four large Phase III studies. We compared results from one fertility control patch study with pooled data from three studies with virtually identical design on oral hormonal contraceptives. First, we identified three characteristics that had the most impact on the PI. Second, we used these three variables and matched subjects from the patch study with those from the OC studies. Finally, we calculated the PIs for matched and unmatched subjects from both the patch study and the OC studies. Results A total of 3,706 subjects were included in our analysis. The variables ‘Hispanic ethnicity’, ‘previous pregnancy’ and ‘previous use of hormonal contraceptives’ had the most impact on the PI. The PIs for the matched patch cohort and the matched OC cohort were 2.97 and 2.48, respectively. Those for the unmatched patch cohort and the unmatched OC cohort were 10.17 and 0.90, respectively. Conclusion Subject characteristics strongly influence the PI in clinical studies of hormonal contraceptives. In particular, Hispanic ethnicity, previous pregnancies and no previous use of hormonal contraceptives result in a higher PI. Implications PIs from different clinical trials cannot be meaningfully compared unless subject characteristics that have most impact on the PI are similar, or are made to be similar statistically as we did here by matching. PMID:24813941

High Titers ofChlamydia trachomatis Antibodies in Brazilian Women with Tubal Occlusion or Previous Ectopic Pregnancy

PubMed Central

Machado, A. C. S.; Guimarães, E. M. B.; Sakurai, E.; Fioravante, F. C. R.; Amaral, W. N.; Alves, M. F. C.

2007-01-01

Objective. To evaluate serum chlamydia antibody titers (CATs) in tubal occlusion or previous ectopic pregnancy and the associated risk factors.Methods. The study population consisted of 55 women wih tubal damage and 55 parous women. CAT was measured using the whole-cell inclusion immunofluorescence test and cervical chlamydial DNA detected by PCR. Odds ratios were calculated to assess variables associated withC. trachomatis infection.Results. The prevalence of chlamydial antibodies and antibody titers in women with tubal occlusion or previous ectopic pregnancy was significantly higher (P < .01) than in parous women. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that chlamydia IgG antibodies were associated with tubal damage and with a larger number of lifetime sexual partners.Conclusions. Chlamydia antibody titers were associated with tubal occlusion, prior ectopic pregnancy, and with sexual behavior, suggesting that a chlamydia infection was the major contributor to the tubal damage in these women. PMID:17541464

Parkinson's Patients with Dyskinesia Switched from Immediate Release Amantadine to Open‐label ADS‐5102

PubMed Central

Fahn, Stanley; Pahwa, Rajesh; Tanner, Caroline M.; Espay, Alberto J.; Trenkwalder, Claudia; Adler, Charles H.; Patni, Rajiv; Johnson, Reed

2018-01-01

Abstract Background ADS‐5102 (amantadine) extended release capsules (GOCOVRI™) are a treatment for dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). ADS‐5102 reduced dyskinesia and OFF time in phase 3 controlled trials of up to six months. Amantadine immediate release (IR) is used for dyskinesia, but suboptimal durability and tolerability limit its clinical utility. Methods In an ongoing, open‐label, phase 3 study in the US and Western Europe (NCT02202551), patients with PD received 274 mg of ADS‐5102 (equivalent to 340 mg amantadine HCl) once daily at bedtime for up to two years. Study outcomes included safety and assessment of motor complications, as measured by the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS) Part IV. This manuscript focuses on those patients switched to ADS‐5102 from amantadine IR. Results in two groups of patients who previously completed a randomized controlled trial (EASE LID or EASE LID 3) are also presented according to use of ADS‐5102 or placebo in that study before enrollment in the open‐label study. Results Change in MDS‐UPDRS Part IV at week 8 was –0.3 in the previous ADS‐5102 subgroup (n = 61), –3.4 in the previous placebo subgroup (n = 79), and –3.4 in the previous amantadine IR subgroup (n = 32). Effects were maintained to week 64. In the previous amantadine IR subgroup (mean treatment duration, 2.5 years), mean amantadine IR dose was 221 mg. Safety data were consistent with previous randomized controlled trials of ADS‐5102. Conclusion These open‐label data suggest ADS‐5102 provides incremental reduction from baseline in MDS‐UDPRS Part IV score in patients switched directly from amantadine IR, without exacerbating adverse events.

Colour cues proved to be more informative for dogs than brightness.

PubMed

Kasparson, Anna A; Badridze, Jason; Maximov, Vadim V

2013-09-07

The results of early studies on colour vision in dogs led to the conclusion that chromatic cues are unimportant for dogs during their normal activities. Nevertheless, the canine retina possesses two cone types which provide at least the potential for colour vision. Recently, experiments controlling for the brightness information in visual stimuli demonstrated that dogs have the ability to perform chromatic discrimination. Here, we show that for eight previously untrained dogs colour proved to be more informative than brightness when choosing between visual stimuli differing both in brightness and chromaticity. Although brightness could have been used by the dogs in our experiments (unlike previous studies), it was not. Our results demonstrate that under natural photopic lighting conditions colour information may be predominant even for animals that possess only two spectral types of cone photoreceptors.

Exo-C: a Probe-Scale Space Mission to Directly Image and Spectroscopically Characterize Exoplanetary Systems Using an Internal Coronagraph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stapelfeldt, Karl R.; Brenner, Michael P.; Warfield, Keith R.; Dekens, Frank G.; Belikov, Ruslan; Brugarolas, Paul B.; Bryden, Geoffrey; Cahoy, Kerri L.; Chakrabarti, Supriya; Dubovitsky, Serge;

Breastfeeding is positively associated with child intelligence even net of parental IQ.

PubMed

Kanazawa, Satoshi

2015-12-01

Some previous reviews conclude that breastfeeding is not significantly associated with increased intelligence in children once mother's IQ is statistically controlled. The conclusion may potentially have both theoretical and methodological problems. The National Child Development Study allows the examination of the effect of breastfeeding on intelligence in two consecutive generations of British children. The analysis of the first generation shows that the effect of breastfeeding on intelligence increases from Age 7 to 16. The analysis of the second generation shows that each month of breastfeeding, net of parental IQ and other potential confounds, is associated with an increase of .16 IQ points. Further analyses suggest that some previous studies may have failed to uncover the effect of breastfeeding on child intelligence because of their reliance on one IQ test. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Presurgical language lateralization assessment by fMRI and dichotic listening of pediatric patients with intractable epilepsy

PubMed Central

Norrelgen, Fritjof; Lilja, Anders; Ingvar, Martin; Åmark, Per; Fransson, Peter

2014-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical use of a method to assess hemispheric language dominance in pediatric candidates for epilepsy surgery. The method is designed for patients but has previously been evaluated with healthy children. Methods Nineteen patients, 8–18 years old, with intractable epilepsy and candidates for epilepsy surgery were assessed. The assessment consisted of two functional MRI protocols (fMRI) intended to target frontal and posterior language networks respectively, and a behavioral dichotic listening task (DL). Regional left/right indices for each fMRI task from the frontal, temporal and parietal lobe were calculated, and left/right indices of the DL task were calculated from responses of consonants and vowels, separately. A quantitative analysis of each patient's data set was done in two steps based on clearly specified criteria. First, fMRI data and DL data were analyzed separately to determine whether the result from each of these assessments were conclusive or not. Thereafter, the results from the individual assessments were combined to reach a final conclusion regarding hemispheric language dominance. Results For 14 of the 19 subjects (74%) a conclusion was reached about their hemispheric language dominance. Nine subjects had a left-sided and five subjects had a right-sided hemispheric dominance. In three cases (16%) DL provided critical data to reach a conclusive result. Conclusions The success rate of conclusive language lateralization assessments in this study is comparable to reported rates on similar challenged pediatric populations. The results are promising but data from more patients than in the present study will be required to conclude on the clinical applicability of the method. PMID:25610785

[The role of the jumping to conclusion bias in delusions formation].

PubMed

Rózycka, Jagoda; Prochwicz, Katarzyna

2013-01-01

The results of many researches indicate that individuals with delusions reveal the reasoning bias. In probabilistic reasoning tasks they reveal hastiness in decision-making. The individuals with delusions request less information than non-deluded individuals, even if additional data is easily available. What is more, they also prove to be convinced to a greater extend of having made the right decision. This finding has been replicated by a number of studies. However, the previous researches have not confirmed the origins of 'jumping to conclusion' bias, and its role in the process of forming delusions has not been yet confirmed. The article in question contains the review of the results of the jumping to conclusion bias in people with delusions. It discusses the main hypotheses explaining the relations between the hasty decision making and the delusions formation. The article also deals with the specifics of 'jumping to conclusion' bias in case of individuals with delusions, as well as summarizes its relation to factors such as the level of intelligence or the intensity of delusion.

Previous Exercise Training Reduces Markers of Renal Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Female Rats.

PubMed

Amaral, Liliany Souza de Brito; Souza, Cláudia Silva; Volpini, Rildo Aparecido; Shimizu, Maria Heloisa Massola; de Bragança, Ana Carolina; Canale, Daniele; Seguro, Antonio Carlos; Coimbra, Terezila Machado; de Magalhães, Amélia Cristina Mendes; Soares, Telma de Jesus

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of regular moderate exercise training initiated previously or after induction of diabetes mellitus on renal oxidative stress and inflammation in STZ-induced diabetic female rats. For this purpose, Wistar rats were divided into five groups: sedentary control (SC), trained control (TC), sedentary diabetic (SD), trained diabetic (TD), and previously trained diabetic (PTD). Only the PTD group was submitted to treadmill running for 4 weeks previously to DM induction with streptozotocin (40 mg/kg, i.v). After confirming diabetes, the PTD, TD, and TC groups were submitted to eight weeks of exercise training. At the end of the training protocol, we evaluated the following: glycosuria, body weight gain, plasma, renal and urinary levels of nitric oxide and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, renal glutathione, and immunolocalization of lymphocytes, macrophages, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF- κ B/p65) in the renal cortex. The results showed that exercise training reduced glycosuria, renal TBARS levels, and the number of immune cells in the renal tissue of the TD and PTD groups. Of note, only previous exercise increased weight gain and urinary/renal NO levels and reduced NF- κ B (p65) immunostaining in the renal cortex of the PTD group. In conclusion, our study shows that exercise training, especially when initiated previously to diabetes induction, promotes protective effects in diabetic kidney by reduction of renal oxidative stress and inflammation markers in female Wistar rats.

Previous Exercise Training Reduces Markers of Renal Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Female Rats

PubMed Central

Souza, Cláudia Silva; Volpini, Rildo Aparecido; Shimizu, Maria Heloisa Massola; de Bragança, Ana Carolina; Canale, Daniele; Seguro, Antonio Carlos; Coimbra, Terezila Machado; de Magalhães, Amélia Cristina Mendes

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of regular moderate exercise training initiated previously or after induction of diabetes mellitus on renal oxidative stress and inflammation in STZ-induced diabetic female rats. For this purpose, Wistar rats were divided into five groups: sedentary control (SC), trained control (TC), sedentary diabetic (SD), trained diabetic (TD), and previously trained diabetic (PTD). Only the PTD group was submitted to treadmill running for 4 weeks previously to DM induction with streptozotocin (40 mg/kg, i.v). After confirming diabetes, the PTD, TD, and TC groups were submitted to eight weeks of exercise training. At the end of the training protocol, we evaluated the following: glycosuria, body weight gain, plasma, renal and urinary levels of nitric oxide and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, renal glutathione, and immunolocalization of lymphocytes, macrophages, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB/p65) in the renal cortex. The results showed that exercise training reduced glycosuria, renal TBARS levels, and the number of immune cells in the renal tissue of the TD and PTD groups. Of note, only previous exercise increased weight gain and urinary/renal NO levels and reduced NF-κB (p65) immunostaining in the renal cortex of the PTD group. In conclusion, our study shows that exercise training, especially when initiated previously to diabetes induction, promotes protective effects in diabetic kidney by reduction of renal oxidative stress and inflammation markers in female Wistar rats. PMID:29785400

Impact of previous cyst-enterostomy on patients’ outcome following resection of bile duct cysts

PubMed Central

Ouaissi, Mehdi; Kianmanesh, Reza; Ragot, Emilia; Belghiti, Jacques; Majno, Pietro; Nuzzo, Gennaro; Dubois, Remi; Revillon, Yann; Cherqui, Daniel; Azoulay, Daniel; Letoublon, Christian; Pruvot, François-René; Paye, François; Rat, Patrick; Boudjema, Karim; Roux, Adeline; Mabrut, Jean-Yves; Gigot, Jean-François

2016-01-01

AIM: To analyze the impact of previous cyst-enterostomy of patients underwent congenital bile duct cysts (BDC) resection. METHODS: A multicenter European retrospective study between 1974 and 2011 were conducted by the French Surgical Association. Only Todani subtypes I and IVb were included. Diagnostic imaging studies and operative and pathology reports underwent central revision. Patients with and without a previous history of cyst-enterostomy (CE) were compared. RESULTS: Among 243 patients with Todani types I and IVb BDC, 16 had undergone previous CE (6.5%). Patients with a prior history of CE experienced a greater incidence of preoperative cholangitis (75% vs 22.9%, P < 0.0001), had more complicated presentations (75% vs 40.5%, P = 0.007), and were more likely to have synchronous biliary cancer (31.3% vs 6.2%, P = 0.004) than patients without a prior CE. Overall morbidity (75% vs 33.5%; P < 0.0008), severe complications (43.8% vs 11.9%; P = 0.0026) and reoperation rates (37.5% vs 8.8%; P = 0.0032) were also significantly greater in patients with previous CE, and their Mayo Risk Score, during a median follow-up of 37.5 mo (range: 4-372 mo) indicated significantly more patients with fair and poor results (46.1% vs 15.6%; P = 0.0136). CONCLUSION: This is the large series to show that previous CE is associated with poorer short- and long-term results after Todani types I and IVb BDC resection. PMID:27358675

Cesarean sections in Alberta from April 1979 to March 1988.

PubMed Central

Saunders, L D; Flowerdew, G

1991-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To determine (a) trends in the cesarean section rate in Alberta from April 1979 to March 1988, (b) the contribution of different primary indications to the overall increase in the cesarean section rate and (c) trends in the cesarean section rate by residence of the mother. DESIGN: Retrospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Women who gave birth in acute care hospitals in Alberta during the study period. Indications for cesarean section were defined by a hierarchic classification system. Geographic regions were identified according to the mother's residence. MAIN RESULTS: The crude cesarean section rate increased from 13.2 to 17.3 per 100 deliveries between 1979-80 and 1987-88. Previous cesarean section accounted for 54% of the increase, breech presentation for 17%, fetal distress for 17% and dystocia for 10%. The contribution of previous cesarean section was due to the substantial increase in the number of women presenting with a previous cesarean section. The cesarean section rate among women who had previously had the procedure decreased from 96.7% in 1979-80 to 84.6% in 1987-88. The crude cesarean section rates by region varied from 10.3 to 22.3 per 100 deliveries. CONCLUSIONS: Further efforts to reduce the rate of cesarean section among women who have previously undergone the procedure are needed to control the rate of cesarean section in Alberta. Decreasing the rate of primary cesarean section is also an important goal. PMID:2025819

The effect of limb amputation on standing weight distribution in the remaining three limbs in dogs.

PubMed

Cole, Grayson Lee; Millis, Darryl

2017-01-16

Despite the fact that limb amputation is a commonly performed procedure in veterinary medicine, quantitative data regarding outcomes are lacking. The intention of this study was to evaluate the effect of limb amputation on weight distribution to the remaining three limbs at a stance in dogs. Ten dogs with a prior forelimb amputation and ten dogs with a prior hindlimb amputation; all of which had no history of orthopaedic or neural disease in the remaining three limbs were included in the study. Standing weight bearing was evaluated with a commercial stance analyzer in all dogs. Five valid trials were obtained and a mean percentage of weight bearing was calculated for each remaining limb. The dogs with a previous forelimb amputation, and also those with a previous hindlimb amputation, had the largest mean increase in weight bearing in the contralateral forelimb. In conclusion, proactive monitoring of orthopaedic disease in the contralateral forelimb may be advisable in dogs with a previous limb amputation. In addition, when determining candidacy for a limb amputation, disease of the contralateral forelimb should be thoroughly evaluated.

Acute myeloid and chronic lymphoid leukaemias and exposure to low-level benzene among petroleum workers

PubMed Central

Rushton, L; Schnatter, A R; Tang, G; Glass, D C

2014-01-01

Background: High benzene exposure causes acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Three petroleum case–control studies identified 60 cases (241 matched controls) for AML and 80 cases (345 matched controls) for chronic lymphoid leukaemia (CLL). Methods: Cases were classified and scored regarding uncertainty by two haematologists using available diagnostic information. Blinded quantitative benzene exposure assessment used work histories and exposure measurements adjusted for era-specific circumstances. Statistical analyses included conditional logistic regression and penalised smoothing splines. Results: Benzene exposures were much lower than previous studies. Categorical analyses showed increased ORs for AML with several exposure metrics, although patterns were unclear; neither continuous exposure metrics nor spline analyses gave increased risks. ORs were highest in terminal workers, particularly for Tanker Drivers. No relationship was found between benzene exposure and risk of CLL, although the Australian study showed increased risks in refinery workers. Conclusion: Overall, this study does not persuasively demonstrate a risk between benzene and AML. A previously reported strong relationship between myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (potentially previously reported as AML) at our study's low benzene levels suggests that MDS may be the more relevant health risk for lower exposure. Higher CLL risks in refinery workers may be due to more diverse exposures than benzene alone. PMID:24357793

Frequency of placenta previa in previously scarred and non scarred uterus

PubMed Central

Majeed, Tayyaba; Waheed, Fatima; Mahmood, Zahid; Saba, Kanwal; Mahmood, Hamis; Bukhari, Mulazim Hussain

2015-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequency of placenta Previa in patients coming to a tertiary care unit with previously scarred and non-scarred uterus. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried on 114 cases who underwent caesarean sections (37 cases out of 645 cases with non scarred uterus and 77 cases from 721 cases with scarred uterus) in the department of obstetrics and gynecology Lady Willingdon Hospital from January 2008– December 2011. Results: Most patients (47.36%) were between 26-30 years age group, presented with gestational age between 36-40 weeks (70.17%), were mostly G2-4, while frequency of placenta Previa in non-scarred uterus was 32.45% (37 cases), and frequency in previously scarred uterus was 67.54% (77 cases). Major degree Previa was found in 88 cases (77.19%). There were 5.70% cases of placenta Previa from non-scarred uteruses and 10.67% cases of placenta Previa (10.67%) from already scarred uteruses. Stratification revealed a higher trend of the morbidity with the increase in number of previous caesarean sections. Conclusion: A significantly higher frequency of placenta Previa was found among patients coming to a tertiary care hospital with previously scarred uterus. PMID:26101491

Ideal-Magnetohydrodynamic-Stable Tilting in Field-Reversed Configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanno, Ryutaro; Ishida, Akio; Steinhauer, Loren

1995-02-01

The tilting mode in field-reversed configurations (FRC) is examined using ideal-magnetohydrodynamic stability theory. Tilting, a global mode, is the greatest threat for disruption of FRC confinement. Previous studies uniformly found tilting to be unstable in ideal theory: the objective here is to ascertain if stable equilibria were overlooked in past work. Solving the variational problem with the Rayleigh-Ritz technique, tilting-stable equilibria are found for sufficiently hollow current profile and sufficient racetrackness of the separatrix shape. Although these equilibria were not examined previously, the present conclusion is quite surprising. Consequently checks of the method are offered. Even so it cannot yet be claimed with complete certainty that stability has been proved: absolute confirmation of ideal-stable tilting awaits the application of more complete methods.

Evolutionary characterization of the West Nile Virus complete genome.

PubMed

Gray, R R; Veras, N M C; Santos, L A; Salemi, M

2010-07-01

The spatial dynamics of the West Nile Virus epidemic in North America are largely unknown. Previous studies that investigated the evolutionary history of the virus used sequence data from the structural genes (prM and E); however, these regions may lack phylogenetic information and obscure true evolutionary relationships. This study systematically evaluated the evolutionary patterns in the eleven genes of the WNV genome in order to determine which region(s) were most phylogenetically informative. We found that while the E region lacks resolution and can potentially result in misleading conclusions, the full NS3 or NS5 regions have strong phylogenetic signal. Furthermore, we show that geographic structure of WNV infection within the US is more pronounced than previously reported in studies that used the structural genes. We conclude that future evolutionary studies should focus on NS3 and NS5 in order to maximize the available sequences while retaining maximal interpretative power to infer temporal and geographic trends among WNV strains. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation of experimental pole-figure errors by simulation of individual spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lychagina, T. A.; Nikolaev, D. I.

2007-09-01

The errors in measuring the crystallographic texture described by pole figures are studied. A set of diffraction spectra for a sample of the MA2-1 alloy (Mg + 4.5% Al + 1% Zn) are measured, simulation of individual spectra on the basis of which the pole figures were obtained is performed, and their errors are determined. The conclusion about the possibility of determining the effect of errors of the diffraction peak half-width on the pole figure errors that was drawn in our previous studies is confirmed.

Too Many Sad Stories: Clinician Stress and Coping

PubMed Central

Marriage, Samantha; Marriage, Keith

2005-01-01

Introduction Mental health clinicians make their careers working with patients and families who have experienced extremes of stress and trauma. Methods The psychological effects on the caregiver of prolonged therapeutic work with traumatized patients have previously been studied within the theoretical frameworks of Burnout, Secondary Post Traumatic Stress and Vicarious Traumatization. Results We report a qualitative study of experienced clinicians’ responses to the stressors inherent in such therapeutic work, and the coping strategies they developed. Conclusion We found that some degree of vicarious traumatization was the main result of engaging in such work. PMID:19030525

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

Hargreaves, L. R.; Colyer, C.; Stevenson, M. A.

A number of previous studies have suggested the possibility of two-center interference effects in the single ionization of diatomic molecules such as H{sub 2} and N{sub 2}. While interference effects have been successfully observed in the ionization of H{sub 2}, to date evidence for interference in N{sub 2} ionization has yet to be conclusively demonstrated. This study presents triply differential cross sections for electron impact ionization of N{sub 2}, measured using the (e,2e) technique. The data are probed for signatures of two-center interference effects. Evidence for interference manifesting in the cross sections is observed.

Interfacial oxide re-growth in thin film metal oxide III-V semiconductor systems

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

McDonnell, S.; Dong, H.; Hawkins, J. M.

2012-04-02

The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/GaAs and HfO{sub 2}/GaAs interfaces after atomic layer deposition are studied using in situ monochromatic x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Samples are deliberately exposed to atmospheric conditions and interfacial oxide re-growth is observed. The extent of this re-growth is found to depend on the dielectric material and the exposure temperature. Comparisons with previous studies show that ex situ characterization can result in misleading conclusions about the interface reactions occurring during the metal oxide deposition process.

Cognitive function in hot environments: a question of methodology.

PubMed

Gaoua, N

2010-10-01

The physiological responses of thermal stress and its consequences on health have been well documented. However, the effect on cognitive function remains equivocal despite a substantial number of studies conducted in the area. Methodological discrepancies across different studies have made it difficult to conclude whether or not heat exposure per se has an adverse effect upon cognitive function and under what specific environmental and physiological conditions these alterations appear. This article gives an overview of the different confounding factors that have made it difficult to make conclusive interpretations. In addition, the current state of knowledge is presented and discussed with reference to the Global Workspace theory. Although previously presented conclusions are promising, much remains to be completed before understanding the mechanisms that could explain the relationship between heat exposure and cognitive function. Finally, recommendations are presented for further research in this area. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Effects of landscape gradients on wetland vegetation communities: information for large-scale restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zweig, Christa L.; Kitchens, Wiley M.

2008-01-01

Projects of the scope of the restoration of the Florida Everglades require substantial information regarding ecological mechanisms, and these are often poorly understood. We provide critical base knowledge for Everglades restoration by characterizing the existing vegetation communities of an Everglades remnant, describing how present and historic hydrology affect wetland vegetation community composition, and documenting change from communities described in previous studies. Vegetation biomass samples were collected along transects across Water Conservation Area 3A South (3AS). Ten community types were present between November 2002 and 2005. Separate analyses for key a priori groups (slough, wet prairie, and sawgrass) provided detailed conclusions about effects of historic hydrology on the vegetation of 3AS. Communities were affected by hydrologic variables LIP to four years previous to the sample. We identified wet prairie/slough species such as Eleocharis spp. and Nymphaea odorata as short-term sentinel species of community change. Sawgrass and N. odorata should be monitored for long-term change. Comparisons to preceding studies indicated that many of the communities of previous times, when conditions were drier, no longer exist in our study area and have been replaced by deeper water community types.

Effects of variation in solar conditions and crustal sources' orientation on the Martian magnetic field topology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulusen, D.; Luhmann, J. G.; Ma, Y.; Brain, D. A.

2013-12-01

Strong crustal magnetic sources on the surface of Mars directly interact with the solar magnetic field and plasma, resulting a very dynamic environment near the planet. Effects of the orientation of these remnant magnetic sources with respect to the sun and variation of the solar conditions on the Martian plasma interaction have been investigated in a previous paper. In this previous study, magnetic topology maps obtained from ~7 years of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) directional electron observations (obtained by Dave Brain) were compared with the topology maps obtained from a set of BATS-R-US MHD simulations for Mars. One conclusion from this study was that although the MHD model is consistent with the data and provides insight about the global magnetic field topology variation with changing crustal field orientation and solar parameters, detailed investigation of local effects is difficult due to MGS orbital bias. Moreover, proper comparison of the observations with the model requires more careful data selection rather than using 7 years time averages. In this paper, we readdress the study to tackle the problems of our previous work by performing more detailed data analysis and present the results of the updated model-data comparison.

Epidemiological-based childhood headache natural history study: after an interval of six years.

PubMed

Ozge, Aynur; Sasmaz, Tayyar; Cakmak, Sema Erol; Kaleagasi, Hakan; Siva, Aksel

2010-06-01

Headache is a common problem among adolescents, and variations can be observed in headache types and characteristics. The present study aimed to reach 5562 Turkish children who were investigated six years previously in a school-based childhood headache project, and to evaluate their current headache status. Investigators interviewed the available students with structured questionnaires. New and old data were matched and analyzed. The present study included 1155 adolescents (mean age 15.2 +/- 1.1 years), with 582 boys (50.4%) and 573 girls (49.6%). The prevalence of headache was 78.7% (tension-type headache [TTH] 57.5%, migraine 18.6%, unspecified 2.6%). The prevalence of headache was 45.2% six years previously. In the intervening six years, headache prevalence increased and the headache types changed significantly (Kappa: 0.04, p < .01). The most important variation during this time was the significant increase in TTH. Analgesic use was determined in 70.2% of adolescents with headache, with this ratio being higher in migraineurs. In conclusion, there were an increase in headache prevalence and a significant change in headache types over the previous six years. It can also be suggested that new country-based management strategies are required.

Molecular diagnosis of putative Stargardt disease probands by exome sequencing

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The commonest genetic form of juvenile or early adult onset macular degeneration is Stargardt Disease (STGD) caused by recessive mutations in the gene ABCA4. However, high phenotypic and allelic heterogeneity and a small but non-trivial amount of locus heterogeneity currently impede conclusive molecular diagnosis in a significant proportion of cases. Methods We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) of nine putative Stargardt Disease probands and searched for potentially disease-causing genetic variants in previously identified retinal or macular dystrophy genes. Follow-up dideoxy sequencing was performed for confirmation and to screen for mutations in an additional set of affected individuals lacking a definitive molecular diagnosis. Results Whole exome sequencing revealed seven likely disease-causing variants across four genes, providing a confident genetic diagnosis in six previously uncharacterized participants. We identified four previously missed mutations in ABCA4 across three individuals. Likely disease-causing mutations in RDS/PRPH2, ELOVL, and CRB1 were also identified. Conclusions Our findings highlight the enormous potential of whole exome sequencing in Stargardt Disease molecular diagnosis and research. WES adequately assayed all coding sequences and canonical splice sites of ABCA4 in this study. Additionally, WES enables the identification of disease-related alleles in other genes. This work highlights the importance of collecting parental genetic material for WES testing as the current knowledge of human genome variation limits the determination of causality between identified variants and disease. While larger sample sizes are required to establish the precision and accuracy of this type of testing, this study supports WES for inherited early onset macular degeneration disorders as an alternative to standard mutation screening techniques. PMID:22863181

Statistical analysis and application of quasi experiments to antimicrobial resistance intervention studies.

PubMed

Shardell, Michelle; Harris, Anthony D; El-Kamary, Samer S; Furuno, Jon P; Miller, Ram R; Perencevich, Eli N

2007-10-01

Quasi-experimental study designs are frequently used to assess interventions that aim to limit the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. However, previous studies using these designs have often used suboptimal statistical methods, which may result in researchers making spurious conclusions. Methods used to analyze quasi-experimental data include 2-group tests, regression analysis, and time-series analysis, and they all have specific assumptions, data requirements, strengths, and limitations. An example of a hospital-based intervention to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection rates and reduce overall length of stay is used to explore these methods.

Thought Control Ability Is Different from Rumination in Explaining the Association between Neuroticism and Depression: A Three-Study Replication

PubMed Central

Lu, Feng-Ying; Yang, Wen-Jing; Zhang, Qing-Lin; Qiu, Jiang

2017-01-01

Neuroticism is the most common vulnerability factor of depression. However, the mechanism underlying this vulnerability is still unclear. Previous studies suggested that rumination intensifies the negative effect of neuroticism on depression. However, whether cognitive control could explain the association between neuroticism and depression remains unclear to date. Therefore, this study evaluated the indirect effects of rumination and thought control on the relationship between neuroticism and depression. Seven self-report measures were employed among healthy and main depression disorder (MDD) participants. Three studies were used to examine the hypotheses. Results of the three studies showed significant correlations among neuroticism, rumination, thought control, and depression. Rumination mediated the link between neuroticism and depression among healthy young adults, and this finding replicated previous studies. This study provided new evidence that thought control mediates the association between neuroticism and depression in both healthy and MDD populations. In conclusion, rumination increases neuroticism risk for depression, but high-level thought control decreases the effect of neuroticism on depression. This study may serve as a reference to develop effective and focused interventions for MDD patients. PMID:28620326

Data-driven approach to detect common copy-number variations and frequency profiles in a population-based Korean cohort.

PubMed

Moon, Sanghoon; Kim, Young Jin; Hong, Chang Bum; Kim, Dong-Joon; Lee, Jong-Young; Kim, Bong-Jo

2011-11-01

To date, hundreds of thousands of copy-number variation (CNV) data have been reported using various platforms. The proportion of Asians in these data is, however, relatively small as compared with that of other ethnic groups, such as Caucasians and Yorubas. Because of limitations in platform resolution and the high noise level in signal intensity, in most CNV studies (particularly those using single nucleotide polymorphism arrays), the average number of CNVs in an individual is less than the number of known CNVs. In this study, we ascertained reliable, common CNV regions (CNVRs) and identified actual frequency rates in the Korean population to provide more CNV information. We performed two-stage analyses for detecting structural variations with two platforms. We discovered 576 common CNVRs (88 CNV segments on average in an individual), and 87% (501 of 576) of these CNVRs overlapped by ≥1 bp with previously validated CNV events. Interestingly, from the frequency analysis of CNV profiles, 52 of 576 CNVRs had a frequency rate of <1% in the 8842 individuals. Compared with other common CNV studies, this study found six common CNVRs that were not reported in previous CNV studies. In conclusion, we propose the data-driven detection approach to discover common CNVRs including those of unreported in the previous Korean CNV study while minimizing false positives. Through our approach, we successfully discovered more common CNVRs than previous Korean CNV study and conducted frequency analysis. These results will be a valuable resource for the effective level of CNVs in the Korean population.

Studies of concentration and temperature dependences of precipitation kinetics in iron-copper alloys using kinetic Monte Carlo and stochastic statistical simulations

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

Khromov, K. Yu.; Vaks, V. G., E-mail: vaks@mbslab.kiae.ru; Zhuravlev, I. A.

2013-02-15

The previously developed ab initio model and the kinetic Monte Carlo method (KMCM) are used to simulate precipitation in a number of iron-copper alloys with different copper concentrations x and temperatures T. The same simulations are also made using an improved version of the previously suggested stochastic statistical method (SSM). The results obtained enable us to make a number of general conclusions about the dependences of the decomposition kinetics in Fe-Cu alloys on x and T. We also show that the SSM usually describes the precipitation kinetics in good agreement with the KMCM, and using the SSM in conjunction withmore » the KMCM allows extending the KMC simulations to the longer evolution times. The results of simulations seem to agree with available experimental data for Fe-Cu alloys within statistical errors of simulations and the scatter of experimental results. Comparison of simulation results with experiments for some multicomponent Fe-Cu-based alloys allows making certain conclusions about the influence of alloying elements in these alloys on the precipitation kinetics at different stages of evolution.« less

Improvement of a mixture experiment model relating the component proportions to the size of nanonized itraconazole particles in extemporary suspensions

DOE PAGES

Pattarino, Franco; Piepel, Greg; Rinaldi, Maurizio

2018-03-03

A paper by Foglio Bonda et al. published previously in this journal (2016, Vol. 83, pp. 175–183) discussed the use of mixture experiment design and modeling methods to study how the proportions of three components in an extemporaneous oral suspension affected the mean diameter of drug particles (Z ave). The three components were itraconazole (ITZ), Tween 20 (TW20), and Methocel® E5 (E5). This commentary addresses some errors and other issues in the previous paper, and also discusses an improved model relating proportions of ITZ, TW20, and E5 to Z ave. The improved model contains six of the 10 terms inmore » the full-cubic mixture model, which were selected using a different cross-validation procedure than used in the previous paper. In conclusion, compared to the four-term model presented in the previous paper, the improved model fit the data better, had excellent cross-validation performance, and the predicted Z ave of a validation point was within model uncertainty of the measured value.« less

Improvement of a mixture experiment model relating the component proportions to the size of nanonized itraconazole particles in extemporary suspensions

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

Pattarino, Franco; Piepel, Greg; Rinaldi, Maurizio

A paper by Foglio Bonda et al. published previously in this journal (2016, Vol. 83, pp. 175–183) discussed the use of mixture experiment design and modeling methods to study how the proportions of three components in an extemporaneous oral suspension affected the mean diameter of drug particles (Z ave). The three components were itraconazole (ITZ), Tween 20 (TW20), and Methocel® E5 (E5). This commentary addresses some errors and other issues in the previous paper, and also discusses an improved model relating proportions of ITZ, TW20, and E5 to Z ave. The improved model contains six of the 10 terms inmore » the full-cubic mixture model, which were selected using a different cross-validation procedure than used in the previous paper. In conclusion, compared to the four-term model presented in the previous paper, the improved model fit the data better, had excellent cross-validation performance, and the predicted Z ave of a validation point was within model uncertainty of the measured value.« less

Association between Asymptomatic Urinary Tract Infection and Postoperative Spine Infection in Elderly Women : A Retrospective Analysis Study

PubMed Central

Lee, Seung-Eun; Park, Yong-Sook; Kim, Young-Baeg

2010-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between asymptomatic urinary tract infection (aUTI) and postoperative spine infection. Methods A retrospective review was done in 355 women more than 65 years old who had undergone laminectomy and/or discectomy, and spinal fusion, between January 2004 and December 2008. Previously postulated risk factors (i.e., instrumentation, diabetes, prior corticosteroid therapy, previous spinal surgery, and smoking) were investigated. Furthermore, we added aUTI that was not previously considered. Results Among 355 patients, 42 met the criteria for aUTI (Bacteriuria ≥ 105 CFU/mL and no associated symptoms). A postoperative spine infection was evident in 15 of 355 patients. Of the previously described risk factors, multi-levels (p < 0.05), instrumentation (p < 0.05) and diabetes (p < 0.05) were proven risk factors, whereas aUTI (p > 0.05) was not statistically significant. However, aUTI with Foley catheterization was statistically significant when Foley catheterization was added as a variable to the all existing risk factors. Conclusion aUTI is not rare in elderly women admitted to the hospital for lumbar spine surgery. The results of this study suggest that aUTI with Foley catheterization may be considered a risk factor for postoperative spine infection in elderly women. Therefore, we would consider treating aUTI before operating on elderly women who will need Foley catheterization. PMID:20461166

Hysteroscopic Findings in Patients with A History of Two Implantation Failures Following In Vitro Fertilization

PubMed Central

Moini, Ashraf; Kiani, Kiandokht; Ghaffari, Firouzeh; Hosseini, Fatemeh

2012-01-01

Background This study was designed to evaluate the incidence of uterine pathologies in infertile women with a history of two implantation failures after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and estimate the effect of hysteroscopic correction on achieving a pregnancy in these patients. Materials and Methods The retrospective study population included 238 infertile women attended the outpatient infertility clinic between November 2007 and December 2008. Patients with at least two previous IVF failures were eligible for this study. All patients had normal findings on hysterosalpingography performed prior their first attempt for IVF. Standard transvaginal ultrasonography and diagnostic hysteroscopy were performed in patients before the subsequent IVF attempt. Results Out of 238 patients with previous IVF failure who underwent hysteroscopic evaluation, 158 patients (66.4%) showed normal uterine cavity. Abnormal cavity was found in 80 patients (33.6%). We found polyp as the most common abnormality (19.7%) in the patients with previous history of IVF failure. The pregnancy rate was similar between IVF failure patients who treated by hysteroscopy for a detected uterine abnormality (24.6%) and similar patients with normal uterine cavity (21.2%) in hysteroscopic examinations. Conclusion The intrauterine lesions diagnosed by hysteroscopy in patients with previous IVF failure ranges from 0.8%-19.7%. Correction of abnormalities such as myoma and polyp showed good outcome, similar to that achieved in patients with a normal hysteroscopy. PMID:25505508

Do Drinking Episodes Contribute to Sexual Aggression Perpetration in College Men?

PubMed Central

Testa, Maria; Parks, Kathleen A.; Hoffman, Joseph H.; Crane, Cory A.; Leonard, Kenneth E.; Shyhalla, Kathleen

2015-01-01

Objective: Survey and experimental analog studies suggest that alcohol consumption contributes to perpetration of sexual aggression. However, few studies have considered the temporal association between naturally occurring episodes of drinking and subsequent sexual aggression. This daily report study was designed to examine whether alcohol consumption increases the odds of aggressive sexual activity within the next 4 hours. Method: First-year male college students (N = 427) completed daily online reports of drinking and sexual activity for up to 56 days. Multilevel modeling was used to determine whether drinking episodes increased the odds of the following outcomes occurring within 4 hours: (a) aggressive sex with a new partner, (b) non-aggressive sex with a new partner, (c) aggressive sex with a previous partner, and (d) non-aggressive sex with a previous partner. Results: Drinking episodes increased the odds of both aggressive and non-aggressive sex with a new partner. In contrast, drinking episodes did not predict aggression involving previous partners and decreased the odds of non-aggressive sex with a previous partner. Contrary to hypotheses, individual difference variables associated with propensity toward sexual aggression (sexual misperception, antisocial behavior, hostility toward women) did not interact with daily alcohol. Conclusions: The complex pattern of results is more consistent with situational as opposed to pharmacological effects of alcohol on sexual aggression and suggests that prevention efforts focus on drinking contexts known to facilitate sexual activity. PMID:26098025

Effects of previous ovarian surgery for endometriosis on the outcome of assisted reproduction treatment.

PubMed

Geber, Selmo; Ferreira, Daniela Parreiras; Spyer Prates, Luis Felipe Víctor; Sales, Liana; Sampaio, Marcos

2002-01-01

Endometriosis affects 2-50% of women at reproductive age. Surgery is an option for treatment, but there is no convincing evidence that it promotes a significant improvement in fertility. Also, the removal of ovarian endometrioma might lead to a reduction in the follicular reserve and response to stimulation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of previous ovarian surgery for endometriosis on the ovarian response in assisted reproduction treatment cycles and its pregnancy outcome. A total of 61 women, with primary infertility and previously having undergone ovarian surgery for endometriosis, who had received 74 IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, were studied (study group). A further 74 patients with primary infertility who underwent 77 IVF/ICSI cycles within#10; the same period of time, at the same clinic and without previous ovarian surgery or endometriosis were studied as a control group. Patients were matched for age and treatment performed. Patients 35 years with previous ovarian surgery needed more ampoules for ovulation induction (P = 0.017) and had fewer follicles and oocytes than women in the control group (P = 0.001). Duration of folliculogenesis was similar in both groups, as was fertilization rate. A total of 10 patients achieved pregnancy in the study group (34.5%) and 14 (48.3%) in the control group. Although a lower pregnancy rate was observed in patients who had undergone previous ovarian surgery, this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.424). In conclusion, ovarian surgery for the treatment of endometriosis reduces the ovarian outcome in IVF/ICSI cycles in women >35 years old, and might also decrease pregnancy rates. Therefore, for infertile patients, non-surgical treatment might be a better option to avoid reduction of the ovarian response.

Enhancing the quality of case studies in health services research.

PubMed Central

Yin, R K

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To provide guidance on improving the quality of case studies in health services research. DATA SOURCES: Secondary data, drawing from previous case study research. RESEARCH DESIGN: Guidance is provided to two audiences: potential case study investigators (eight items) and reviewers of case study proposals (four additional items). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The guidance demonstrates that many operational steps can be undertaken to improve the quality of case studies. These steps have been a hallmark of high-quality case studies in related fields but have not necessarily been practiced in health services research. CONCLUSIONS: Given higher-quality case studies, the case study method can become a valuable tool for health services research. Images Figure 3 PMID:10591280

Determinants of Chronic Respiratory Symptoms among Pharmaceutical Factory Workers

PubMed Central

Enquselassie, Fikre; Tefera, Yifokire; Gizaw, Muluken; Wakuma, Samson; Woldemariam, Messay

2018-01-01

Background Chronic respiratory symptoms including chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain are manifestations of respiratory problems which are mainly evolved as a result of occupational exposures. This study aims to assess determinants of chronic respiratory symptoms among pharmaceutical factory workers. Methods A case control study was carried out among 453 pharmaceutical factory workers with 151 cases and 302 controls. Data was collected using pretested and structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate analysis. Result Previous history of chronic respiratory diseases (AOR = 3.36, 95% CI = 1.85–6.12), family history of chronic respiratory diseases (AOR = 2.55, 95% CI = 1.51–4.32), previous dusty working environment (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.07–4.78), ever smoking (AOR = 3.66, 95% CI = 1.05–12.72), and service years (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.16–2.99) showed statistically significant association with chronic respiratory symptoms. Conclusion Previous history of respiratory diseases, family history of chronic respiratory diseases, previous dusty working environment, smoking, and service years were determinants of chronic respiratory symptoms. Public health endeavors to prevent the burden of chronic respiratory symptoms among pharmaceutical factory workers should target the reduction of adverse workplace exposures and discouragement of smoking. PMID:29666655

Viscoelastic Transient of Confined Red Blood Cells

PubMed Central

Prado, Gaël; Farutin, Alexander; Misbah, Chaouqi; Bureau, Lionel

2015-01-01

The unique ability of a red blood cell to flow through extremely small microcapillaries depends on the viscoelastic properties of its membrane. Here, we study in vitro the response time upon flow startup exhibited by red blood cells confined into microchannels. We show that the characteristic transient time depends on the imposed flow strength, and that such a dependence gives access to both the effective viscosity and the elastic modulus controlling the temporal response of red cells. A simple theoretical analysis of our experimental data, validated by numerical simulations, further allows us to compute an estimate for the two-dimensional membrane viscosity of red blood cells, ηmem2D ∼ 10−7 N⋅s⋅m−1. By comparing our results with those from previous studies, we discuss and clarify the origin of the discrepancies found in the literature regarding the determination of ηmem2D, and reconcile seemingly conflicting conclusions from previous works. PMID:25954871

Computational study of the interplay between intermolecular interactions and CO2 orientations in type I hydrates.

PubMed

Pérez-Rodríguez, M; Vidal-Vidal, A; Míguez, J M; Blas, F J; Torré, J-P; Piñeiro, M M

2017-01-25

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) molecules show a rich orientation landscape when they are enclathrated in type I hydrates. Previous studies have described experimentally their preferential orientations, and some theoretical works have explained, but only partially, these experimental results. In the present paper, we use classical molecular dynamics and electronic density functional theory to advance in the theoretical description of CO 2 orientations within type I hydrates. Our results are fully compatible with those previously reported, both theoretical and experimental, the geometric shape of the cavities in hydrate being, and therefore, the steric constraints, responsible for some (but not all) preferential angles. In addition, our calculations also show that guest-guest interactions in neighbouring cages are a key factor to explain the remaining experimental angles. Besides the implication concerning equation of state hydrate modeling approximations, the conclusion is that these guest-guest interactions should not be neglected, contrary to the usual practice.

Are Rich People Perceived as More Trustworthy? Perceived Socioeconomic Status Modulates Judgments of Trustworthiness and Trust Behavior Based on Facial Appearance.

PubMed

Qi, Yue; Li, Qi; Du, Feng

2018-01-01

In the era of globalization, people meet strangers from different countries more often than ever. Previous research indicates that impressions of trustworthiness based on facial appearance play an important role in interpersonal cooperation behaviors. The current study examined whether additional information about socioeconomic status (SES), including national prosperity and individual monthly income, affects facial judgments and appearance-based trust decisions. Besides reproducing previous conclusions that trustworthy faces receive more money than untrustworthy faces, the present study showed that high-income individuals were judged as more trustworthy than low-income individuals, and also were given more money in a trust game. However, trust behaviors were not modulated by the nationality of the faces. The present research suggests that people are more likely to trust strangers with a high income, compared with individuals with a low income.

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of SrGeO3 high-pressure perovskite phase at 100 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakatsuka, Akihiko; Arima, Hiroshi; Ohtaka, Osamu; Fujiwara, Keiko; Yoshiasa, Akira

2017-10-01

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of SrGeO3 perovskite (cubic; space group Pmɜ¯m) synthesized at 6 GPa and 1223 K was conducted at a low temperature of 100 K. The residual electron density revealed the presence of the bonding electron at the center of the Ge-O bond, in accordance with our previous conclusion that the Ge-O bond is strongly covalent. From comparison with our previous structure-refinement result at 296 K, the mean square displacement (MSD) of the O atom in the direction of the Ge-O bond is suggested to exhibit no significant temperature dependence, in contrast to that in the direction perpendicular to the bond. Thus, the strong covalency of the Ge-O bond can have a large influence on the temperature dependence of thermal vibration of the O atom.

Direct visual internal urethrotomy: Is it a durable treatment option?

PubMed Central

Pal, Dilip Kumar; Kumar, Sanjay; Ghosh, Bastab

2017-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the long-term success rate of direct vision internal urethrotomy as a treatment for anterior urethral strictures. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the results for patients who underwent internal urethrotomy from January 2009 to January 2014 for anterior urethral strictures. Patients were followed till January 2016. Patients with complicated urethral strictures with a history of previous urethroplasty, hypospadias repair, or previous radiation were excluded from the study, as anticipated low success rate of direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU) in these patients. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyze stricture-free probability after the first, second, and third urethrotomy. Results: A total of 186 patients were included in this study. Stricture-free rates after first, second, and third urethrotomy were 29.66%, 22.64%, and 13.33%, respectively. Conclusions: Although DVIU may be a management option for anterior urethral stricture disease, it seems that long-term results are disappointing. PMID:28216923

Restoration of fMRI Decodability Does Not Imply Latent Working Memory States

PubMed Central

Schneegans, Sebastian; Bays, Paul M.

2018-01-01

Recent imaging studies have challenged the prevailing view that working memory is mediated by sustained neural activity. Using machine learning methods to reconstruct memory content, these studies found that previously diminished representations can be restored by retrospective cueing or other forms of stimulation. These findings have been interpreted as evidence for an activity-silent working memory state that can be reactivated dependent on task demands. Here, we test the validity of this conclusion by formulating a neural process model of working memory based on sustained activity and using this model to emulate a spatial recall task with retrocueing. The simulation reproduces both behavioral and fMRI results previously taken as evidence for latent states, in particular the restoration of spatial reconstruction quality following an informative cue. Our results demonstrate that recovery of the decodability of an imaging signal does not provide compelling evidence for an activity-silent working memory state. PMID:28820674

Measuring Empathy in Pharmacy Students

PubMed Central

Van Winkle, Lon J.; Hojat, Mohammadreza

2011-01-01

Objective. To validate the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students version (JSE-HPS) in pharmacy students. Methods. The JSE-HPS (20 items), adapted from the original Jefferson Scale of Empathy for use among students in the healthcare professions, was completed by 187 first-year pharmacy students at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy. Results. Two factors, “perspective-taking” and “compassionate care,” emerged from factor analysis in this study, accounting for 31% and 8% of the variance, respectively. These factors are similar to the prominent ones reported in previous research involving physicians and medical students, supporting the construct validity of this instrument for pharmacy students. In the current study, mean JSE-HPS score was comparable to those reported for medical students, and consistent with previous findings with medical students and physicians. Women scored significantly higher than men. Conclusions. Findings support the construct validity and reliability of the JSE-HPS for measuring empathy in pharmacy students. PMID:21931447

Effect of preoperative angina pectoris on cardiac outcomes in patients with previous myocardial infarction undergoing major noncardiac surgery (data from ACS-NSQIP).

PubMed

Pandey, Ambarish; Sood, Akshay; Sammon, Jesse D; Abdollah, Firas; Gupta, Ena; Golwala, Harsh; Bardia, Amit; Kibel, Adam S; Menon, Mani; Trinh, Quoc-Dien

2015-04-15

The impact of preoperative stable angina pectoris on postoperative cardiovascular outcomes in patients with previous myocardial infarction (MI) who underwent major noncardiac surgery is not well studied. We studied patients with previous MI who underwent elective major noncardiac surgeries within the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2005 to 2011). Primary outcome was occurrence of an adverse cardiac event (MI and/or cardiac arrest). Multivariable logistic regression models evaluated the impact of stable angina on outcomes. Of 1,568 patients (median age 70 years; 35% women) with previous MI who underwent major noncardiac surgery, 5.5% had postoperative MI and/or cardiac arrest. Patients with history of preoperative angina had significantly greater incidence of primary outcome compared to those without anginal symptoms (8.4% vs 5%, p = 0.035). In secondary outcomes, reintervention rates (22.5% vs 11%, p <0.001) and length of stay (median 6-days vs 5-days; p <0.001) were also higher in patients with preoperative angina. In multivariable analyses, preoperative angina was a significant predictor for postoperative MI (odds ratio 2.49 [1.20 to 5.58]) and reintervention (odds ratio 2.40 [1.44 to 3.82]). In conclusion, our study indicates that preoperative angina is an independent predictor for adverse outcomes in patients with previous MI who underwent major noncardiac surgery, and cautions against overreliance on predictive tools, for example, the Revised Cardiac Risk Index, in these patients, which does not treat stable angina and previous MI as independent risk factors during risk prognostication. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toxic Hazards Research Unit Annual Technical Report: 1975

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-10-01

by different sampling rates 160 21 Particle size distribution curves 167 22 Effect of 03 or N02 concentrations on rat lung weight 177 23 Relationship...previously, consisted of female C57 black/6 mice obtained from Jackson Laboratories, male CDF (Fischer 344 derived) albino rats from Charles River...the exposure phase of the study but made at the conclusion of the 5 ppm and 0. 5 ppm experiments were: Blood urea nitrogen SGOT Chloride Prothrombin

Vulnerability to cavitation of central California Arctostaphylos (Ericaceae): a new analysis.

PubMed

Jacobsen, Anna L; Brandon Pratt, R

2013-02-01

A recent study, 'Influence of summer marine fog and low cloud stratus on water relations of evergreen woody shrubs (Arctostaphylos: Ericaceae) in the chaparral of central California' by M. Vasey, M.E. Loik, and V.T. Parker (2012, Oecologia, in press), presented data on the vulnerability to cavitation of eight Arctostaphylos species. We reanalyzed the vulnerability data presented in this manuscript using a different statistical model and have arrived at different conclusions than those reported previously. We suggest that regional differences have not lead to differentiation in cavitation resistance among populations of an Arctostaphylos species and, contrary to the conclusions of Vasey et al., the xylem of maritime species appears to be "overbuilt" for their current environment and do not appear to be especially vulnerable to water stress. Importantly, data on vulnerability to cavitation are limited for Arctostaphylos species from these sites. More specifically, treatment factors of site and region were not replicated and therefore conclusions drawn from these data are necessarily limited.

Willingness to Share Research Data Is Related to the Strength of the Evidence and the Quality of Reporting of Statistical Results

PubMed Central

Wicherts, Jelte M.; Bakker, Marjan; Molenaar, Dylan

2011-01-01

Background The widespread reluctance to share published research data is often hypothesized to be due to the authors' fear that reanalysis may expose errors in their work or may produce conclusions that contradict their own. However, these hypotheses have not previously been studied systematically. Methods and Findings We related the reluctance to share research data for reanalysis to 1148 statistically significant results reported in 49 papers published in two major psychology journals. We found the reluctance to share data to be associated with weaker evidence (against the null hypothesis of no effect) and a higher prevalence of apparent errors in the reporting of statistical results. The unwillingness to share data was particularly clear when reporting errors had a bearing on statistical significance. Conclusions Our findings on the basis of psychological papers suggest that statistical results are particularly hard to verify when reanalysis is more likely to lead to contrasting conclusions. This highlights the importance of establishing mandatory data archiving policies. PMID:22073203

Monogenetic origin of Ubehebe Crater maar volcano, Death Valley, California: Paleomagnetic and stratigraphic evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champion, Duane E.; Cyr, Andy; Fierstein, Judy; Hildreth, Wes

2018-04-01

Paleomagnetic data for samples collected from outcrops of basaltic spatter at the Ubehebe Crater cluster, Death Valley National Park, California, record a single direction of remanent magnetization indicating that these materials were emplaced during a short duration, monogenetic eruption sequence 2100 years ago. This conclusion is supported by geochemical data encompassing a narrow range of oxide variation, by detailed stratigraphic studies of conformable phreatomagmatic tephra deposits showing no evidence of erosion between layers, by draping of sharp rimmed craters by later tephra falls, and by oxidation of later tephra layers by the remaining heat of earlier spatter. This model is also supported through a reinterpretation and recalculation of the published 10Be age results (Sasnett et al., 2012) from an innovative and bold exposure-age study on very young materials. Their conclusion of multiple and protracted eruptions at Ubehebe Crater cluster is here modified through the understanding that some of their quartz-bearing clasts inherited 10Be from previous exposure on the fan surface (too old), and that other clasts were only exposed at the surface by wind and/or water erosion centuries after their eruption (too young). Ubehebe Crater cluster is a well preserved example of young monogenetic maar type volcanism protected within a National Park, and it represents neither a protracted eruption sequence as previously thought, nor a continuing volcanic hazard near its location.

Risk factors predict post-traumatic stress disorder differently in men and women

PubMed Central

Christiansen, Dorte M; Elklit, Ask

2008-01-01

Background About twice as many women as men develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even though men as a group are exposed to more traumatic events. Exposure to different trauma types does not sufficiently explain why women are more vulnerable. Methods The present work examines the effect of age, previous trauma, negative affectivity (NA), anxiety, depression, persistent dissociation, and social support on PTSD separately in men and women. Subjects were exposed to either a series of explosions in a firework factory near a residential area or to a high school stabbing incident. Results Some gender differences were found in the predictive power of well known risk factors for PTSD. Anxiety predicted PTSD in men, but not in women, whereas the opposite was found for depression. Dissociation was a better predictor for PTSD in women than in men in the explosion sample but not in the stabbing sample. Initially, NA predicted PTSD better in women than men in the explosion sample, but when compared only to other significant risk factors, it significantly predicted PTSD for both men and women in both studies. Previous traumatic events and age did not significantly predict PTSD in either gender. Conclusion Gender differences in the predictive value of social support on PTSD appear to be very complex, and no clear conclusions can be made based on the two studies included in this article. PMID:19017412

Commentary on: "Vascular distensibilities have minor effects on intracardiac shunt patterns in reptiles" by Filogonio et al. (2017).

PubMed

Hillman, Stanley S; Hedrick, Michael S; Kohl, Zachary F

2017-06-01

The recent study by Filogonio et al. (2017) suggested that net cardiac shunt patterns in two species of reptiles (Trachemys scripta and Crotalus durissus) were not significantly influenced by the vascular distensibilities of the systemic and pulmonary vasculatures. This is in contrast to a previously published study (Hillman et al., 2014) in the toad (Rhinella marina) in which net cardiac shunts were predicted primarily by the physical properties of vascular distensibility rather than physiological control of resistance of the systemic and pulmonary vasculature. We analyze the data and conclusions reached by Filogonio et al. (2017) regarding the role of vascular distensibilities in determining net cardiac shunt patterns in reptiles in comparison with toads. In our view, the conclusions reached by Filogonio et al. (2017) are not supported by the data primarily because vascular distensibilities were not measured in the reptiles analyzed in their study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Treatment seeking for problematic pornography use among women.

PubMed

Lewczuk, Karol; Szmyd, Joanna; Skorko, Maciej; Gola, Mateusz

2017-12-01

Background and aims Previous studies examined psychological factors related to treatment seeking for problematic pornography use (PU) among males. In this study, we focused on females who seek treatment for problematic PU and compared them with non-problematic pornography users with regard to variables related to problematic PU. Second, we investigated the relationships between critical constructs related to problematic PU with the path analysis method, emphasizing the predictors for treatment seeking among women. We also compared our results with previous studies on males. Methods A survey study was conducted on 719 Polish-speaking Caucasian females, 14-63 years old, including 39 treatment seekers for problematic PU. Results The positive relationship between the mere amount of PU and treatment seeking loses its significance after introducing two other predictors of treatment-seeking: religiosity and negative symptoms associated with PU. This pattern is different from the results obtained in previous studies on males. Discussion Different from previous studies on male samples, our analysis showed that in the case of women, mere amount of PU may be related to treatment-seeking behavior even after accounting for negative symptoms associated with PU. Moreover, religiousness is a significant predictor of treatment seeking among women, which may indicate that in the case of women, treatment seeking for problematic PU is motivated not only by experienced negative symptoms of PU but also by personal beliefs about PU and social norms. Conclusion For females, negative symptoms associated with PU, the amount of PU and religiosity is associated with treatment seeking. Those factors should be considered in treatment.

Self-reported previous knee injury and low knee function increase knee injury risk in adolescent female football.

PubMed

Clausen, M B; Tang, L; Zebis, M K; Krustrup, P; Hölmich, P; Wedderkopp, N; Andersen, L L; Christensen, K B; Møller, M; Thorborg, K

2016-08-01

Knee injuries are common in adolescent female football. Self-reported previous knee injury and low Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) are proposed to predict future knee injuries, but evidence regarding this in adolescent female football is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate self-reported previous knee injury and low KOOS subscale score as risk factors for future knee injuries in adolescent female football. A sample of 326 adolescent female football players, aged 15-18, without knee injury at baseline, were included. Data on self-reported previous knee injury and KOOS questionnaires were collected at baseline. Time-loss knee injuries and football exposures were reported weekly by answers to standardized text-message questions, followed by injury telephone interviews. A priori, self-reported previous knee injury and low KOOS subscale scores (< 80 points) were chosen as independent variables in the risk factor analyses. The study showed that self-reported previous knee injury significantly increased the risk of time-loss knee injury [relative risk (RR): 3.65, 95% confidence (CI) 1.73-7.68; P < 0.001]. Risk of time-loss knee injury was also significantly increased in players with low KOOS subscale scores (< 80 points) in Activities of Daily Living (RR: 5.0), Sport/Recreational (RR: 2.2) and Quality of Life (RR: 3.0) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, self-reported previous knee injury and low scores in three KOOS subscales significantly increase the risk of future time-loss knee injury in adolescent female football. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Beneficial effects of previous exercise training on renal changes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic female rats

PubMed Central

Amaral, Liliany S de Brito; Silva, Fernanda A; Correia, Vicente B; Andrade, Clara EF; Dutra, Bárbara A; Oliveira, Márcio V; de Magalhães, Amélia CM; Volpini, Rildo A; Seguro, Antonio C; Coimbra, Terezila M

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise performed both previously and after the induction of diabetes mellitus on changes of renal function and structure in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Female wistar rats were divided into five groups: sedentary control (C + Se); trained control (C + Ex); sedentary diabetic (D + Se); trained diabetic (D + Ex) and previously trained diabetic (D + PEx). The previous exercise consisted of treadmill running for four weeks before the induction of diabetes mellitus. After induction of diabetes mellitus with streptozotocin, the D + PEx, D + Ex and C + Ex groups were submitted to eight weeks of aerobic exercise. At the end of the training protocol, we evaluate the serum glucose, insulin and 17β-estradiol levels, renal function and structure, proteinuria, and fibronectin, collagen IV and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) renal expressions. Induction of diabetes mellitus reduced the insulin and did not alter 17β-estradiol levels, and exercise did not affect any of these parameters. Previous exercise training attenuated the loss of body weight, the blood glucose, the increase of glomerular filtration rate and prevented the proteinuria in the D + PEx group compared to D + Se group. Previous exercise also reduced glomerular hypertrophy, tubular and glomerular injury, as well as the expressions of fibronectin and collagen IV. These expressions were associated with reduced expression of TGF-β1. In conclusion, our study shows that regular aerobic exercise especially performed previously to induction of diabetes mellitus improved metabolic control and has renoprotective action on the diabetic kidney. PMID:26490345

Beneficial effects of previous exercise training on renal changes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic female rats.

PubMed

Amaral, Liliany S de Brito; Silva, Fernanda A; Correia, Vicente B; Andrade, Clara E F; Dutra, Bárbara A; Oliveira, Márcio V; de Magalhães, Amélia C M; Volpini, Rildo A; Seguro, Antonio C; Coimbra, Terezila M; Soares, Telma de J

2016-02-01

This study evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise performed both previously and after the induction of diabetes mellitus on changes of renal function and structure in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Female wistar rats were divided into five groups: sedentary control (C + Se); trained control (C + Ex); sedentary diabetic (D + Se); trained diabetic (D + Ex) and previously trained diabetic (D + PEx). The previous exercise consisted of treadmill running for four weeks before the induction of diabetes mellitus. After induction of diabetes mellitus with streptozotocin, the D + PEx, D + Ex and C + Ex groups were submitted to eight weeks of aerobic exercise. At the end of the training protocol, we evaluate the serum glucose, insulin and 17β-estradiol levels, renal function and structure, proteinuria, and fibronectin, collagen IV and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) renal expressions. Induction of diabetes mellitus reduced the insulin and did not alter 17β-estradiol levels, and exercise did not affect any of these parameters. Previous exercise training attenuated the loss of body weight, the blood glucose, the increase of glomerular filtration rate and prevented the proteinuria in the D + PEx group compared to D + Se group. Previous exercise also reduced glomerular hypertrophy, tubular and glomerular injury, as well as the expressions of fibronectin and collagen IV. These expressions were associated with reduced expression of TGF-β1. In conclusion, our study shows that regular aerobic exercise especially performed previously to induction of diabetes mellitus improved metabolic control and has renoprotective action on the diabetic kidney. © 2016 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

Acute Q fever in febrile patients in northwestern of Iran

PubMed Central

Esmaeili, Saber; Golzar, Farhad; Ayubi, Erfan; Naghili, Behrooz; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2017-01-01

Background Q fever is an endemic disease in different parts of Iran. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of acute Q fever disease among at-risk individuals in northwestern Iran. Methodology An etiological study was carried out in 2013 in Tabriz County. A total of 116 individuals who were in contact with livestock and had a nonspecific febrile illness were enrolled in the study. IgG phase II antibodies against Coxiella burnetii were detected using ELISA. Principal findings The prevalence of acute Q fever was 13.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.0, 21.0%). Headache (87.5%) and fatigue and weakness (81.3%) were the dominant clinical characteristics among patients whit acute Q fever. Acute lower respiratory tract infection and chills were poorly associated with acute Q fever. Furthermore, 32% (95% CI: 24, 41%) of participants had a history of previous exposure to Q fever agent (past infection). Consumption of unpasteurized dairy products was a weak risk factor for previous exposure to C. burnetii. Conclusion This study identified patients with acute Q fever in northwestern of Iran. The evidence from this study and previous studies conducted in different regions of Iran support this fact that Q fever is one of the important endemic zoonotic diseases in Iran and needs due attention by clinical physicians and health care system. PMID:28394892

Posterior insular cortex - a site of vestibular-somatosensory interaction?

PubMed

Baier, Bernhard; Zu Eulenburg, Peter; Best, Christoph; Geber, Christian; Müller-Forell, Wibke; Birklein, Frank; Dieterich, Marianne

2013-09-01

Background In previous imaging studies the insular cortex (IC) has been identified as an essential part of the processing of a wide spectrum of perception and sensorimotor integration. Yet, there are no systematic lesion studies in a sufficient number of patients examining whether processing of vestibular and the interaction of somatosensory and vestibular signals take place in the IC. Methods We investigated acute stroke patients with lesions affecting the IC in order to fill this gap. In detail, we explored signs of a vestibular tone imbalance such as the deviation of the subjective visual vertical (SVV). We applied voxel-lesion behaviour mapping analysis in 27 patients with acute unilateral stroke. Results Our data demonstrate that patients with lesions of the posterior IC have an abnormal tilt of SVV. Furthermore, re-analysing data of 20 patients from a previous study, we found a positive correlation between thermal perception contralateral to the stroke and the severity of the SVV tilt. Conclusions We conclude that the IC is a sensory brain region where different modalities might interact.

Documenting the NICU design dilemma: parent and staff perceptions of open ward versus single family room units

PubMed Central

Domanico, R; Davis, D K; Coleman, F; Davis, B O

2010-01-01

Objective: With neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) evolving from multipatient wards toward family-friendly, single-family room units, the study objective was to compare satisfaction levels of families and health-care staff across these differing NICU facility designs. Study Design: This prospective study documented, by means of institutional review board-approved questionnaire survey protocols, the perceptions of parents and staff from two contrasting NICU environments. Result: Findings showed that demographic subgroups of parents and staff perceived the advantages and disadvantages of the two facility designs differently. Staff perceptions varied with previous experience, acclimation time and employment position, whereas parental perceptions revealed a naiveté bias through surveys of transitional parents with experience in both NICU facilities. Conclusion: Use of transitional parent surveys showed a subject naiveté bias inherent in perceptions of inexperienced parents. Grouping all survey participants demographically provided more informative interpretations of data, and revealed staff perceptions to vary with position, previous training and hospital experience. PMID:20072132

Trimethoprim prescription and subsequent resistance in childhood urinary infection: multilevel modelling analysis

PubMed Central

Duffy, Mary A; Hernandez-Santiago, Virginia; Orange, Gillian; Davey, Peter G; Guthrie, Bruce

2013-01-01

Background Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern and antibiotic usage the main contributing factor, but there are few studies examining antibiotic use and resistance in children. Aim To investigate the association between previous trimethoprim prescribing and resistance in urinary Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates in children. Design and setting Retrospective, population cohort study in Tayside, Scotland. Method Multilevel modelling of linked microbiology and dispensed prescribing data for 1373 ≤16-year-olds with E. coli urinary isolates in 2004–2009, examining the association between prior trimethoprim prescription and subsequent trimethoprim resistance in people with urinary E. coli isolates. Results Trimethoprim resistance was common (26.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 24.6 to 28.6). Previous trimethoprim prescription was associated with subsequent culture of trimethoprim-resistant E. coli, with more recent prescription being more strongly associated with resistance. After adjusting for the number of previous E. coli isolates and sample year, trimethoprim prescribing in the previous 84 days remained significantly associated with culturing trimethoprim-resistant E. coli (adjusted OR 4.71, 95% CI = 1.83 to 12.16 for the previous 15–28 days versus never prescribed; adjusted OR 3.16, 95% CI = 1.63 to 6.13 for the previous 29–84 days); however, associations were not statistically significant for longer periods since prior exposure. Conclusion Trimethoprim prescription has implications for future resistance in individual children, as well as at population level. Clinicians must ensure appropriateness of treatment choice and duration, and alternative antibiotics should be considered for childhood urinary tract infections if trimethoprim has been prescribed in the preceding 3 months. PMID:23540479

Association of funding and conclusions in randomized drug trials: a reflection of treatment effect or adverse events?

PubMed

Als-Nielsen, Bodil; Chen, Wendong; Gluud, Christian; Kjaergard, Lise L

2003-08-20

Previous studies indicate that industry-sponsored trials tend to draw proindustry conclusions. To explore whether the association between funding and conclusions in randomized drug trials reflects treatment effects or adverse events. Observational study of 370 randomized drug trials included in meta-analyses from Cochrane reviews selected from the Cochrane Library, May 2001. From a random sample of 167 Cochrane reviews, 25 contained eligible meta-analyses (assessed a binary outcome; pooled at least 5 full-paper trials of which at least 1 reported adequate and 1 reported inadequate allocation concealment). The primary binary outcome from each meta-analysis was considered the primary outcome for all trials included in each meta-analysis. The association between funding and conclusions was analyzed by logistic regression with adjustment for treatment effect, adverse events, and additional confounding factors (methodological quality, control intervention, sample size, publication year, and place of publication). Conclusions in trials, classified into whether the experimental drug was recommended as the treatment of choice or not. The experimental drug was recommended as treatment of choice in 16% of trials funded by nonprofit organizations, 30% of trials not reporting funding, 35% of trials funded by both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and 51% of trials funded by for-profit organizations (P<.001; chi2 test). Logistic regression analyses indicated that funding, treatment effect, and double blinding were the only significant predictors of conclusions. Adjusted analyses showed that trials funded by for-profit organizations were significantly more likely to recommend the experimental drug as treatment of choice (odds ratio, 5.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-14.4) compared with trials funded by nonprofit organizations. This association did not appear to reflect treatment effect or adverse events. Conclusions in trials funded by for-profit organizations may be more positive due to biased interpretation of trial results. Readers should carefully evaluate whether conclusions in randomized trials are supported by data.

Noise exposure and children's blood pressure and heart rate: the RANCH project

PubMed Central

van Kempen, E; Van Kamp, I; Fischer, P; Davies, H; Houthuijs, D; Stellato, R; Clark, C; Stansfeld, S

2006-01-01

Background Conclusions that can be drawn from earlier studies on noise and children's blood pressure are limited due to inconsistent results, methodological problems, and the focus on school noise exposure. Objectives To investigate the effects of aircraft and road traffic noise exposure on children's blood pressure and heart rate. Methods Participants were 1283 children (age 9–11 years) attending 62 primary schools around two European airports. Data were pooled and analysed using multilevel modelling. Adjustments were made for a range of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Results After pooling the data, aircraft noise exposure at school was related to a statistically non‐significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Aircraft noise exposure at home was related to a statistically significant increase in blood pressure. Aircraft noise exposure during the night at home was positively and significantly associated with blood pressure. The findings differed between the Dutch and British samples. Negative associations were found between road traffic noise exposure and blood pressure, which cannot be explained. Conclusion On the basis of this study and previous scientific literature, no unequivocal conclusions can be drawn about the relationship between community noise and children's blood pressure. PMID:16728500

A theoretical study of the acoustic impedance of orifices in the presence of a steady grazing flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. J.

1976-01-01

An analysis of the oscillatory fluid flow in the vicinity of a circular orifice with a steady grazing flow is presented. The study is similar to that of Hersh and Rogers but with the addition of the grazing flow. Starting from the momentum and continuity equations, a considerably simplified system of partial differential equations is developed with the assumption that the flow can be described by an oscillatory motion superimposed upon the known steady flow. The equations are seen to be linear in the region where the grazing flow effects are dominant, and a solution and the resulting orifice impedance are presented for this region. The nonlinearity appears to be unimportant for the usual conditions found in aircraft noise suppressors. Some preliminary conclusions of the study are that orifice resistance is directly proportional to grazing flow velocity (known previously from experimental data) and that the orifice inductive (mass reactance) end correction is not a function of grazing flow. This latter conclusion is contrary to the widely held notion that grazing flow removes the effect of the orifice inductive end correction. This conclusion also implies that the experimentally observed total inductance reduction with grazing flow might be in the flow within the orifice rather than in the end correction.

Optimizing α for better statistical decisions: a case study involving the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis: optimal α levels set to minimize Type I and II errors frequently result in different conclusions from those using α = 0.05.

PubMed

Mudge, Joseph F; Penny, Faith M; Houlahan, Jeff E

2012-12-01

Setting optimal significance levels that minimize Type I and Type II errors allows for more transparent and well-considered statistical decision making compared to the traditional α = 0.05 significance level. We use the optimal α approach to re-assess conclusions reached by three recently published tests of the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis, which attempts to unify occurrences of different physiological, behavioral, and life history characteristics under one theory, over different scales of biological organization. While some of the conclusions reached using optimal α were consistent to those previously reported using the traditional α = 0.05 threshold, opposing conclusions were also frequently reached. The optimal α approach reduced probabilities of Type I and Type II errors, and ensured statistical significance was associated with biological relevance. Biologists should seriously consider their choice of α when conducting null hypothesis significance tests, as there are serious disadvantages with consistent reliance on the traditional but arbitrary α = 0.05 significance level. Copyright © 2012 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

The Ability of Students’ Mathematical Proof in Determining the Validity of Argument Reviewed from Gender Differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feriyanto

2018-01-01

This research aims to describe the ability of students’ mathematical proof in determining the validity of argument reviewed from gender differences. The subjects of this research were one male and one female student of the fifth semester of Mathematic Education study program. The subjects were selected based on the highest mathematics ability which was assesed from their previous assignments and tests. In addition, the communication ability of the subjects was also considered in order to facilitate the researcher in conducting interviews. Based on the result of the test with direct and indirect proof, it could be concluded that the subjects were able to: 1) mention all facts/premises and write about what should be shown (conclusion) in direct proof and write additional premise in indirect proof; 2) connect facts/premises to concepts which must be mastered; 3) use equivalent concept to manipulate and organize the proof; 4) use the concept of syllogism and tollens mode to obtain the desired conclusion; 5) construct mathematical evidence systematically, and logically; 6) complement the reason for each step appropriately. The difference was that the male subject wrote the final conclusion, while the female subject did not write the final conclusion on the proof.

Rethinking childhood adversity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

PubMed

Clark, James E; Davidson, Sean L; Maclachlan, Laura; Newton, Julia L; Watson, Stuart

2018-01-01

Background: Previous studies have consistently shown increased rates of childhood adversity in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, such aetiopathogenic studies of CFS are potentially confounded by co-morbidity and misdiagnosis particularly with depression. Purpose: We examined the relationship between rates of childhood adversity using two complimentary approaches (1) a sample of CFS patients who had no lifetime history of depression and (2) a modelling approach. Methods: Childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) administered to a sample of 52 participants with chronic fatigue syndrome and 19 controls who did not meet criteria for a psychiatric disorder (confirmed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV). Subsequently, Mediation Analysis (Baye's Rules) was used to establish the risk childhood adversity poses for CFS with and without depression. Results: In a cohort of CFS patients with depression comprehensively excluded, CTQ scores were markedly lower than in all previous studies and, in contrast to these previous studies, not increased compared with healthy controls. Post-hoc analysis showed that CTQ scores correlated with the number of depressive symptoms during the lifetime worst period of low mood. The probability of developing CFS given a history of childhood trauma is 4%, a two-fold increased risk compared to the general population. However, much of this risk is mediated by the concomitant development of major depression. Conclusions: The data suggests that previous studies showing a relationship between childhood adversity and CFS may be attributable to the confounding effects of co-morbid or misdiagnosed depressive disorder. Abbreviations: CFS: Chronic fatigue syndrome; CTQ: Childhood trauma questionnaire; MDD: Major depressive disorder; CA: Childhood adversity; P : Probability.

Presurgical language lateralization assessment by fMRI and dichotic listening of pediatric patients with intractable epilepsy.

PubMed

Norrelgen, Fritjof; Lilja, Anders; Ingvar, Martin; Åmark, Per; Fransson, Peter

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical use of a method to assess hemispheric language dominance in pediatric candidates for epilepsy surgery. The method is designed for patients but has previously been evaluated with healthy children. Nineteen patients, 8-18 years old, with intractable epilepsy and candidates for epilepsy surgery were assessed. The assessment consisted of two functional MRI protocols (fMRI) intended to target frontal and posterior language networks respectively, and a behavioral dichotic listening task (DL). Regional left/right indices for each fMRI task from the frontal, temporal and parietal lobe were calculated, and left/right indices of the DL task were calculated from responses of consonants and vowels, separately. A quantitative analysis of each patient's data set was done in two steps based on clearly specified criteria. First, fMRI data and DL data were analyzed separately to determine whether the result from each of these assessments were conclusive or not. Thereafter, the results from the individual assessments were combined to reach a final conclusion regarding hemispheric language dominance. For 14 of the 19 subjects (74%) a conclusion was reached about their hemispheric language dominance. Nine subjects had a left-sided and five subjects had a right-sided hemispheric dominance. In three cases (16%) DL provided critical data to reach a conclusive result. The success rate of conclusive language lateralization assessments in this study is comparable to reported rates on similar challenged pediatric populations. The results are promising but data from more patients than in the present study will be required to conclude on the clinical applicability of the method.

Grammatical gender in German: a case for linguistic relativity?

PubMed

Bender, Andrea; Beller, Sieghard; Klauer, Karl Christoph

2011-09-01

The "principle of linguistic relativity" holds that, by way of grammatical categorization, language affects the conceptual representations of its speakers. Formal gender systems are a case in point, albeit a particularly controversial one: Previous studies obtained broadly diverging data, thus giving rise to conflicting conclusions. To a large extent, this incoherence is related to task differences and methodological problems. Here, a priming design is presented that avoids previous problems, as it prevents participants from employing gender information in a strategic manner. Four experiments with German native speakers show priming effects of the prime's grammatical gender on animate and nonanimate targets, an effect for the prime's biological gender on animate targets, but no effect for the prime's biological gender on nonanimate targets, and thus speak against an effect of language on thought for German gender.

Associations Between United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE) Scores

PubMed Central

Zeger, Scott L.; Kolars, Joseph C.

2008-01-01

Background Little is known about the associations of previous standardized examination scores with scores on subsequent standardized examinations used to assess medical knowledge in internal medicine residencies. Objective To examine associations of previous standardized test scores on subsequent standardized test scores. Design Retrospective cohort study. Participants One hundred ninety-five internal medicine residents. Methods Bivariate associations of United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Steps and Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE) scores were determined. Random effects analysis adjusting for repeated administrations of the IM-ITE and other variables known or hypothesized to affect IM-ITE score allowed for discrimination of associations of individual USMLE Step scores on IM-ITE scores. Results In bivariate associations, USMLE scores explained 17% to 27% of the variance in IME-ITE scores, and previous IM-ITE scores explained 66% of the variance in subsequent IM-ITE scores. Regression coefficients (95% CI) for adjusted associations of each USMLE Step with IM-ITE scores were USMLE-1 0.19 (0.12, 0.27), USMLE-2 0.23 (0.17, 0.30), and USMLE-3 0.19 (0.09, 0.29). Conclusions No single USMLE Step is more strongly associated with IM-ITE scores than the others. Because previous IM-ITE scores are strongly associated with subsequent IM-ITE scores, appropriate modeling, such as random effects methods, should be used to account for previous IM-ITE administrations in studies for which IM-ITE score is an outcome. PMID:18612735

Further statistics in dentistry. Part 4: Clinical trials 2.

PubMed

Petrie, A; Bulman, J S; Osborn, J F

2002-11-23

The principles which underlie a well-designed clinical trial were introduced in a previous paper. The trial should be controlled (to ensure that the appropriate comparisons are made), randomised (to avoid allocation bias) and, preferably, blinded (to obviate assessment bias). However, taken in isolation, these concepts will not necessarily ensure that meaningful conclusions can be drawn from the study. It is essential that the sample size is large enough to enable the effects of interest to be estimated precisely, and to detect any real treatment differences.

Urine-marking and ground-scratching by free-ranging Arctic Wolves, Canis lupus arctos, in summer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mech, L.D.

2006-01-01

Urine-marking and ground-scratching were observed in an Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus) pack on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, during 16 summers between 1986 and 2005. All previously known urination postures and ground-scratching by breeding males and females were seen, and incidence of marking and scratching was greatest when non-pack wolves were present. Observations of urine-marking of food remains supported the conclusion from a captive Wolf study that such marking signals lack of edible food.

Comment on "Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds".

PubMed

Mitchell, Kieren J; Cooper, Alan; Phillips, Matthew J

2015-09-25

Jarvis et al. (Research Articles, 12 December 2014, p. 1320) presented molecular clock analyses that suggested that most modern bird orders diverged just after the mass extinction event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (about 66 million years ago). We demonstrate that this conclusion results from the use of a single inappropriate maximum bound, which effectively precludes the Cretaceous diversification overwhelmingly supported by previous molecular studies. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Vision, Training Hours, and Road Testing Results in Bioptic Drivers

PubMed Central

Dougherty, Bradley E.; Flom, Roanne E.; Bullimore, Mark A.; Raasch, Thomas W.

2015-01-01

Purpose Bioptic telescopic spectacles (BTS) can be used by people with central visual acuity that does not meet the state standards to obtain an unrestricted driver’s license. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among visual and demographic factors, training hours, and the results of road testing for bioptic drivers. Methods A retrospective study of patients who received an initial daylight bioptic examination at the Ohio State University and subsequently received a bioptic license was conducted. Data were collected on vision including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and visual field. Hours of driver training and results of Highway Patrol road testing were extracted from records. Relationships among vision, training hours, and road testing were analyzed. Results Ninety-seven patients who completed a vision examination between 2004 and 2008 and received daylight licensure with BTS were included. Results of the first Highway Patrol road test were available for 74 patients. The median interquartile range (IQR) hours of training prior to road testing was 21±17 hours, (range of 9 to 75 hours). Candidates without previous licensure were younger (p< 0.001) and had more documented training (p< 0.001). Lack of previous licensure and more training were significantly associated with having failed a portion of the Highway Patrol test and points deducted on the road test. Conclusions New bioptic drivers without previous non-bioptic driving experience required more training and performed more poorly on road testing for licensure than those who had previous non-bioptic licensure. No visual factor was predictive of road testing results after adjustment for previous experience. The hours of training received remained predictive of road testing outcome even with adjustment for previous experience. These results suggest that previous experience and trainer assessments should be investigated as potential predictors of road safety in bioptic drivers in future studies. PMID:25946098

Risk Factors for Groin Injury and Symptoms in Elite Level Soccer Players: A Cohort Study in the Dutch Professional Leagues.

PubMed

Langhout, Rob; Tak, Igor; van Beijsterveldt, Anne-Marie; Ricken, Martijn; Weir, Adam; Barendrecht, Maarten; Kerkhoffs, Gino; Stubbe, Janine

2018-05-23

Study Design Cohort study with prospective and retrospective elements. Background Groin injury and symptoms are common in soccer players. Their relationship with reduced hip range of motion (ROM) and previous injury is unclear. Objectives To conduct a retrospective assessment of associations between previous injury and pre-season hip ROM and pre-season prevalence of severe groin symptoms; and prospective identification of risk factors for within-season groin injury. Methods During 2015-2016, 190 players from 9 Dutch professional soccer clubs participated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to predict pre-season severe groin symptoms, identified using the Copenhagen Hip And Groin Outcome Score, from a history of previous groin injury, general injury (minimum 1 week duration) in previous season, and hip ROM. Cox regression was used to predict within-season groin injury. Results Point-prevalence of severe groin symptoms was 24% and within-season incidence of groin injury 11%. Total/training/match groin injury incidence was 0.5/0.2/2.6 injuries/1000 playing hours. A history of more than 1 previous groin injury was associated with current severe groin symptoms (Odds Ratio=3.0; 95% CI=1.0, 8.3; P=.038). General injury sustained in the previous season (ankle, knee, thigh, shoulder; median 9 weeks time-loss) was a risk factor for groin injury (Hazard Ratio=5.1; 95% CI=1.1, 14.6; P=.003). Conclusion Severe injuries in the previous season to locations other than the groin increase the risk of groin injury the next season. A history of groin injury is associated with current severe groin symptoms. Pre-season hip ROM does not identify players at risk for groin injury. Level of Evidence Prevention, level 2b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 23 May 2018. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7990.

Pleiotropic and Sex-Specific Effects of Cancer GWAS SNPs on Melanoma Risk in the Population Architecture Using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) Study

PubMed Central

Kocarnik, Jonathan M.; Park, S. Lani; Han, Jiali; Dumitrescu, Logan; Cheng, Iona; Wilkens, Lynne R.; Schumacher, Fredrick R.; Kolonel, Laurence; Carlson, Chris S.; Crawford, Dana C.; Goodloe, Robert J.; Dilks, Holli H.; Baker, Paxton; Richardson, Danielle; Matise, Tara C.; Ambite, José Luis; Song, Fengju; Qureshi, Abrar A.; Zhang, Mingfeng; Duggan, David; Hutter, Carolyn; Hindorff, Lucia; Bush, William S.; Kooperberg, Charles; Le Marchand, Loic; Peters, Ulrike

2015-01-01

Background Several regions of the genome show pleiotropic associations with multiple cancers. We sought to evaluate whether 181 single-nucleotide polymorphisms previously associated with various cancers in genome-wide association studies were also associated with melanoma risk. Methods We evaluated 2,131 melanoma cases and 20,353 controls from three studies in the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) study (EAGLE-BioVU, MEC, WHI) and two collaborating studies (HPFS, NHS). Overall and sex-stratified analyses were performed across studies. Results We observed statistically significant associations with melanoma for two lung cancer SNPs in the TERT-CLPTM1L locus (Bonferroni-corrected p<2.8x10-4), replicating known pleiotropic effects at this locus. In sex-stratified analyses, we also observed a potential male-specific association between prostate cancer risk variant rs12418451 and melanoma risk (OR=1.22, p=8.0x10-4). No other variants in our study were associated with melanoma after multiple comparisons adjustment (p>2.8e-4). Conclusions We provide confirmatory evidence of pleiotropic associations with melanoma for two SNPs previously associated with lung cancer, and provide suggestive evidence for a male-specific association with melanoma for prostate cancer variant rs12418451. This SNP is located near TPCN2, an ion transport gene containing SNPs which have been previously associated with hair pigmentation but not melanoma risk. Previous evidence provides biological plausibility for this association, and suggests a complex interplay between ion transport, pigmentation, and melanoma risk that may vary by sex. If confirmed, these pleiotropic relationships may help elucidate shared molecular pathways between cancers and related phenotypes. PMID:25789475

Predicting fruit consumption: the role of habits, previous behavior and mediation effects

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background This study assessed the role of habits and previous behavior in predicting fruit consumption as well as their additional predictive contribution besides socio-demographic and motivational factors. In the literature, habits are proposed as a stable construct that needs to be controlled for in longitudinal analyses that predict behavior. The aim of this study is to provide empirical evidence for the inclusion of either previous behavior or habits. Methods A random sample of 806 Dutch adults (>18 years) was invited by an online survey panel of a private research company to participate in an online study on fruit consumption. A longitudinal design (N = 574) was used with assessments at baseline and after one (T2) and two months (T3). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess the differential value of habit and previous behavior in the prediction of fruit consumption. Results Eighty percent of habit strength could be explained by habit strength one month earlier, and 64% of fruit consumption could be explained by fruit consumption one month earlier. Regression analyses revealed that the model with motivational constructs explained 41% of the behavioral variance at T2 and 38% at T3. The addition of previous behavior and habit increased the explained variance up to 66% at T2 and to 59% at T3. Inclusion of these factors resulted in non-significant contributions of the motivational constructs. Furthermore, our findings showed that the effect of habit strength on future behavior was to a large extent mediated by previous behavior. Conclusions Both habit and previous behavior are important as predictors of future behavior, and as educational objectives for behavior change programs. Our results revealed less stability for the constructs over time than expected. Habit strength was to a large extent mediated by previous behavior and our results do not strongly suggest a need for the inclusion of both constructs. Future research needs to assess the conditions that determine direct influences of both previous behavior and habit, since these influences may differ per type of health behavior, per context stability in which the behavior is performed, and per time frame used for predicting future behavior. PMID:25037859

Stability of colloidal gold and determination of the Hamaker constant

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

Demirci, S.; Enuestuen, B.V.; Turkevich, J.

1978-12-14

Previous computation of stability factors of colloidal gold from coagulation data was found to be in systematic error due to an underestimation of the particle concentration by electron microscopy. A new experimental technique was developed for determination of this concentration. Stability factors were recalculated from the previous data using the correct concentration. While most of the previously reported conclusions remain unchanged, the absolute rate of fast coagulation is found to agree with that predicted by the theory. A value of the Hamaker constant was determined from the corrected data.

Retrospective review of previous minor leak before major subarachnoid hemorrhage diagnosed by MRI as a predictor of occurrence of symptomatic delayed cerebral ischemia.

PubMed

Oda, Shinri; Shimoda, Masami; Hirayama, Akihiro; Imai, Masaaki; Komatsu, Fuminari; Shigematsu, Hideaki; Nishiyama, Jun; Hotta, Kazuko; Matsumae, Mitsunori

2018-02-01

OBJECTIVE This study attempted to determine whether a previous minor leak correlated with the occurrence of symptomatic delayed cerebral ischemia (sDCI). METHODS The authors retrospectively evaluated sDCI-related clinical features and findings from MRI, including T1-weighted imaging (T1WI)-FLAIR mismatch at the time of admission, in 151 patients admitted with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) within 48 hours of ictus. RESULTS The overall incidence of sDCI was 23% (35 of 151 patients). In all subjects, multivariate analysis revealed that World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Grades II-V, age 70 years or older, presence of rebleeding after admission, a previous minor leak before the major SAH attack as diagnosed by T1WI-FLAIR mismatch, acute infarction on diffusion-weighted imaging, and CT SAH score were significantly associated with occurrence of sDCI. In patients with no previous minor leak before major SAH as diagnosed by T1WI-FLAIR mismatch, the incidence of sDCI was only 7% (7 of 97 patients). CONCLUSIONS A previous minor leak before major SAH as diagnosed by T1WI-FLAIR mismatch represents an important sDCI-related factor. When the analysis was restricted to patients with true acute SAH without a previous minor leak diagnosed by T1WI-FLAIR mismatch, the incidence of sDCI was extremely low.

Returns to Scale in the Production of Hospital Services

PubMed Central

Berry, Ralph E.

1967-01-01

The primary purpose of this article is to investigate whether or not economies of scale exist in the production of hospital services. In previous studies the results have implied the existence of economies of scale, but the question has not been satisfactorily resolved. The factor most responsible for clouding the issue is the overwhelming prevalence of product differences in the outputs of hospitals. In this study a method which avoids the problem of product differentiation is developed. The analysis strongly supports the conclusion that hospital services are produced subject to economies of scale. PMID:6054380

Treatment of earlobe keloids using the cobalt 60 teletherapy unit.

PubMed

Malaker, Kamal; Zaidi, Mustafa; Franka, Mohamad Rida

2004-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an easily accessible technique for the delivery of postoperative radiotherapy for the treatment of earlobe keloids. Forty-seven earlobe keloids were given postoperative radiation using the smallest achievable half field Telecobalt technique. Results showed 41 (87.2%) of treated patients' postoperative scars remained free from recurrent keloid formation. Acute reactions were minimal and patient compliance was excellent. In conclusion, the technique described in this study for the delivery of postoperative radiation to earlobe keloids should be readily available in areas of high prevalence. Results are comparable to previously used radiotherapy techniques.

Conserved queen pheromones in bumblebees: a reply to Amsalem et al.

PubMed

Holman, Luke; van Zweden, Jelle S; Oliveira, Ricardo C; van Oystaeyen, Annette; Wenseleers, Tom

2017-01-01

In a recent study, Amsalem, Orlova & Grozinger (2015) performed experiments with Bombus impatiens bumblebees to test the hypothesis that saturated cuticular hydrocarbons are evolutionarily conserved signals used to regulate reproductive division of labor in many Hymenopteran social insects. They concluded that the cuticular hydrocarbon pentacosane (C 25 ), previously identified as a queen pheromone in a congeneric bumblebee, does not affect worker reproduction in B. impatiens . Here we discuss some shortcomings of Amsalem et al.'s study that make its conclusions unreliable. In particular, several confounding effects may have affected the results of both experimental manipulations in the study. Additionally, the study's low sample sizes (mean n per treatment = 13.6, range: 4-23) give it low power, not 96-99% power as claimed, such that its conclusions may be false negatives. Inappropriate statistical tests were also used, and our reanalysis found that C 25 substantially reduced and delayed worker egg laying in B. impatiens . We review the evidence that cuticular hydrocarbons act as queen pheromones, and offer some recommendations for future queen pheromone experiments.

Simulations of Evaporating Multicomponent Fuel Drops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bellan, Josette; Le Clercq, Patrick

2005-01-01

A paper presents additional information on the subject matter of Model of Mixing Layer With Multicomponent Evaporating Drops (NPO-30505), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 3 (March 2004), page 55. To recapitulate: A mathematical model of a three-dimensional mixing layer laden with evaporating fuel drops composed of many chemical species has been derived. The model is used to perform direct numerical simulations in continuing studies directed toward understanding the behaviors of sprays of liquid petroleum fuels in furnaces, industrial combustors, and engines. The model includes governing equations formulated in an Eulerian and a Lagrangian reference frame for the gas and drops, respectively, and incorporates a concept of continuous thermodynamics, according to which the chemical composition of a fuel is described by use of a distribution function. In this investigation, the distribution function depends solely on the species molar weight. The present paper reiterates the description of the model and discusses further in-depth analysis of the previous results as well as results of additional numerical simulations assessing the effect of the mass loading. The paper reiterates the conclusions reported in the cited previous article, and states some new conclusions. Some new conclusions are: 1. The slower evaporation and the evaporation/ condensation process for multicomponent-fuel drops resulted in a reduced drop-size polydispersity compared to their single-component counterpart. 2. The inhomogeneity in the spatial distribution of the species in the layer increases with the initial mass loading. 3. As evaporation becomes faster, the assumed invariant form of the molecular- weight distribution during evaporation becomes inaccurate.

Analysis of Over 10,000 Cases Finds No Association between Previously-Reported Candidate Polymorphisms and Ovarian Cancer Outcome

PubMed Central

White, Kristin L.; Vierkant, Robert A.; Fogarty, Zachary C.; Charbonneau, Bridget; Block, Matthew S.; Pharoah, Paul D.P.; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Rossing, Mary Anne; Cramer, Daniel W.; Pearce, C. Leigh; Schildkraut, Joellen M.; Menon, Usha; Kjaer, Susanne Kruger; Levine, Douglas A.; Gronwald, Jacek; Culver, Hoda Anton; Whittemore, Alice S.; Karlan, Beth Y.; Lambrechts, Diether; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Bandera, Elisa V.; Hogdall, Estrid; Heitz, Florian; Kaye, Stanley B.; Fasching, Peter A.; Campbell, Ian; Goodman, Marc T.; Pejovic, Tanja; Bean, Yukie; Lurie, Galina; Eccles, Diana; Hein, Alexander; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Ekici, Arif B.; Paul, James; Brown, Robert; Flanagan, James; Harter, Philipp; du Bois, Andreas; Schwaab, Ira; Hogdall, Claus K.; Lundvall, Lene; Olson, Sara H.; Orlow, Irene; Paddock, Lisa E.; Rudolph, Anja; Eilber, Ursula; Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Agnieszka; Rzepecka, Iwona K.; Ziolkowska-Seta, Izabela; Brinton, Louise; Yang, Hannah; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat; Despierre, Evelyn; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Vergote, Ignace; Walsh, Christine; Lester, Jenny; Sieh, Weiva; McGuire, Valerie; Rothstein, Joseph H.; Ziogas, Argyrios; Lubiński, Jan; Cybulski, Cezary; Menkiszak, Janusz; Jensen, Allan; Gayther, Simon A.; Ramus, Susan J.; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Berchuck, Andrew; Wu, Anna H.; Pike, Malcolm C.; Van Den Berg, David; Terry, Kathryn L.; Vitonis, Allison F.; Doherty, Jennifer A.; Johnatty, Sharon; deFazio, Anna; Song, Honglin; Tyrer, Jonathan; Sellers, Thomas A.; Phelan, Catherine M.; Kalli, Kimberly R.; Cunningham, Julie M.; Fridley, Brooke L.; Goode, Ellen L.

2013-01-01

Background Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women. In an effort to understand contributors to disease outcome, we evaluated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously associated with ovarian cancer recurrence or survival, specifically in angiogenesis, inflammation, mitosis, and drug disposition genes. Methods Twenty-seven SNPs in VHL, HGF, IL18, PRKACB, ABCB1, CYP2C8, ERCC2, and ERCC1 previously associated with ovarian cancer outcome were genotyped in 10,084 invasive cases from 28 studies from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium with over 37,000 observed person-years and 4,478 deaths. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between candidate SNPs and ovarian cancer recurrence or survival with and without adjustment for key covariates. Results We observed no association between genotype and ovarian cancer recurrence or survival for any of the SNPs examined. Conclusions These results refute prior associations between these SNPs and ovarian cancer outcome and underscore the importance of maximally powered genetic association studies. Impact These variants should not be used in prognostic models. Alternate approaches to uncovering inherited prognostic factors, if they exist, are needed. PMID:23513043

Dental Use and Expenditures for Older Uninsured Americans: The Simulated Impact of Expanded Coverage

PubMed Central

Manski, Richard J; Moeller, John F; Chen, Haiyan; Schimmel, Jody; Pepper, John V; St Clair, Patricia A

2015-01-01

Objective To determine if providing dental insurance to older Americans would close the current gaps in dental use and expenditure between insured and uninsured older Americans. Data Sources/Study Setting We used data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) supplemented by data from the 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Study Design We compared the simulated dental use and expenditures rates of newly insured persons against the corresponding rates for those previously insured. Data Collection/Extraction Methods The HRS is a nationally representative survey administered by the Institute for Social Research (ISR). The MEPS is a nationally representative household survey sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Principal Findings We found that expanding dental coverage to older uninsured Americans would close previous gaps in dental use and expense between uninsured and insured noninstitutionalized Americans 55 years and older. Conclusions Providing dental coverage to previously uninsured older adults would produce estimated monthly costs net of markups for administrative costs that comport closely to current market rates. Estimates also suggest that the total cost of providing dental coverage targeted specifically to nonusers of dental care may be less than similar costs for prior users. PMID:25040355

Phylogenetic incongruence and the evolutionary origins of cardenolide-resistant forms of Na(+) ,K(+) -ATPase in Danaus butterflies.

PubMed

Aardema, Matthew L; Andolfatto, Peter

2016-08-01

Many distantly related insect species are specialized feeders of cardenolide-containing host plants such as milkweed (Asclepias spp.). Previous studies have revealed frequent, parallel substitution of a functionally important amino acid substitution (N122H) in the alpha subunit of Na(+) ,K(+) -ATPase in a number of these species. This substitution facilitates the ability of these insects to feed on their toxic hosts and sequester cardenolides for their own use in defense. Among milkweed butterflies of the genus Danaus, the previously established phylogeny for this group suggests that N122H arose independently and fixed in two distinct lineages. We reevaluate this conclusion by examining Danaus phylogenetic relationships using >400 orthologous gene sequences assembled from transcriptome data. Our results indicate that the three Danaus species known to harbor the N122H substitution are more closely related than previously thought, consistent with a single, common origin for N122H. However, we also find evidence of both incomplete lineage sorting and post-speciation genetic exchange among these butterfly species, raising the possibility of collateral evolution of cardenolide-insensitivity in this species group. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Teaching, leadership, scholarly productivity, and level of activity in the chiropractic profession: a study of graduates of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic radiology residency program

PubMed Central

Young, Kenneth J.; Siordia, Lawrence

2012-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to track the graduates of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC) radiology residency program, review their scholarly productivity, and report those involved in teaching and leadership positions. Methods Former LACC residents’ career information was identified through publicly available electronic documents including Web sites and social media. PubMed and the Index to Chiropractic Literature databases were searched for chiropractic graduate job surveys, and proportional comparisons were made between the career paths of LACC radiology residency graduates and those of non–residency-trained chiropractors. Results Of 47 former LACC residents, 28 (60%) have or previously had careers in tertiary (chiropractic) education; and 12 (26%) have attained a department chair position or higher at tertiary teaching institutions. Twenty-two (47%) have or previously had private radiology practices, whereas 11 (23%) have or previously had clinical chiropractic practices. Often, residency graduates hold or have held 2 of these positions at once; and one, all 3. Chapters or books were authored by 13 (28%). Conclusion Radiology residency LACC graduates are professionally active, particularly in education, and demonstrate scholarly productivity. PMID:23966885

Birth month affects lifetime disease risk: a phenome-wide method

PubMed Central

Boland, Mary Regina; Shahn, Zachary; Madigan, David; Hripcsak, George; Tatonetti, Nicholas P

2015-01-01

Objective An individual’s birth month has a significant impact on the diseases they develop during their lifetime. Previous studies reveal relationships between birth month and several diseases including atherothrombosis, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and myopia, leaving most diseases completely unexplored. This retrospective population study systematically explores the relationship between seasonal affects at birth and lifetime disease risk for 1688 conditions. Methods We developed a hypothesis-free method that minimizes publication and disease selection biases by systematically investigating disease-birth month patterns across all conditions. Our dataset includes 1 749 400 individuals with records at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center born between 1900 and 2000 inclusive. We modeled associations between birth month and 1688 diseases using logistic regression. Significance was tested using a chi-squared test with multiplicity correction. Results We found 55 diseases that were significantly dependent on birth month. Of these 19 were previously reported in the literature (P < .001), 20 were for conditions with close relationships to those reported, and 16 were previously unreported. We found distinct incidence patterns across disease categories. Conclusions Lifetime disease risk is affected by birth month. Seasonally dependent early developmental mechanisms may play a role in increasing lifetime risk of disease. PMID:26041386

A Look at Infinite Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basor, Estelle

1978-01-01

Sums for divergent series that were seriously considered by eighteenth century mathematicians are shown to have reappeared as result of new interpretations for divergent series that make these previous conclusions valid. (MN)

IS THERE A VIABILITY-VULNERABILITY TRADEOFF? SEX DIFFERENCES IN FETAL PROGRAMMING

PubMed Central

SANDMAN, CURT A; GLYNN, LAURA M; DAVIS, ELYSIA POGGI

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE In this paper we evaluate the evidence for sex differences in fetal programming within the context of the proposed viability-vulnerability tradeoff. METHODS We briefly review the literature on the factors contributing to primary and secondary sex ratios. Sex differences in fetal programming are assessed by summarizing previously published sex difference findings from our group (6 studies) and also new analyses of previously published findings in which sex differences were not reported (6 studies). RESULTS The review and reanalysis of studies from our group are consistent with the overwhelming evidence of increasing risk for viability among males exposed to environmental adversity early in life. New evidence reported here support the argument that females, despite their adaptive agility, also are influenced by exposure to early adversity. Two primary conclusions are (i) female fetal exposure to psychobiological stress selectively influences fear/anxiety, and (ii) the effects of female fetal exposure to stress persist into preadolescence. These persisting effects are reflected in increased levels of anxiety, impaired executive function and neurological markers associated with these behaviors. CONCLUSIONS A tacit assumption is that females, with their adaptive flexibility early in gestation, escape the consequences of early life exposure to adversity. We argue that the consequences of male exposure to early adversity threatens their viability, effectively culling the weak and the frail and creating a surviving cohort of the fittest. Females adjust to early adversity with a variety of strategies, but their escape from the risk of early mortality and morbidity has a price of increased vulnerability expressed later in development. PMID:24119938

Exogenous and Endogenous Determinants of Blood Trihalomethane Levels after Showering

PubMed Central

Backer, Lorraine C.; Lan, Qing; Blount, Benjamin C.; Nuckols, J.R.; Branch, Robert; Lyu, Christopher W.; Kieszak, Stephanie M.; Brinkman, Marielle C.; Gordon, Sydney M.; Flanders, W. Dana; Romkes, Marjorie; Cantor, Kenneth P.

2008-01-01

Background We previously conducted a study to assess whether household exposures to tap water increased an individual’s internal dose of trihalomethanes (THMs). Increases in blood THM levels among subjects who showered or bathed were variable, with increased levels tending to cluster in two groups. Objectives Our goal was to assess the importance of personal characteristics, previous exposures, genetic polymorphisms, and environmental exposures in determining THM concentrations in blood after showering. Methods One hundred study participants completed a health symptom questionnaire, a 48-hr food and water consumption diary, and took a 10-min shower in a controlled setting. We examined THM levels in blood samples collected at baseline and 10 and 30 min after the shower. We assessed the significance of personal characteristics, previous exposures to THMs, and specific gene polymorphisms in predicting postshower blood THM concentrations. Results We did not observe the clustering of blood THM concentrations observed in our earlier study. We found that environmental THM concentrations were important predictors of blood THM concentrations immediately after showering. For example, the chloroform concentration in the shower stall air was the most important predictor of blood chloroform levels 10 min after the shower (p < 0.001). Personal characteristics, previous exposures to THMs, and specific polymorphisms in CYP2D6 and GSTT1 genes were significant predictors of both baseline and postshowering blood THM concentrations as well as of changes in THM concentrations associated with showering. Conclusion The inclusion of information about individual physiologic characteristics and environmental measurements would be valuable in future studies to assess human health effects from exposures to THMs in tap water. PMID:18197300

Student pharmacists’ career choices: a survey of three Nigerian schools of pharmacy

PubMed Central

Ubaka, Chukwuemeka M.; Ochie, Uche M.; Adibe, Maxwell O.

Background There is little data on the preferences of pharmacy students as regards their future pharmacy job choices in Africa and this has created concerns amongst licensing bodies, employers and also the institutions they graduate from. Objective Career choices and factors that influence these choices of pre-registration pharmacists were assessed. Methods Final and fourth year students from three schools of pharmacy were approached with a previously validated and employed questionnaire comprising questions on future job choices and reasons for that job choice. Data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential analysis. Results Four hundred and eighty eight students took part in the study (response rate 71.5%). Majority (78.8%) was younger than 26 years and had a work experience (68.2%). Job flexibility was significantly more important to females, while younger students considered salary most important (p<0.05). Hospital and community practice were most preferred career choices. Other demographic factors (especially gender, marital status, previous degree and previous work experience) significantly affected career choices. Conclusions Age, gender, and previous work experience affect career choices of graduating pharmacy students. Patient-oriented practices (e.g. hospital and community) remain the most preferred careers. PMID:24223080

Physicians' prescribing preferences were a potential instrument for patients' actual prescriptions of antidepressants☆

PubMed Central

Davies, Neil M.; Gunnell, David; Thomas, Kyla H.; Metcalfe, Chris; Windmeijer, Frank; Martin, Richard M.

2013-01-01

Objectives To investigate whether physicians' prescribing preferences were valid instrumental variables for the antidepressant prescriptions they issued to their patients. Study Design and Setting We investigated whether physicians' previous prescriptions of (1) tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) vs. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and (2) paroxetine vs. other SSRIs were valid instruments. We investigated whether the instrumental variable assumptions are likely to hold and whether TCAs (vs. SSRIs) were associated with hospital admission for self-harm or death by suicide using both conventional and instrumental variable regressions. The setting for the study was general practices in the United Kingdom. Results Prior prescriptions were strongly associated with actual prescriptions: physicians who previously prescribed TCAs were 14.9 percentage points (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.4, 15.4) more likely to prescribe TCAs, and those who previously prescribed paroxetine were 27.7 percentage points (95% CI, 26.7, 28.8) more likely to prescribe paroxetine, to their next patient. Physicians' previous prescriptions were less strongly associated with patients' baseline characteristics than actual prescriptions. We found no evidence that the estimated association of TCAs with self-harm/suicide using instrumental variable regression differed from conventional regression estimates (P-value = 0.45). Conclusion The main instrumental variable assumptions held, suggesting that physicians' prescribing preferences are valid instruments for evaluating the short-term effects of antidepressants. PMID:24075596

Validating a Prognostic Scoring System for Postmastectomy Locoregional Recurrence in Breast Cancer

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

Cheng, Skye Hung-Chun, E-mail: skye@kfsyscc.org; Clinical Research Office, Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina

2013-03-15

Purpose: This study is designed to validate a previously developed locoregional recurrence risk (LRR) scoring system and further define which groups of patients with breast cancer would benefit from postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT). Methods and Materials: An LRR risk scoring system was developed previously at our institution using breast cancer patients initially treated with modified radical mastectomy between 1990 and 2001. The LRR score comprised 4 factors: patient age, lymphovascular invasion, estrogen receptor negativity, and number of involved lymph nodes. We sought to validate the original study by examining a new dataset of 1545 patients treated between 2002 and 2007. Results:more » The 1545 patients were scored according to the previously developed criteria: 920 (59.6%) were low risk (score 0-1), 493 (31.9%) intermediate risk (score 2-3), and 132 (8.5%) were high risk (score ≥4). The 5-year locoregional control rates with and without PMRT in low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups were 98% versus 97% (P=.41), 97% versus 91% (P=.0005), and 89% versus 50% (P=.0002) respectively. Conclusions: This analysis of an additional 1545 patients treated between 2002 and 2007 validates our previously reported LRR scoring system and suggests appropriate patients for whom PMRT will be beneficial. Independent validation of this scoring system by other institutions is recommended.« less

Pooled analysis of recent studies on magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia

PubMed Central

Kheifets, L; Ahlbom, A; Crespi, C M; Draper, G; Hagihara, J; Lowenthal, R M; Mezei, G; Oksuzyan, S; Schüz, J; Swanson, J; Tittarelli, A; Vinceti, M; Wunsch Filho, V

2010-01-01

Background: Previous pooled analyses have reported an association between magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia. We present a pooled analysis based on primary data from studies on residential magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia published after 2000. Methods: Seven studies with a total of 10 865 cases and 12 853 controls were included. The main analysis focused on 24-h magnetic field measurements or calculated fields in residences. Results: In the combined results, risk increased with increase in exposure, but the estimates were imprecise. The odds ratios for exposure categories of 0.1–0.2 μT, 0.2–0.3 μT and ⩾0.3 μT, compared with <0.1 μT, were 1.07 (95% CI 0.81–1.41), 1.16 (0.69–1.93) and 1.44 (0.88–2.36), respectively. Without the most influential study from Brazil, the odds ratios increased somewhat. An increasing trend was also suggested by a nonparametric analysis conducted using a generalised additive model. Conclusions: Our results are in line with previous pooled analyses showing an association between magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia. Overall, the association is weaker in the most recently conducted studies, but these studies are small and lack methodological improvements needed to resolve the apparent association. We conclude that recent studies on magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia do not alter the previous assessment that magnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic. PMID:20877339

Doped Aluminum Gallium Arsenide (AlGaAs)/Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch (PCSS) Fabrication

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-27

contact regions and epitaxial capping layer are fabricated to investigate the advantages of both approaches. Devices were fabricated with various... Contacts 7 2.5 Packaging 11 3. Conclusions 12 4. References 13 Appendix. Detailed Fabrication Process 15 List of Symbols, Abbreviations, and...regions in violet (overlaying previous patterns) .......7 Fig. 6 Mask 4: intrinsic device contact window regions in orange (overlaying previous

Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Functioning in Breast Cancer Survivors Previously Treated With Standard-Dose Chemotherapy

PubMed Central

Jim, Heather S.L.; Phillips, Kristin M.; Chait, Sari; Anne Faul, Leigh; Popa, Mihaela A.; Lee, Yun-Hsiang; Hussin, Mallory G.; Jacobsen, Paul B.; Small, Brent J.

2012-01-01

Purpose Evidence is mixed regarding long-term cognitive deficits in patients treated with chemotherapy. Previous meta-analyses have not focused specifically on the postchemotherapy period and have not incorporated several recent studies. The goal of the current study was to conduct a meta-analysis of cognitive functioning in breast cancer survivors who were treated with chemotherapy ≥ 6 months previously. Methods A search of PubMed, PsycInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Library yielded 2,751 abstracts, which were independently evaluated by pairs of raters. Meta-analysis was conducted on 17 studies of 807 patients previously treated with standard-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer. Neuropsychological tests were categorized according to eight cognitive domains: attention, executive functioning, information processing, motor speed, verbal ability, verbal memory, visual memory, and visuospatial ability. Results Deficits in cognitive functioning were observed in patients treated with chemotherapy relative to controls or prechemotherapy baseline in the domains of verbal ability (g = −0.19; P < .01) and visuospatial ability (g = −0.27; P < .01). Patients treated with chemotherapy performed worse than noncancer controls in verbal ability and worse than patients treated without chemotherapy in visuospatial ability (both P < .01). Age, education, time since treatment, and endocrine therapy did not moderate observed cognitive deficits in verbal ability or visuospatial ability (all P ≥ .51). Conclusion Results indicate that, on average, observed cognitive deficits in patients with breast cancer previously treated with chemotherapy are small in magnitude and limited to the domains of verbal ability and visuospatial ability. This information can be used to inform interventions to educate patients with breast cancer regarding the long-term impact of chemotherapy on cognitive functioning. PMID:22927526

Placental location, postpartum hemorrhage and retained placenta in women with a previous cesarean section delivery: a prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Belachew, Johanna; Eurenius, Karin; Mulic-Lutvica, Ajlana; Axelsson, Ove

2017-01-01

Objective Women previously giving birth with cesarean section have an increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and retained placenta. The objective of this study was to determine if anterior placental location increased the risk of PPH and retained placenta in such women. Materials and methods We performed a prospective cohort study on 400 women with cesarean section delivery in a previous pregnancy. Ultrasound examinations were performed at gestational week 28–30, and placental location, myometrial thickness, and three-dimensional vascularization index (VI) were recorded. Data on maternal age, parity, BMI, smoking, gestational week at delivery, induction, delivery mode, oxytocin, preeclampsia, PPH, retained placenta, and birth weight were obtained for all women. Outcome measures were PPH (≥1,000 mL) and retained placenta. Results The overall incidence of PPH was 11.0% and of retained placenta 3.5%. Twenty-three women (11.8%) with anterior placenta had PPH compared to 12 (6.9%) with posterior or fundal locations. The odds ratio was 1.94, but it did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant risk increase for retained placenta in women with anterior placentae. Seven of eight women with placenta previa had PPH, and four had retained placenta. Conclusions The overall risk of PPH and retained placenta was high for women with previous cesarean section. Anterior location of the placenta in such women tended to impose an increased risk for PPH but no risk increase of retained placenta. Placenta previa in women with previous cesarean section is associated with a high risk for PPH and retained placenta. PMID:28826360

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of an 11,450-year-old Aurochsen (Bos primigenius) from Central Italy

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Bos primigenius, the aurochs, is the wild ancestor of modern cattle breeds and was formerly widespread across Eurasia and northern Africa. After a progressive decline, the species became extinct in 1627. The origin of modern taurine breeds in Europe is debated. Archaeological and early genetic evidence point to a single Near Eastern origin and a subsequent spread during the diffusion of herding and farming. More recent genetic data are instead compatible with local domestication events or at least some level of local introgression from the aurochs. Here we present the analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of a pre-Neolithic Italian aurochs. Results In this study, we applied a combined strategy employing both multiplex PCR amplifications and 454 pyrosequencing technology to sequence the complete mitochondrial genome of an 11,450-year-old aurochs specimen from Central Italy. Phylogenetic analysis of the aurochs mtDNA genome supports the conclusions from previous studies of short mtDNA fragments - namely that Italian aurochsen were genetically very similar to modern cattle breeds, but highly divergent from the North-Central European aurochsen. Conclusions Complete mitochondrial genome sequences are now available for several modern cattle and two pre-Neolithic mtDNA genomes from very different geographic areas. These data suggest that previously identified sub-groups within the widespread modern cattle mitochondrial T clade are polyphyletic, and they support the hypothesis that modern European breeds have multiple geographic origins. PMID:21281509

Human endometrial cell coculture reduces the endocrine disruptor toxicity on mouse embryo development

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Backgrounds Previous studies suggested that endocrine disruptors (ED) are toxic on preimplantation embryos and inhibit development of embryos in vitro culture. However, information about the toxicity of endocrine disruptors on preimplantation development of embryo in human reproductive environment is lacking. Methods Bisphenol A (BPA) and Aroclor 1254 (polychlorinated biphenyls) were used as endocrine disruptors in this study. Mouse 2-cell embryos were cultured in medium alone or vehicle or co-cultured with human endometrial epithelial layers in increasing ED concentrations. Results At 72 hours the percentage of normal blastocyst were decreased by ED in a dose-dependent manner while the co-culture system significantly enhanced the rate and reduced the toxicity of endocrine disruptors on the embryonic development in vitro. Conclusions In conclusion, although EDs have the toxic effect on embryo development, the co-culture with human endometrial cell reduced the preimplantation embryo from it thereby making human reproductive environment protective to preimplantation embryo from the toxicity of endocrine disruptors. PMID:22546201

Changing theories of change: strategic shifting in implicit theory endorsement.

PubMed

Leith, Scott A; Ward, Cindy L P; Giacomin, Miranda; Landau, Enoch S; Ehrlinger, Joyce; Wilson, Anne E

2014-10-01

People differ in their implicit theories about the malleability of characteristics such as intelligence and personality. These relatively chronic theories can be experimentally altered, and can be affected by parent or teacher feedback. Little is known about whether people might selectively shift their implicit beliefs in response to salient situational goals. We predicted that, when motivated to reach a desired conclusion, people might subtly shift their implicit theories of change and stability to garner supporting evidence for their desired position. Any motivated context in which a particular lay theory would help people to reach a preferred directional conclusion could elicit shifts in theory endorsement. We examine a variety of motivated situational contexts across 7 studies, finding that people's theories of change shifted in line with goals to protect self and liked others and to cast aspersions on disliked others. Studies 1-3 demonstrate how people regulate their implicit theories to manage self-view by more strongly endorsing an incremental theory after threatening performance feedback or memories of failure. Studies 4-6 revealed that people regulate the implicit theories they hold about favored and reviled political candidates, endorsing an incremental theory to forgive preferred candidates for past gaffes but leaning toward an entity theory to ensure past failings "stick" to opponents. Finally, in Study 7, people who were most threatened by a previously convicted child sex offender (i.e., parents reading about the offender moving to their neighborhood) gravitated most to the entity view that others do not change. Although chronic implicit theories are undoubtedly meaningful, this research reveals a previously unexplored source of fluidity by highlighting the active role people play in managing their implicit theories in response to goals. 2014 APA, all rights reserved

Electroretinographic modifications induced by agomelatine: a novel avenue to the understanding of the claimed antidepressant effect of the drug?

PubMed Central

Fornaro, Michele; Bandini, Fabio; Cestari, Luca; Cordano, Christian; Ogliastro, Carla; Albano, Claudio; De Berardis, Domenico; Martino, Matteo; Escelsior, Andrea; Rocchi, Giulio; Fornaro, Pantaleo; De Pasquale, Concetta

2014-01-01

Background Agomelatine, the first melatonergic antidepressant, has been postulated to enhance the dopaminergic activity at the central nervous system by 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor type 2C (5-HT2C) antagonism, yet the impact of melatonergic agonism on this pathway is unclear. Previous studies employing simplified, yet reliable, proxy (retinal) measures of the central nervous system dopaminergic activity, namely the standard electroretinogram (ERG) technique, suggested a reduction of the dopaminergic activity of the main ERG parameter, the b-wave, by pure melatonin, notably a hormone devoid of any antidepressant activity. Therefore, the antidepressant effects of the melatonergic antidepressant drug agomelatine should be reflected by a differential b-wave trend at ERG versus the effect exerted by pure melatonin, which was eventually found to be due to a contrasting effect on central dopaminergic transmission between the two drugs. Objective and methods The aim of the present preliminary ERG study carried out on healthy volunteers (n=23) receiving agomelatine was to explore the impact of this antidepressant drug on b-wave amplitude and latency of cones in daylight conditions using standard ERG. Results As postulated, agomelatine induced an enhancement of retinal dopaminergic activity, in contrast to what has been previously documented for melatonin. Conclusion Given the limits of this explorative study, especially the lack of a control group and that of a luminance response function to measure retinal sensitivity, further studies in clinical samples are recommended to allow more tenable conclusions about the potential role of ERG in discriminating between 5-HT antagonism and melatonergic (MT) agonism in relationship to the claimed antidepressant effect of agomelatine. PMID:24899809

Quality of data regarding diagnoses of spinal disorders in administrative databases. A multicenter study.

PubMed

Faciszewski, T; Broste, S K; Fardon, D

1997-10-01

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of data regarding diagnoses of spinal disorders in administrative databases at eight different institutions. The records of 189 patients who had been managed for a disorder of the lumbar spine were independently reviewed by a physician who assigned the appropriate diagnostic codes according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). The age range of the 189 patients was seventeen to eighty-four years. The six major diagnostic categories studied were herniation of a lumbar disc, a previous operation on the lumbar spine, spinal stenosis, cauda equina syndrome, acquired spondylolisthesis, and congenital spondylolisthesis. The diagnostic codes assigned by the physician were compared with the codes that had been assigned during the ordinary course of events by personnel in the medical records department of each of the eight hospitals. The accuracy of coding was also compared among the eight hospitals, and it was found to vary depending on the diagnosis. Although there were both false-negative and false-positive codes at each institution, most errors were related to the low sensitivity of coding for previous spinal operations: only seventeen (28 per cent) of sixty-one such diagnoses were coded correctly. Other errors in coding were less frequent, but their implications for conclusions drawn from the information in administrative databases depend on the frequency of a diagnosis and its importance in an analysis. This study demonstrated that the accuracy of a diagnosis of a spinal disorder recorded in an administrative database varies according to the specific condition being evaluated. It is necessary to document the relative accuracy of specific ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes in order to improve the ability to validate the conclusions derived from investigations based on administrative databases.

Smoke-Free Laws in Bars and Restaurants: Does Support Among Teens and Young Adults Change After a Statewide Smoke-Free Law?

PubMed Central

Fabian, Lindsey E. A.; Bernat, Debra H.; Lenk, Kathleen M.; Shi, Qun; Forster, Jean L.

2011-01-01

Objective We assessed changes in levels of support for smoke-free bars and restaurants among teens and young adults before and after implementation of a statewide smoke-free law. Methods We measured support for smoke-free bars and restaurants among teens and young adults aged 16–24 years living in Minnesota (n=2,785) and five comparison states (n=404), up to 12 months before and up to six months after Minnesota's smoke-free law went into effect in October 2007. We compared changes in support among three subgroups—Minnesota participants who lived with a previous local smoke-free law, Minnesota participants who did not live with a previous local smoke-free law, and participants from the comparison states—before and after Minnesota's statewide smoke-free law went into effect. Results Support for smoke-free restaurants and bars among participants in Minnesota and comparison states increased after Minnesota's smoke-free law went into effect. Minnesotans, both those living with and without a previous local smoke-free law, showed similar increases in support for smoke-free restaurants as participants in comparison states. However, Minnesotans living without a previous local law showed larger increases in support for smoke-free bars than both those in comparison states and those living in Minnesota with a previous local smoke-free law. Conclusions Our study employed a more robust design than similar studies and focused on the teen and young adult population. Our results will help advocates and policy makers demonstrate how public support for smoke-free laws increases following smoke-free legislation, particularly among those who were not previously living with a local smoke-free law. PMID:21886327

Golimumab in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis who have previous experience with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors: results of a long-term extension of the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled GO-AFTER study through week 160

PubMed Central

Smolen, Josef S; Kay, Jonathan; Landewé, Robert B M; Matteson, Eric L; Gaylis, Norman; Wollenhaupt, Jurgen; Murphy, Frederick T; Zhou, Yiying; Hsia, Elizabeth C; Doyle, Mittie K

2012-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to assess long-term golimumab therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who discontinued previous tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) inhibitor(s) for any reason. Methods Results through week 24 of this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of active RA (≥4 tender, ≥4 swollen joints) were previously reported. Patients received placebo (Group 1), 50 mg golimumab (Group 2) or 100 mg golimumab (Group 3) subcutaneous injections every 4 weeks. Patients from Groups 1 and 2 with <20% improvement in tender/swollen joints at week 16 early escaped to golimumab 50 mg and 100 mg, respectively. At week 24, Group 1 patients crossed over to golimumab 50 mg, Group 2 continued golimumab 50/100 mg per escape status and Group 3 maintained dosing. Data through week 160 are reported. Results 459 of the 461 randomised patients were treated; 236/459 (51%) continued treatment through week 160. From week 24 to week 100, ACR20 (≥20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology criteria) response and ≥0.25 unit HAQ (Health Assessment Questionnaire) improvement were sustained in 70–73% and 75–81% of responding patients, respectively. Overall at week 160, 63%, 67% and 57% of patients achieved ACR20 response and 59%, 65% and 64% had HAQ improvement ≥0.25 unit in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Adjusted for follow-up duration, adverse event incidences (95% CI) per 100 patient-years among patients treated with golimumab 50 mg and 100 mg were 4.70 (2.63 to 7.75) and 8.07 (6.02 to 10.58) for serious infection, 0.95 (0.20 to 2.77) and 2.04 (1.09 to 3.49) for malignancy and 0.00 (0.00 to 0.94) and 0.62 (0.17 to 1.59) for death, respectively. Conclusion In patients with active RA who discontinued previous TNF-antagonist treatment, golimumab 50 and 100 mg injections every 4 weeks yielded sustained improvements in signs/symptoms and physical function in ∼57–67% of patients who continued treatment. Golimumab safety was consistent with other anti-TNF agents, although definitive conclusions regarding long-term safety require further monitoring. PMID:22459542

Women's involvement in the decision to be delivered by caesarean section in Sub Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Nnaji, G A; Okafor, C; Muoghalu, K; Onyejimbe, U N; Umeononihu, O S

2012-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the degree and nature of women's involvement in the decision to deliver by Caesarean section. A cross sectional descriptive multi-centre study on post partum women who were delivered by Caesarean section in the three study centres. The five most common indicators for Caesarean section include cephalo-pelvic disproportion, prolonged labour, malpresentation, pregnancy induced hypertension and ante partum haemorrhage, which accounted for 70% of the indications for Caesarean section. The commonest influence on respondents' decision to have Caesarean section was physician factors, followed by religious and cultural factors. Husbands influenced majority of the respondents during decision for Caesarean section. The respondents' agreement with decision for Caesarean section varied significantly as the number of previous Caesarean section, being highest among women with 4 previous Caesarean section. In conclusion, the majority of women were found to be involved in the decision to have Caesarean section, and the most influential factors on them during the decision process were physician factors and husband's presence. In this environment, the greater the number of previous Caesarean section a woman has had in the past the more likely would she accept Caesarean section in subsequent deliveries as a better option. There is need for further studies to determine the effect of socio-demographic factors on decision to have caesarean section as well as satisfaction of the outcome.

Characteristics of ejecta and alluvial deposits at Meteor Crater, Arizona and Odessa Craters, Texas: Results from ground penetrating radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, J. A.; Schultz, P. H.

1991-01-01

Previous ground penetrating radar (GRP) studies around 50,000 year old Meteor Crater revealed the potential for rapid, inexpensive, and non-destructive sub-surface investigations for deep reflectors (generally greater than 10 m). New GRP results are summarized focusing the shallow sub-surfaces (1-2 m) around Meteor Crater and the main crater at Odessa. The following subject areas are covered: (1) the thickness, distribution, and nature of the contact between surrounding alluvial deposits and distal ejecta; and (2) stratigraphic relationships between both the ejecta and alluvium derived from both pre and post crater drainages. These results support previous conclusions indicating limited vertical lowering (less than 1 m) of the distal ejecta at Meteor Crater and allow initial assessment of the gradational state if the Odessa craters.

Long-term-average spectrum characteristics of country singers during speaking and singing.

PubMed

Cleveland, T F; Sundberg, J; Stone, R E

2001-03-01

Five premier male country singers involved in our previous studies spoke and sang the words of both the national anthem and a country song of their choice. Long-term-average spectra were made of the spoken and sung material of each singer. The spectral characteristics of county singers' speech and singing were similar. A prominent peak in the upper part of the spectrum, previously described as the "speaker's formant," was found in the county singers' speech and singing. The singer's formant, a strong spectral peak near 2.8 kHz, an important part of the spectrum of classically trained singers, was not found in the spectra of the country singers. The results support the conclusion that the resonance characteristics in speech and singing are similar in country singing and that county singing is not characterized by a singer's formant.

Asymmetric adsorption by quartz - A model for the prebiotic origin of optical activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bonner, W. M.; Kavasmaneck, P. R.; Martin, F. S.; Flores, J. J.

1975-01-01

One mechanism previously proposed for the abiotic accumulation of molecules of one chirality in nature is asymmetric adsorption on the chiral surfaces of optically active quartz crystals. Earlier literature in this field is reviewed, with the conclusion that previous investigations of this phenomenon, using optical rotation criteria, have afforded ambiguous results. We now have studied the adsorption of radioactive D- and L-alanine on powdered d- and l-quartz, using change in radioactivity level as a criterion for both gross and differential adsorption, d-Quartz preferentially adsorbed D-alanine from anhydrous dimethyl-formamide solution, and l-quartz L-alanine. The differential adsorption varied between 1.0 and 1.8%. The implications of these observations are discussed from the viewpoint of early chemical evolution and the origin of optically active organic compounds in nature.

Stress associated with hospitalization in patients with COPD: the role of social support and health related quality of life

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The objective of this study was to determine stress levels during hospitalization in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). We wanted to relate stress to previous level of quality of life and patients’ Social Support. Methods 80 patients (70.43; SD = 8.13 years old) with COPD were assessed by means of: Hospital Stress Rating Scale, Nottingham Health Profile, St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire and Social Support Scale. Results COPD patients’ stress levels are lower than expected independently from the severity or number of previous hospitalizations. Linear regression analysis shows the predictive value of Quality of Life and Social Support on stress level during hospitalization (p < 0.0001). Conclusion HRQOL and social support can be associated with stress during hospitalization. PMID:23227860

Genomic regions associated with bovine milk fatty acids in both summer and winter milk samples

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In this study we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for bovine milk fatty acids from summer milk samples. This study replicates a previous study where we performed a GWAS for bovine milk fatty acids based on winter milk samples from the same population. Fatty acids from summer and winter milk are genetically similar traits and we therefore compare the regions detected in summer milk to the regions previously detected in winter milk GWAS to discover regions that explain genetic variation in both summer and winter milk. Results The GWAS of summer milk samples resulted in 51 regions associated with one or more milk fatty acids. Results are in agreement with most associations that were previously detected in a GWAS of fatty acids from winter milk samples, including eight ‘new’ regions that were not considered in the individual studies. The high correlation between the –log10(P-values) and effects of SNPs that were found significant in both GWAS imply that the effects of the SNPs were similar on winter and summer milk fatty acids. Conclusions The GWAS of fatty acids based on summer milk samples was in agreement with most of the associations detected in the GWAS of fatty acids based on winter milk samples. Associations that were in agreement between both GWAS are more likely to be involved in fatty acid synthesis compared to regions detected in only one GWAS and are therefore worthwhile to pursue in fine-mapping studies. PMID:23107417

An examination of reactivity to craving assessment: craving to smoke does not change over the course of a multi-item craving questionnaire.

PubMed

Germeroth, Lisa J; Tiffany, Stephen T

2015-06-01

Self-report measures are typically used to assess drug craving, but researchers have questioned whether completing these assessments can elicit or enhance craving. Previous studies have examined cigarette craving reactivity and found null craving reactivity effects. Several methodological limitations of those studies, however, preclude definitive conclusions. The current study addresses limitations of previous studies and extends this area of research by using a large sample size to examine: (1) item-by-item changes in craving level during questionnaire completion, (2) craving reactivity as a function of craving intensity reflected in item content, (3) craving reactivity differences between nicotine dependent and nondependent smokers, and (4) potential reactivity across multiple sessions. This study also used a more comprehensive craving assessment (the 32-item Questionnaire on Smoking Urges; QSU) than employed in previous studies. Nicotine dependent and nondependent smokers (n=270; nicotine dependence determined by the Nicotine Addiction Taxon Scale) completed the QSU on six separate occasions across 12 weeks. Craving level was observed at the item level and across various subsets of items. Analyses indicated that there was no significant effect of item/subset position on craving ratings, nor were there any significant interactions between item/subset position and session or level of nicotine dependence. These findings indicate that, even with relatively sensitive procedures for detecting potential reactivity, there was no evidence that completing a craving questionnaire induces craving. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disclosing victimisation to healthcare professionals in Sweden: a constructivist grounded theory study of experiences among men exposed to interpersonal violence

PubMed Central

Brüggemann, Adrianus Jelmer; Swahnberg, Katarina

2016-01-01

Objective To develop a theoretical model concerning male victims' processes of disclosing experiences of victimisation to healthcare professionals in Sweden. Design Qualitative interview study. Setting Informants were recruited from the general population and a primary healthcare centre in Sweden. Participants Informants were recruited by means of theoretical sampling among respondents in a previous quantitative study. Eligible for this study were men reporting sexual, physical and/or emotional violence victimisation by any perpetrator and reporting that they either had talked to a healthcare provider about their victimisation or had wanted to do so. Method Constructivist grounded theory. 12 interviews were performed and saturation was reached after 9. Results Several factors influencing the process of disclosing victimisation can be recognised from previous studies concerning female victims, including shame, fear of negative consequences of disclosing, specifics of the patient–provider relationship and time constraints within the healthcare system. However, this study extends previous knowledge by identifying strong negative effects of adherence to masculinity norms for victimised men and healthcare professionals on the process of disclosing. It is also emphasised that the process of disclosing cannot be separated from other, even seemingly unrelated, circumstances in the men's lives. Conclusions The process of disclosing victimisation to healthcare professionals was a complex process involving the men's experiences of victimisation, adherence to gender norms, their life circumstances and the dynamics of the actual healthcare encounter. PMID:27324711

Validation of a Real-Time ISE Methodology to Quantify the Influence of Inhibitors of Demineralization Kinetics in vitro Using a Hydroxyapatite Model System.

PubMed

Huang, Wei-Te; Shahid, Saroash; Anderson, Paul

2018-05-25

The aim was to validate a novel protocol to measure the cariostatic efficacies of demineralization inhibitors by repeating previous SMR (scanning microradiography) studies investigating the dose response of Zn2+ and F- on demineralization kinetics in vitro using real-time Ca2+ ion selective electrodes (ISEs). In this study, Ca2+ release was used as a proxy for the extent of demineralization. Forty-eight hydroxyapatite (HAP) discs were allocated into 16 groups (n = 3) and adding either increasing [Zn2+], or [F-], similar to those used in the previous SMR studies. Each HAP disc was immersed in 50 mL, pH 4.0, buffered acetic acid for 1 h, and real-time ISE methodology was used to monitor the rate of increase in [Ca2+] in the demineralization solution. Next, either zinc acetate or sodium fluoride was added into each demineralization solution accordingly. Then after each [Zn2+] or [F-] addition, the HAP disc was further demineralized for 1 h, and ISE measurements were continued. The percentage reduction in the rate of calcium loss from hydroxyapatite (PRCLHAP) at each [Zn2+] or [F-] was calculated from the decrease in Ca2+ release rate, similar to that used in the previous SMR studies. A log-linear relationship between mean PRCLHAP and inhibitor concentration was found for both Zn2+ and F-, similar to that reported for each ion in the previous SMR studies. In conclusion, real-time Ca2+ ISE systems can be used to measure the cariostatic efficacies of demineralization inhibitors. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Prospective relationship between poor sleep and substance-related problems in a national sample of adolescents

PubMed Central

Wong, Maria M.; Roberson, Gail; Dyson, Rachel

2014-01-01

Background Previous studies showed that poor sleep prospectively predicted alcohol related problems and illicit drug use in adolescents and young adults (Wong et al., 2010, 2012). However, more works needs to be done to elucidate the nature of these problems. The purpose of this study was to examine whether sleep difficulties and hours of sleep prospectively predicted several serious substance related problems, e.g., binge drinking, driving under the influence of alcohol, risky sexual behavior. Methods Study participants were 6504 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD HEALTH). Data were collected from interviews and questionnaires. The current study analyzed data from the first three waves of data (T1: 1994–95; T2: 1996; T3: 2001–02). In all analyses, we used sleep difficulties at a previous wave to predict substance-related problems at a subsequent wave, while controlling for substance-related problems at a previous wave. Results Holding T1 alcohol-related problems constant, sleep difficulties at T1 significantly predicted alcohol-related interpersonal problems, binge drinking, gotten drunk or very high on alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol, getting into a sexual situation one later regretted due to drinking, ever using any illicit drugs and drugs-related problems at T2. T1 hours of sleep negatively predicted T2 alcohol-related interpersonal problems and binge drinking. The relationship between T2 sleep variables and T3 substance-related problems were consistent with previous waves, though the effect was weaker. Conclusions Sleep difficulties and hours of sleep are a significant predictor of a number of substance-related problems. It may be useful to educate adolescents about the importance of sleep, sleep hygiene and the potential consequences of poor sleep on drinking and related behaviors. PMID:25598438

Autophagy in lurcher mice: indicted but yet to be acquitted for the death of Purkinje cells.

PubMed

Yue, Zhenyu

2010-05-01

A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience by Nishiyama et al., has revisited an autophagy-neurodegeneration model of lurcher (Lc) mice and promoted further discussion regarding the "autophagic cell death" hypothesis. While the study confirmed the previous report by Yue et al., that GluRD2Lc induces autophagy both in vitro and in vivo, it also suggests that GluRD2 (Lc)-mediated autophagy and cell death occur via pathways outside the nPIST-Beclin 1 pathway. For example, the study makes an interesting observation that GluRD2 (Lc)-induced degeneration is associated with energy crisis and an aberrant AMPK activity. The result provides insight into the downstream events induced by GluRD2 (Lc); however, it is not surprising considering that constitutive ion influx caused by the Lc mutation is expected to cause activation of multiple cellular pathways or responses. In conclusion, the authors state that "constitutive ion flux causes cell death with, but not by, autophagy." The conclusion appears consistent with the primary function of autophagy, from an evolutionary point of view, as a survival mechanism.

No association between the sigma receptor type 1 gene and schizophrenia: results of analysis and meta-analysis of case-control studies

PubMed Central

Uchida, Naohiko; Ujike, Hiroshi; Nakata, Kenji; Takaki, Manabu; Nomura, Akira; Katsu, Takeshi; Tanaka, Yuji; Imamura, Takaki; Sakai, Ayumu; Kuroda, Shigetoshi

2003-01-01

Background Several lines of evidence have supported possible roles of the sigma receptors in the etiology of schizophrenia and mechanisms of antipsychotic efficacy. An association study provided genetic evidence that the sigma receptor type 1 gene (SIGMAR1) was a possible susceptibility factor for schizophrenia, however, it was not replicated by a subsequent study. It is necessary to evaluate further the possibility that the SIGMAR1 gene is associated with susceptibility to schizophrenia. Methods A case-control association study between two polymorphisms of the SIGMAR1 gene, G-241T/C-240T and Gln2Pro, and schizophrenia in Japanese population, and meta-analysis including present and previous studies. Results There was no significant association of any allele or genotype of the polymorphisms with schizophrenia. Neither significant association was observed with hebephrenic or paranoid subtype of schizophrenia. Furthermore, a meta-analysis including the present and previous studies comprising 779 controls and 636 schizophrenics also revealed no significant association between the SIGMAR1 gene and schizophrenia. Conclusion In view of this evidence, it is likely that the SIGMAR1 gene does not confer susceptibility to schizophrenia. PMID:14567761

Thermal evolution of the metastable r8 and bc8 polymorphs of silicon

DOE PAGES

Haberl, Bianca; Guthrie, Malcolm; Sinogeikin, Stanislav V.; ...

2015-01-28

The kinetics of two metastable polymorphs of silicon under thermal annealing was investigated. These phases with body-centered cubic bc8 and rhombohedral r8 structures can be formed upon pressure release from metallic silicon.We study these metastable polymorphs were formed by two different methods, via point loading and in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Upon thermal annealing different transition pathways were detected. In the point loading case, the previously reported Si-XIII formed and was confirmed as a new phase with an as-yet-unidentified structure. In the DAC case, bc8-Si transformed to the hexagonal-diamond structure at elevated pressure, consistent with previous studies at ambientmore » pressure. In contrast, r8-Si transformed directly to diamond-cubic Si at a temperature of 255⁰C. In conclusion, these data were used to construct diagrams of the metastability regimes of the polymorphs formed in a DAC and may prove useful for potential technological applications of these metastable polymorphs.« less

Thermal evolution of the metastable r8 and bc8 polymorphs of silicon

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

Haberl, Bianca; Guthrie, Malcolm; Sinogeikin, Stanislav V.

The kinetics of two metastable polymorphs of silicon under thermal annealing was investigated. These phases with body-centered cubic bc8 and rhombohedral r8 structures can be formed upon pressure release from metallic silicon.We study these metastable polymorphs were formed by two different methods, via point loading and in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Upon thermal annealing different transition pathways were detected. In the point loading case, the previously reported Si-XIII formed and was confirmed as a new phase with an as-yet-unidentified structure. In the DAC case, bc8-Si transformed to the hexagonal-diamond structure at elevated pressure, consistent with previous studies at ambientmore » pressure. In contrast, r8-Si transformed directly to diamond-cubic Si at a temperature of 255⁰C. In conclusion, these data were used to construct diagrams of the metastability regimes of the polymorphs formed in a DAC and may prove useful for potential technological applications of these metastable polymorphs.« less

[Consumer's psychological processes of hoarding and avoidant purchasing after the Tohoku earthquake].

PubMed

Ohtomo, Shoji; Hirose, Yukio

2014-02-01

This study examined psychological processes of consumers that had determined hoarding and avoidant purchasing behaviors after the Tohoku earthquake within a dual-process model. The model hypothesized that both intentional motivation based on reflective decision and reactive motivation based on non-reflective decision predicted the behaviors. This study assumed that attitude, subjective norm and descriptive norm in relation to hoarding and avoidant purchasing were determinants of motivations. Residents in the Tokyo metropolitan area (n = 667) completed internet longitudinal surveys at three times (April, June, and November, 2011). The results indicated that intentional and reactive motivation determined avoidant purchasing behaviors in June; only intentional motivation determined the behaviors in November. Attitude was a main determinant of the motivations each time. Moreover, previous behaviors predicted future behaviors. In conclusion, purchasing behaviors were intentional rather than reactive behaviors. Furthermore, attitude and previous behaviors were important determinants in the dual-process model. Attitude and behaviors formed in April continued to strengthen the subsequent decisions of purchasing behavior.

Cu nuclear magnetic resonance study of charge and spin stripe order in La 1.875 Ba 0.125 CuO 4

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

Pelc, D.; Grafe, H. -J.; Gu, G. D.

In this paper, we present a Cu nuclear magnetic/quadrupole resonance study of the charge stripe ordered phase of LBCO, with detection of previously unobserved (“wiped-out”) signal. We show that spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation rates are strongly enhanced in the charge ordered phase, explaining the apparent signal decrease in earlier investigations. The enhancement is caused by magnetic, rather than charge fluctuations, conclusively confirming the long-suspected assumption that spin fluctuations are responsible for the wipeout effect. Observation of the full Cu signal enables insight into the spin and charge dynamics of the stripe-ordered phase, and measurements in external magnetic fields provide informationmore » on the nature and suppression of spin fluctuations associated with charge order. Lastly, we find glassy spin dynamics, in agreement with previous work, and incommensurate static charge order with charge modulation amplitude similar to other cuprate compounds, suggesting that the amplitude of charge stripes is universal in the cuprates.« less

Cu nuclear magnetic resonance study of charge and spin stripe order in La 1.875 Ba 0.125 CuO 4

DOE PAGES

Pelc, D.; Grafe, H. -J.; Gu, G. D.; ...

2017-02-15

In this paper, we present a Cu nuclear magnetic/quadrupole resonance study of the charge stripe ordered phase of LBCO, with detection of previously unobserved (“wiped-out”) signal. We show that spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation rates are strongly enhanced in the charge ordered phase, explaining the apparent signal decrease in earlier investigations. The enhancement is caused by magnetic, rather than charge fluctuations, conclusively confirming the long-suspected assumption that spin fluctuations are responsible for the wipeout effect. Observation of the full Cu signal enables insight into the spin and charge dynamics of the stripe-ordered phase, and measurements in external magnetic fields provide informationmore » on the nature and suppression of spin fluctuations associated with charge order. Lastly, we find glassy spin dynamics, in agreement with previous work, and incommensurate static charge order with charge modulation amplitude similar to other cuprate compounds, suggesting that the amplitude of charge stripes is universal in the cuprates.« less

Cone penetrometer comparison testing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

A total of 61 cone penetration tests were performed at 14 sites in the state of Wisconsin. Data : reinforced conclusions from practice in Minnesota and previously performed test programs : related to the Marquette Interchange and Mitchell interchange...

Motivational intensity modulates attentional scope: evidence from behavioral and ERP studies.

PubMed

Liu, Lei; Zhang, Guangnan; Zhou, Renlai; Wang, Zuowei

2014-10-01

Previous studies have found that affective states with high motivational intensity narrow attentional scope, whereas affective states with low motivational intensity broaden attentional scope. This conclusion, however, is based on fragmented evidence based on several separate studies. The present study tests this conclusion within a single study using both behavioral (Experiment 1) and neurophysiological (Experiment 2) measures. Experiment 1 showed that individuals had the global precedence effect in the neutral affective state. However, the global precedence effect was reduced for affective states with high motivational intensity, whereas the global precedence effect was not significantly enhanced for those with low motivational intensity. Experiment 2 replicated these results with event-related potential (ERP) recording. ERP results showed that affective states with high motivational intensity induced smaller N2 and greater late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes than low motivational intensity and neutral affective states. However, no differences were found between the low motivational intensity and neutral affective states. Furthermore, smaller LPP predicted the tendency a global attentional focus in the frontal and central areas and larger LPP predicted a narrowed focus in the frontal area. The findings suggested that high motivational intensity of affective states can affect attentional scope.

Control control control: a reassessment and comparison of GenBank and chromatogram mtDNA sequence variation in Baltic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus).

PubMed

Fietz, Katharina; Graves, Jeff A; Olsen, Morten Tange

2013-01-01

Genetic data can provide a powerful tool for those interested in the biology, management and conservation of wildlife, but also lead to erroneous conclusions if appropriate controls are not taken at all steps of the analytical process. This particularly applies to data deposited in public repositories such as GenBank, whose utility relies heavily on the assumption of high data quality. Here we report on an in-depth reassessment and comparison of GenBank and chromatogram mtDNA sequence data generated in a previous study of Baltic grey seals. By re-editing the original chromatogram data we found that approximately 40% of the grey seal mtDNA haplotype sequences posted in GenBank contained errors. The re-analysis of the edited chromatogram data yielded overall similar results and conclusions as the original study. However, a significantly different outcome was observed when using the uncorrected dataset based on the GenBank haplotypes. We therefore suggest disregarding the existing GenBank data and instead using the correct haplotypes reported here. Our study serves as an illustrative example reiterating the importance of quality control through every step of a research project, from data generation to interpretation and submission to an online repository. Errors conducted in any step may lead to biased results and conclusions, and could impact management decisions.

Control Control Control: A Reassessment and Comparison of GenBank and Chromatogram mtDNA Sequence Variation in Baltic Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus)

PubMed Central

Fietz, Katharina; Graves, Jeff A.; Olsen, Morten Tange

2013-01-01

Genetic data can provide a powerful tool for those interested in the biology, management and conservation of wildlife, but also lead to erroneous conclusions if appropriate controls are not taken at all steps of the analytical process. This particularly applies to data deposited in public repositories such as GenBank, whose utility relies heavily on the assumption of high data quality. Here we report on an in-depth reassessment and comparison of GenBank and chromatogram mtDNA sequence data generated in a previous study of Baltic grey seals. By re-editing the original chromatogram data we found that approximately 40% of the grey seal mtDNA haplotype sequences posted in GenBank contained errors. The re-analysis of the edited chromatogram data yielded overall similar results and conclusions as the original study. However, a significantly different outcome was observed when using the uncorrected dataset based on the GenBank haplotypes. We therefore suggest disregarding the existing GenBank data and instead using the correct haplotypes reported here. Our study serves as an illustrative example reiterating the importance of quality control through every step of a research project, from data generation to interpretation and submission to an online repository. Errors conducted in any step may lead to biased results and conclusions, and could impact management decisions. PMID:23977362

Public understanding of chemistry research in print news

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hands, Michael D., Jr.

Despite numerous calls for improving scientific literacy, many American adults show a lack of understanding of experiments, scientific study, and scientific inquiry. News media is one important avenue for science learning, but previous research investigating health and/or environmental science news has shown that it is inconsistent in the presentation of scientific research limitations, potentially impacting reader understanding. In the first phase of this dissertation, seventeen news articles reporting on a single chemistry research article, along with associated press releases and research articles, were analyzed using move analysis to determine the structure of each type of text. It was found that the overall structure of each text genre was similar, with the main difference being that research articles start by presenting background information, while the others lead with highlighting overall research outcomes. Analysis of the steps revealed that, as seen for health and environmental science news articles, descriptions of the study limitations and methods were generally omitted in the news articles. Using these findings, a pilot study was conducted where study limitations were added to a chemistry research news article and the effect of its presence on staff members employed at a large Midwestern university (n=12) and science faculty employed at the same institution (n=6) was explored. Interviews with the participants revealed that including limitations enhanced readers' ability to identify conclusions and evaluate claims, but decreased their trust in the information. In the final part of this study, the trends seen in the previous phase were explored to determine their generalizability. Members of the public (n=232) and science faculty (n=191) read a randomly assigned news article either presenting or omitting the study limitations and research methods. Participants reading articles presenting limitations were able to evaluate the reasonableness of claims based on the article better than those who read the article omitting limitations when accounting for their views on the tentativeness of science (ToS). Presenting limitations was important in identifying unreasonable claims for both public and science faculty, while ToS views predicted ability to identify reasonable claims for the public. Including limitations also decreased readers' trust in the conclusions of the research. However, it did not impact their ability to determine the conclusions of the research and including methods did not have any effect on the measured outcomes.

Classification of healthcare-associated infection: a systematic review 10 years after the first proposal

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Ten years after the first proposal, a consensus definition of healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) has not been reached, preventing the development of specific treatment recommendations. A systematic review of all definitions of HCAI used in clinical studies is made. Methods The search strategy focused on an HCAI definition. MEDLINE, SCOPUS and ISI Web of Knowledge were searched for articles published from earliest achievable data until November 2012. Abstracts from scientific meetings were searched for relevant abstracts along with a manual search of references from reports, earlier reviews and retrieved studies. Results The search retrieved 49,405 references: 15,311 were duplicates and 33,828 were excluded based on title and abstract. Of the remaining 266, 43 met the inclusion criteria. The definition more frequently used was the initial proposed in 2002 - an infection present at hospital admission or within 48 hours of admission in patients that fulfilled any of the following criteria: received intravenous therapy at home, wound care or specialized nursing care in the previous 30 days; attended a hospital or hemodialysis clinic or received intravenous chemotherapy in the previous 30 days; were hospitalized in an acute care hospital for ≥2 days in the previous 90 days, resided in a nursing home or long-term care facility. Additional criteria founded in other studies were: immunosuppression, active or metastatic cancer, previous radiation therapy, transfer from another care facility, elderly or physically disabled persons who need healthcare, previous submission to invasive procedures, surgery performed in the last 180 days, family member with a multi-drug resistant microorganism and recent treatment with antibiotics. Conclusions Based on the evidence gathered we conclude that the definition initially proposed is widely accepted. In a future revision, recent invasive procedures, hospitalization in the last year or previous antibiotic treatment should be considered for inclusion in the definition. The role of immunosuppression in the definition of HCAI still requires ongoing discussion. PMID:24597462

Disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis associated with ocular lesion in an immunocompetent patient.

PubMed

Medeiros, Karina Bittencourt; Landeiro, Luana Gomes; Diniz, Lucia Martins; Falqueto, Aloísio

2016-01-01

A 59-year-old female patient, previously healthy, immunocompetent, presented left bulbar conjunctiva lesions and nodular-ulcerated lesions on the arms and cervical region, besides left cervical and retroauricular lymphadenopathy. She had previous contact with domestic cats that excoriated her face. The diagnosis was conclusive of disseminated sporotrichosis through clinical and epidemiological history and cultures of skin and ocular secretions. It evolved with good response to oral antifungal therapy.

Disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis associated with ocular lesion in an immunocompetent patient*

PubMed Central

Medeiros, Karina Bittencourt; Landeiro, Luana Gomes; Diniz, Lucia Martins; Falqueto, Aloísio

2016-01-01

A 59-year-old female patient, previously healthy, immunocompetent, presented left bulbar conjunctiva lesions and nodular-ulcerated lesions on the arms and cervical region, besides left cervical and retroauricular lymphadenopathy. She had previous contact with domestic cats that excoriated her face. The diagnosis was conclusive of disseminated sporotrichosis through clinical and epidemiological history and cultures of skin and ocular secretions. It evolved with good response to oral antifungal therapy. PMID:27579758

Infrared properties of serendipitous X-ray quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neugebauer, G.; Soifer, B. T.; Matthews, K.; Margon, B.; Chanan, G. A.

1982-01-01

Near infrared measurements were obtained of 30 quasars originally found serendipitously as X-ray sources in fields of other objects. The observations show that the infrared characteristics of these quasars do not differ significantly from those of quasars selected by other criteria. Because this X-ray selected sample is subject to different selection biases than previous radio and optical surveys, this conclusion is useful in validating previous inferences regarding the infrared colors of 'typical' quasars.

Comparing Sildenafil alone vs. Sildenafil plus brief couple sex therapy on erectile dysfunction and couples' sexual and marital quality of life: a pilot study.

PubMed

Aubin, Sylvie; Heiman, Julia R; Berger, Richard E; Murallo, A V; Yung-Wen, Liu

2009-01-01

Treatment options for managing erectile dysfunction (ED) include medical and psychological interventions. The present study examined the effectiveness of a drug-only vs. combined treatment approach on erectile function as well as other domains of sexual function and cognition, couple intimacy and adaptation, and treatment satisfaction. Couples with ED were randomly assigned to either Viagra-only (VO) or Viagra plus sex therapy (VST). Sexual and relationship variables were measured at specific time points. Despite limitations, study findings extend previous conclusions and provide empirical support for the effectiveness and satisfaction with the combined treatment approach for treating men with ED of mixed etiology.

Metabolic and steroidogenic alterations related to increased frequency of polycystic ovaries in women with a history of gestational diabetes.

PubMed

Koivunen, R M; Juutinen, J; Vauhkonen, I; Morin-Papunen, L C; Ruokonen, A; Tapanainen, J S

2001-06-01

The prevalence of polycystic ovaries (PCO) and clinical, endocrine, and metabolic features were investigated in women with previous gestational diabetes (GDM). Thirty-three women with a history of GDM and 48 controls were studied. Glucose and insulin secretion capacity was evaluated by means of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and insulin action was determined by means of a euglycemic insulin clamp. Compared with control women, women with previous GDM more often had significantly abnormal OGTT, a higher prevalence of PCO (39.4% vs. 16.7%; P = 0.03), higher serum concentrations of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and a greater area under the glucose curve. Women with previous GDM showed a lowered early phase insulin response to glucose and impaired insulin sensitivity, which was accounted for mainly by decreased glucose nonoxidation. They also demonstrated a significantly lower fasting serum C peptide/insulin ratio than the controls, indicating that women with previous GDM have impaired hepatic insulin extraction, which tended to be more marked among women with PCO. This may explain why women with PCO and previous GDM were significantly more hyperinsulinemic than women with normal ovaries. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that women with previous GDM often have PCO and abnormal OGTT. They are insulin resistant as a result of lowered glucose nonoxidation and show inappropriately low insulin responses to glucose, reflecting impaired beta-cell function. They also have higher adrenal androgen secretion, which may be associated with abdominal obesity.

Sunburn and sun-protective behaviors among adults with and without previous nonmelanoma skin cancer: a population-based study

PubMed Central

Fischer, Alexander H.; Wang, Timothy S.; Yenokyan, Gayane; Kang, Sewon; Chien, Anna L.

2016-01-01

Background Individuals with previous nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) are at increased risk for subsequent skin cancer, and should therefore limit UV exposure. Objective To determine whether individuals with previous NMSC engage in better sun protection than those with no skin cancer history. Methods We pooled self-reported data (2005 and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys) from US non-Hispanic white adults (758 with and 34,161 without previous NMSC). We calculated adjusted prevalence odds ratios (aPOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), taking into account the complex survey design. Results Individuals with previous NMSC versus no history of NMSC had higher rates of frequent use of shade (44.3% versus 27.0%; aPOR=1.41; 1.16–1.71), long sleeves (20.5% versus 7.7%; aPOR=1.55; 1.21–1.98), a wide-brimmed hat (26.1% versus 10.5%; aPOR=1.52; 1.24–1.87), and sunscreen (53.7% versus 33.1%; aPOR=2.11; 95% CI=1.73–2.59), but did not have significantly lower odds of recent sunburn (29.7% versus 40.7%; aPOR=0.95; 0.77–1.17). Among subjects with previous NMSC, recent sunburn was inversely associated with age, sun avoidance, and shade but not sunscreen. Limitations Self-reported cross-sectional data and unavailable information quantifying regular sun exposure. Conclusion Physicians should emphasize sunburn prevention when counseling patients with previous NMSC, especially younger adults, focusing on shade and sun avoidance over sunscreen. PMID:27198078

Nucleus model for periodic Comet Tempel 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sekanina, Zdenek

1991-01-01

Observational data obtained primarily during 1988 are analyzed and synthesized to develop a comprehensive physical model for the nucleus of Periodic Comet Tempel 2, one of the best studied members of Jupiter's family of short-period comets. It is confirmed that a previous investigation provided reliable information on the comet's spin-axis orientation, which implies and obliquity of 54 degrees of the orbit plane to the equatorial plane and which appears to have varied little - if at all - with time. This conclusion is critical for fitting a triaxial ellipsoid to approximate the figure of the nucleus.

Congestion relaxation due to density-dependent junction rules in TASEP network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tannai, Takahiro; Nishinari, Katsuhiro

2017-09-01

We now consider a small network module of Totally Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process with branching and aggregation points, and rules of junctions dependent on the densities of segments of the network module. We also focus on the interaction among junctions which are branching and aggregation. The interaction among junctions with density-dependent rules possesses more complexity than those with density-independent rules studied in the previous papers. In conclusion, we confirm the result that density-dependent rules enable vehicles to move more effectively than the density-independent rules.

Petroleum hydrocarbon toxicity to corals: A review.

PubMed

Turner, Nicholas R; Renegar, D Abigail

2017-06-30

The proximity of coral reefs to coastal urban areas and shipping lanes predisposes corals to petroleum pollution from multiple sources. Previous research has evaluated petroleum toxicity to coral using a variety of methodology, including monitoring effects of acute and chronic spills, in situ exposures, and ex situ exposures with both adult and larval stage corals. Variability in toxicant, bioassay conditions, species and other methodological disparities between studies prevents comprehensive conclusions regarding the toxicity of hydrocarbons to corals. Following standardized protocols and quantifying the concentration and composition of toxicant will aid in comparison of results between studies and extrapolation to actual spills. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring the effects of heterogeneity on distributed systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Toweissy, Mohamed; Zeineldine, Osman; Mukkamala, Ravi

1991-01-01

Distributed computer systems in daily use are becoming more and more heterogeneous. Currently, much of the design and analysis studies of such systems assume homogeneity. This assumption of homogeneity has been mainly driven by the resulting simplicity in modeling and analysis. A simulation study is presented which investigated the effects of heterogeneity on scheduling algorithms for hard real time distributed systems. In contrast to previous results which indicate that random scheduling may be as good as a more complex scheduler, this algorithm is shown to be consistently better than a random scheduler. This conclusion is more prevalent at high workloads as well as at high levels of heterogeneity.

Prevalence of incidental pancreatic cyst on upper endoscopic ultrasound

PubMed Central

Martínez, Belén; Martínez, Juan F.; Aparicio, José R.

2018-01-01

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of incidental pancreatic cysts in patients undergoing upper endoscopic ultrasound without a known pancreatic abnormality. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in two hospitals in Spain and enrolled consecutive patients referred for upper endoscopic ultrasound for a condition unrelated to the pancreas. Patients with a previous pancreatic anomaly, history of acute or chronic pancreatitis, evidence of acute pancreatitis, previous upper gastrointestinal surgery, or chronic abdominal pain suggestive of pancreatic origin were excluded. Univariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate individual covariates and the incidental pancreatic cyst risk. Results: A total of 298 patients were included, of whom 64 had pancreatic cysts (21.5%; 16.9-26.6%). The mean size of the cysts was 6.3±3.7 (range 3-25) mm. Six cysts (2%) were >10 mm and 16 (5.4%) were compatible with branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm. The pancreatic cyst prevalence was similar in the two hospitals and increased significantly with age. Conclusion: The prevalence of incidental pancreatic cysts during endoscopic ultrasound was very high in our study population. PMID:29333072

Protection From Varicella Zoster in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Carrying Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor B Haplotypes.

PubMed

Schmied, Laurent; Terszowski, Grzegorz; Gonzalez, Asensio; Schmitter, Karin; Hirsch, Hans H; Garzoni, Christian; van Delden, Christian; Boggian, Katia; Mueller, Nicolas J; Berger, Christoph; Villard, Jean; Manuel, Oriol; Meylan, Pascal; Hess, Christoph; Stern, Martin

2015-12-01

Natural killer cell function is regulated by inhibitory and activating killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). Previous studies have documented associations of KIR genotype with the risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication after solid organ transplantation. In this study of 649 solid organ transplant recipients, followed prospectively for infectious disease events within the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study, we were interested to see if KIR genotype associated with virus infections other than CMV. We found that KIR B haplotypes (which have previously been linked to protection from CMV replication) were associated with protection from varicella zoster virus infection (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.91; P = 0.03). No significant associations were detected regarding the risk of herpes simplex, Epstein-Barr virus or BK polyomavirus infections. In conclusion, these data provide evidence that the relative protection of KIR haplotype B from viral replication after solid organ transplantation may extend beyond CMV to other herpes viruses, such as varicella zoster virus and possibly Epstein-Barr virus.

IMPAIRED VERBAL COMPREHENSION OF QUANTIFIERS IN CORTICOBASAL SYNDROME

PubMed Central

Troiani, Vanessa; Clark, Robin; Grossman, Murray

2011-01-01

Objective Patients with Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS) have atrophy in posterior parietal cortex. This region of atrophy has been previously linked with their quantifier comprehension difficulty, but previous studies used visual stimuli, making it difficult to account for potential visuospatial deficits in CBS patients. The current study evaluated comprehension of generalized quantifiers using strictly verbal materials. Method CBS patients, a brain-damaged control group (consisting of Alzheimer's Disease and frontotemporal dementia), and age-matched controls participated in this study. We assessed familiar temporal, spatial, and monetary domains of verbal knowledge comparatively. Judgment accuracy was only evaluated in statements for which patients demonstrated accurate factual knowledge about the target domain. Results We found that patients with CBS are significantly impaired in their ability to evaluate quantifiers compared to healthy seniors and a brain-damaged control group, even in this strictly visual task. This impairment was seen in the vast majority of individual CBS patients. Conclusions These findings offer additional evidence of quantifier impairment in CBS patients and emphasize that this impairment cannot be attributed to potential spatial processing impairments in patients with parietal disease. PMID:21381823

Posterior insular cortex – a site of vestibular–somatosensory interaction?

PubMed Central

Baier, Bernhard; zu Eulenburg, Peter; Best, Christoph; Geber, Christian; Müller-Forell, Wibke; Birklein, Frank; Dieterich, Marianne

2013-01-01

Background In previous imaging studies the insular cortex (IC) has been identified as an essential part of the processing of a wide spectrum of perception and sensorimotor integration. Yet, there are no systematic lesion studies in a sufficient number of patients examining whether processing of vestibular and the interaction of somatosensory and vestibular signals take place in the IC. Methods We investigated acute stroke patients with lesions affecting the IC in order to fill this gap. In detail, we explored signs of a vestibular tone imbalance such as the deviation of the subjective visual vertical (SVV). We applied voxel-lesion behaviour mapping analysis in 27 patients with acute unilateral stroke. Results Our data demonstrate that patients with lesions of the posterior IC have an abnormal tilt of SVV. Furthermore, re-analysing data of 20 patients from a previous study, we found a positive correlation between thermal perception contralateral to the stroke and the severity of the SVV tilt. Conclusions We conclude that the IC is a sensory brain region where different modalities might interact. PMID:24392273

Factors Related to Continuation of Health Behaviours among Stroke Survivors

PubMed Central

Kudo, Makoto

2011-01-01

Abstract Purpose: This study investigated stroke survivors' perspectives of health behaviours after stroke. We aimed to explore the actual process by which stroke survivors changed their health behaviours. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 people in a 1-year prospective study in the regional city of Chiba, Japan. Interviews covered views of health behaviours in order to explore why patients change their risk factors. Data were analysed using the principles of modified grounded theory. Results: Six categories related to practising health behaviours were identified: cause of stroke, antithetic thinking, awareness of the body, fear of disease progression, view of health, and psychological meaning of practise. Stroke survivors constructed a meaning of practise for each health behaviour. The recognition of previous lifestyle as cause of stroke, hope for recovery, and fear of future progression influenced health behaviours. Conclusions: The key finding of this study is that when cognitive behavioural therapy principles are enforced, an important aspect is that stroke survivors recognize the possibility that previous lifestyle was a cause of stroke and appreciate the necessity of preventing a new stroke. PMID:25792892

Prefrontal Cortical GABA Levels in Panic Disorder Determined by Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Hasler, Gregor; van der Veen, Jan Willem; Geraci, Marilla; Shen, Jun; Pine, Daniel; Drevets, Wayne C.

2009-01-01

Background Panic disorder (PD) is hypothesized to be associated with altered function of the major inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). Previous proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies found lower GABA concentrations in the occipital cortex of subjects with PD relative to healthy controls. The current study is the first MRS study to compare GABA concentrations between unmedicated PD subjects and controls in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Methods Unmedicated subjects with PD (n=17) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n=17) were scanned on a 3 Tesla scanner using a transmit-receive head coil that provided a sufficiently homogenous radiofrequency field to obtain spectroscopic measurements in the dorsomedial/dorsal anterolateral and ventromedial areas of the PFC. Results The prefrontal cortical GABA concentrations did not differ significantly between PD subjects and controls. There also was no statistically significant difference in Glx, choline or N-acetyl-aspartate concentrations. Conclusions The previously reported finding of reduced GABA concentrations in the occipital cortex of PD subjects does not appear to extend to the PFC. PMID:18692172

Acquisition of Conditioned Responses to a Novel Alcohol-Paired Cue in Social Drinkers

PubMed Central

Mayo, Leah M.; de Wit, Harriet

2016-01-01

Objective: This study examined the acquisition of conditioning between novel stimuli and single doses of alcohol in social drinkers. Environmental stimuli present during the consumption of alcohol or other drugs come to elicit conditioned responses that subsequently increase drug seeking. However, relatively few studies have examined the process of acquisition of these conditioned drug responses in human subjects. Method: We used a procedure previously developed to study acquisition of conditioned responses to a methamphetamine-associated cue. In the present study we applied the paradigm to alcohol, pairing de novo neutral cues with alcohol in social drinkers (N = 36). We obtained measures of self-report, behavioral preference, emotional reactivity (assessed using facial electromyography), and attention to specific cues paired with administration of 0.6 g/kg 95% absolute alcohol or placebo. Results: After conditioning, participants showed an increase in attention toward the alcohol-paired cue, and this increase was associated with ratings of liking the alcohol-containing beverage during the conditioning sessions. In contrast to our previous findings with methamphetamine, the alcohol-paired cue did not elicit changes in emotional reactivity (measured by facial electromyography) or behavioral preference. Conclusions: This study extends our previous findings with a stimulant drug to alcohol and highlights possible similarities and differences in conditioning with different classes of drugs. Conditioning with alcohol was less robust than with methamphetamine, but in both cases the conditioning that did occur was related to positive subjective drug response. PMID:26997190

Oral aniracetam treatment in C57BL/6J mice without pre-existing cognitive dysfunction reveals no changes in learning, memory, anxiety or stereotypy

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Conner D.; Jefferson, Taylor S.; Volquardsen, Meagan; Pandian, Ashvini; Smith, Gregory D.; Holley, Andrew J.; Lugo, Joaquin N.

2017-01-01

Background: The piracetam analog, aniracetam, has recently received attention for its cognition enhancing potential, with minimal reported side effects.  Previous studies report the drug to be effective in both human and non-human models with pre-existing cognitive dysfunction, but few studies have evaluated its efficacy in healthy subjects. A previous study performed in our laboratory found no cognitive enhancing effects of oral aniracetam administration 1-hour prior to behavioral testing in naïve C57BL/6J mice. Methods: The current study aims to further evaluate this drug by administration of aniracetam 30 minutes prior to testing in order to optimize any cognitive enhancing effects. In this study, all naïve C57BL/6J mice were tested in tasks of delayed fear conditioning, novel object recognition, rotarod, open field, elevated plus maze, and marble burying. Results: Across all tasks, animals in the treatment group failed to show enhanced learning when compared to controls. Conclusions: These results provide further evidence suggesting that aniracetam conveys no therapeutic benefit to subjects without pre-existing cognitive dysfunction. PMID:29946420

A Preliminary Study on the Reliability of the Malay Version of PedsQL™ Family Impact Module among Caregivers of Children with Disabilities in Kelantan, Malaysia

PubMed Central

Rahman, Azriani Ab; Mohamad, Norsarwany; Imran, Musa Kamarul; Ibrahim, Wan Pauzi Wan; Othman, Azizah; Aziz, Aniza Abd; Harith, Sakinah; Ibrahim, Mohd Ismail; Ariffin, Nor Hashimah; Van Rostenberghe, Hans

2011-01-01

Background: No previous study has assessed the impact of childhood disability on parents and family in the context of Malaysia, and no instrument to measure this impact has previously been available. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the reliability of a Malay version of the PedsQL™ Family Impact Module that measures the impact of children with disabilities (CWD) on their parents and family in a Malaysian context. Methods: The study was conducted in 2009. The questionnaire was translated forward and backward before it was administered to 44 caregivers of CWD to determine the internal consistency reliability. The test for Cronbach’s alpha was performed. Results: The internal consistency reliability was good. The Cronbach’s alpha for all domains was above 0.7, ranging from 0.73 to 0.895. Conclusion: The Malay version of the PedsQL™ Family Impact Module showed evidence of good internal consistency reliability. However, future studies with a larger sample size are necessary before the module can be recommended as a tool to measure the impact of disability on Malay-speaking Malaysian families. PMID:22589674

The disruptive effects of methamphetamine on delayed-matching-to-sample performance reflect proactive interference and are reduced by SCH23390.

PubMed

Macaskill, Anne C; Harrow, Catherine C; Harper, David N

2015-01-01

Different drugs produce different patterns of impairment on delayed matching-to-sample tasks. For example, (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces an increase in proactive interference. That is, subjects are less accurate when they are required to make a response different to the one they made on the immediately previous trial. The current study assessed whether methamphetamine also produces this particular pattern of disruption in delayed matching-to-sample performance in rats. Methamphetamine primarily reduced accuracy on trials where the correct response differed from the one made on the previous trial. Thus methamphetamine, like MDMA and other stimulant-based drugs of abuse, increased proactive interference. This impairment was reduced by prior administration of the dopamine D1 antagonist SCH23390. These results further extend a general conclusion that a range of stimulant-based drugs may disrupt working memory function indirectly via a tendency to repeat previously made responses and that this disruption is related to D1 receptor activity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of Lung Cancer Screening Results on Smoking Cessation

PubMed Central

Berg, Christine D.; Riley, Thomas L.; Cunningham, Christopher R.; Taylor, Kathryn L.

2014-01-01

Background Lung cancer screening programs may provide opportunities to reduce smoking rates among participants. This study evaluates the impact of lung cancer screening results on smoking cessation. Methods Data from Lung Screening Study participants in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST; 2002–2009) were used to prepare multivariable longitudinal regression models predicting annual smoking cessation in those who were current smokers at study entry (n = 15489, excluding those developing lung cancer in follow-up). The associations of lung cancer screening results on smoking cessation over the trial period were analyzed. All hypothesis testing used two sided P values. Results In adjusted analyses, smoking cessation was strongly associated with the amount of abnormality observed in the previous year’s screening (P < .0001). Compared with those with a normal screen, individuals were less likely to be smokers if their previous year’s screen had a major abnormality that was not suspicious for lung cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 0.811; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.722 to 0.912; P < .001), was suspicious for lung cancer but stable from previous screens (OR = 0.785; 95% CI = 0.706 to 0.872; P < .001), or was suspicious for lung cancer and was new or changed from the previous screen (OR = 0.663; 95% CI = 0.607 to 0.724; P < .001). Differences in smoking prevalence were present up to 5 years after the last screen. Conclusions Smoking cessation is statistically significantly associated with screen-detected abnormality. Integration of effective smoking cessation programs within screening programs should lead to further reduction in smoking-related morbidity and mortality. PMID:24872540

Uncovering the Power of Personality to Shape Income

PubMed Central

Denissen, Jaap J. A.; Bleidorn, Wiebke; Hennecke, Marie; Luhmann, Maike; Orth, Ulrich; Specht, Jule; Zimmermann, Julia

2017-01-01

The notion of person-environment fit implies that personal and contextual factors interact in influencing important life outcomes. Using data from 8,458 employed individuals, we examined the combined effects of individuals’ actual personality traits and jobs’ expert-rated personality demands on earnings. Results from a response surface analysis indicated that the fit between individuals’ actual personality and the personality demands of their jobs is a predictor of income. Conclusions of this combined analysis were partly opposite to conclusions reached in previous studies using conventional regression methods. Individuals can earn additional income of more than their monthly salary per year if they hold a job that fits their personality. Thus, at least for some traits, economic success depends not only on having a “successful personality” but also, in part, on finding the best niche for one’s personality. We discuss the findings with regard to labor-market policies and individuals’ job-selection strategies. PMID:29155616

On the phylogenetic position of the scrub-birds (Passeriformes: Menurae: Atrichornithidae) of Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chesser, R.T.; ten, Have J.

2007-01-01

Evolutionary relationships of the scrub-birds Atrichornis were investigated using complete sequences of the recombination-activating gene RAG-1 and the proto-oncogene c-mos for two individuals of the noisy scrub-bird Atrichornis clamosus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Atrichornis was sister to the genus Menura (the lyrebirds) and that these two genera (the Menurae) were sister to the rest of the oscine passerines. A sister relationship between Atrichornis and Menura supports the traditional view, based on morphology and DNA hybridization, that these taxa are closely related. Similarly, a sister relationship with the remaining oscine passerines agrees with the morphological distinctiveness of Atrichornis and Menura, although this result contradicts conclusions based on DNA hybridization studies. Although Atrichornis is very well known morphologically, previous conclusions regarding its relationships were hampered by a lack of comparative knowledge of other passerines, making concurrence of the sequence data of particular significance. ?? Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V. 2007.

Feminist research or humanistic research? Experiences of studying prostatectomy.

PubMed

Pateman, B

2000-03-01

This paper highlights issues related to men's health research arising from a small-scale study, carried out by a male researcher, to identify the experience of men following transuretheral resection of prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The intention of this paper is to stimulate methodological debate rather than to be a research report. For the study, an informal interview approach was used within a phenomenological framework, and interview experiences raised issues which have been previously discussed under the rubric of feminist research. The conclusion drawn is that a style of research which attempts to gain a holistic view of patients' experiences is better termed 'humanistic research' because the term 'feminist research' clearly cannot be applied to men studying men's health-related experiences.

Contribution to viscosity from the structural relaxation via the atomic scale Green-Kubo stress correlation function.

PubMed

Levashov, V A

2017-11-14

We studied the connection between the structural relaxation and viscosity for a binary model of repulsive particles in the supercooled liquid regime. The used approach is based on the decomposition of the macroscopic Green-Kubo stress correlation function into the correlation functions between the atomic level stresses. Previously we used the approach to study an iron-like single component system of particles. The role of vibrational motion has been addressed through the demonstration of the relationship between viscosity and the shear waves propagating over large distances. In our previous considerations, however, we did not discuss the role of the structural relaxation. Here we suggest that the contribution to viscosity from the structural relaxation can be taken into account through the consideration of the contribution from the atomic stress auto-correlation term only. This conclusion, however, does not mean that only the auto-correlation term represents the contribution to viscosity from the structural relaxation. Previously the role of the structural relaxation for viscosity has been addressed through the considerations of the transitions between inherent structures and within the mode-coupling theory by other authors. In the present work, we study the structural relaxation through the considerations of the parent liquid and the atomic level stress correlations in it. The comparison with the results obtained on the inherent structures also is made. Our current results suggest, as our previous observations, that in the supercooled liquid regime, the vibrational contribution to viscosity extends over the times that are much larger than the Einstein's vibrational period and much larger than the times that it takes for the shear waves to propagate over the model systems. Besides addressing the atomic level shear stress correlations, we also studied correlations between the atomic level pressure elements.

Comparative efficacy and safety of antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia: a network meta-analysis in a Japanese population.

PubMed

Kishi, Taro; Ikuta, Toshikazu; Matsunaga, Shinji; Matsuda, Yuki; Oya, Kazuto; Iwata, Nakao

2017-01-01

The relative efficacy and tolerability of antipsychotics for schizophrenia are considerably well studied. This study aimed to examine whether previous findings could be replicated in a genetically distinct and homogenous group (ie, Japanese patients with schizophrenia) and whether previous findings could be extended to a broader range of antipsychotics with previously unclear relative efficacy and tolerability. Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed in which randomized trials comparing any of the following interventions were included: second-generation antipsychotics, haloperidol, or placebo. The primary outcomes for efficacy and acceptability were the response rate and all-cause discontinuation. The secondary outcomes included the improvement of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores, discontinuation because of adverse events, and individual adverse events. Eighteen relevant studies were identified (total n=3,446; aripiprazole =267, blonanserin =285, clozapine =47, clocapramine =295, haloperidol =857, mosapramine =493, olanzapine =179, paliperidone =136, perospirone =146, placebo =138, quetiapine =212, and risperidone =338; mean study duration =8.33±1.41 weeks). In primary outcomes, olanzapine and paliperidone showed efficacy than placebo, and olanzapine and paliperidone showed superior acceptability compared with placebo. There were differences in the incidences of individual adverse events (the best antipsychotic: extrapyramidal symptoms = olanzapine, hyperprolactinemia- related symptoms = quetiapine, sedation = paliperidone, and weight change = blonanserin) among antipsychotics. Although the current analysis exclusively included Japanese patients with schizophrenia, no remarkable differences were observed in efficacy and safety compared with previous meta-analyses. Diverse hierarchies in safety outcomes also support the implication that individual risk expectations for adverse events can guide clinical decisions. However, the sample size was relatively limited. Additional efficacy and safety data are required to fully obtain a conclusive understanding.

Species delimitation in plants using the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau endemic Orinus (Poaceae: Tridentinae) as an example

PubMed Central

Su, Xu; Wu, Guili; Li, Lili; Liu, Jianquan

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Accurate identification of species is essential for the majority of biological studies. However, defining species objectively and consistently remains a challenge, especially for plants distributed in remote regions where there is often a lack of sufficient previous specimens. In this study, multiple approaches and lines of evidence were used to determine species boundaries for plants occurring in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, using the genus Orinus (Poaceae) as a model system for an integrative approach to delimiting species. Methods A total of 786 individuals from 102 populations of six previously recognized species were collected for niche, morphological and genetic analyses. Three plastid DNA regions (matK, rbcL and trnH-psbA) and one nuclear DNA region [internal transcribed space (ITS)] were sequenced. Key Results Whereas six species had been previously recognized, statistical analyses based on character variation, molecular data and niche differentiation identified only two well-delimited clusters, together with a third possibly originating from relatively recent hybridization between, or historical introgression from, the other two. Conclusions Based on a principle of integrative species delimitation to reconcile different sources of data, the results provide compelling evidence that the six previously recognized species of the genus Orinus that were examined should be reduced to two, with new circumscriptions, and a third, identified in this study, should be described as a new species. This empirical study highlights the value of applying genetic differentiation, morphometric statistics and ecological niche modelling in an integrative approach to re-circumscribing species boundaries. The results produce relatively objective, operational and unbiased taxonomic classifications of plants occurring in remote regions. PMID:25987712

Contribution to viscosity from the structural relaxation via the atomic scale Green-Kubo stress correlation function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levashov, V. A.

2017-11-01

We studied the connection between the structural relaxation and viscosity for a binary model of repulsive particles in the supercooled liquid regime. The used approach is based on the decomposition of the macroscopic Green-Kubo stress correlation function into the correlation functions between the atomic level stresses. Previously we used the approach to study an iron-like single component system of particles. The role of vibrational motion has been addressed through the demonstration of the relationship between viscosity and the shear waves propagating over large distances. In our previous considerations, however, we did not discuss the role of the structural relaxation. Here we suggest that the contribution to viscosity from the structural relaxation can be taken into account through the consideration of the contribution from the atomic stress auto-correlation term only. This conclusion, however, does not mean that only the auto-correlation term represents the contribution to viscosity from the structural relaxation. Previously the role of the structural relaxation for viscosity has been addressed through the considerations of the transitions between inherent structures and within the mode-coupling theory by other authors. In the present work, we study the structural relaxation through the considerations of the parent liquid and the atomic level stress correlations in it. The comparison with the results obtained on the inherent structures also is made. Our current results suggest, as our previous observations, that in the supercooled liquid regime, the vibrational contribution to viscosity extends over the times that are much larger than the Einstein's vibrational period and much larger than the times that it takes for the shear waves to propagate over the model systems. Besides addressing the atomic level shear stress correlations, we also studied correlations between the atomic level pressure elements.

Associations between Otolaryngology Applicant Characteristics and Future Performance in Residency or Practice: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Bowe, Sarah N; Laury, Adrienne M; Gray, Stacey T

2017-06-01

Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate which applicant characteristics available to an otolaryngology selection committee are associated with future performance in residency or practice. Data Sources PubMed, Scopus, ERIC, Health Business, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and SocINDEX. Review Methods Study eligibility was performed by 2 independent investigators in accordance with the PRISMA protocol (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses). Data obtained from each article included research questions, study design, predictors, outcomes, statistical analysis, and results/findings. Study bias was assessed with the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool. Results The initial search identified 439 abstracts. Six articles fulfilled all inclusion and exclusion criteria. All studies were retrospective cohort studies (level 4). Overall, the studies yielded relatively few criteria that correlated with residency success, with generally conflicting results. Most studies were found to have a high risk of bias. Conclusion Previous resident selection research has lacked a theoretical background, thus predisposing this work to inconsistent results and high risk of bias. The included studies provide historical insight into the predictors and criteria (eg, outcomes) previously deemed pertinent by the otolaryngology field. Additional research is needed, possibly integrating aspects of personnel selection, to engage in an evidence-based approach to identify highly qualified candidates who will succeed as future otolaryngologists.

The Sex Determination Gene Shows No Founder Effect in the Giant Honey Bee, Apis dorsata

PubMed Central

Yan, Wei Yu; Wu, Xiao Bo; Zeng, Zhi Jiang; Huang, Zachary Y.

2012-01-01

Background All honey bee species (Apis spp) share the same sex determination mechanism using the complementary sex determination (csd) gene. Only individuals heterogeneous at the csd allele develop into females, and the homozygous develop into diploid males, which do not survive. The honeybees are therefore under selection pressure to generate new csd alleles. Previous studies have shown that the csd gene is under balancing selection. We hypothesize that due to the long separation from the mainland of Hainan Island, China, that the giant honey bees (Apis dorsata) should show a founder effect for the csd gene, with many different alleles clustered together, and these would be absent on the mainland. Methodology/Principal Findings We sampled A. dorsata workers from both Hainan and Guangxi Provinces and then cloned and sequenced region 3 of the csd gene and constructed phylogenetic trees. We failed to find any clustering of the csd alleles according to their geographical origin, i.e. the Hainan and Guangxi samples did not form separate clades. Further analysis by including previously published csd sequences also failed to show any clade-forming in both the Philippines and Malaysia. Conclusions/Significance Results from this study and those from previous studies did not support the expectations of a founder effect. We conclude that because of the extremely high mating frequency of A. dorsata queens, a founder effect does not apply in this species. PMID:22511940

Meta-analysis of alcohol price and income elasticities – with corrections for publication bias

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This paper contributes to the evidence-base on prices and alcohol use by presenting meta-analytic summaries of price and income elasticities for alcohol beverages. The analysis improves on previous meta-analyses by correcting for outliers and publication bias. Methods Adjusting for outliers is important to avoid assigning too much weight to studies with very small standard errors or large effect sizes. Trimmed samples are used for this purpose. Correcting for publication bias is important to avoid giving too much weight to studies that reflect selection by investigators or others involved with publication processes. Cumulative meta-analysis is proposed as a method to avoid or reduce publication bias, resulting in more robust estimates. The literature search obtained 182 primary studies for aggregate alcohol consumption, which exceeds the database used in previous reviews and meta-analyses. Results For individual beverages, corrected price elasticities are smaller (less elastic) by 28-29 percent compared with consensus averages frequently used for alcohol beverages. The average price and income elasticities are: beer, -0.30 and 0.50; wine, -0.45 and 1.00; and spirits, -0.55 and 1.00. For total alcohol, the price elasticity is -0.50 and the income elasticity is 0.60. Conclusions These new results imply that attempts to reduce alcohol consumption through price or tax increases will be less effective or more costly than previously claimed. PMID:23883547

Previous Dosage of Allopurinol Is a Strong Determinant of Febuxostat Efficacy.

PubMed

Koide, Hiroyoshi; Hira, Daiki; Tsujimoto, Masayuki; Katsube, Yurie; Minegaki, Tetsuya; Uzu, Takashi; Ikeda, Yoshito; Morita, Shin-Ya; Nishiguchi, Kohshi; Terada, Tomohiro

2017-01-01

Febuxostat has currently played pivotal role in the treatment of hyperuricemia, but there is little comprehensive information for the determinants of individual difference in efficacy of febuxostat. Therefore, the present study, a retrospective investigation, was carried out to analyze the effects of patient characteristics on the efficacy of febuxostat. A total of 225 patients who were continuously prescribed the same dose of febuxostat for 8-12 weeks from the initial therapy were enrolled in the present study. The data, including patient information and laboratory data, were collected from electronic medical records. Serum urate lowering effects of febuxostat were evaluated by calculating the change in serum urate level at baseline and at 8-12 weeks after starting febuxostat. The multiple regression analysis showed the change in serum urate level was significantly lower in male patients and in those with a lower baseline serum urate level, higher previous dose of allopurinol, lower dose of febuxostat and lower body surface area-unadjusted estimated glomerular filtration rate. Concomitantly administered drugs did not show a significantly influence on the efficacy of febuxostat. In conclusion, it should be noted that the serum urate lowering efficacy of febuxostat may decrease in patients with a higher previous dose of allopurinol, renal impairment or male patients. The basic findings of the present study are believed to contribute to the proper use of febuxostat.

Identification of Balanced Chromosomal Rearrangements Previously Unknown Among Participants in the 1000 Genomes Project: Implications for Interpretation of Structural Variation in Genomes and the Future of Clinical Cytogenetics

PubMed Central

Dong, Zirui; Wang, Huilin; Chen, Haixiao; Jiang, Hui; Yuan, Jianying; Yang, Zhenjun; Wang, Wen-Jing; Xu, Fengping; Guo, Xiaosen; Cao, Ye; Zhu, Zhenzhen; Geng, Chunyu; Cheung, Wan Chee; Kwok, Yvonne K; Yang, Huangming; Leung, Tak Yeung; Morton, Cynthia C.; Cheung, Sau Wai; Choy, Kwong Wai

2017-01-01

Purpose Recent studies demonstrate that whole-genome sequencing (WGS) enables detection of cryptic rearrangements in apparently balanced chromosomal rearrangements (also known as balanced chromosomal abnormalities, BCAs) previously identified by conventional cytogenetic methods. We aimed to assess our analytical tool for detecting BCAs in The 1000 Genomes Project without knowing affected bands. Methods The 1000 Genomes Project provides an unprecedented integrated map of structural variants in phenotypically normal subjects, but there is no information on potential inclusion of subjects with apparently BCAs akin to those traditionally detected in diagnostic cytogenetics laboratories. We applied our analytical tool to 1,166 genomes from the 1000 Genomes Project with sufficient physical coverage (8.25-fold). Results Our approach detected four reciprocal balanced translocations and four inversions ranging in size from 57.9 kb to 13.3 Mb, all of which were confirmed by cytogenetic methods and PCR studies. One of DNAs has a subtle translocation that is not readily identified by chromosome analysis due to similar banding patterns and size of exchanged segments, and another results in disruption of all transcripts of an OMIM gene. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the extension of utilizing low-coverage WGS for unbiased detection of BCAs including translocations and inversions previously unknown in the 1000 Genomes Project. PMID:29095815

Controlling for genetic identity of varieties, pollen contamination and stigma receptivity is essential to characterize the self-incompatibility system of Olea europaea L.

PubMed

Saumitou-Laprade, Pierre; Vernet, Philippe; Vekemans, Xavier; Castric, Vincent; Barcaccia, Gianni; Khadari, Bouchaïb; Baldoni, Luciana

2017-10-01

Bervillé et al. express concern about the existence of the diallelic self-incompatibility (DSI) system in Olea europaea , mainly because our model does not account for results from previous studies from their group that claimed to have documented asymmetry of the incompatibility response in reciprocal crosses. In this answer to their comment, we present original results based on reciprocal stigma tests that contradict conclusions from these studies. We show that, in our hands, not a single case of asymmetry was confirmed, endorsing that symmetry of incompatibility reactions seems to be the rule in Olive. We discuss three important aspects that were not taken into account in the studies cited in their comments and that can explain the discrepancy: (i) the vast uncertainty around the actual genetic identity of vernacular varieties, (ii) the risk of massive contamination associated with the pollination protocols that they used and (iii) the importance of checking for stigma receptivity in controlled crosses. These studies were thus poorly genetically controlled, and we stand by our original conclusion that Olive tree exhibits DSI.

Influence of the impact assessment method on the conclusions of a LCA study. Application to the case of a part made with virgin and recycled HDPE.

PubMed

Simões, Carla L; Xará, Susana M; Bernardo, C A

2011-10-01

Recent legislation has stressed the need to decide the best end-of-life (EoL) option for post-consumer products considering their full life-cycle and the corresponding overall environmental impacts. The life cycle assessment (LCA) technique has become a common tool to evaluate those impacts. The present study aimed to contribute to the better understanding of the application of this technique, by evaluating the influence of the selection of the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method in its results and conclusions. A specific case study was chosen, using previous information related to an anti-glare lamellae (AGL) for highway use, made with virgin and recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Five distinct LCIA methods were used: Eco-indicator 99, CML 2 (2000), EPS 2000, Eco-indicator 95 and EDIP 97. Consistent results between these methods were obtained for the Climate change, Ozone layer depletion, Acidification and Eutrophication environmental indicators. Conversely, the Summer smog indicator showed large discrepancies between impact assessment methods. The work sheds light on the advantages inherent in using various LCIA methods when doing the LCA study of a specific product, thus evidencing complementary analysis perspectives.

Resistance of three implant-abutment interfaces to fatigue testing

PubMed Central

RIBEIRO, Cleide Gisele; MAIA, Maria Luiza Cabral; SCHERRER, Susanne S.; CARDOSO, Antonio Carlos; WISKOTT, H. W. Anselm

2011-01-01

The design and retentive properties of implant-abutment connectors affect the mechanical resistance of implants. A number of studies have been carried out to compare the efficacy of connecting mechanisms between abutment and fixture. Objectives The aims of this study were: 1) to compare 3 implant-abutment interfaces (external hexagon, internal hexagon and cone-in-cone) regarding the fatigue resistance of the prosthetic screw, 2) to evaluate the corresponding mode of failure, and 3) to compare the results of this study with data obtained in previous studies on Nobel Biocare and Straumann connectors. Materials and Methods In order to duplicate the alternating and multivectorial intraoral loading pattern, the specimens were submitted to the rotating cantilever beam test. The implants, abutments and restoration analogs were spun around their longitudinal axes while a perpendicular force was applied to the external end. The objective was to determine the force level at which 50% of the specimens survived 106 load cycles. The mean force levels at which 50% failed and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were determined using the staircase procedure. Results The external hexagon interface presented better than the cone-in-cone and internal hexagon interfaces. There was no significant difference between the cone-in-cone and internal hex interfaces. Conclusion Although internal connections present a more favorable design, this study did not show any advantage in terms of strength. The external hexagon connector used in this study yielded similar results to those obtained in a previous study with Nobel Biocare and Straumann systems. However, the internal connections (cone-in-cone and internal hexagon) were mechanically inferior compared to previous results. PMID:21710094

Traditional healers and the potential for collaboration with the national tuberculosis programme in Vanuatu: results from a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background This study was conducted in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. Our objective was to assess knowledge, attitudes and practice of traditional healers who treat lung diseases and tuberculosis (TB), including their willingness to collaborate with the national TB programme. Methods This was a descriptive study using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative analysis was based on the responses provided to closed-ended questions, and we used descriptive analysis (frequencies) to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practice of the traditional healers towards TB. Qualitative analysis was based on open-ended questions permitting fuller explanations. We used thematic analysis and developed a posteriori inductive categories to draw original and unbiased conclusions. Results Nineteen traditional healers were interviewed; 18 were male. Fifteen of the healers reported treating short wind (a local term to describe lung, chest or breathing illnesses) which they attributed to food, alcohol, smoking or pollution from contact with menstrual blood, and a range of other physical and spiritual causes. Ten said that they would treat TB with leaf medicine. Four traditional healers said that they would not treat TB. Twelve of the healers had referred someone to a hospital for a strong wet-cough and just over half of the healers (9) reported a previous collaboration with the Government health care system. Eighteen of the traditional healers would be willing to collaborate with the national TB programme, with or without compensation. Conclusions Traditional healers in Vanuatu treat lung diseases including TB. Many have previously collaborated with the Government funded health care system, and almost all of them indicated a willingness to collaborate with the national TB programme. The engagement of traditional healers in TB management should be considered, using an evidence based and culturally sensitive approach. PMID:24758174

Performance of Polygenic Scores for Predicting Phobic Anxiety

PubMed Central

Walter, Stefan; Glymour, M. Maria; Koenen, Karestan; Liang, Liming; Tchetgen Tchetgen, Eric J.; Cornelis, Marilyn; Chang, Shun-Chiao; Rimm, Eric; Kawachi, Ichiro; Kubzansky, Laura D.

2013-01-01

Context Anxiety disorders are common, with a lifetime prevalence of 20% in the U.S., and are responsible for substantial burdens of disability, missed work days and health care utilization. To date, no causal genetic variants have been identified for anxiety, anxiety disorders, or related traits. Objective To investigate whether a phobic anxiety symptom score was associated with 3 alternative polygenic risk scores, derived from external genome-wide association studies of anxiety, an internally estimated agnostic polygenic score, or previously identified candidate genes. Design Longitudinal follow-up study. Using linear and logistic regression we investigated whether phobic anxiety was associated with polygenic risk scores derived from internal, leave-one out genome-wide association studies, from 31 candidate genes, and from out-of-sample genome-wide association weights previously shown to predict depression and anxiety in another cohort. Setting and Participants Study participants (n = 11,127) were individuals from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Main Outcome Measure Anxiety symptoms were assessed via the 8-item phobic anxiety scale of the Crown Crisp Index at two time points, from which a continuous phenotype score was derived. Results We found no genome-wide significant associations with phobic anxiety. Phobic anxiety was also not associated with a polygenic risk score derived from the genome-wide association study beta weights using liberal p-value thresholds; with a previously published genome-wide polygenic score; or with a candidate gene risk score based on 31 genes previously hypothesized to predict anxiety. Conclusion There is a substantial gap between twin-study heritability estimates of anxiety disorders ranging between 20–40% and heritability explained by genome-wide association results. New approaches such as improved genome imputations, application of gene expression and biological pathways information, and incorporating social or environmental modifiers of genetic risks may be necessary to identify significant genetic predictors of anxiety. PMID:24278274

How accurate are leukocyte indices and C-reactive protein for diagnosis of neonatal sepsis?

PubMed Central

da Silva, Orlando; Ohlsson, Arne

1998-01-01

Early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is often difficult to make. Treatment on the basis of clinical suspicion and risk factors may result in overtreatment. A previous review of the usefulness of C-reactive protein and leukocyte indices concluded that these test results should be interpreted with caution. The present paper reviews and, when appropriate, revises, in light of new information, the conclusions reached in the previous systematic review of the topic. PMID:20401235

Foliage nitrogen turnover: differences among nitrogen absorbed at different times by Quercus serrata saplings

PubMed Central

Ueda, Miki U.; Mizumachi, Eri; Tokuchi, Naoko

2011-01-01

Background and Aims Nitrogen turnover within plants has been intensively studied to better understand nitrogen use strategies. However, differences among the nitrogen absorbed at different times are not completely understood and the fate of nitrogen absorbed during winter is largely uncharacterized. In the present study, nitrogen absorbed at different times of the year (growing season, winter and previous growing season) was traced, and the within-leaf nitrogen turnover of a temperate deciduous oak Quercus serrata was investigated. Methods The contributions of nitrogen absorbed at the three different times to leaf construction, translocation during the growing season, and the leaf-level resorption efficiency during leaf senescence were compared using 15N. Key Results Winter- and previous growing season-absorbed nitrogen significantly contributed to leaf construction, although the contribution was smaller than that of growing season-absorbed nitrogen. On the other hand, the leaf-level resorption efficiency of winter- and previous growing season-absorbed nitrogen was higher than that of growing season-absorbed nitrogen, suggesting that older nitrogen is better retained in leaves than recently absorbed nitrogen. Conclusions The results demonstrate that nitrogen turnover in leaves varies with nitrogen absorption times. These findings are important for understanding plant nitrogen use strategies and nitrogen cycles in forest ecosystems. PMID:21515608

Initial study of transdermal oxybutynin for treating hyperhidrosis.

PubMed

Millán-Cayetano, José Francisco; Del Boz, Javier; Toledo-Pastrana, Tomas; Nieto-Guindo, Miriam; García-Montero, Pablo; de Troya-Martín, Magdalena

2017-06-01

Oral oxybutynin for treating hyperhidrosis is effective and safe. Its side-effects are mild but frequent so we consider whether transdermal oxybutynin (considered to have a better side-effect profile) could be an alternative for treating hyperhidrosis. During 2015, a prospective study was conducted. Epidemiological variables, effectiveness (using the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale) and tolerance to transdermal oxybutynin were compiled concerning two different groups (patients previously treated or untreated with oral oxybutynin), at baseline, and at 3 and 12 months. Seven previously treated and six previously untreated patients were included. Five patients in the first group discontinued the treatment within 3 months. Of the two remaining patients, one reported ineffectiveness and the other obtained an excellent response but discontinued due to local irritation. Among the untreated patients, two showed no response and four experienced improvement (three with "partial response" and one with "excellent response"). All patients discontinued treatment within 12 months. No major adverse effects were observed. The absence of active metabolites after transdermal oxybutynin could result in less effectiveness than oral oxybutynin, although it is usually well tolerated. In conclusion, transdermal oxybutynin could have low effectiveness for the treatment of hyperhidrosis in patients following intolerance to oral oxybutynin but could provide good results in patients who have never tried systemic drugs. © 2017 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Methodological considerations for documenting the energy demand of dance activity: a review

PubMed Central

Beck, Sarah; Redding, Emma; Wyon, Matthew A.

2015-01-01

Previous research has explored the intensity of dance class, rehearsal, and performance and attempted to document the body's physiological adaptation to these activities. Dance activity is frequently described as: complex, diverse, non-steady state, intermittent, of moderate to high intensity, and with notable differences between training and performance intensities and durations. Many limitations are noted in the methodologies of previous studies creating barriers to consensual conclusion. The present study therefore aims to examine the previous body of literature and in doing so, seeks to highlight important methodological considerations for future research in this area to strengthen our knowledge base. Four recommendations are made for future research. Firstly, research should continue to be dance genre specific, with detailed accounts of technical and stylistic elements of the movement vocabulary examined given wherever possible. Secondly, a greater breadth of performance repertoire, within and between genres, needs to be closely examined. Thirdly, a greater focus on threshold measurements is recommended due to the documented complex interplay between aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. Lastly, it is important for research to begin to combine temporal data relating to work and rest periods with real-time measurement of metabolic data in work and rest, in order to be able to quantify demand more accurately. PMID:25999885

Observations and implications of large-amplitude longitudinal oscillations in a solar filament

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

Luna, M.; Knizhnik, K.; Muglach, K.

On 2010 August 20, an energetic disturbance triggered large-amplitude longitudinal oscillations in a nearby filament. The triggering mechanism appears to be episodic jets connecting the energetic event with the filament threads. In the present work, we analyze this periodic motion in a large fraction of the filament to characterize the underlying physics of the oscillation as well as the filament properties. The results support our previous theoretical conclusions that the restoring force of large-amplitude longitudinal oscillations is solar gravity, and the damping mechanism is the ongoing accumulation of mass onto the oscillating threads. Based on our previous work, we usedmore » the fitted parameters to determine the magnitude and radius of curvature of the dipped magnetic field along the filament, as well as the mass accretion rate onto the filament threads. These derived properties are nearly uniform along the filament, indicating a remarkable degree of cohesiveness throughout the filament channel. Moreover, the estimated mass accretion rate implies that the footpoint heating responsible for the thread formation, according to the thermal nonequilibrium model, agrees with previous coronal heating estimates. We estimate the magnitude of the energy released in the nearby event by studying the dynamic response of the filament threads, and discuss the implications of our study for filament structure and heating.« less

Precursor Wave Emission Enhanced by Weibel Instability in Relativistic Shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwamoto, Masanori; Amano, Takanobu; Hoshino, Masahiro; Matsumoto, Yosuke

2018-05-01

We investigated the precursor wave emission efficiency in magnetized purely perpendicular relativistic shocks in pair plasmas. We extended our previous study to include the dependence of upstream magnetic field orientations. We performed two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and focused on two magnetic field orientations: the magnetic field in the simulation plane (i.e., in-plane configuration) and that perpendicular to the simulation plane (i.e., out-of-plane configuration). Our simulations in the in-plane configuration demonstrated that not only extraordinary but also ordinary mode waves are excited. We quantified the emission efficiency as a function of the magnetization parameter σ e and found that the large-amplitude precursor waves are emitted for a wide range of σ e . We found that especially at low σ e , the magnetic field generated by Weibel instability amplifies the ordinary mode wave power. The amplitude is large enough to perturb the upstream plasma, and transverse density filaments are generated as in the case of the out-of-plane configuration investigated in the previous study. We confirmed that our previous conclusion holds regardless of upstream magnetic field orientations with respect to the two-dimensional simulation plane. We discuss the precursor wave emission in three dimensions and the feasibility of wakefield acceleration in relativistic shocks based on our results.

VAGINAL PROGESTERONE VERSUS CERVICAL CERCLAGE FOR THE PREVENTION OF PRETERM BIRTH IN WOMEN WITH A SONOGRAPHIC SHORT CERVIX, SINGLETON GESTATION, AND PREVIOUS PRETERM BIRTH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND INDIRECT COMPARISON META-ANALYSIS

PubMed Central

CONDE-AGUDELO, Agustin; ROMERO, Roberto; NICOLAIDES, Kypros; CHAIWORAPONGSA, Tinnakorn; O'BRIEN, John M.; CETINGOZ, Elcin; DA FONSECA, Eduardo; CREASY, George; SOMA-PILLAY, Priya; FUSEY, Shalini; CAM, Cetin; ALFIREVIC, Zarko; HASSAN, Sonia S.

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE No randomized controlled trial has directly compared vaginal progesterone and cervical cerclage for the prevention of preterm birth in women with a sonographic short cervix in the midtrimester, singleton gestation, and previous spontaneous preterm birth. We performed an indirect comparison of vaginal progesterone versus cerclage, using placebo/no cerclage as the common comparator. STUDY DESIGN Adjusted indirect meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. RESULTS Four studies evaluating vaginal progesterone versus placebo (158 patients) and five evaluating cerclage versus no cerclage (504 patients) were included. Both interventions were associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of preterm birth <32 weeks of gestation and composite perinatal morbidity and mortality compared with placebo/no cerclage. Adjusted indirect meta-analyses did not show statistically significant differences between vaginal progesterone and cerclage in reducing preterm birth or adverse perinatal outcomes. CONCLUSION Based on state-of-the-art methodology for indirect comparisons, either vaginal progesterone or cerclage are equally efficacious in the prevention of preterm birth in women with a sonographic short cervix in the midtrimester, singleton gestation, and previous preterm birth. The selection of the optimal treatment may depend upon adverse events, cost and patient/clinician preferences. PMID:23157855

Additive effects of word frequency and stimulus quality: the influence of trial history and data transformations.

PubMed

Balota, David A; Aschenbrenner, Andrew J; Yap, Melvin J

2013-09-01

A counterintuitive and theoretically important pattern of results in the visual word recognition literature is that both word frequency and stimulus quality produce large but additive effects in lexical decision performance. The additive nature of these effects has recently been called into question by Masson and Kliegl (in press), who used linear mixed effects modeling to provide evidence that the additive effects were actually being driven by previous trial history. Because Masson and Kliegl also included semantic priming as a factor in their study and recent evidence has shown that semantic priming can moderate the additivity of word frequency and stimulus quality (Scaltritti, Balota, & Peressotti, 2012), we reanalyzed data from 3 published studies to determine if previous trial history moderated the additive pattern when semantic priming was not also manipulated. The results indicated that previous trial history did not influence the joint influence of word frequency and stimulus quality. More important, and independent of Masson and Kliegl's conclusions, we also show how a common transformation used in linear mixed effects analyses to normalize the residuals can systematically alter the way in which two variables combine to influence performance. Specifically, using transformed, rather than raw reaction times, consistently produces more underadditive patterns. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

The influence of exercise identity and social physique anxiety on exercise dependence

PubMed Central

Cook, Brian; Karr, Trisha M.; Zunker, Christie; Mitchell, James E.; Thompson, Ron; Sherman, Roberta; Erickson, Ann; Cao, Li; Crosby, Ross D.

2015-01-01

Background Previous research has identified exercise identity and social physique anxiety as two independent factors that are associated with exercise dependence. Aims The purpose of our study was to investigate the unique and interactive effect of these two known correlates of exercise dependence in a sample of 1,766 female runners. Methods Regression analyses tested the main effects of exercise identity and social physique anxiety on exercise dependence. An interaction term was calculated to examine the potential moderating effect of social physique anxiety on the exercise identity and exercise dependence relationship. Results Results indicate a main effect for exercise identity and social physique anxiety on exercise dependence; and the interaction of these factors explained exercise dependence scores beyond the independent effects. Thus, social physique anxiety acted as a moderator in the exercise identity and exercise dependence relationship. Discussion Our results indicate that individuals who strongly identify themselves as an exerciser and also endorse a high degree of social physique anxiety may be at risk for developing exercise dependence. Conclusions Our study supports previous research which has examined factors that may contribute to the development of exercise dependence and also suggests a previously unknown moderating relationship for social physique anxiety on exercise dependence. PMID:26551910

Association Testing of Previously Reported Variants in a Large Case-Control Meta-analysis of Diabetic Nephropathy

PubMed Central

Williams, Winfred W.; Salem, Rany M.; McKnight, Amy Jayne; Sandholm, Niina; Forsblom, Carol; Taylor, Andrew; Guiducci, Candace; McAteer, Jarred B.; McKay, Gareth J.; Isakova, Tamara; Brennan, Eoin P.; Sadlier, Denise M.; Palmer, Cameron; Söderlund, Jenny; Fagerholm, Emma; Harjutsalo, Valma; Lithovius, Raija; Gordin, Daniel; Hietala, Kustaa; Kytö, Janne; Parkkonen, Maija; Rosengård-Bärlund, Milla; Thorn, Lena; Syreeni, Anna; Tolonen, Nina; Saraheimo, Markku; Wadén, Johan; Pitkäniemi, Janne; Sarti, Cinzia; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Tryggvason, Karl; Österholm, Anne-May; He, Bing; Bain, Steve; Martin, Finian; Godson, Catherine; Hirschhorn, Joel N.; Maxwell, Alexander P.; Groop, Per-Henrik; Florez, Jose C.

2012-01-01

We formed the GEnetics of Nephropathy–an International Effort (GENIE) consortium to examine previously reported genetic associations with diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 1 diabetes. GENIE consists of 6,366 similarly ascertained participants of European ancestry with type 1 diabetes, with and without DN, from the All Ireland-Warren 3-Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes U.K. and Republic of Ireland (U.K.-R.O.I.) collection and the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study (FinnDiane), combined with reanalyzed data from the Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes U.S. Study (U.S. GoKinD). We found little evidence for the association of the EPO promoter polymorphism, rs161740, with the combined phenotype of proliferative retinopathy and end-stage renal disease in U.K.-R.O.I. (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, P = 0.19) or FinnDiane (OR 1.06, P = 0.60). However, a fixed-effects meta-analysis that included the previously reported cohorts retained a genome-wide significant association with that phenotype (OR 1.31, P = 2 × 10−9). An expanded investigation of the ELMO1 locus and genetic regions reported to be associated with DN in the U.S. GoKinD yielded only nominal statistical significance for these loci. Finally, top candidates identified in a recent meta-analysis failed to reach genome-wide significance. In conclusion, we were unable to replicate most of the previously reported genetic associations for DN, and significance for the EPO promoter association was attenuated. PMID:22721967

Explicit criteria for prioritization of cataract surgery

PubMed Central

Ma Quintana, José; Escobar, Antonio; Bilbao, Amaia

2006-01-01

Background Consensus techniques have been used previously to create explicit criteria to prioritize cataract extraction; however, the appropriateness of the intervention was not included explicitly in previous studies. We developed a prioritization tool for cataract extraction according to the RAND method. Methods Criteria were developed using a modified Delphi panel judgment process. A panel of 11 ophthalmologists was assembled. Ratings were analyzed regarding the level of agreement among panelists. We studied the effect of all variables on the final panel score using general linear and logistic regression models. Priority scoring systems were developed by means of optimal scaling and general linear models. The explicit criteria developed were summarized by means of regression tree analysis. Results Eight variables were considered to create the indications. Of the 310 indications that the panel evaluated, 22.6% were considered high priority, 52.3% intermediate priority, and 25.2% low priority. Agreement was reached for 31.9% of the indications and disagreement for 0.3%. Logistic regression and general linear models showed that the preoperative visual acuity of the cataractous eye, visual function, and anticipated visual acuity postoperatively were the most influential variables. Alternative and simple scoring systems were obtained by optimal scaling and general linear models where the previous variables were also the most important. The decision tree also shows the importance of the previous variables and the appropriateness of the intervention. Conclusion Our results showed acceptable validity as an evaluation and management tool for prioritizing cataract extraction. It also provides easy algorithms for use in clinical practice. PMID:16512893

Procedures For Continuing Metropolitan Planning: Final Research Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-01-01

This report marks the conclusion of the third phase of the : Metropolitan Plan Evaluation Project. Findings of both phases two : and three are summarized here. More detailed and technical results : have been reported previously. : The continuing metr...

Cable median barrier program in Washington State.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-06-01

The purpose of this report is to summarize the evolution and accomplishments of the Washington State Department of Transportations (WSDOTs) cable median barrier program and to bring to conclusion the previous efforts published in the Cable Medi...

Reconsidering "evidence" for fast-and-frugal heuristics.

PubMed

Hilbig, Benjamin E

2010-12-01

In several recent reviews, authors have argued for the pervasive use of fast-and-frugal heuristics in human judgment. They have provided an overview of heuristics and have reiterated findings corroborating that such heuristics can be very valid strategies leading to high accuracy. They also have reviewed previous work that implies that simple heuristics are actually used by decision makers. Unfortunately, concerning the latter point, these reviews appear to be somewhat incomplete. More important, previous conclusions have been derived from investigations that bear some noteworthy methodological limitations. I demonstrate these by proposing a new heuristic and provide some novel critical findings. Also, I review some of the relevant literature often not-or only partially-considered. Overall, although some fast-and-frugal heuristics indeed seem to predict behavior at times, there is little to no evidence for others. More generally, the empirical evidence available does not warrant the conclusion that heuristics are pervasively used.

A Study of Global Health Elective Outcomes

PubMed Central

Russ, Christiana M.; Tran, Tony; Silverman, Melanie; Palfrey, Judith

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives: To identify the effects of global health electives over a decade in a pediatric residency program. Methods: This was an anonymous email survey of the Boston Combined Residency alumni funded for global health electives from 2002 to 2011. A test for trend in binomial proportions and logistic regression were used to document associations between elective and participant characteristics and the effects of the electives. Qualitative data were also analyzed. Results: Of the 104 alumni with available email addresses, 69 (66%) responded, describing 94 electives. Elective products included 27 curricula developed, 11 conference presentations, and 7 academic publications. Thirty-two (46%) alumni continued global health work. Previous experience, previous travel to the site, number of global electives, and cumulative global elective time were associated with postresidency work in global health or with the underserved. Conclusions: Resident global electives resulted in significant scholarship and teaching and contributed to long-term career trajectories. PMID:28229096

The Rate of Return to the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program.

PubMed

Heckman, James J; Moon, Seong Hyeok; Pinto, Rodrigo; Savelyev, Peter A; Yavitz, Adam

2010-02-01

This paper estimates the rate of return to the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program, an early intervention program targeted toward disadvantaged African-American youth. Estimates of the rate of return to the Perry program are widely cited to support the claim of substantial economic benefits from preschool education programs. Previous studies of the rate of return to this program ignore the compromises that occurred in the randomization protocol. They do not report standard errors. The rates of return estimated in this paper account for these factors. We conduct an extensive analysis of sensitivity to alternative plausible assumptions. Estimated annual social rates of return generally fall between 7-10 percent, with most estimates substantially lower than those previously reported in the literature. However, returns are generally statistically significantly different from zero for both males and females and are above the historical return on equity. Estimated benefit-to-cost ratios support this conclusion.

High-Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in 6 US Cities: Baseline Data From the EXPLORE Study

PubMed Central

Koblin, Beryl A.; Chesney, Margaret A.; Husnik, Marla J.; Bozeman, Sam; Celum, Connie L.; Buchbinder, Susan; Mayer, Kenneth; McKirnan, David; Judson, Franklyn N.; Huang, Yijian; Coates, Thomas J.

2003-01-01

Objectives. We describe the prevalence of risk behaviors at baseline among men who have sex with men (MSM) who were enrolled in a randomized behavioral intervention trial conducted in 6 US cities. Methods. Data analyses involved MSM who were negative for HIV antibodies and who reported having engaged in anal sex with 1 or more partners in the previous year. Results. Among 4295 men, 48.0% and 54.9%, respectively, reported unprotected receptive and insertive anal sex in the previous 6 months. Unprotected sex was significantly more likely with 1 primary partner or multiple partners than with 1 nonprimary partner. Drug and alcohol use were significantly associated with unprotected anal sex. Conclusions. Our findings support the continued need for effective intervention strategies for MSM that address relationship status, serostatus of partners, and drug and alcohol use. PMID:12773357

Using direct calorimetry to test the accuracy of indirect calorimetry in an ectotherm.

PubMed

Walsberg, Glenn E; Hoffman, Ty C M

2006-01-01

We previously demonstrated that the relationship between respiratory gas exchange and metabolic heat production is unexpectedly variable and that conventional approaches to estimating energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry can incorporate large errors. Prior studies, however, comparing direct and indirect calorimetry of animals focused only on endothermic organisms. Given that endothermy and ectothermy represent a fundamental dichotomy of animal energetics, in this analysis we explore how these contrasting physiologies correlate with the relationship between heat production and respiratory gas exchange. Simultaneous indirect and direct calorimetry in an ectotherm, the ball python (Python regius Shaw), revealed that the relationships between gas exchange and heat production were within 1% of those expected when analyses using indirect calorimetry were based on the assumption that the fasting animal catabolized only protein. This accuracy of indirect calorimetry contrasts sharply with our previous conclusions for three species of birds and mammals.

Media suicide-reports, Internet use and the occurrence of suicides between 1987 and 2005 in Japan

PubMed Central

Hagihara, Akihito; Tarumi, Kimio; Abe, Takeru

2007-01-01

Background Previous investigations regarding the effects of suicide reports in the media on suicide incidence in Japan have been limited and inconclusive and, although Internet use has greatly increased, its influence on suicide is completely unknown. Thus, the relationship between newspaper articles about suicide, Internet use, and the incidence of suicide in Japan was examined. Methods A linear model was fitted to time series data from January 1987 to March 2005 (218 months). Results Consistent with previous findings, the number of newspaper articles about suicide was a predictor of suicide among both male and female subjects. Internet use was also a predictor of suicide among males, probably because males spent more time online than females. Conclusion Because this is the first, preliminary study examining the association between Internet use and suicide, further research is required to verify the present findings. PMID:17996117

Rotational Spectra of Halogenated Ethers Used as Volatile Anaesthetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vega-Toribio, Alicia; Lesarri, Alberto; Suenram, Richard D.; Grabow, Jens-Uwe

2009-06-01

Following previous microwave investigations by Suenram et al., we will report on the rotational spectrum of several halogenated ethers used as volatile anaesthetics, including sevoflurane ((CF_3)_2CH-O-CH_2F), isoflurane (CF_3CHCl-O-CHF_2), enflurane (CHFClCF_2-O-CHF_2) and methoxyflurane (CHCl_2CF_2-O-CH_3). This study has been conducted in the 6-18 GHz centimetre-wave region using Balle-Flygare-type FT-microwave spectroscopy. The results will include the analysis of the rotational spectra of minor species in natural abundance (^{13}C and ^{18}O in some cases), structural calculations and auxiliary ab initio modelling. The conformational and structural conclusions will be compared with previous gas-phase electron diffraction and solid-state X-ray diffraction analysis. R. D. Suenram, D. J. Brugh, F. J. Lovas and C. Chu, 51st OSU Int. Symp. On Mol. Spectrosc., Columbus, OH, 1999, RB07

Effects of fruit collection date on Phillyrea latifolia L. seed germination.

PubMed

Yücedağ, Cengiz; Gültekin, H Cemal

2011-08-01

This study was conducted to determine the effects of date of fruit collection on the germination of Phillyrea latifolia L. Fruits were collected between September and December of 2007, in Egirdir, Turkey. It was found that the one thousand seed weight for the species seeds was 400 g, with significant differences among dates of fruit collection. The highest germination percentage of 58% was obtained from the seeds collected on the ground from previous years on the 1st of September 2007. The seeds from crown on the 1st of September 2007 had a germination percentage of 42%. Moreover, seeds from crown on the 1st of November and December 2007 and 15th of October and November 2007 did not germinate. In conclusion, P. latifolia seeds collected on the ground from previous years could be sown in early autumn to obtain a high germination rate.

Spatial constraints govern competition of mutant clones in human epidermis.

PubMed

Lynch, M D; Lynch, C N S; Craythorne, E; Liakath-Ali, K; Mallipeddi, R; Barker, J N; Watt, F M

2017-10-24

Deep sequencing can detect somatic DNA mutations in tissues permitting inference of clonal relationships. This has been applied to human epidermis, where sun exposure leads to the accumulation of mutations and an increased risk of skin cancer. However, previous studies have yielded conflicting conclusions about the relative importance of positive selection and neutral drift in clonal evolution. Here, we sequenced larger areas of skin than previously, focusing on cancer-prone skin spanning five decades of life. The mutant clones identified were too large to be accounted for solely by neutral drift. Rather, using mathematical modelling and computational lattice-based simulations, we show that observed clone size distributions can be explained by a combination of neutral drift and stochastic nucleation of mutations at the boundary of expanding mutant clones that have a competitive advantage. These findings demonstrate that spatial context and cell competition cooperate to determine the fate of a mutant stem cell.

PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES TO HUMAN PARVOVIRUS B19 IN SAUDI WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE IN MAKKAH

PubMed Central

Ghazi, Hani O.

2007-01-01

Objectives: To determine the seroprevalence rate of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) to parvovirus B19 in pregnant Saudi women in Makkah. Subjects and Methods: Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a total of 1200 serum samples were tested for antibodies to parvovirus B19 known to cause a variety of clinical syndromes in women and newborn infants. Results: Parvovirus B19 IgG antibodies detected in 46.6% and IgM antibodies were found in 2.25% of different age groups. Conclusion: The previous exposure to parvovirus B19 was determined, and 560 (46.6%) of 1200 pregnant Saudi women tested at their first antenatal visit were seropositive for specific IgG. The rate of maternal infection in susceptible pregnancies was 2.25%. These results were in accordance with previous studies performed in other countries. PMID:23012138

Occipital alopecia following cardiopulmonary bypass.

PubMed

Lwason, N W; Mills, N L; Ochsner, J L

1976-03-01

Postoperative alopecia is a minor complication of surgery but a cosmetic disaster to the patient. Over a 3 year period, 60 cases of occipital alopecia were discovered in patients following open-heart surgery and 5 cases on other surgical services. In contrast to previous reports, 29 patients had alopecia one year later, presumed to be permanent. Extensive operations, with prolonged recovery and elective overnight mechanical ventilation, were common to all. Retrospective analysis and prospective studies clearly demonstrated that localized scalp pressure was the cause of the alopecia and that the duration of pressure determined the extent of the damage. Moving the patient's head at regular intervals during operation and recovery eliminated the alopecia. The type of head rest used did not modify the development of alopecia. Electrical injury and the use of heparin, hypothermia, electrocautery, or hypotension were eliminated as possible causes. Conclusive evidence correlating periperative events with the formation of pressure sores in man has not been previously reported.

Organic materials in the wall paintings in Pompei: a case study of Insula del Centenario

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The present research concerns the Roman wall paintings preserved at Insula del Centenario (IX, 8), the important Pompeian block situated in the Regio IX, along Via di Nola. Results The aims of this research are two: to verify the presence of lipidic and proteinaceous material to spread the pigments, and to identify organic matter in painting materials owing to previous restoration works. The samples collected from the wall paintings of different rooms have been investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Conclusions The analytical results show that these Roman wall paintings were realized without the use of lipidic and proteinaceous materials, supposedly in fresco technique. Moreover, it was detected that wax, egg, and animal glue were used in previous restoration works for protective purpose and to restore the wall paintings to their original brilliant colours. PMID:23006771

Worklife After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

PubMed Central

Pflaum, Christopher; McCollister, George; Strauss, David J; Shavelle, Robert M; DeVivo, Michael J

2006-01-01

Objective: To develop predictive models to estimate worklife expectancy after spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Inception cohort study. Setting: Model SCI Care Systems throughout the United States. Participants: 20,143 persons enrolled in the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center database since 1973. Intervention: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure: Postinjury employment rates and worklife expectancy. Results: Using logistic regression, we found a greater likelihood of being employed in any given year to be significantly associated with younger age, white race, higher education level, being married, having a nonviolent cause of injury, paraplegia, ASIA D injury, longer time postinjury, being employed at injury and during the previous postinjury year, higher general population employment rate, lower level of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, and calendar years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Conclusions: The likelihood of postinjury employment varies substantially among persons with SCI. Given favorable patient characteristics, worklife should be considerably higher than previous estimates. PMID:17044388

The Rate of Return to the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program

PubMed Central

Heckman, James J.; Moon, Seong Hyeok; Pinto, Rodrigo; Savelyev, Peter A.; Yavitz, Adam

2010-01-01

This paper estimates the rate of return to the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program, an early intervention program targeted toward disadvantaged African-American youth. Estimates of the rate of return to the Perry program are widely cited to support the claim of substantial economic benefits from preschool education programs. Previous studies of the rate of return to this program ignore the compromises that occurred in the randomization protocol. They do not report standard errors. The rates of return estimated in this paper account for these factors. We conduct an extensive analysis of sensitivity to alternative plausible assumptions. Estimated annual social rates of return generally fall between 7–10 percent, with most estimates substantially lower than those previously reported in the literature. However, returns are generally statistically significantly different from zero for both males and females and are above the historical return on equity. Estimated benefit-to-cost ratios support this conclusion. PMID:21804653

Negligible Egg Positive Rate of Enterobius vermicularis and No Detection of Head Lice among Orphanage Children in Busan and Ulsan, Korea (2014).

PubMed

Kim, Dong-Hee; Son, Hyun-Mi; Lee, Sang Hwa; Park, Mi Kyung; Kang, Shin Ae; Park, Sang Kyun; Choi, Jun-Ho; Park, Jung Ha; Yu, Hak-Sun

2015-08-01

To determine whether pinworm infections and head lice infestations spread among children in orphanages, 117 children from 4 orphanages in Busan-si and Ulsan-si, Korea, were examined for enterobiasis and head lice infestation between January and February 2014. The overall rate of Enterobius vermicularis egg positivity was 0.85%, whereas none of the children had head lice infestations. The rate of pinworm infection was much lower among the orphanage children compared to the rates observed in previous studies among kindergarten and primary school students. Moreover, the risk factors for enterobiasis were less frequent among these subjects than previously reported. The personal hygiene and health of the orphanage children were supervised by a regular, employed nurse through a health education program. In conclusion, pinworm infection was efficiently controlled among the children in orphanages, and this might be related to good personal hygiene practices in Korea.

Factors Associated With Pharmacy Student Interest in International Study

PubMed Central

Owen, Chelsea; Breheny, Patrick; Ingram, Richard; Pfeifle, William; Cain, Jeff

2013-01-01

Objectives. To examine the interest of pharmacy students in international study, the demographic factors and involvement characteristics associated with that interest, and the perceived advantages and barriers of engaging in international opportunities during pharmacy school. Methods. A self-administered electronic survey instrument was distributed to first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. Results. There were 192 total respondents, for a response rate of 50.9%. Seventy-two percent reported interest in international study. Previous international study experience (p=0.001), previous international travel experience (p=0.002), year in pharmacy school (p=0.03), level of academic involvement (p<0.001), and level of diversity involvement (p<0.001) were associated with international study interest. Positive influences to international study included desire to travel and availability of scholarships. Perceived barriers included an inability to pay expenses and lack of foreign language knowledge. Conclusions. The needs and interests of pharmacy students should be considered in the development and expansion of internationalization programs in order to effectively optimize global partnerships and available international experiences. Colleges and schools of pharmacy should engage students early in the curriculum when interest in study-abroad opportunities is highest and seek to alleviate concerns about expenses as a primary influence on study-abroad decisions through provision of financial assistance. PMID:23610472

Factors associated with pharmacy student interest in international study.

PubMed

Owen, Chelsea; Breheny, Patrick; Ingram, Richard; Pfeifle, William; Cain, Jeff; Ryan, Melody

2013-04-12

OBJECTIVES. To examine the interest of pharmacy students in international study, the demographic factors and involvement characteristics associated with that interest, and the perceived advantages and barriers of engaging in international opportunities during pharmacy school. METHODS. A self-administered electronic survey instrument was distributed to first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. RESULTS. There were 192 total respondents, for a response rate of 50.9%. Seventy-two percent reported interest in international study. Previous international study experience (p=0.001), previous international travel experience (p=0.002), year in pharmacy school (p=0.03), level of academic involvement (p<0.001), and level of diversity involvement (p<0.001) were associated with international study interest. Positive influences to international study included desire to travel and availability of scholarships. Perceived barriers included an inability to pay expenses and lack of foreign language knowledge. CONCLUSIONS. The needs and interests of pharmacy students should be considered in the development and expansion of internationalization programs in order to effectively optimize global partnerships and available international experiences. Colleges and schools of pharmacy should engage students early in the curriculum when interest in study-abroad opportunities is highest and seek to alleviate concerns about expenses as a primary influence on study-abroad decisions through provision of financial assistance.

FACTORS INFLUENCING CHOICE OF ORAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS BY DENTAL PATIENTS IN A NIGERIAN TEACHING HOSPITAL

PubMed Central

Opeodu, O.I.; Gbadebo, S.O.

2017-01-01

Background: Several factors, such as cost, branding, packaging and family influence, had been implicated as influencing the choice of toothpastes and toothbrushes by individuals. Media advertisement is also considered a very strong factor influencing consumer's choice. Aim: To assess the extent to which some factors influenced the choice of toothpastes and toothbrushes among dental patients in a Nigerian teaching hospital. Materials and methods: Two-hundred and two patients were interviewed on factors that influenced their choice of toothbrush and toothpaste. Some of the factors considered include the cost, packaging, brand, media advertisement and their previous experience. Results: Factors that affected choice of toothbrush by respondents included texture (89.6%), brand (62.9%), previous experience (64.4%) and for toothpaste, fluoride content (62.4%), previous experience (69.3%), and advice by a dentist (55.0%). Media advertisement was the least influential in their choice of toothpaste (29.2%) and toothbrush (24.3%). Consideration for fluoride was a stronger factor than herbal contents in the choice of toothpaste (P<0.001) Conclusion: Previous experience seems to be a very strong factor in the choice of both the toothbrush and toothpaste in this study, which suggest that for as long as the respondents are satisfied with a particular product, they will stick to it. PMID:28970772

Relativistic chaos is coordinate invariant.

PubMed

Motter, Adilson E

2003-12-05

The noninvariance of Lyapunov exponents in general relativity has led to the conclusion that chaos depends on the choice of the space-time coordinates. Strikingly, we uncover the transformation laws of Lyapunov exponents under general space-time transformations and we find that chaos, as characterized by positive Lyapunov exponents, is coordinate invariant. As a result, the previous conclusion regarding the noninvariance of chaos in cosmology, a major claim about chaos in general relativity, necessarily involves the violation of hypotheses required for a proper definition of the Lyapunov exponents.

On axionic field ranges, loopholes and the weak gravity conjecture

DOE PAGES

Brown, Jon; Cottrell, William; Shiu, Gary; ...

2016-04-05

Here, we clarify some aspects of the impact that the Weak Gravity Conjecture has on models of (generalized) natural inflation. In particular we address certain technical and conceptual concerns recently raised regarding the stringent constraints and conclusions found in our previous work. We also point out the difficulties faced by attempts to evade these constraints. Furthermore, these new considerations improve the understanding of the quantum gravity constraints we found and further support the conclusion that it remains challenging for axions to drive natural inflation.

Developing a testing battery for measuring dogs' stifle functionality: the Finnish Canine Stifle Index (FCSI).

PubMed

Hyytiäinen, Heli K; Mölsä, Sari H; Junnila, Jouni J T; Laitinen-Vapaavuori, Outi M; Hielm-Björkman, Anna K

2018-05-19

This study aimed at developing a quantitative testing battery for dogs' stifle functionality, as, unlike in human medicine, currently none is available in the veterinary field. Forty-three dogs with surgically treated unilateral cranial cruciate ligament rupture and 21 dogs with no known musculoskeletal problems were included. Eight previously studied tests: compensation in sitting and lying positions, symmetry of thrust in hindlimbs when rising from lying and sitting, static weight bearing, stifle flexion and extension and muscle mass symmetry, were summed into the Finnish Canine Stifle Index (FCSI). Sensitivities and specificities of the dichotomised FCSI score were calculated against orthopaedic examination, radiological and force platform analysis and a conclusive assessment (combination of previous). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)was used to evaluate FCSI score differences between the groups. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was calculated. The range of the index score was 0-263, with a proposed cut-off value of 60 between 'adequate' and 'compromised' functional performance. In comparison to the conclusive assessment, the sensitivity and specificity of the FCSI were 90 per cent and 90.5 per cent, respectively. Cronbach's alpha for internal reliability of the FCSI score was 0.727. An estimate of the surgically treated and control dogs' FCSI scores were 105 (95 per cent CI 93 to 116) and 20 (95 per cent CI 4 to 37), respectively. The difference between the groups was significant (P<0.001). © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

NR5A1 is a novel disease gene for 46,XX testicular and ovotesticular disorders of sex development

PubMed Central

Baetens, Dorien; Stoop, Hans; Peelman, Frank; Todeschini, Anne-Laure; Rosseel, Toon; Coppieters, Frauke; Veitia, Reiner A.; Looijenga, Leendert H.J.; De Baere, Elfride; Cools, Martine

2017-01-01

Purpose: We aimed to identify the genetic cause in a cohort of 11 unrelated cases and two sisters with 46,XX SRY-negative (ovo)testicular disorders of sex development (DSD). Methods: Whole-exome sequencing (n = 9), targeted resequencing (n = 4), and haplotyping were performed. Immunohistochemistry of sex-specific markers was performed on patients' gonads. The consequences of mutation were investigated using luciferase assays, localization studies, and RNA-seq. Results: We identified a novel heterozygous NR5A1 mutation, c.274C>T p.(Arg92Trp), in three unrelated patients. The Arg92 residue is highly conserved and located in the Ftz-F1 region, probably involved in DNA-binding specificity and stability. There were no consistent changes in transcriptional activation or subcellular localization. Transcriptomics in patient-derived lymphocytes showed upregulation of MAMLD1, a direct NR5A1 target previously associated with 46,XY DSD. In gonads of affected individuals, ovarian FOXL2 and testicular SRY-independent SOX9 expression observed. Conclusions: We propose NR5A1, previously associated with 46,XY DSD and 46,XX primary ovarian insufficiency, as a novel gene for 46,XX (ovo)testicular DSD. We hypothesize that p.(Arg92Trp) results in decreased inhibition of the male developmental pathway through downregulation of female antitestis genes, thereby tipping the balance toward testicular differentiation in 46,XX individuals. In conclusion, our study supports a role for NR5A1 in testis differentiation in the XX gonad. Genet Med 19 4, 367–376. PMID:27490115

Postmortem changes in the neuroanatomical characteristics of the primate brain: the hippocampal formation

PubMed Central

Lavenex, Pierre; Lavenex, Pamela Banta; Bennett, Jeffrey L.; Amaral, David G.

2009-01-01

Comparative studies of the structural organization of the brain are fundamental to our understanding of human brain function. However, whereas brains of experimental animals are fixed by perfusion of a fixative through the vasculature, human or ape brains are fixed by immersion after varying postmortem intervals. Although differential treatments might affect the fundamental characteristics of the tissue, this question has not been evaluated empirically in primate brains. Monkey brains were either perfused, or acquired after varying postmortem intervals before immersion-fixation in 4% paraformaldehyde. We found that the fixation method affected the neuroanatomical characteristics of the monkey hippocampal formation. Soma size was smaller in Nissl-stained, immersion-fixed tissue, although overall brain volume was larger, as compared to perfusion-fixed tissue. Non-phosphorylated high-molecular-weight neurofilament immunoreactivity was lower in CA3 pyramidal neurons, dentate mossy cells and the entorhinal cortex, whereas it was higher in the mossy fiber pathway in immersion-fixed tissue. Serotonin-immunoreactive fibers were well-stained in perfused tissue but were undetectable in immersion-fixed tissue. Although regional immunoreactivity patterns for calcium-binding proteins were not affected, intracellular staining degraded with increasing postmortem intervals. Somatostatin-immunoreactive clusters of large axonal varicosities, previously reported only in humans, were observed in immersion-fixed monkey tissue. In addition, calretinin-immunoreactive multipolar neurons, previously observed only in rodents, were found in the rostral dentate gyrus in both perfused and immersion-fixed brains. In conclusion, comparative studies of the brain must evaluate the effects of fixation on the staining pattern of each marker in every structure of interest before drawing conclusions about species differences. PMID:18972553

Postmortem changes in the neuroanatomical characteristics of the primate brain: hippocampal formation.

PubMed

Lavenex, Pierre; Lavenex, Pamela Banta; Bennett, Jeffrey L; Amaral, David G

2009-01-01

Comparative studies of the structural organization of the brain are fundamental to our understanding of human brain function. However, whereas brains of experimental animals are fixed by perfusion of a fixative through the vasculature, human or ape brains are fixed by immersion after varying postmortem intervals. Although differential treatments might affect the fundamental characteristics of the tissue, this question has not been evaluated empirically in primate brains. Monkey brains were either perfused or acquired after varying postmortem intervals before immersion-fixation in 4% paraformaldehyde. We found that the fixation method affected the neuroanatomical characteristics of the monkey hippocampal formation. Soma size was smaller in Nissl-stained, immersion-fixed tissue, although overall brain volume was larger as compared to perfusion-fixed tissue. Nonphosphorylated high-molecular-weight neurofilament immunoreactivity was lower in CA3 pyramidal neurons, dentate mossy cells, and the entorhinal cortex, whereas it was higher in the mossy fiber pathway in immersion-fixed tissue. Serotonin-immunoreactive fibers were well stained in perfused tissue but were undetectable in immersion-fixed tissue. Although regional immunoreactivity patterns for calcium-binding proteins were not affected, intracellular staining degraded with increasing postmortem intervals. Somatostatin-immunoreactive clusters of large axonal varicosities, previously reported only in humans, were observed in immersion-fixed monkey tissue. In addition, calretinin-immunoreactive multipolar neurons, previously observed only in rodents, were found in the rostral dentate gyrus in both perfused and immersion-fixed brains. In conclusion, comparative studies of the brain must evaluate the effects of fixation on the staining pattern of each marker in every structure of interest before drawing conclusions about species differences.

Comparison of different criteria for diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Sagili, Haritha; Kamalanathan, Sadishkumar; Sahoo, Jayaprakash; Lakshminarayanan, Subitha; Rani, Reddi; Jayalakshmi, D.; Kumar, K. T. Hari Chandra

2015-01-01

Introduction: The International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG) criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been adopted by most associations across the world including the American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization (WHO). We conducted a study comparing the IADPSG and previous WHO criteria and their effects on neonatal birth weight. Methods: The study was carried out in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of a tertiary care institute in South India in collaboration with Endocrinology Department. Thousand two hundred and thirty-one antenatal cases with at least one risk factor for GDM and gestational age of more than 24 weeks were included in the study. Both criteria were compared on the basis of 75 g oral glucose tolerance test results. Results: The prevalence of GDM using IADPSG and previous WHO criteria were 12.6% and 12.4%, respectively. The prevalence of GDM was 9.9% when both criteria had to be satisfied. Both GDM criteria groups did not differ in neonatal birth weight and macrosomia rate. However, there was a significant increase in lower segment cesarean section in IADPSG criteria group. Elevated fasting plasma glucose alone picked up only one GDM in the previous WHO criteria group. Conclusions: A single 2 h plasma glucose is both easy to perform and economical. A revised WHO criterion using a 2 h threshold of ≥140 mg % can be adopted as a one-step screening and diagnostic procedure for GDM in our country. PMID:26693435

Usefulness of the Spanish version of the mood disorder questionnaire for screening bipolar disorder in routine clinical practice in outpatients with major depression

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

Background According to some studies, almost 40% of depressive patients – half of them previously undetected – are diagnosed of bipolar II disorder when systematically assessed for hypomania. Thus, instruments for bipolar disorder screening are needed. The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a self-reported questionnaire validated in Spanish in stable patients with a previously known diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate in the daily clinical practice the usefulness of the Spanish version of the MDQ in depressive patients. Methods Patients (n = 87) meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for a major depressive episode, not previously known as bipolar were included. The affective module of the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) was used as gold standard. Results MDQ screened 24.1% of depressive patients as bipolar, vs. 12.6% according to SCID. For a cut-off point score of 7 positive answers, sensitivity was 72.7% (95% CI = 63.3 – 82.1) and specificity 82.9% (95% CI = 74.9–90.9). Likelihood ratio of positive and negative tests were 4,252 y 0,329 respectively. Limitations The small sample size reduced the power of the study to 62%. Conclusion Sensitivity and specificity of the MDQ were high for screening bipolar disorder in patients with major depression, and similar to the figures obtained in stable patients. This study confirms that MDQ is a useful instrument in the daily clinical assessment of depressive patients. PMID:18498637

Comparative genomics in chicken and Pekin duck using FISH mapping and microarray analysis

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background The availability of the complete chicken (Gallus gallus) genome sequence as well as a large number of chicken probes for fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) and microarray resources facilitate comparative genomic studies between chicken and other bird species. In a previous study, we provided a comprehensive cytogenetic map for the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and the first analysis of copy number variants (CNVs) in birds. Here, we extend this approach to the Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos), an obvious target for comparative genomic studies due to its agricultural importance and resistance to avian flu. Results We provide a detailed molecular cytogenetic map of the duck genome through FISH assignment of 155 chicken clones. We identified one inter- and six intrachromosomal rearrangements between chicken and duck macrochromosomes and demonstrated conserved synteny among all microchromosomes analysed. Array comparative genomic hybridisation revealed 32 CNVs, of which 5 overlap previously designated "hotspot" regions between chicken and turkey. Conclusion Our results suggest extensive conservation of avian genomes across 90 million years of evolution in both macro- and microchromosomes. The data on CNVs between chicken and duck extends previous analyses in chicken and turkey and supports the hypotheses that avian genomes contain fewer CNVs than mammalian genomes and that genomes of evolutionarily distant species share regions of copy number variation ("CNV hotspots"). Our results will expedite duck genomics, assist marker development and highlight areas of interest for future evolutionary and functional studies. PMID:19656363

Economics of infection control surveillance technology: cost-effective or just cost?

PubMed

Furuno, Jon P; Schweizer, Marin L; McGregor, Jessina C; Perencevich, Eli N

2008-04-01

Previous studies have suggested that informatics tools, such as automated alert and decision support systems, may increase the efficiency and quality of infection control surveillance. However, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of these tools. We focus on 2 types of economic analyses that have utility in assessing infection control interventions (cost-effectiveness analysis and business-case analysis) and review the available literature on the economics of computerized infection control surveillance systems. Previous studies on the effectiveness of computerized infection control surveillance have been limited to assessments of whether these tools increase the sensitivity and specificity of surveillance over traditional methods. Furthermore, we identified only 2 studies that assessed the costs associated with computerized infection control surveillance. Thus, it remains unknown whether computerized infection control surveillance systems are cost-effective and whether use of these systems improves patient outcomes. The existing data are insufficient to allow for a summary conclusion on the cost-effectiveness of infection control surveillance technology. All future studies of computerized infection control surveillance systems should aim to collect outcomes and economic data to inform decision making and assist hospitals with completing business-cases analyses.

Role of basic and acidic centers of MgO and modified MgO in catalytic transfer hydrogenation of ketones studied by infrared spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szöllösi, György; Bartók, Mihály

1999-05-01

In this study our aim was to identify the active sites and the surface species responsible for deactivation of MgO during catalytic transfer hydrogenations (CTH) of ketones using alcohols as hydrogen donors. Our previous studies showed that deactivation of MgO could be prevented by previous treatment with chloromethanes. Therefore the surface species formed during the reaction were studied before and after treatment with chloroform or chloroform- d by in situ infrared spectroscopy (IR). As a result, it was concluded that the reaction requires the presence of surface basic and acidic centers. The presence of Lewis acid centers was not necessary, the reaction could proceed on weakly acidic surface Brönsted sites, as the alterations in intensity and position of the ν(OH) bands indicated. Modification with chloroform resulted also in the generation of surface OH groups with a proper acidity for the reaction. The shift in carbonyl vibrations led us to the conclusion that Lewis acid and base centers were responsible for the catalyst poisoning, so covering these acid sites by Cl - led to a stable catalyst.

Asthma caused by occupational exposures is common – A systematic analysis of estimates of the population-attributable fraction

PubMed Central

Torén, Kjell; Blanc, Paul D

2009-01-01

Background The aim of this paper is to highlight emerging data on occupational attributable risk in asthma. Despite well documented outbreaks of disease and the recognition of numerous specific causal agents, occupational exposures previously had been relegated a fairly minor role relative to other causes of adult onset asthma. In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the potential importance of asthma induced by work-related exposures Methods We searched Pub Med from June 1999 through December 2007. We identified six longitudinal general population-based studies; three case-control studies and eight cross-sectional analyses from seven general population-based samples. For an integrated analysis we added ten estimates prior to 1999 included in a previous review. Results The longitudinal studies indicate that 16.3% of all adult-onset asthma is caused by occupational exposures. In an overall synthesis of all included studies the overall median PAR value was 17.6%. Conclusion Clinicians should consider the occupational history when evaluating patients in working age who have asthma. At a societal level, these findings underscore the need for further preventive action to reduce the occupational exposures to asthma-causing agents. PMID:19178702

The Elastic Behaviour of Sintered Metallic Fibre Networks: A Finite Element Study by Beam Theory

PubMed Central

Bosbach, Wolfram A.

2015-01-01

Background The finite element method has complimented research in the field of network mechanics in the past years in numerous studies about various materials. Numerical predictions and the planning efficiency of experimental procedures are two of the motivational aspects for these numerical studies. The widespread availability of high performance computing facilities has been the enabler for the simulation of sufficiently large systems. Objectives and Motivation In the present study, finite element models were built for sintered, metallic fibre networks and validated by previously published experimental stiffness measurements. The validated models were the basis for predictions about so far unknown properties. Materials and Methods The finite element models were built by transferring previously published skeletons of fibre networks into finite element models. Beam theory was applied as simplification method. Results and Conclusions The obtained material stiffness isn’t a constant but rather a function of variables such as sample size and boundary conditions. Beam theory offers an efficient finite element method for the simulated fibre networks. The experimental results can be approximated by the simulated systems. Two worthwhile aspects for future work will be the influence of size and shape and the mechanical interaction with matrix materials. PMID:26569603

The role of aeolian sediment in the preservation of archaeological sites in the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona: final report on research activities, 2003-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Draut, Amy E.; Rubin, David M.

2007-01-01

This report summarizes a three-year study of aeolian sedimentary processes in the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona, and discusses the relevance of those processes to the preservation of archaeological sites. Findings are based upon detailed sedimentary and geomorphic investigations conducted in three areas of the river corridor, continuous measurements of wind, precipitation, and aeolian sediment transport at six locations for up to 26 months, short-term field study at 35 other sites, examination of historical aerial photographs, and review of data collected and analyzed by previous studies. Detailed results of this study, which involved collaboration with scientists at the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, National Park Service, Northern Arizona University, the Hopi Tribe, and GeoArch, Inc., have been published previously in topical USGS Open-File Reports (Draut and Rubin, 2005, 2006), a USGS Scientific Investigations Report (Draut and others, 2005), and will be discussed in two forthcoming journal articles. This report serves as an overview of the results and contains new conclusions regarding aeolian sedimentary processes in the Colorado River Ecosystem and their relevance to many archaeological sites.

Sleep duration and all-cause mortality: a critical review of measurement and associations

PubMed Central

Kurina, Lianne M.; McClintock, Martha K.; Chen, Jen-Hao; Waite, Linda J.; Thisted, Ronald A.; Lauderdale, Diane S.

2013-01-01

Purpose Variation in sleep duration has been linked with mortality risk. The purpose of this review is to provide an updated evaluation of the literature on sleep duration and mortality, including a critical examination of sleep duration measurement and an examination of correlates of self-reported sleep duration. Methods We did a systematic search of studies reporting associations between sleep duration and all-cause mortality and extracted the sleep duration measure and the measure(s) of association. Results We identified 42 prospective studies of sleep duration and mortality drawing on 35 distinct study populations across the globe. Unlike previous reviews, we find that the published literature does not support a consistent finding of an association between self-reported sleep duration and mortality. Most studies have employed survey measures of sleep duration, which are not highly correlated with estimates based on physiologic measures. Conclusions Despite a large body of literature, it is premature to conclude, as previous reviews have, that a robust, U-shaped association between sleep duration and mortality risk exists across populations. Careful attention must be paid to measurement, response bias, confounding, and reverse causation in the interpretation of associations between sleep duration and mortality. PMID:23622956

The Role of Copy Number Variation in Susceptibility to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Genome-Wide Association Study and Comparison with Published Loci

PubMed Central

Wain, Louise V.; Pedroso, Inti; Landers, John E.; Breen, Gerome; Shaw, Christopher E.; Leigh, P. Nigel; Brown, Robert H.

2009-01-01

Background The genetic contribution to sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has not been fully elucidated. There are increasing efforts to characterise the role of copy number variants (CNVs) in human diseases; two previous studies concluded that CNVs may influence risk of sporadic ALS, with multiple rare CNVs more important than common CNVs. A little-explored issue surrounding genome-wide CNV association studies is that of post-calling filtering and merging of raw CNV calls. We undertook simulations to define filter thresholds and considered optimal ways of merging overlapping CNV calls for association testing, taking into consideration possibly overlapping or nested, but distinct, CNVs and boundary estimation uncertainty. Methodology and Principal Findings In this study we screened Illumina 300K SNP genotyping data from 730 ALS cases and 789 controls for copy number variation. Following quality control filters using thresholds defined by simulation, a total of 11321 CNV calls were made across 575 cases and 621 controls. Using region-based and gene-based association analyses, we identified several loci showing nominally significant association. However, the choice of criteria for combining calls for association testing has an impact on the ranking of the results by their significance. Several loci which were previously reported as being associated with ALS were identified here. However, of another 15 genes previously reported as exhibiting ALS-specific copy number variation, only four exhibited copy number variation in this study. Potentially interesting novel loci, including EEF1D, a translation elongation factor involved in the delivery of aminoacyl tRNAs to the ribosome (a process which has previously been implicated in genetic studies of spinal muscular atrophy) were identified but must be treated with caution due to concerns surrounding genomic location and platform suitability. Conclusions and Significance Interpretation of CNV association findings must take into account the effects of filtering and combining CNV calls when based on early genome-wide genotyping platforms and modest study sizes. PMID:19997636

Does sports participation (including level of performance and previous injury) increase risk of osteoarthritis? A systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Tran, Gui; Smith, Toby O; Grice, Adam; Kingsbury, Sarah R; McCrory, Paul; Conaghan, Philip G

2016-01-01

Background To assess the relationship between sport and osteoarthritis (OA), and specifically to determine whether previous participation, in terms of level (elite or non-elite), type of sport, intensity or previous injury, was associated with OA. Methods This systematic review was developed using PRISMA guidelines. Databases were searched (to May 2016). Narrative review and meta-analysis (with risk ratio (RR) and 95% CIs) approaches were undertaken where appropriate. Study quality was assessed using GRADE. Results 46 studies were included. Narratively, 31 studies reported an increased risk of OA, with 19 demonstrating an increased risk in elite athletes. There was an increased risk after sports exposure (irrespective of type; RR 1.37; 95% CI 1.14 to 1.64; 21 studies). It remained uncertain whether there was a difference in risk of OA between elite and non-elite athletes (RR 1.37; 95% CI 0.84 to 2.22; 17 studies). The risk was higher in soccer (RR 1.42; 95% CI 1.14 to 1.77; 15 studies) but lower in runners (RR 0.86; 95% CI 0.53 to 1.41; 12 studies). 9 studies showed an association with the intensity of sport undertaken and OA. 5 studies demonstrated a higher prevalence of OA following meniscectomies and anterior cruciate ligament tears. Overall, the evidence was of GRADE ‘very low’ quality. Conclusions There was very low-quality evidence to support an increased relationship between sports participation and OA in elite participants. It is unclear whether there is a difference in risk between elite and non-elite participants with further prospective studies needed to evaluate this. Pooled findings suggested that significant injuries were associated with OA in soccer players. PMID:27683348

Acute fatal hemorrhage from previously undiagnosed cerebral arteriovenous malformations in children: a single-center experience.

PubMed

Riordan, Coleman P; Orbach, Darren B; Smith, Edward R; Scott, R Michael

2018-06-01

OBJECTIVE The most significant adverse outcome of intracranial hemorrhage from an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is death. This study reviews a single-center experience with pediatric AVMs to quantify the incidence and characterize clinical and radiographic factors associated with sudden death from the hemorrhage of previously undiagnosed AVMs in children. METHODS A single-center database review of the period from 2006 to 2017 identified all patients with a first-time intracranial hemorrhage from a previously undiagnosed AVM. Clinical and radiographic data were collected and compared between patients who survived to hospital discharge and those who died at presentation. RESULTS A total of 57 patients (average age 10.8 years, range 0.1-19 years) presented with first-time intracranial hemorrhage from a previously undiagnosed AVM during the study period. Of this group, 7/57 (12%) patients (average age 11.5 years, range 6-16 years) suffered hemorrhages that led directly to their deaths. Compared to the cohort of patients who survived their hemorrhage, patients who died were 4 times more likely to have an AVM in the posterior fossa. No clear pattern of antecedent triggering activity (sports, trauma, etc.) was identified, and 3/7 (43%) experienced cardiac arrest in the prehospital setting. Surviving patients were ultimately treated with resection of the AVM in 42/50 (84%) of cases. CONCLUSIONS Children who present with hemorrhage from a previously undiagnosed intracranial AVM had a 12% chance of sudden death in our single-institution series of pediatric cerebrovascular cases. Clinical triggers of hemorrhage are unpredictable, but subsequent radiographic evidence of a posterior fossa AVM was present in 57% of fatal cases, and all fatal cases were in locations with high risk of potential herniation. These data support a proactive, aggressive approach toward definitive treatment of AVMs in children.

Effect of previous and current vaccination against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), and B during the post-pandemic period 2010-2016 in Spain

PubMed Central

Castilla, Jesús; Pozo, Francisco

2017-01-01

Background Recent studies suggest that the protective effect of the current influenza vaccine could be influenced by vaccination in previous seasons. We estimated the combined effect of the previous and current influenza vaccines from the 2010–2011 season to the 2015–2016 season in Spain. Methods We performed a test-negative case-control study in patients ≥9 years old. We estimated the influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), and B virus. Results We included 1206 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 cases, 1358 A(H3N2) cases and 1079 B cases. IVE against A(H1N1)pdm09 virus in the pooled-season analysis was 53% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 21% to 72%) for those vaccinated only in the current season and 50% (95%CI: 23% to 68%) for those vaccinated in the both current and previous seasons. Against the influenza A(H3N2) virus, IVE was 17% (95%CI: -43% to 52%) for those vaccinated only in the current season and 3% (95%CI: -33% to 28%) for those vaccinated in both seasons. Regarding influenza B, we obtained similar IVEs for those vaccinated only in the current and those vaccinated in both seasons: 57% (95%CI: 12% to 79%) and 56% (95%CI: 36% to 70%), respectively. Conclusion Our results suggested no interference between the previous and current influenza vaccines against A(H1N1)pdm09 and B viruses, but a possible negative interference against A(H3N2) virus. PMID:28614376

Experiences in anti-tuberculosis treatment in patients with multiple previous treatments and its impact on drug resistant tuberculosis epidemics

PubMed Central

Xu, Biao; Zhao, Qi; Hu, Yi; Shi, Ying; Wang, Weibing; Diwan, Vinod K.

2014-01-01

Background Tuberculosis (TB) patients with a history of multiple anti-TB treatments are the ‘neglected’ group to the free anti-TB treatment policy in China. Objective To understand the experiences of TB patients with multiple previous treatments with regard to bacteriological diagnosis and treatment regimens, especially for second-line anti-TB drugs, and how this might influence the risks of multidrug and extensively drug-resistant TB (M/XDR-TB). Design A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 county/district TB clinics in five provinces of China. The study participants were TB patients that had at least two previous treatment episodes that lasted longer than 1 month each. Face-to-face interviews and drug susceptibility testing (DST) were conducted with the consenting participants. Results A total of 328 TB patients were recruited. The proportion of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) was 58.2% in the 287 DST-confirmed patients. Forty-two percent of the patients did not complete their first treatment course. About 23.8% of the participants had a history of taking second-line drugs, and more than 77.8% of them were treated in county TB dispensaries where only sputum microscopy was applied. Multivariate analysis found that the use of second-line drugs was significantly associated with frequency of previous treatments (p<0.01), but not with drug resistance profiles of patients. Conclusions Patients with multiple previous treatments are at extremely high risk of MDR-TB in China. The unregulated use of second-line drugs bring about the threat of XDR-TB epidemic. DST-guided treatment and strict regulations of anti-TB treatment should be assured for the high-risk TB patients for the prevention and control of M/XDR-TB. PMID:25138531

Antihistamine Use in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Birth Defects

PubMed Central

Li, Qian; Mitchell, Allen A.; Werler, Martha M.; Yau, Wai-Ping; Hernández-Díaz, Sonia

2014-01-01

Background Several studies have reported an association between use of specific antihistamines in early pregnancy and certain specific birth defects. Objective To test 16 previously-hypothesized associations between specific antihistamines and specific birth defects, and identify possible new associations. Methods We used 1998-2010 data from the Slone Epidemiology Center Birth Defects Study, a multicenter case-control surveillance program of birth defects in North America. Mothers were interviewed within six months of delivery about demographic, reproductive, medical, and behavioral factors, and details on use of prescription and non-prescription medications. We compared 1st trimester exposure to specific antihistamines between 13,213 infants with specific malformations and 6,982 non-malformed controls, using conditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with adjustment for potential confounders, including indication for use. Results Overall, 13.7% of controls were exposed to antihistamines during the 1st trimester. The most commonly-used medications were diphenhydramine (4.2%), loratadine (3.1%), doxylamine (1.9%), and chlorpheniramine (1.7%). Where estimates were stable, none supported the previously-hypothesized associations. Among over 100 exploratory comparisons of other specific antihistamine/defect pairs, 14 had ORs ≥1.5 of which 6 had 95% CI bounds excluding 1.0 before but not after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conclusion Our findings do not provide meaningful support for previously-posited associations between antihistamines and major congenital anomalies; at the same time, we identified associations that had not been previously suggested. We suspect that previous associations may be chance findings in the context of multiple comparisons, a situation which may also apply to our new findings. PMID:24565715

Lactobacillus as a rare cause of an infected total knee replacement: a case report

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Introduction We report a rare case of an infected revision total knee replacement as a result of a Lactobacillus species infection. Lactobacillus infections have been associated with prolonged broad-spectrum antibiotic use. This can have implications in revision surgery, especially when patients have been on previous long-term suppressive antibiotic therapy. Case presentation An 81-year-old British man with a previous history of complex revision knee arthroplasty for infection presented with a hot, swollen knee joint. He had previously been on long-term suppressive antibiotic therapy. Aspiration of the knee joint yielded a culture of Lactobacillus species. Conclusion In patients undergoing revision joint arthroplasty, especially for previous infection, the presence of common and uncommon bacterial species must be excluded and eradicated before further surgical intervention. PMID:19830207

Risk of Recurrence of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

da Silva, Tatiane; Mills, Kathryn; Brown, Benjamin T; Herbert, Robert D; Maher, Christopher G; Hancock, Mark J

2017-05-01

Study Design Systematic review. Background While most people with acute low back pain (LBP) recover quickly, recurrences are believed to be common. To our knowledge, no published high-quality systematic review has assessed the risk of recurrent LBP or the factors that would predict LBP recurrence. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of, and prognostic factors for, a recurrence of LBP in patients who have recovered from a previous episode of LBP within the last year. Methods Systematic searches were conducted in the MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases. We included longitudinal studies of adults who had recovered from a previous episode of LBP within 12 months. The primary outcome was a new episode of LBP. Secondary outcomes were other types of recurrence (eg, episodes causing care seeking). Results Eight studies were included in the review: 7 observational studies and 1 randomized trial (2 publications). Six studies reported recurrence proportions for the primary outcome of an episode of LBP. Meta-analysis was not conducted due to the low quality and heterogeneity of studies. Only 1 study was considered an inception cohort study; it reported a 1-year recurrence proportion of 33%. A history of previous episodes of LBP prior to the most recent episode was the only factor that consistently predicted recurrence of LBP. Conclusion The available research does not provide robust estimates of the risk of LBP recurrence and provides little information about factors that predict recurrence in people recently recovered from an episode of LBP. Level of Evidence Prognosis, 1a-. Prospectively registered in PROSPERO on February 9, 2016 (CRD42016030220). J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):305-313. Epub 29 Mar 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7415.

Does G6PD deficiency protect against cancer? A critical review.

PubMed Central

Cocco, P

1987-01-01

Previous observations on the lower mortality for cancer experienced in populations with a higher frequency of G6PD deficiency support biochemical studies on the role of G6PD during cell proliferation. The general agreement among experimental studies prevented a deeper analysis of the sources of what has been called "epidemiological evidence of the protective role of G6PD deficiency against cancer". This review analyses the methods and findings in those papers, stressing their limitations and emphasising that no final conclusions can be drawn from them. Preliminary results of ongoing epidemiological studies of G6PD deficiency and cancer are presented, although they do not prove or disprove the hypothesis that G6PD deficiency protects against cancer. PMID:3309118

Previous vertebral compression fractures add to the deterioration of the disability and quality of life after an acute compression fracture.

PubMed

Suzuki, Nobuyuki; Ogikubo, Osamu; Hansson, Tommy

2010-04-01

Prevalent vertebral compression fracture(s) have been reported as having a negative impact on pain, disability, and quality of life. But no study has evaluated the effect of previous fracture on the course of acute compression fractures. The aim of the present study was to compare the natural course of the acute compression fracture in patients with (n = 51) and without (n = 56) previous vertebral compression fracture(s). The study is a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort followed with postal questionnaires during a 12-month period after an acute fracture event. Eligible patients were those over 40 years of age, who were admitted to the emergency unit because of back pain and had an X-ray confirmed acute vertebral body fracture. A total of 107 patients were included in the study. The pain, disability (von Korff pain and disability scores), ADL (Hannover ADL score), and quality of life (QoL) (EQ-5D) were measured after 3 weeks, and 3, 6, and 12 months. The X-rays from the first visit to the emergency unit were evaluated. The difference of the scores between the groups with and without previous fracture was statistically significant (P < 0.05) at 3 weeks, 6 and 12 months for von Korff disability score, at all occasions for EQ-5D and at 3-12 months for Hannover ADL score, but only at 12 months for the von Korff pain intensity score. In both the groups all scores had improved in a statistically significant way at 3 months. The number of previous fractures was related to all the outcome scores in a statistically significant way (P < 0.05) except von Korff pain intensity score at 3 weeks and 3 months and von Korff disability score at 3 months. In conclusion, disability, ADL, and QoL scores, but not pain intensity score, were significantly worse in the patients with previous fracture from the fracture episode through the first 12 months. However, the improvements during the follow-up year seen in both groups were of a similar magnitude. The presence or absence of a previous fracture in an acutely fractured patient will influence the prognosis and thus possibly also the indications for treatments.

Association of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene polymorphisms with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Japanese population.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoxi; Kawamura, Yoshiya; Shimada, Takafumi; Otowa, Takeshi; Koishi, Shinko; Sugiyama, Toshiro; Nishida, Hisami; Hashimoto, Ohiko; Nakagami, Ryoichi; Tochigi, Mamoru; Umekage, Tadashi; Kano, Yukiko; Miyagawa, Taku; Kato, Nobumasa; Tokunaga, Katsushi; Sasaki, Tsukasa

2010-03-01

The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene, which is located on chromosome 3p25.3, has been implicated as a candidate gene for susceptibility of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Positive associations between OXTR and ASD have been reported in earlier studies. However, the results were inconsistent and demand further studies. In this study, we investigated the associations between OXTR and ASD in a Japanese population by analyzing 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using both family-based association test (FBAT) and population-based case-control test. No significant signal was detected in the FBAT test. However, significant differences were observed in allelic frequencies of four SNPs, including rs2254298 between patients and controls. The risk allele of rs2254298 was 'A', which was consistent with the previous study in Chinese, and not with the observations in Caucasian. The difference in the risk allele of this SNP in previous studies might be attributable to an ethnic difference in the linkage disequilibrium structure between the Asians and Caucasians. In addition, haplotype analysis exhibits a significant association between a five-SNP haplotype and ASD, including rs22542898. In conclusion, our study might support that OXTR has a significant role in conferring the risk of ASD in the Japanese population.

An ancestry informative marker set for determining continental origin: validation and extension using human genome diversity panels

PubMed Central

Nassir, Rami; Kosoy, Roman; Tian, Chao; White, Phoebe A; Butler, Lesley M; Silva, Gabriel; Kittles, Rick; Alarcon-Riquelme, Marta E; Gregersen, Peter K; Belmont, John W; De La Vega, Francisco M; Seldin, Michael F

2009-01-01

Background Case-control genetic studies of complex human diseases can be confounded by population stratification. This issue can be addressed using panels of ancestry informative markers (AIMs) that can provide substantial population substructure information. Previously, we described a panel of 128 SNP AIMs that were designed as a tool for ascertaining the origins of subjects from Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, and East Asia. Results In this study, genotypes from Human Genome Diversity Panel populations were used to further evaluate a 93 SNP AIM panel, a subset of the 128 AIMS set, for distinguishing continental origins. Using both model-based and relatively model-independent methods, we here confirm the ability of this AIM set to distinguish diverse population groups that were not previously evaluated. This study included multiple population groups from Oceana, South Asia, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, North and South America, and Europe. In addition, the 93 AIM set provides population substructure information that can, for example, distinguish Arab and Ashkenazi from Northern European population groups and Pygmy from other Sub-Saharan African population groups. Conclusion These data provide additional support for using the 93 AIM set to efficiently identify continental subject groups for genetic studies, to identify study population outliers, and to control for admixture in association studies. PMID:19630973

Molecular detection of a novel paramyxovirus in fruit bats from Indonesia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Fruit bats are known to harbor zoonotic paramyxoviruses including Nipah, Hendra, and Menangle viruses. The aim of this study was to detect the presence of paramyxovirus RNA in fruit bats from Indonesia. Methods RNA samples were obtained from the spleens of 110 fruit bats collected from four locations in Indonesia. All samples were screened by semi-nested broad spectrum reverse transcription PCR targeting the paramyxovirus polymerase (L) genes. Results Semi-nested reverse transcription PCR detected five previously unidentified paramyxoviruses from six fruit bats. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these virus sequences were related to henipavirus or rubulavirus. Conclusions This study indicates the presence of novel paramyxoviruses among fruit bat populations in Indonesia. PMID:23082748

A discrete epidemic model for bovine Babesiosis disease and tick populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aranda, Diego F.; Trejos, Deccy Y.; Valverde, Jose C.

2017-06-01

In this paper, we provide and study a discrete model for the transmission of Babesiosis disease in bovine and tick populations. This model supposes a discretization of the continuous-time model developed by us previously. The results, here obtained by discrete methods as opposed to continuous ones, show that similar conclusions can be obtained for the discrete model subject to the assumption of some parametric constraints which were not necessary in the continuous case. We prove that these parametric constraints are not artificial and, in fact, they can be deduced from the biological significance of the model. Finally, some numerical simulations are given to validate the model and verify our theoretical study.

Potential use of Plastic Waste as Construction Materials: Recent Progress and Future Prospect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamaruddin, M. A.; Abdullah, M. M. A.; Zawawi, M. H.; Zainol, M. R. R. A.

2017-11-01

Plastic associates products based have been considered as the world most consumer packaging solution. However, substantial quantities of plastic consumption have led to exponential increase of plastic derived waste. Recycling of plastic waste as valued added product such as concrete appears as one of promising solution for alternative use of plastic waste. This paper summarized recent progress on the development of concrete mixture which incorporates plastic wastes as partial aggregate replacement during concrete manufacturing. A collection of data from previous studies that have been researched which employed plastic waste in concrete mixtures were evaluated and conclusions are drawn based on the laboratory results of all the mentioned research papers studied.

Quantum Chemical Modeling of Enzymatic Reactions: The Case of Decarboxylation.

PubMed

Liao, Rong-Zhen; Yu, Jian-Guo; Himo, Fahmi

2011-05-10

We present a systematic study of the decarboxylation step of the enzyme aspartate decarboxylase with the purpose of assessing the quantum chemical cluster approach for modeling this important class of decarboxylase enzymes. Active site models ranging in size from 27 to 220 atoms are designed, and the barrier and reaction energy of this step are evaluated. To model the enzyme surrounding, homogeneous polarizable medium techniques are used with several dielectric constants. The main conclusion is that when the active site model reaches a certain size, the solvation effects from the surroundings saturate. Similar results have previously been obtained from systematic studies of other classes of enzymes, suggesting that they are of a quite general nature.

Combined Effect of Piezoviscous Dependency and Non-Newtonian Couple Stress on Squeeze-Film Porous Annular Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasanth, K. R.; Hanumagowda, B. N.; Santhosh Kumar, J.

2018-04-01

Squeeze film investigations focus upon film pressure, load bearing quantity and the minimum thickness of film. The combined effect of pressure viscous dependent and non- Newtonian couple stress in porous annular plate is studied. The modified equations of one dimensional pressure, load bearing quantity, non dimensional squeeze time are obtained. The conclusions obtained in the study are found to be in very good agreement compared to the previous results which are published. The load carrying capacity is increased due to the variation in the pressure dependent viscosity and also due to the couple stress effect. Finally this results in change in the squeeze film timings.

A retrospective tiered environmental assessment of the Mount Storm Wind Energy Facility, West Virginia,USA

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

Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Day, Robin; Strickland, M. Dale

Bird and bat fatalities from wind energy projects are an environmental and public concern, with post-construction fatalities sometimes differing from predictions. Siting facilities in this context can be a challenge. In March 2012 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines to assess collision fatalities and other potential impacts to species of concern and their habitats to aid in siting and management. The Guidelines recommend a tiered approach for assessing risk to wildlife, including a preliminary site evaluation that may evaluate alternative sites, a site characterization, field studies to document wildlife and habitat and to predictmore » project impacts, post construction studies to estimate impacts, and other post construction studies. We applied the tiered assessment framework to a case study site, the Mount Storm Wind Energy Facility in Grant County, West Virginia, USA, to demonstrate the use of the USFWS assessment approach, to indicate how the use of a tiered assessment framework might have altered outputs of wildlife assessments previously undertaken for the case study site, and to assess benefits of a tiered ecological assessment framework for siting wind energy facilities. The conclusions of this tiered assessment for birds are similar to those of previous environmental assessments for Mount Storm. This assessment found risk to individual migratory tree-roosting bats that was not emphasized in previous preconstruction assessments. Differences compared to previous environmental assessments are more related to knowledge accrued in the past 10 years rather than to the tiered structure of the Guidelines. Benefits of the tiered assessment framework include good communication among stakeholders, clear decision points, a standard assessment trajectory, narrowing the list of species of concern, improving study protocols, promoting consideration of population-level effects, promoting adaptive management through post-construction assessment and mitigation, and sharing information that can be used in other assessments.« less

Testicular sperm is superior to ejaculated sperm for ICSI in cryptozoospermia: An update systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Kang, Yi-No; Hsiao, Ya-Wen; Chen, Chien-Yu; Wu, Chien-Chih

2018-05-18

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is well established and provides patients with severely impaired sperm quality with an opportunity to father a child. However, previous studies do not clearly indicate whether male with cryptozoospermia should use testicular sperm or ejaculated sperm for ICSI. The newest systematic review of this topic also gave a controversial conclusion that was based on incorrect pooling result. Moreover, two clinical studies published after the systematic review. In the present update systematic review and meta-analysis, a comprehensive citation search for relevant studies was performed using the Cochrane library databases, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science up to September 2017. The search returned 313 records, in which six studies were included in quantitative synthesis. These studies involved 578 male infertility patients who had undergone 761 ICSI cycles. The risk ratios favour fresh testicular sperm for good quality embryo rate (1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.30, P = 0.005), implantation rate (95% CI 1.02-2.26, P = 0.04), and pregnancy rate (RR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.20-2.52, P = 0.004). In conclusion, the existing evidence suggests that testicular sperm is better than ejaculated sperm for ICSI in male with cryptozoospermia.

A narrative review of studies of refusal of psychotropic medication in acute inpatient psychiatric care.

PubMed

Owiti, J A; Bowers, L

2011-09-01

This paper offers a narrative review of the 22 studies of medication refusal in acute psychiatry. Because of varied definitions of medication refusal, diverse methodologies and few rigorous studies, it has not been possible to draw firm conclusions on the average rate of refusal of psychotropic medications in acute psychiatry. However, it is clear that medication refusal is common and leads to poor outcomes characterized by higher rates of seclusion, restraint, threats of, and actual, assaults and longer hospitalizations. There are no statistically significant differences between refusers and acceptors in gender, marital status and preadmission living arrangements. Although no firm conclusions on the influence of ethnicity, status at admission and diagnosis on refusal, the refusers are more likely to have higher number of previous hospitalizations and history of prior refusal. The review indicates that staff factors such as the use of temporary staff, lack of confidence in ward staff and ineffective ward structure are associated with higher rates of medication refusal. Comprehensive knowledge of why, and how, patients refuse medication is lacking. Research on medication refusal is still fragmented, of variable methodological quality and lacks an integrating model. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing.

Relations between Brain Structure and Attentional Function in Spina Bifida: Utilization of Robust Statistical Approaches

PubMed Central

Kulesz, Paulina A.; Tian, Siva; Juranek, Jenifer; Fletcher, Jack M.; Francis, David J.

2015-01-01

Objective Weak structure-function relations for brain and behavior may stem from problems in estimating these relations in small clinical samples with frequently occurring outliers. In the current project, we focused on the utility of using alternative statistics to estimate these relations. Method Fifty-four children with spina bifida meningomyelocele performed attention tasks and received MRI of the brain. Using a bootstrap sampling process, the Pearson product moment correlation was compared with four robust correlations: the percentage bend correlation, the Winsorized correlation, the skipped correlation using the Donoho-Gasko median, and the skipped correlation using the minimum volume ellipsoid estimator Results All methods yielded similar estimates of the relations between measures of brain volume and attention performance. The similarity of estimates across correlation methods suggested that the weak structure-function relations previously found in many studies are not readily attributable to the presence of outlying observations and other factors that violate the assumptions behind the Pearson correlation. Conclusions Given the difficulty of assembling large samples for brain-behavior studies, estimating correlations using multiple, robust methods may enhance the statistical conclusion validity of studies yielding small, but often clinically significant, correlations. PMID:25495830

Do Social Relationships Buffer the Effects of Widowhood? A Prospective Study of Adaptation to the Loss of a Spouse

PubMed Central

Anusic, Ivana; Lucas, Richard E.

2013-01-01

Objective The idea that strong social relationships can buffer the negative effects of stresson well-being has received much attention in existing literature. However, previous studies have used less than ideal research designs to test this hypothesis, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions regarding these buffering effects. In this study we examined the buffering hypothesis in the context of reaction and adaptation to widowhood in three large longitudinal datasets. Method We tested whether social relationships moderated reaction and adaptation to widowhood in samples of people who experienced loss of spouse from three longitudinal datasets of nationally representative samples from Germany (N = 1,195), Britain (N = 562), and Australia (N = 298). Results We found no evidence that social relationships established before widowhood buffered either reaction or adaptation to death of one's spouse. Similarly, social relationships that were in place during the first year of widowhood did not help widows and widowers recover from this difficult event. Conclusions Social relationships acquired prior to widowhood, or those available in early stages of widowhood do not appear to explain individual differences in adaptation to loss. PMID:24033325

The association of genome-wide significant spirometric loci with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease susceptibility.

PubMed

Castaldi, Peter J; Cho, Michael H; Litonjua, Augusto A; Bakke, Per; Gulsvik, Amund; Lomas, David A; Anderson, Wayne; Beaty, Terri H; Hokanson, John E; Crapo, James D; Laird, Nan; Silverman, Edwin K

2011-12-01

Two recent metaanalyses of genome-wide association studies conducted by the CHARGE and SpiroMeta consortia identified novel loci yielding evidence of association at or near genome-wide significance (GWS) with FEV(1) and FEV(1)/FVC. We hypothesized that a subset of these markers would also be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) susceptibility. Thirty-two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in or near 17 genes in 11 previously identified GWS spirometric genomic regions were tested for association with COPD status in four COPD case-control study samples (NETT/NAS, the Norway case-control study, ECLIPSE, and the first 1,000 subjects in COPDGene; total sample size, 3,456 cases and 1,906 controls). In addition to testing the 32 spirometric GWS SNPs, we tested a dense panel of imputed HapMap2 SNP markers from the 17 genes located near the 32 GWS SNPs and in a set of 21 well studied COPD candidate genes. Of the previously identified GWS spirometric genomic regions, three loci harbored SNPs associated with COPD susceptibility at a 5% false discovery rate: the 4q24 locus including FLJ20184/INTS12/GSTCD/NPNT, the 6p21 locus including AGER and PPT2, and the 5q33 locus including ADAM19. In conclusion, markers previously associated at or near GWS with spirometric measures were tested for association with COPD status in data from four COPD case-control studies, and three loci showed evidence of association with COPD susceptibility at a 5% false discovery rate.

The Prevalence of Tooth Wear in the Dutch Adult Population

PubMed Central

Wetselaar, Peter; Vermaire, Jan H.; Visscher, Corine M.; Lobbezoo, Frank; Schuller, Annemarie A.

2016-01-01

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of tooth wear in different age groups of the Dutch adult population and to determine this tooth wear distribution by gender, socioeconomic class, and type of teeth. Results were compared with the outcomes of a previous study in a comparable population. As part of a comprehensive investigation of the oral health of the general Dutch adult population in 2013, tooth wear was assessed among 1,125 subjects in the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The data collected were subjected to stratified analysis by 5 age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years), gender, socioeconomic class, and type of teeth. Tooth wear was assessed using a 5-point ordinal occlusal/incisal grading scale. The number of teeth affected was higher in older age groups. Men showed more tooth wear than women, and subjects with low socioeconomic status (low SES) showed on average higher scores than those with high SES. Tooth wear prevalence found in this study was higher in all age groups than in the previous study. The present study found prevalences of 13% for mild tooth wear and 80% for moderate tooth wear, leading to the conclusion that these are common conditions in the Dutch adult population. Severe tooth wear (prevalence 6%) may however be characterized as rare. A tendency was found for there to be more tooth wear in older age groups, in men as compared with women, in persons with lower SES, and in the present survey as compared with the previous one. PMID:27694757

The Prevalence of Tooth Wear in the Dutch Adult Population.

PubMed

Wetselaar, Peter; Vermaire, Jan H; Visscher, Corine M; Lobbezoo, Frank; Schuller, Annemarie A

2016-01-01

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of tooth wear in different age groups of the Dutch adult population and to determine this tooth wear distribution by gender, socioeconomic class, and type of teeth. Results were compared with the outcomes of a previous study in a comparable population. As part of a comprehensive investigation of the oral health of the general Dutch adult population in 2013, tooth wear was assessed among 1,125 subjects in the city of 's-Hertogenbosch. The data collected were subjected to stratified analysis by 5 age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years), gender, socioeconomic class, and type of teeth. Tooth wear was assessed using a 5-point ordinal occlusal/incisal grading scale. The number of teeth affected was higher in older age groups. Men showed more tooth wear than women, and subjects with low socioeconomic status (low SES) showed on average higher scores than those with high SES. Tooth wear prevalence found in this study was higher in all age groups than in the previous study. The present study found prevalences of 13% for mild tooth wear and 80% for moderate tooth wear, leading to the conclusion that these are common conditions in the Dutch adult population. Severe tooth wear (prevalence 6%) may however be characterized as rare. A tendency was found for there to be more tooth wear in older age groups, in men as compared with women, in persons with lower SES, and in the present survey as compared with the previous one. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Microsolvation of phthalocyanine molecules in superfluid helium nanodroplets as revealed by the optical line shape at electronic origin.

PubMed

Fuchs, S; Fischer, J; Slenczka, A; Karra, M; Friedrich, B

2018-04-14

We investigate the solvent shift of phthalocyanine (Pc) doped into superfluid helium droplets and probed by optical spectroscopy at the electronic origin. Our present work complements extant studies and provides results that in part contradict previous conclusions. In particular, the solvent shift does not increase monotonously with droplet radius all the way up to the bulk limit, but exhibits just the reverse dependence instead. Moreover, a substructure is resolved, whose characteristics depend on the droplet size. This behavior can hardly be reconciled with that of a freely rotating Pc-helium complex.

A field test of attractant traps for invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) in southern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reed, Robert N.; Hart, Kristen M.; Rodda, Gordon H.; Mazzotti, Frank J.; Snow, Ray W.; Cherkiss, Michael; Rozar, Rondald; Goetz, Scott

2011-01-01

Conclusions: The trap trial captured a relatively small proportion of the pythons that appeared to be present in the study area, although previous research suggests that trap capture rates improve with additional testing of alternative trap designs. Potential negative impacts to non-target species were minimal. Low python capture rates may have been associated with extremely high local prey abundances during the trap experiment. Implications: Results of this trial illustrate many of the challenges in implementing and interpreting results from tests of control tools for large cryptic predators such as Burmese pythons.

Interfacial solvation thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Amotz, Dor

2016-10-01

Previous studies have reached conflicting conclusions regarding the interplay of cavity formation, polarizability, desolvation, and surface capillary waves in driving the interfacial adsorptions of ions and molecules at air-water interfaces. Here we revisit these questions by combining exact potential distribution results with linear response theory and other physically motivated approximations. The results highlight both exact and approximate compensation relations pertaining to direct (solute-solvent) and indirect (solvent-solvent) contributions to adsorption thermodynamics, of relevance to solvation at air-water interfaces, as well as a broader class of processes linked to the mean force potential between ions, molecules, nanoparticles, proteins, and biological assemblies.

Laterality in coiling behaviour of snakes: another interpretation.

PubMed

Heatwole, Harold; King, Peter; Levine, Samuel G

2007-11-01

The direction of coiling was periodically recorded for two species of viperid snakes--copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) and cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus). Overall, neither species showed a significant preference for coiling in a particular direction. Only 1 of 22 snakes exhibited an individual preference, a result within expectation for random direction of coiling when using a 5% rejection level for statistical testing. A previously published claim for laterality in coiling direction by cottonmouths presented similar results but came to the opposite conclusion. The data from the combined studies suggest that if laterality in coiling direction does occur, it is extremely weak and inconsistent.

Will marine productivity wane?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laufkötter, Charlotte; Gruber, Nicolas

2018-03-01

If marine algae are impaired severely by global climate change, the resulting reduction in marine primary production would strongly affect marine life and the ocean's biological pump that sequesters substantial amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the ocean's interior. Most studies, including the latest generation of Earth system models, project only moderate global decreases in biological production until 2100 (1, 2), suggesting that these concerns are unwarranted. But on page 1139 of this issue, Moore et al. (3) show that this conclusion might be shortsighted and that there may be much larger long-term changes in ocean productivity than previously appreciated.

Computer program for fast Karhunen Loeve transform algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jain, A. K.

1976-01-01

The fast KL transform algorithm was applied for data compression of a set of four ERTS multispectral images and its performance was compared with other techniques previously studied on the same image data. The performance criteria used here are mean square error and signal to noise ratio. The results obtained show a superior performance of the fast KL transform coding algorithm on the data set used with respect to the above stated perfomance criteria. A summary of the results is given in Chapter I and details of comparisons and discussion on conclusions are given in Chapter IV.

Previous cerebrovascular disease is an important predictor of clinical outcomes in elderly patients with percutaneous coronary interventions: The Nobori-Biolimus eluting stent prospective multicenter 1-year observational registry in South Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Yong Hoon; Her, Ae-Young; Kim, Byeong-Keuk; Shin, Dong-Ho; Kim, Jung-Sun; Ko, Young-Guk; Choi, Donghoon; Hong, Myeong-Ki; Jang, Yangsoo

2017-01-01

Objective: The appropriate selection of elderly patients for revascularization has become increasingly important because these subsets of patients are more likely to experience a major cardiac or cerebrovascular event—percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The objective of this study was to determine important independent risk factor for predicting clinical outcomes in the elderly patients after successful PCI, particularly in a series of South Korean population. Methods: This study is prospective, multicenter, observational cross-sectional study. A total of 1,884 consecutive patients who underwent successful PCI with Nobori® Biolimus A9-eluting stents were enrolled between April 2010 and December 2012. They were divided into two groups according to the age: patients <75 years old (younger patient group) and ≥75 years old (elderly patient group). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) at 1-year after index PCI. Results: The 1-year cumulative incidence of MACCE (12.9% vs. 4.3%, p<0.001) and total death (7.1% vs. 1.5%, p<0.001) was significantly higher in the elderly group than in younger group. Previous cerebrovascular disease was significantly correlated with MACCE in elderly patients 1-year after PCI (hazard ratio, 2.804; 95% confidence interval, 1.290–6.093 p=0.009). Conclusion: Previous cerebrovascular disease is important independent predictor of the MACCE in elderly patients at 1-year after PCI with Nobori® Biolimus A9-eluting stents especially in a series of South Korean population. Therefore, careful PCI with intensive monitoring and management can improve major clinical outcomes after successful PCI in elderly patients with previous cerebrovascular disease compared with younger patients. PMID:28554989

Everolimus for Previously Treated Advanced Gastric Cancer: Results of the Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III GRANITE-1 Study

PubMed Central

Ohtsu, Atsushi; Ajani, Jaffer A.; Bai, Yu-Xian; Bang, Yung-Jue; Chung, Hyun-Cheol; Pan, Hong-Ming; Sahmoud, Tarek; Shen, Lin; Yeh, Kun-Huei; Chin, Keisho; Muro, Kei; Kim, Yeul Hong; Ferry, David; Tebbutt, Niall C.; Al-Batran, Salah-Eddin; Smith, Heind; Costantini, Chiara; Rizvi, Syed; Lebwohl, David; Van Cutsem, Eric

2013-01-01

Purpose The oral mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor everolimus demonstrated promising efficacy in a phase II study of pretreated advanced gastric cancer. This international, double-blind, phase III study compared everolimus efficacy and safety with that of best supportive care (BSC) in previously treated advanced gastric cancer. Patients and Methods Patients with advanced gastric cancer that progressed after one or two lines of systemic chemotherapy were randomly assigned to everolimus 10 mg/d (assignment schedule: 2:1) or matching placebo, both given with BSC. Randomization was stratified by previous chemotherapy lines (one v two) and region (Asia v rest of the world [ROW]). Treatment continued until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Primary end point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate, and safety. Results Six hundred fifty-six patients (median age, 62.0 years; 73.6% male) were enrolled. Median OS was 5.4 months with everolimus and 4.3 months with placebo (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.75 to 1.08; P = .124). Median PFS was 1.7 months and 1.4 months in the everolimus and placebo arms, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.78). Common grade 3/4 adverse events included anemia, decreased appetite, and fatigue. The safety profile was similar in patients enrolled in Asia versus ROW. Conclusion Compared with BSC, everolimus did not significantly improve overall survival for advanced gastric cancer that progressed after one or two lines of previous systemic chemotherapy. The safety profile observed for everolimus was consistent with that observed for everolimus in other cancers. PMID:24043745

Deaths certified as asthma and use of medical services: a national case-control study

PubMed Central

Sturdy, P; Butland, B; Anderson, H; Ayres, J; Bland, J; Harrison, B; Peckitt, C; Victor, C; on, b

2005-01-01

Background: Studies have linked asthma death to either increased or decreased use of medical services. Methods: A population based case-control study of asthma deaths in 1994–8 was performed in 22 English, six Scottish, and five Welsh health authorities/boards. All 681 subjects who died were under the age of 65 years with asthma in Part I on the death certificates. After exclusions, 532 hospital controls were matched to 532 cases for age, district, and date of asthma admission/death. Data were extracted blind from primary care records. Results: The median age of the subjects who died was 53 years; 60% of cases and 64% of controls were female. There was little difference in outpatient attendance (55% and 55%), hospital admission for asthma (51% and 54%), and median inpatient days (20 days and 15 days) in the previous 5 years. After mutual adjustment and adjustment for sex, using conditional logistic regression, three variables were independently associated with asthma death: fewer general practice contacts (odds ratio 0.82 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74 to 0.91) per 5 contacts) in the previous year, more home visits (1.14 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.21) per visit) in the previous year, and fewer peak expiratory flow recordings (0.83 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.92) per occasion) in the previous 3 months. These associations were similar after adjustment for markers of severity, psychosocial factors, systemic steroids, short acting bronchodilators and antibiotics, although the association with peak flow was weakened and just lost significance. Conclusion: Asthma death is associated with less use of primary care services. Both practice and patient factors may be involved and a better understanding of these may offer possibilities for reducing asthma death. PMID:16055628

Incidence and Risk Factors for Placenta Accreta/Increta/Percreta in the UK: A National Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

Fitzpatrick, Kathryn E.; Sellers, Susan; Spark, Patsy; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J.; Brocklehurst, Peter; Knight, Marian

2012-01-01

Background Placenta accreta/increta/percreta is associated with major pregnancy complications and is thought to be becoming more common. The aims of this study were to estimate the incidence of placenta accreta/increta/percreta in the UK and to investigate and quantify the associated risk factors. Methods A national case-control study using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System was undertaken, including 134 women diagnosed with placenta accreta/increta/percreta between May 2010 and April 2011 and 256 control women. Results The estimated incidence of placenta accreta/increta/percreta was 1.7 per 10,000 maternities overall; 577 per 10,000 in women with both a previous caesarean delivery and placenta praevia. Women who had a previous caesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 14.41, 95%CI 5.63–36.85), other previous uterine surgery (aOR 3.40, 95%CI 1.30–8.91), an IVF pregnancy (aOR 32.13, 95%CI 2.03–509.23) and placenta praevia diagnosed antepartum (aOR 65.02, 95%CI 16.58–254.96) had raised odds of having placenta accreta/increta/percreta. There was also a raised odds of placenta accreta/increta/percreta associated with older maternal age in women without a previous caesarean delivery (aOR 1.30, 95%CI 1.13–1.50 for every one year increase in age). Conclusions Women with both a prior caesarean delivery and placenta praevia have a high incidence of placenta accreta/increta/percreta. There is a need to maintain a high index of suspicion of abnormal placental invasion in such women and preparations for delivery should be made accordingly. PMID:23300807

Progress in NEXT Ion Optics Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emhoff, Jerold W.; Boyd, Iain D.

2004-01-01

Results are presented from an ion optics simulation code applied to the NEXT ion thruster geometry. The error in the potential field solver of the code is characterized, and methods and requirements for reducing this error are given. Results from a study on electron backstreaming using the improved field solver are given and shown to compare much better to experimental results than previous studies. Results are also presented on a study of the beamlet behavior in the outer radial apertures of the NEXT thruster. The low beamlet currents in this region allow over-focusing of the beam, causing direct impingement of ions on the accelerator grid aperture wall. Different possibilities for reducing this direct impingement are analyzed, with the conclusion that, of the methods studied, decreasing the screen grid aperture diameter eliminates direct impingement most effectively.

Assessing Complex Emergency Management with Clinical Case-Vignettes: A Validation Study

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate whether responses to dynamic case-vignettes accurately reflect actual practices in complex emergency situations. We hypothesized that when obstetricians were faced with vignette of emergency situation identical to one they previously managed, they would report the management strategy they actually used. On the other hand, there is no reason to suppose that their response to a vignette based on a source case managed by another obstetrician would be the same as the actual management. Methods A multicenter vignette-based study was used in 7 French maternity units. We chose the example of severe postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) to study the use of case-vignettes for assessing the management of complex situations. We developed dynamic case-vignettes describing incidents of PPH in several steps, using documentation in patient files. Vignettes described the postpartum course and included multiple-choice questions detailing proposed clinical care. Each participating obstetrician was asked to evaluate 4 case-vignettes: 2 directly derived from cases they previously managed and 2 derived from other obstetricians’ cases. We compared the final treatment decision in vignette responses to those documented in the source-case by the overall agreement and the Kappa coefficient, both for the cases the obstetricians previously managed and the cases of others. Results Thirty obstetricians participated. Overall agreement between final treatment decisions in case-vignettes and documented care for cases obstetricians previously managed was 82% (Kappa coefficient: 0.75, 95% CI [0.62–0.88]). Overall agreement between final treatment decisions in case-vignettes and documented care in vignettes derived from other obstetricians’ cases was only 48% (Kappa coefficient: 0.30, 95% CI [0.12–0.48]). Final agreement with documented care was significantly better for cases based on their own previous cases than for others (p<0.001). Conclusions Dynamic case-vignettes accurately reflect actual practices in complex emergency situations. Therefore, they can be used to assess the quality of management in these situations. PMID:26383261

The Role of Self-Efficacy for Bystander Helping Behaviors in Risky Alcohol Situations

PubMed Central

Krieger, Heather; Serrano, Surizaday; Neighbors, Clayton

2017-01-01

We examined the role of self-efficacy in preventing bystander inaction in dangerous alcohol situations. Participants (N = 504) completed an online survey that assessed whether they had previously witnessed or intervened in alcohol-related emergencies, their self-efficacy for intervening, and their likelihood of intervening in the future. Previously intervening was positively associated with self-efficacy and likelihood of intervening in the future. Furthermore, self-efficacy mediated the association between previously intervening and likelihood of intervening in the future. In conclusion, self-efficacy for intervening in social situations is associated with intervening in alcohol-related emergencies and is an important factor to consider when designing bystander interventions. PMID:29097835

The Role of Self-Efficacy for Bystander Helping Behaviors in Risky Alcohol Situations.

PubMed

Krieger, Heather; Serrano, Surizaday; Neighbors, Clayton

2017-04-01

We examined the role of self-efficacy in preventing bystander inaction in dangerous alcohol situations. Participants (N = 504) completed an online survey that assessed whether they had previously witnessed or intervened in alcohol-related emergencies, their self-efficacy for intervening, and their likelihood of intervening in the future. Previously intervening was positively associated with self-efficacy and likelihood of intervening in the future. Furthermore, self-efficacy mediated the association between previously intervening and likelihood of intervening in the future. In conclusion, self-efficacy for intervening in social situations is associated with intervening in alcohol-related emergencies and is an important factor to consider when designing bystander interventions.

Pituitary-adrenal hormones and testosterone across the menstrual cycle in women with premenstrual syndrome and controls.

PubMed

Bloch, M; Schmidt, P J; Su, T P; Tobin, M B; Rubinow, D R

1998-06-15

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a cyclic mood disorder, widely believed, yet not conclusively shown, to be of endocrine etiology. This study examines basal levels of several hormones reported, albeit inconsistently, to differ in women with PMS compared with controls. Subjects (10 PMS patients and 10 controls) had their blood drawn for one full menstrual cycle. Subjects' mood and behavioral symptoms were assessed by daily self-ratings and objective ratings. Plasma was assayed for total and free testosterone (T), beta-endorphin (beta-EP), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol. No differences were observed between the PMS and control groups for beta-EP, ACTH, or cortisol. PMS subjects had significantly lower total and free T plasma levels with a blunting of the normal periovulatory peak, a finding that may be epiphenomenal to age. This study does not confirm previous reports of abnormalities in plasma levels of either ACTH or beta-EP in women with PMS; it also fails to replicate a previous observation of high free T levels in women with PMS. These results are not supportive of a primary endocrine abnormality in PMS patients.

The Influence of a Substellar Continent on the Climate of a Tidally Locked Exoplanet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Neil T.; Lambert, F. Hugo; Boutle, Ian A.; Mayne, Nathan J.; Manners, James; Acreman, David M.

2018-02-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that continental carbon-silicate weathering is important to the continued habitability of a terrestrial planet. Despite this, few studies have considered the influence of land on the climate of a tidally locked planet. In this work we use the Met Office Unified Model, coupled to a land-surface model, to investigate the climate effects of a continent located at the substellar point. We choose to use the orbital and planetary parameters of Proxima Centauri B as a template, to allow comparison with the work of others. A region of the surface where T s > 273.15 K is always retained, and previous conclusions on the habitability of Proxima Centauri B remain intact. We find that substellar land causes global cooling and increases day–night temperature contrasts by limiting heat redistribution. Furthermore, we find that substellar land is able to introduce a regime change in the atmospheric circulation. Specifically, when a continent offset to the east of the substellar point is introduced, we observe the formation of two mid-latitude counterrotating jets, and a substantially weakened equatorial superrotating jet.

Current Perspectives on Therapy Dog Welfare in Animal-Assisted Interventions.

PubMed

Glenk, Lisa Maria

2017-02-01

Research into the effects of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) has primarily addressed human health outcomes. In contrast, only few publications deal with the therapy dog experience of AAIs. This paper provides an overview on potential welfare threats that therapy dogs may encounter and presents the results of a review of available studies on welfare indicators for therapy dogs during AAIs. Previous investigations used physiological and behavioral welfare indicators and dog handler surveys to identify work-related stress. Research outcomes are discussed in the light of strengths and weaknesses of the methods used. Study results suggest that frequency and duration of AAI sessions, novelty of the environment, controllability, age and familiarity of recipients modulate animal welfare indicators. However, this review reveals that currently, clear conclusions on how the well-being of dogs is influenced by the performance in AAIs are lacking due to the heterogeneity of programs, recipient and session characteristics, small dog sample sizes and methodological limitations. This paper further aimed to identify unresolved difficulties in previous research to pave the way for future investigations supporting the applicability of scientific findings in practice.

Prevalence of relevant nutritional claims related to prevention of obesity in Spanish market

PubMed

Lopéz-Galán, Belinda; De Magistris, Tiziana

2017-02-01

Introduction: Although previous studies have provided relevant information regarding the progress in the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Union. So far it not determined the prevalence of relevant nutrition claims in preventing obesity in the Spanish market. Objective: To determine the prevalence of relevant nutritional claims related to prevent the obesity in the Spanish market. Material and methods: A database with 9 food product categories and it nutritional claims was created. Three supermarket chains were included because they represent the 40% of market share. Only the nutritional claims that mention nutrients related obesity was considered. Results: A total of 4,568 products were examined and a total of 900 nutrition claims were found in 20% of the products found. The most frequent nutrients referred in the nutritional claims were fat (42%), sugar (32%), dietary fibre (20%) and salt (6%). Conclusions: In accordance with previous studies, findings reported a low prevalence of nutritional claims indicating that agrifood sector should include more nutritional claims to help consumers making better food choices.

Processing fluency affects subjective claims of recollection.

PubMed

Kurilla, Bran P; Westerman, Deanne L

2008-01-01

Previous studies that have used the remember-know paradigm to investigate subjective awareness in memory have shown that fluency manipulations have an impact on "know" responses but not on "remember" responses (e.g., Rajaram, 1993), a finding typically accounted for by invoking inferential processing in judgments of familiarity but not of recollection. However, in light of several researchers' criticisms of this procedure, as well as findings documenting the influence of processing fluency on various subjective judgments, the present study was conducted in order to investigate whether judgments of recollection might also be subject to inferential processes and not solely the product of conscious retrieval. When the standard remember-know procedure was used (Experiment 1), manipulations of perceptual fluency increased "know" responses but had no effect on "remember" responses, replicating previous findings. However, when an independent ratings method was employed (Higham & Vokey, 2004), manipulations of perceptual fluency (Experiment 2) and conceptual fluency (Experiment 3) reliably increased claims of both familiarity and recollection, suggesting that the conclusion that fluency affects only "know" responses may be an artifact of the standard remember-know procedure.

New data on Callovian (Middle Jurassic) belemnites and palynomorphs from the Northern Caucasus, southwest Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzyuba, Oksana S.; Goryacheva, Anna A.; Ruban, Dmitry A.; Gnezdilova, Victoria V.; Zayats, Pavel P.

2016-03-01

Palaeontological data on the Caucasus are highly important for large-scale stratigraphical and palaeobiogeographical assessment of the northern Tethyan margin, but this information is often scarce and not available in English. Field studies in the Northern Caucasus have now permitted to amass some new data. Two belemnite species are described from the stratotype section of the Kamennomostskaja Formation (Callovian, Middle Jurassic) near the town of Kamennomostskij in Adygeja (Northern Caucasus). These are Belemnopsis subhastata (von Zieten, 1831) and Rhopaloteuthis ominosa Gustomesov, 1968. The latter is a rare species, and the present find allows new insights into its taxonomy. A palyno-logical analysis of the belemnite-bearing sample was carried out, and a diverse assemblage of dinocysts, acritarchs and prasinophytes, plus pollen and spores recognised. The most abundant palynomorphs are Micrhystridium and Classopollis. Data on belemnites coupled with those on palynomorphs indicate the early Callovian age of the sample level. This interpretation differs slightly from previous conclusions based on ammonites and dinocysts. If this age is correct, the degree of condensation of Callovian deposits in the section studied was lesser than previously assumed.

Filicide in Austria and Finland - A register-based study on all filicide cases in Austria and Finland 1995-2005

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Filicide is the tragic crime of murdering one's own child. Previous research has found that the offending parents are commonly depressed and that suicide is often associated as an actual act or an intention. Yet, filicide is an underreported crime and previous studies have been strained with methodological problems. No comprehensive international studies on filicide have been presented in the literature until now. Methods This was a descriptive, comprehensive, register-based study of all filicides in Austria and Finland during 1995-2005. Filicide-suicide cases were also included. Results Most of the perpetrators were the biological mothers; in Austria 72%, in Finland 52%. Suicide followed filicide either as an attempt or a fulfilled act in 32% and 54% of the cases in Austria and Finland, respectively. Psychotic mood disorders were diagnosed for 10% of the living perpetrators in Austria, and 12% in Finland. Non-psychotic depression was diagnosed in 9% of surviving perpetrators in Austria, 35% in Finland. Conclusion The data from the two countries demonstrated that filicide is such a multifaceted and rare phenomenon that national data from individual countries seldom offer sufficient scope for its thorough study. Further analyses are needed to produce a complete picture of filicide. PMID:19930581

Impact of Cooking and Home Food Preparation Interventions Among Adults: A Systematic Review (2011-2016).

PubMed

Reicks, Marla; Kocher, Megan; Reeder, Julie

2018-02-01

To update a review of the impact of interventions for adults that included a cooking component on diet, health, and psychosocial outcomes. A total of 3,047 records were identified by searching MEDLINE, Agricola, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (January, 2011 to March, 2016). A total of 34 articles met inclusion and exclusion criteria for analysis. Study description and outcomes were extracted and synthesized to generate conclusions regarding impact. Less than half of the studies included a control group. The most common intended outcomes were improvements in fruit and/or vegetable intake and weight. The majority of studies showed positive dietary behavior changes and improvements in cooking confidence and knowledge. Limitations included the lack of a control group, no follow-up past after intervention, the use of nonvalidated assessment instruments, and small convenience samples. Findings were similar to a previous review regarding positive impact on dietary and cooking confidence outcomes. Clinical and weight outcomes were addressed in more studies included in the current review than in the previous 1; however, limitations were similar. Intervention design and assessment tools need to be strengthened in intervention studies with cooking components. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mouse mammary tumor virus-like gene sequences are present in lung patient specimens

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Previous studies have reported on the presence of Murine Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV)-like gene sequences in human cancer tissue specimens. Here, we search for MMTV-like gene sequences in lung diseases including carcinomas specimens from a Mexican population. This study was based on our previous study reporting that the INER51 lung cancer cell line, from a pleural effusion of a Mexican patient, contains MMTV-like env gene sequences. Results The MMTV-like env gene sequences have been detected in three out of 18 specimens studied, by PCR using a specific set of MMTV-like primers. The three identified MMTV-like gene sequences, which were assigned as INER6, HZ101, and HZ14, were 99%, 98%, and 97% homologous, respectively, as compared to GenBank sequence accession number AY161347. The INER6 and HZ-101 samples were isolated from lung cancer specimens, and the HZ-14 was isolated from an acute inflammatory lung infiltrate sample. Two of the env sequences exhibited disruption of the reading frame due to mutations. Conclusion In summary, we identified the presence of MMTV-like gene sequences in 2 out of 11 (18%) of the lung carcinomas and 1 out of 7 (14%) of acute inflamatory lung infiltrate specimens studied of a Mexican Population. PMID:21943279

Factors Influencing Ferrihydrite Crystallinity In Natural And Synthetic Systems

EPA Science Inventory

Recent investigations of the structure of the mineral ferrihydrite indicate that disparities in the number of peaks observed in powder x-ray diffraction patterns can be attributed to differences in crystallite size. This has lead to the conclusion that specimens previously refer...

Two X-Ray Observatories are Better Than One

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-27

NASA NuSTAR, has helped to show that the spin rates of black holes can be measured conclusively. The solid lines show two theoretical models that explain low-energy X-ray emission seen previously from the spiral galaxy NGC 1365 by XMM-Newton.

Cyberbullying Among Adolescent Bystanders: Role of Affective Versus Cognitive Empathy in Increasing Prosocial Cyberbystander Behavior

PubMed Central

Barlińska, Julia; Szuster, Anna; Winiewski, Mikołaj

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate if affective (vicarious sharing of emotions) and cognitive empathy (mental perspective taking) induction may stimulate adolescent online bystanders’ intervention in cyberbullying cases. The role of reporting the abuse is crucial because it is a form of active support to the victim, initiated by children, to stop the bullying. The effectiveness of empathy activation in decreasing negative cyberbystander reinforcing behavior has been proved in previous studies. The effects of affective and cognitive empathy activation on positive cyberbystander behavior, defined as reporting the bullying online, were explored in two follow-up studies N = 271 and N = 265. The influence of experiencing cyberbullying as perpetrator, victim, and as determined by gender on prosocial cyberbystander behavior was also controlled. The results indicate that only cognitive empathy activation increases the likelihood of intervening bystander behavior. Neither affective empathy induction, previous experience of cyberperpetration, cybervictimization, nor gender affected the engagement in prosocial bystander behavior. The conclusion of the research is that a program consequently activating more reflective cognitive empathy induction can contribute toward the establishment of healthier behavioral patterns among bystanders to cyberbullying, increasing the probability of their reporting the cyberbullying acts. PMID:29899715

Cyberbullying Among Adolescent Bystanders: Role of Affective Versus Cognitive Empathy in Increasing Prosocial Cyberbystander Behavior.

PubMed

Barlińska, Julia; Szuster, Anna; Winiewski, Mikołaj

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate if affective (vicarious sharing of emotions) and cognitive empathy (mental perspective taking) induction may stimulate adolescent online bystanders' intervention in cyberbullying cases. The role of reporting the abuse is crucial because it is a form of active support to the victim, initiated by children, to stop the bullying. The effectiveness of empathy activation in decreasing negative cyberbystander reinforcing behavior has been proved in previous studies. The effects of affective and cognitive empathy activation on positive cyberbystander behavior, defined as reporting the bullying online, were explored in two follow-up studies N = 271 and N = 265. The influence of experiencing cyberbullying as perpetrator, victim, and as determined by gender on prosocial cyberbystander behavior was also controlled. The results indicate that only cognitive empathy activation increases the likelihood of intervening bystander behavior. Neither affective empathy induction, previous experience of cyberperpetration, cybervictimization, nor gender affected the engagement in prosocial bystander behavior. The conclusion of the research is that a program consequently activating more reflective cognitive empathy induction can contribute toward the establishment of healthier behavioral patterns among bystanders to cyberbullying, increasing the probability of their reporting the cyberbullying acts.

Comparing models of the combined-stimulation advantage for speech recognition.

PubMed

Micheyl, Christophe; Oxenham, Andrew J

2012-05-01

The "combined-stimulation advantage" refers to an improvement in speech recognition when cochlear-implant or vocoded stimulation is supplemented by low-frequency acoustic information. Previous studies have been interpreted as evidence for "super-additive" or "synergistic" effects in the combination of low-frequency and electric or vocoded speech information by human listeners. However, this conclusion was based on predictions of performance obtained using a suboptimal high-threshold model of information combination. The present study shows that a different model, based on Gaussian signal detection theory, can predict surprisingly large combined-stimulation advantages, even when performance with either information source alone is close to chance, without involving any synergistic interaction. A reanalysis of published data using this model reveals that previous results, which have been interpreted as evidence for super-additive effects in perception of combined speech stimuli, are actually consistent with a more parsimonious explanation, according to which the combined-stimulation advantage reflects an optimal combination of two independent sources of information. The present results do not rule out the possible existence of synergistic effects in combined stimulation; however, they emphasize the possibility that the combined-stimulation advantages observed in some studies can be explained simply by non-interactive combination of two information sources.

Validation of a computer case definition for sudden cardiac death in opioid users

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background To facilitate the use of automated databases for studies of sudden cardiac death, we previously developed a computerized case definition that had a positive predictive value between 86% and 88%. However, the definition has not been specifically validated for prescription opioid users, for whom out-of-hospital overdose deaths may be difficult to distinguish from sudden cardiac death. Findings We assembled a cohort of persons 30-74 years of age prescribed propoxyphene or hydrocodone who had no life-threatening non-cardiovascular illness, diagnosed drug abuse, residence in a nursing home in the past year, or hospital stay within the past 30 days. Medical records were sought for a sample of 140 cohort deaths within 30 days of a prescription fill meeting the computer case definition. Of the 140 sampled deaths, 81 were adjudicated; 73 (90%) were sudden cardiac deaths. Two deaths had possible opioid overdose; after removing these two the positive predictive value was 88%. Conclusions These findings are consistent with our previous validation studies and suggest the computer case definition of sudden cardiac death is a useful tool for pharmacoepidemiologic studies of opioid analgesics. PMID:22938531

Definitions of cardiovascular insufficiency and relation to outcomes in critically ill newborn infants

PubMed Central

Fernandez, Erika; Watterberg, Kristi L.; Faix, Roger G.; Yoder, Bradley A.; Walsh, Michele C.; Lacy, Conra Backstrom; Osborne, Karen A.; Das, Abhik; Kendrick, Douglas E.; Stoll, Barbara J.; Poindexter, Brenda B.; Laptook, Abbot R.; Kennedy, Kathleen A.; Schibler, Kurt; Bell, Edward F.; Van Meurs, Krisa P.; Frantz, Ivan D.; Goldberg, Ronald N.; Shankaran, Seetha; Carlo, Waldemar A.; Ehrenkranz, Richard A.; Sanchez, Pablo J.; Higgins, Rosemary D.

2015-01-01

Background We previously reported on the overall incidence, management and outcomes in infants with cardiovascular insufficiency (CVI). However, there are limited data on the relationship of the specific different definitions of CVI to short term outcomes in term and late preterm newborn infants. Objective To evaluate how 4 definitions of CVI relate to short term outcomes and death. Study Design The previously reported study was a multicenter, prospective cohort study of 647 infants ≥ 34 weeks gestation admitted to a Neonatal Research Network (NRN) newborn intensive care unit (NICU) and mechanically ventilated (MV) during their first 72 hours. The relationship of five short term outcomes at discharge and 4 different definitions of CVI were further analyzed. Results All 4 definitions were associated with greater number of days on MV & days on O2. The definition using a threshold blood pressure (BP) measurement alone was not associated with days to full feeding, days in the NICU or death. The definition based on treatment of CVI was associated with all outcomes including death. Conclusions The definition using a threshold BP alone was not consistently associated with adverse short term outcomes. Using only a threshold BP to determine therapy may not improve outcomes. PMID:25825962

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Colonization with Staphylococcus aureus in Healthy Pet Cats Kept in the City Households

PubMed Central

Płoneczka-Janeczko, Katarzyna; Rypuła, Krzysztof

2016-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), is a significant pathogen in both human medicine and veterinary medicine. The importance of pets as reservoirs of human infections is still poorly understood. This article provides detailed information of a cross-sectional study of a S. aureus colonization in clinically healthy indoor cats. The study systematically assessed a number of different anatomical locations for the S. aureus colonization and the influence of a range of potential risk factors on the value of the final S. aureus colonization rate. The incidence rates observed for cats with at least one site positive for S. aureus or MRSA were 17.5% and 6.63%, respectively. The following risk factors were identified: one or more owners working in the healthcare industry (human or veterinary); dogs being kept with the cat under investigation; treatment of the cat under investigation with antibiotics or chemotherapeutics during the previous year. In conclusion, this study revealed a higher prevalence of MRSA than what has previously been reported in healthy pets. A combination of anatomical locations from which the samples were collected had a major influence on the final value of the S. aureus colonization rate. PMID:27766257

Nigerian pharmacists’ self-perceived competence and confidence to plan and conduct pharmacy practice research

PubMed Central

Usman, Mohammad N.; Umar, Muhammad D.

2018-01-01

Background: Recent studies have revealed that pharmacists have interest in conducting research. However, lack of confidence is a major barrier. Objective: This study evaluated pharmacists’ self-perceived competence and confidence to plan and conduct health-related research. Method: This cross sectional study was conducted during the 89th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in November 2016. An adapted questionnaire was validated and administered to 200 pharmacist delegates during the conference. Result: Overall, 127 questionnaires were included in the analysis. At least 80% of the pharmacists had previous health-related research experience. Pharmacist’s competence and confidence scores were lowest for research skills such as: using software for statistical analysis, choosing and applying appropriate inferential statistical test and method, and outlining detailed statistical plan to be used in data analysis. Highest competence and confidence scores were observed for conception of research idea, literature search and critical appraisal of literature. Pharmacists with previous research experience had higher competence and confidence scores than those with no previous research experience (p<0.05). The only predictor of moderate-to-extreme self-competence and confidence was having at least one journal article publication during the last 5 years. Conclusion: Nigerian pharmacists indicated interest to participate in health-related research. However, self-competence and confidence to plan and conduct research were low. This was particularly so for skills related to statistical analysis. Training programs and building of Pharmacy Practice Research Network are recommended to enhance pharmacist’s research capacity. PMID:29619141

Detection of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in oral mucosa of women with cervical lesions and their relation to oral sex practices

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Previous studies have either investigated the relationship of HPV with oral cancer or the prevalence of HPV on the oral cavity. The purpose of this investigation was to study the prevalence of HPV in oral cavity of women with oral sex practices and cervical lesions. Methods Forty six (46) non-smokers and non-alcoholic patients attended the "Clínica de Displasias" of "Ciudad Juarez" were sampled. This population had a CIN diagnosis sometime between the previous six months. On previous consent they filled out a questionnaire related to their oral sex practices. Afterwards one swab from cheeks and another from palate/gum were taken; PCR was used to determine generic HPV, HPV16 and HPV18. Results Seventy two percent (72%) of the patients stated to have oral sex practices regularly which all of them were positive to HPV either in oral mucus, palate/gum or both. The total of the given results showed that 35% had HPV16; among those distributed in 26% with regular oral sex practices and 9% stated as never practiced oral sex. An association was found between oral HPV16 positivity and progression to cervical CIN advanced lesions. On the other hand HPV18 was not detected. The frequency of HPV16 was higher in buccal mucosa (23%) versus palate/gum (16%). Conclusions This study suggests that buccal HPV16 infection is associated with CIN progression. PMID:21129222

Comparing Quantitative Values of Two Generations of Laser-Assisted Indocyanine Green Dye Angiography Systems: Can We Predict Necrosis?

PubMed Central

Fourman, Mitchell S.; Rivara, Andrew; Dagum, Alexander B.; Huston, Tara L.; Ganz, Jason C.; Bui, Duc T.; Khan, Sami U.

2014-01-01

Objective: Several devices exist today to assist the intraoperative determination of skin flap perfusion. Laser-Assisted Indocyanine Green Dye Angiography (LAICGA) has been shown to accurately predict mastectomy skin flap necrosis using quantitative perfusion values. The laser properties of the latest LAICGA device (SPY Elite) differ significantly from its predecessor system (SPY 2001), preventing direct translation of previous published data. The purpose of this study was to establish a mathematical relationship of perfusion values between these 2 devices. Methods: Breast reconstruction patients were prospectively enrolled into a clinical trial where skin flap evaluation and excision was based on quantitative SPY Q values previously established in the literature. Initial study patients underwent mastectomy skin flap evaluation using both SPY systems simultaneously. Absolute perfusion unit (APU) values at identical locations on the breast were then compared graphically. Results: 210 data points were identified on the same patients (n = 4) using both SPY systems. A linear relationship (y = 2.9883x + 12.726) was identified with a high level or correlation (R2 = 0.744). Previously published values using SPY 2001 (APU 3.7) provided a value of 23.8 APU on the SPY Elite. In addition, postoperative necrosis in these patients correlated to regions of skin identified with the SPY Elite with APU less than 23.8. Conclusion: Intraoperative comparison of LAICGA systems has provided direct correlation of perfusion values predictive of necrosis that were previously established in the literature. An APU value of 3.7 from the SPY 2001 correlates to a SPY Elite APU value of 23.8. PMID:25525483

Depression in patients with epilepsy in Northwestern Nigeria: Prevalence and clinical correlates

PubMed Central

Owolabi, Shakirah Desola; Owolabi, Lukman Femi; Udofia, Owoidoho; Sale, Shehu

2016-01-01

Background: The impact of seizure disorder on people living with epilepsy (PWE) is worsened by the occurrence of comorbid psychiatric disorders, such as depression, which have been found commonly in PWE. Despite the dire consequences comorbid depression has on PWE, it still remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression and associated clinical factors in PWE in Northwestern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 255 consecutive patients with epilepsy aged 18 years and above, from two health facilities, were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Following completion of a structured proforma detailing sociodemographic and seizure characteristics, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was administered to diagnose depression in the patients. Results: A total of 255 patients, with a mean age of 32 years (standard deviation = 1.31), comprising 147 (57.6%) males and 108 (42.4%) females were studied. Majority (79.2%) of the patients had primarily generalized seizure type. Overall, depressive disorder was present in 52 (20.4%) patients. A significant association was found between previous hospitalization for epilepsy (P = 0.009), increased frequency of seizures, (P = 0.004), and prolonged duration of epilepsy, (P = 0.006). The independent predictors of depression included duration of epilepsy (P = 0.0001), previous hospitalization for epilepsy (P = 0.011), and frequency of seizures (P = 0.028). Conclusion: Depression was common in PWE. Female gender, previous hospitalization for epilepsy, increased frequency of seizures and prolonged duration of epilepsy were associated with depression in PWE. Previous hospitalization for epilepsy, increased frequency of seizures, and prolonged duration of epilepsy were independent predictors of depression. PMID:27853032

Multilocus phylogeographic assessment of the California Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata) suggests alternative patterns of diversification for the California Floristic Province.

PubMed

Myers, E A; Rodríguez-Robles, J A; Denardo, D F; Staub, R E; Stropoli, A; Ruane, S; Burbrink, F T

2013-11-01

Phylogeographic inference can determine the timing of population divergence, historical demographic processes, patterns of migration, and when extended to multiple species, the history of communities. Single-locus analyses can mislead interpretations of the evolutionary history of taxa and comparative analyses. It is therefore important to revisit previous single-locus phylogeographic studies, particularly those that have been used to propose general patterns for regional biotas and the processes responsible for generating inferred patterns. Here, we employ a multilocus statistical approach to re-examine the phylogeography of Lampropeltis zonata. Using nonparametic and Bayesian species delimitation, we determined that there are two well-supported species within L. zonata. Ecological niche modelling supports the delimitation of these taxa, suggesting that the two species inhabit distinct climatic environments. Gene flow between the two taxa is low and appears to occur unidirectionally. Further, our data suggest that gene flow was mediated by females, a rare pattern in snakes. In contrast to previous analyses, we determined that the divergence between the two lineages occurred in the late Pliocene (c. 2.07 Ma). Spatially and temporally, the divergence of these lineages is associated with the inundation of central California by the Monterey Bay. The effective population sizes of the two species appear to have been unaffected by Pleistocene glaciation. Our increased sampling of loci for L. zonata, combined with previously published multilocus analyses of other sympatric species, suggests that previous conclusions reached by comparative phylogeographic studies conducted within the California Floristic Province should be reassessed. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pituitary-adrenocortical adjustments to transport stress in horses with previous different handling and transport conditions

PubMed Central

Fazio, E.; Medica, P.; Cravana, C.; Ferlazzo, and A.

2016-01-01

Aim: The changes of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis response to a long distance transportation results in increase of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels. The purpose of the study was to quantify the level of short-term road transport stress on circulating ACTH and cortisol concentrations, related to the effect of previous handling and transport experience of horses. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on 56 healthy horses after short-term road transport of 30 km. The horses were divided into four groups, Groups A, B, C, and D, with respect to the handling quality: Good (Groups A and B), bad (Group D), and minimal handling (Group C) conditions. According to the previous transport, experience horses were divided as follows: Horses of Groups A and D had been experienced long-distance transportation before; horses of Groups B and C had been limited experience of transportation. Results: One-way RM-ANOVA showed significant effects of transport on ACTH changes in Groups B and C and on cortisol changes in both Groups A and B. Groups A and B showed lower baseline ACTH and cortisol values than Groups C and D; Groups A and B showed lower post-transport ACTH values than Groups C and D. Groups A, B, and C showed lower post-transport cortisol values than Group D. Only Groups A and B horses have shown an adequate capacity of stress response to transportation. Conclusion: The previous transport experience and quality of handling could influence the HPA axis physiological responses of horses after short-term road transport. PMID:27651674

Learning from an Unsuccessful Study Idea: Reflection and Application of Innovative Techniques to Prevent Future Failures.

PubMed

Fujihara, Yuki; Saito, Taichi; Huetteman, Helen E; Sterbenz, Jennifer M; Chung, Kevin C

2018-04-01

A well-organized, thoughtful study design is essential for creating an impactful study. However, pressures promoting high output from researchers can lead to rushed study proposals that overlook critical weaknesses in the study design that can affect the validity of the conclusions. Researchers can benefit from thorough review of past failed proposals when crafting new research ideas. Conceptual frameworks and root cause analysis are two innovative techniques that can be used during study development to identify flaws and prevent study failures. In addition, conceptual frameworks and root cause analysis can be combined to complement each other to provide both a big picture and detailed view of a study proposal. This article describes these two common analytical methods and provides an example of how they can be used to evaluate and improve a study design by critically examining a previous failed research idea.

Cholelithiasis in patients on the kidney transplant waiting list

PubMed Central

Brito, André Thiago Scandiuzzi; Azevedo, Luiz Sergio; Nahas, Willian Carlos; Matheus, André Siqueira; Jukemura, José

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the prevalence of cholecystopathy in chronic renal patients awaiting kidney transplants. INTRODUCTION The prevalence and management of cholelithiasis in renal transplant patients is not well established. METHODS A total of 342 chronic renal failure patients on the waiting list for a kidney transplant were studied. Patients were evaluated for the presence of cholelithiasis and related symptoms, previous cholecystectomies and other abdominal surgeries, time on dialysis, and general data (gender, age, number of pregnancies, and body mass index). RESULTS Cholelithiasis was found in 41 out of 342 patients (12%). Twelve of these patients, all symptomatic, had previously undergone cholecystectomies. Five out of 29 patients who had not undergone surgery were symptomatic. Overall, 17 patients (41.5%) were symptomatic. Their mean age was 54 (range 32–74) years old; 61% were female, and their mean body mass index was 25.4. Nineteen (76%) out of 25 women had previously been pregnant, with an average of 3.6 pregnancies per woman. CONCLUSIONS The frequency of cholelithiasis was similar to that reported in the literature for the general population. However, the high frequency of symptomatic patients points toward an indication of routine pre-transplant cholecystectomy to avoid serious post-transplant complications. PMID:20454496

A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of cytogenetic and molecular genetic methods in the detection of Down syndrome.

PubMed

Mačkić-Đurović, Mirela; Projić, Petar; Ibrulj, Slavka; Cakar, Jasmina; Marjanović, Damir

2014-05-01

The goal of this study was to examine the effectiveness of 6 STR markers application (D21S1435, D21S11, D21S1270, D21S1411, D21S226 and IFNAR) in molecular genetic diagnostics of Down syndrome (DS) and to compare it with cytogenetic method. Testing was performed on 73 children, with the previously cytogenetically confirmed Down syndrome. DNA isolated from the buccal swab was used. Previously mentioned loci located on chromosome 21 were simultaneously amplified using quantitative fluorescence PCR (QF PCR). Using this method, 60 previously cytogenetically diagnosed DS with standard type of trisomy 21 were confirmed. Furthermore, six of eight children with mosaic type of DS were detected. Two false negative results for mosaic type of DS were obtained. Finally, five children with the translocation type of Down syndrome were also confirmed with this molecular test. In conclusion, molecular genetic analysis of STR loci is fast, cheap and simple method that could be used in detection of DS. Regarding possible false results detected for certain number of mosaic types, cytogenetic analysis should be used as a confirmatory test.

Alectinib Salvages CNS Relapses in ALK-Positive Lung Cancer Patients Previously Treated with Crizotinib and Ceritinib

PubMed Central

Gainor, Justin F.; Sherman, Carol A.; Willoughby, Kathryn; Logan, Jennifer; Kennedy, Elizabeth; Brastianos, Priscilla K.; Chi, Andrew S.; Shaw, Alice T.

2014-01-01

Background Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are an increasingly frequent and devastating complication of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Currently, the optimal management of LM in ALK-positive patients remains poorly understood as these patients have been routinely excluded from clinical trials. Methods We describe four ALK-positive patients with LM who were treated with the next-generation ALK inhibitor alectinib through single-patient, compassionate use protocols at two institutions. All patients had previously been treated with both FDA-approved ALK inhibitors—crizotinib and ceritinib. Patients received alectinib at a starting dose of 600 mg twice daily. Results Four ALK-positive NSCLC patients with symptomatic leptomeningeal disease were identified. Three of four patients experienced significant clinical and radiographic improvements in LM upon treatment with alectinib. A fourth patient had stable intracranial disease for four months before eventual systemic disease progression. Overall, alectinib was well tolerated. One patient required dose reduction due to grade 2 hyperbilirubinemia. Conclusions Alectinib is active in ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients with LM, including in patients previously treated with crizotinib and ceritinib. Additional prospective studies of alectinib in ALK-positive patients with LM are warranted. PMID:25526238

Impact of cooking and home food preparation interventions among adults: outcomes and implications for future programs

PubMed Central

Reicks, Marla; Trofholz, Amanda C.; Stang, Jamie S; Laska, Melissa N.

2014-01-01

Objective Cooking programs are growing in popularity; however an extensive review has not examined overall impact. Therefore, this study reviewed previous research on cooking/home food preparation interventions and diet and health-related outcomes among adults and identified implications for practice and research. Design Literature review and descriptive summative method. Main outcome measures Dietary intake, knowledge/skills, cooking attitudes and self-efficacy/confidence, health outcomes. Analysis Articles evaluating effectiveness of interventions that included cooking/home food preparation as the primary aim (January 1980 through December 2011) were identified via OVID MEDLINE, Agricola and Web of Science databases. Studies grouped according to design and outcomes were reviewed for validity using an established coding system. Results were summarized for several outcome categories. Results Of 28 studies identified, 12 included a control group with six as non-randomized and six as randomized controlled trials. Evaluation was done post-intervention for five studies, pre- and post-intervention for 23 and beyond post-intervention for 15. Qualitative and quantitative measures suggested a positive influence on main outcomes. However, non-rigorous study designs, varying study populations, and use of non-validated assessment tools limited stronger conclusions. Conclusions and Implications Well-designed studies are needed that rigorously evaluate long-term impact on cooking behavior, dietary intake, obesity and other health outcomes. PMID:24703245

Mechanisms Involved in Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Borges, Juliana Pereira; Lessa, Marcos Adriano

2015-01-01

Background Acute myocardial infarction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Furthermore, research has shown that exercise, in addition to reducing cardiovascular risk factors, can also protect the heart against injury due to ischemia and reperfusion through a direct effect on the myocardium. However, the specific mechanism involved in exerciseinduced cardiac preconditioning is still under debate. Objective To perform a systematic review of the studies that have addressed the mechanisms by which aerobic exercise promotes direct cardioprotection against ischemia and reperfusion injury. Methods A search was conducted using MEDLINE, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe de Informação em Ciências da Saúde, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases. Data were extracted in a standardized manner by two independent researchers, who were responsible for assessing the methodological quality of the studies. Results The search retrieved 78 studies; after evaluating the abstracts, 30 studies were excluded. The manuscripts of the remaining 48 studies were completely read and, of these, 20 were excluded. Finally, 28 studies were included in this systematic review. Conclusion On the basis of the selected studies, the following are potentially involved in the cardioprotective response to exercise: increased heat shock protein production, nitric oxide pathway involvement, increased cardiac antioxidant capacity, improvement in ATP-dependent potassium channel function, and opioid system activation. Despite all the previous investigations, further research is still necessary to obtain more consistent conclusions. PMID:25830711

Image recognition and consistency of response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haygood, Tamara M.; Ryan, John; Liu, Qing Mary A.; Bassett, Roland; Brennan, Patrick C.

2012-02-01

Purpose: To investigate the connection between conscious recognition of an image previously encountered in an experimental setting and consistency of response to the experimental question.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-four radiologists viewed 40 frontal chest radiographs and gave their opinion as to the position of a central venous catheter. One-to-three days later they again viewed 40 frontal chest radiographs and again gave their opinion as to the position of the central venous catheter. Half of the radiographs in the second set were repeated images from the first set and half were new. The radiologists were asked of each image whether it had been included in the first set. For this study, we are evaluating only the 20 repeated images. We used the Kruskal-Wallis test and Fisher's exact test to determine the relationship between conscious recognition of a previously interpreted image and consistency in interpretation of the image.
Results. There was no significant correlation between recognition of the image and consistency in response regarding the position of the central venous catheter. In fact, there was a trend in the opposite direction, with radiologists being slightly more likely to give a consistent response with respect to images they did not recognize than with respect to those they did recognize.
Conclusion: Radiologists' recognition of previously-encountered images in an observer-performance study does not noticeably color their interpretation on the second encounter.

Identification of Rare PB2-D701N Mutation from a Patient with Severe Influenza: Contribution of the PB2-D701N Mutation to the Pathogenicity of Human Influenza.

PubMed

Nieto, Amelia; Pozo, Francisco; Vidal-García, Matxalen; Omeñaca, Manuel; Casas, Inmaculada; Falcón, Ana

2017-01-01

Several amino acid changes have been previously implicated in adaptation of avian influenza viruses to human hosts, among them the D701N change in the PB2 polymerase subunit that also is the main determinant of avian virus pathogenesis in animal models. However, previous studies using recombinant viruses did not provide conclusive information of the contribution of this PB2 residue to pathogenicity in human influenza virus strains. We identified this mutation in an A(H1N1)pdm09-like human influenza virus isolated from an infected patient with pneumonia and acute respiratory failure, admitted to the intensive care unit. An exhaustive search has revealed PB2-D701 as a highly conserved position in all available H1N1 human virus sequences in NCBI database, showing a very low prevalence of PB2-D701N change. Presence of PB2-701N amino acid correlates with severe or fatal outcome in those scarce cases with known disease outcome of the infection. In these patients, the residue PB2-701N may contribute to pathogenicity as it was previously reported in humans infected with avian viruses. This study helps to clarify a debate that has arisen regarding the role of PB2-D701N in human influenza virus pathogenicity.

Identification of Rare PB2-D701N Mutation from a Patient with Severe Influenza: Contribution of the PB2-D701N Mutation to the Pathogenicity of Human Influenza

PubMed Central

Nieto, Amelia; Pozo, Francisco; Vidal-García, Matxalen; Omeñaca, Manuel; Casas, Inmaculada; Falcón, Ana

2017-01-01

Several amino acid changes have been previously implicated in adaptation of avian influenza viruses to human hosts, among them the D701N change in the PB2 polymerase subunit that also is the main determinant of avian virus pathogenesis in animal models. However, previous studies using recombinant viruses did not provide conclusive information of the contribution of this PB2 residue to pathogenicity in human influenza virus strains. We identified this mutation in an A(H1N1)pdm09-like human influenza virus isolated from an infected patient with pneumonia and acute respiratory failure, admitted to the intensive care unit. An exhaustive search has revealed PB2-D701 as a highly conserved position in all available H1N1 human virus sequences in NCBI database, showing a very low prevalence of PB2-D701N change. Presence of PB2-701N amino acid correlates with severe or fatal outcome in those scarce cases with known disease outcome of the infection. In these patients, the residue PB2-701N may contribute to pathogenicity as it was previously reported in humans infected with avian viruses. This study helps to clarify a debate that has arisen regarding the role of PB2-D701N in human influenza virus pathogenicity. PMID:28421062

One-year results of the use of endovenous radiofrequency ablation utilising an optimised radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy protocol for the treatment of truncal superficial venous reflux.

PubMed

Badham, George E; Dos Santos, Scott J; Lloyd, Lucinda Ba; Holdstock, Judy M; Whiteley, Mark S

2018-06-01

Background In previous in vitro and ex vivo studies, we have shown increased thermal spread can be achieved with radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy when using a low power and slower, discontinuous pullback. We aimed to determine the clinical success rate of radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy using this optimised protocol for the treatment of superficial venous reflux in truncal veins. Methods Sixty-three patients were treated with radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy using the optimised protocol and were followed up after one year (mean 16.3 months). Thirty-five patients returned for audit, giving a response rate of 56%. Duplex ultrasonography was employed to check for truncal reflux and compared to initial scans. Results In the 35 patients studied, there were 48 legs, with 64 truncal veins treated by radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy (34 great saphenous, 15 small saphenous and 15 anterior accessory saphenous veins). One year post-treatment, complete closure of all previously refluxing truncal veins was demonstrated on ultrasound, giving a success rate of 100%. Conclusions Using a previously reported optimised, low power/slow pullback radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy protocol, we have shown it is possible to achieve a 100% ablation at one year. This compares favourably with results reported at one year post-procedure using the high power/fast pullback protocols that are currently recommended for this device.

Immortal Time Bias: A Frequently Unrecognized Threat to Validity in the Evaluation of Postoperative Radiotherapy

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

Park, Henry S.; Gross, Cary P.; Makarov, Danil V.

2012-08-01

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of immortal time bias on observational cohort studies of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and the effectiveness of sequential landmark analysis to account for this bias. Methods and Materials: First, we reviewed previous studies of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to determine how frequently this bias was considered. Second, we used SEER to select three tumor types (glioblastoma multiforme, Stage IA-IVM0 gastric adenocarcinoma, and Stage II-III rectal carcinoma) for which prospective trials demonstrated an improvement in survival associated with PORT. For each tumor type, we calculated conditional survivals and adjusted hazard ratios of PORTmore » vs. postoperative observation cohorts while restricting the sample at sequential monthly landmarks. Results: Sixty-two percent of previous SEER publications evaluating PORT failed to use a landmark analysis. As expected, delivery of PORT for all three tumor types was associated with improved survival, with the largest associated benefit favoring PORT when all patients were included regardless of survival. Preselecting a cohort with a longer minimum survival sequentially diminished the apparent benefit of PORT. Conclusions: Although the majority of previous SEER articles do not correct for it, immortal time bias leads to altered estimates of PORT effectiveness, which are very sensitive to landmark selection. We suggest the routine use of sequential landmark analysis to account for this bias.« less

Incidence and diagnosis of anosognosia for hemiparesis revisited

PubMed Central

Baier, B; Karnath, H

2005-01-01

Background: In previous studies, the incidence of anosognosia for hemiparesis has varied between 17% and 58% in samples of brain damaged patients with hemiparesis. Objective: To determine whether this wide variation might be explained by the different criteria used for diagnosing anosognosia. Methods: 128 acute stroke patients with hemiparesis or hemiplegia were tested for anosognosia for hemiparesis using the anosognosia scale of Bisiach et al. Results: 94% of the patients who were rated as having "mild anosognosia"—that is, they did not acknowledge their hemiparesis spontaneously following a general question about their complaints—suffered from, and mentioned, other neurological deficits such as dysarthria, ptosis, or headache. However, they immediately acknowledged their paresis when they were asked about the strength of their limbs. Their other deficits clearly had a greater impact. These patients had significantly milder paresis than those who denied their disorder even when asked directly about their limbs. Conclusions: Patients who do not mention their paresis spontaneously but do so when questioned about it directly should not be diagnosed having "anosognosia." If this more conservative cut off criterion is applied to the data of the present as well as previous studies, a frequency of between 10% and 18% for anosognosia for hemiparesis is obtained in unselected samples of acute hemiparetic stroke patients. The incidence thus seems smaller than previously assumed. PMID:15716526

Frequency of Testing for Dyslipidemia: An Evidence-Based Analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Dyslipidemias include high levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is a major contributor to mortality in Canada. Approximately 23% of the 2009/11 Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) participants had a high level of LDL cholesterol, with prevalence increasing with age, and approximately 15% had a total cholesterol to HDL ratio above the threshold. Objectives To evaluate the frequency of lipid testing in adults not diagnosed with dyslipidemia and in adults on treatment for dyslipidemia. Research Methods A systematic review of the literature set out to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, health technology assessments (HTAs), and observational studies published between January 1, 2000, and November 29, 2012, that evaluated the frequency of testing for dyslipidemia in the 2 populations. Results Two observational studies assessed the frequency of lipid testing, 1 in individuals not on lipid-lowering medications and 1 in treated individuals. Both studies were based on previously collected data intended for a different objective and, therefore, no conclusions could be reached about the frequency of testing at intervals other than the ones used in the original studies. Given this limitation and generalizability issues, the quality of evidence was considered very low. No evidence for the frequency of lipid testing was identified in the 2 HTAs included. Canadian and international guidelines recommend testing for dyslipidemia in individuals at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The frequency of testing recommended is based on expert consensus. Conclusions Conclusions on the frequency of lipid testing could not be made based on the 2 observational studies. Current guidelines recommend lipid testing in adults with increased cardiovascular risk, with the frequency of testing based on individual cardiovascular risk. PMID:26316920

Consumption of whole grains and cereal fiber in relation to cancer risk: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

PubMed Central

Makarem, Nour; Nicholson, Joseph M.; Bandera, Elisa V.; McKeown, Nicola M.

2016-01-01

Context: Evidence from previous reviews is supportive of the hypothesis that whole grains may protect against various cancers. However, the reviews did not report risk estimates for both whole grains and cereal fiber and only case–control studies were evaluated. It is unclear whether longitudinal studies support this conclusion. Objective: To evaluate associations between whole grains and cereal fiber in relation to risk of lifestyle-related cancers data from longitudinal studies was evaluated. Data Sources: The following 3 databases were systematically searched: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL. Study Selection: A total of 43 longitudinal studies conducted in Europe and North America that reported multivariable-adjusted risk estimates for whole grains (n = 14), cereal fiber (n = 23), or both (n = 6) in relation to lifestyle-related cancers were included. Data Extraction: Information on study location, cohort name, follow-up duration, sample characteristics, dietary assessment method, risk estimates, and confounders was extracted. Data Synthesis: Of 20 studies examining whole grains and cancer, 6 studies reported a statistically significant 6%–47% reduction in risk, but 14 studies showed no association. Of 29 studies examining cereal fiber intake in relation to cancer, 8 showed a statistically significant 6%–49% reduction in risk, whereas 21 studies reported no association. Conclusions: This systematic review concludes that most studies were suggestive of a null association. Whole grains and cereal fiber may protect against gastrointestinal cancers, but these findings require confirmation in additional studies. PMID:27257283

The Persistence of Silodosin Monotherapy and the Reasons for Withdrawal from Treatment of Previously Untreated Japanese Patients with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Suggestive of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

PubMed Central

Tanuma, Yasushi

2017-01-01

Objectives The persistence of silodosin and the reasons for withdrawal from treatment of previously untreated Japanese patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) were evaluated in real-life clinical practice. Methods A total of 81 previously untreated Japanese patients diagnosed with LUTS/BPH were treated with silodosin monotherapy and prospectively followed for 4 years. The persistence rate was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. If silodosin had to be terminated or a patient did not come to the hospital, the reason was determined. Results The 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 4-year persistence rates were 63.0%, 56.8%, 50.6%, 44.4%, and 35.8%, respectively. The most frequent reason (22.2%) for withdrawal was symptom resolution. After silodosin treatment, the international prostate symptom score and the quality of life index were significantly improved and maintained for 4 years. Conclusions 35.8% of previously untreated Japanese patients continued silodosin for 4 years. Many patients terminated silodosin for various reasons, the most frequent of which was symptom resolution. The effects of silodosin were maintained when the patients continued treatment. Trial Registration This study was approved by the institutional review board of Hokkaido Prefectural Esashi Hospital (number 2007-2) and was registered in a public trial registry (UMIN000026910). PMID:28694823

Lack of replication of higher genetic risk load in men than in women with systemic lupus erythematosus

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Introduction We aimed to replicate a recent study which showed higher genetic risk load at 15 loci in men than in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This difference was very significant, and it was interpreted as indicating that men require more genetic susceptibility than women to develop SLE. Methods Nineteen SLE-associated loci (thirteen of which are shared with the previous study) were analyzed in 1,457 SLE patients and 1,728 healthy controls of European ancestry. Genetic risk load was calculated as sex-specific sum genetic risk scores (GRSs). Results Our results did not replicate those of the previous study at either the level of individual loci or the global level of GRSs. GRSs were larger in women than in men (4.20 ± 1.07 in women vs. 3.27 ± 0.98 in men). This very significant difference (P < 10−16) was more dependent on the six new loci not included in the previous study (59% of the difference) than on the thirteen loci that are shared (the remaining 41%). However, the 13 shared loci also showed a higher genetic risk load in women than in men in our study (P = 6.6 × 10−7), suggesting that heterogeneity of participants, in addition to different loci, contributed to the opposite results. Conclusion Our results show the lack of a clear trend toward higher genetic risk in one of the sexes for the analyzed SLE loci. They also highlight several limitations of assessments of genetic risk load, including the possibility of ascertainment bias with loci discovered in studies that have included mainly women. PMID:24946689

Primary care-led commissioning: applying lessons from the past to the early development of clinical commissioning groups in England

PubMed Central

Checkland, Kath; Coleman, Anna; McDermott, Imelda; Segar, Julia; Miller, Rosalind; Petsoulas, Christina; Wallace, Andrew; Harrison, Stephen; Peckham, Stephen

2013-01-01

Background The current reorganisation of the English NHS is one of the most comprehensive ever seen. This study reports early evidence from the development of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), a key element in the new structures. Aim To explore the development of CCGs in the context of what is known from previous studies of GP involvement in commissioning. Design and setting Case study analysis from sites chosen to provide maximum variety across a number of dimensions, from September 2011 to June 2012. Method A case study analysis was conducted using eight detailed qualitative case studies supplemented by descriptive information from web surveys at two points in time. Data collection involved observation of a variety of meetings, and interviews with key participants. Results Previous research shows that clinical involvement in commissioning is most effective when GPs feel able to act autonomously. Complicated internal structures, alongside developing external accountability relationships mean that CCGs’ freedom to act may be subject to considerable constraint. Effective GP engagement is also important in determining outcomes of clinical commissioning, and there are a number of outstanding issues for CCGs, including: who feels ‘ownership’ of the CCG; how internal communication is conceptualised and realised; and the role and remit of locality groups. Previous incarnations of GP-led commissioning have tended to focus on local and primary care services. CCGs are keen to act to improve quality in their constituent practices, using approaches that many developed under practice-based commissioning. Constrained managerial support and the need to maintain GP engagement may have an impact. Conclusion CCGs are new organisations, faced with significant new responsibilities. This study provides early evidence of issues that CCGs and those responsible for CCG development may wish to address. PMID:23998841

DialBetics With a Multimedia Food Recording Tool, FoodLog

PubMed Central

Waki, Kayo; Aizawa, Kiyoharu; Kato, Shigeko; Fujita, Hideo; Lee, Hanae; Kobayashi, Haruka; Ogawa, Makoto; Mouri, Keisuke; Kadowaki, Takashi; Ohe, Kazuhiko

2015-01-01

Background: Diabetes self-management education is an essential element of diabetes care. Systems based on information and communication technology (ICT) for supporting lifestyle modification and self-management of diabetes are promising tools for helping patients better cope with diabetes. An earlier study had determined that diet improved and HbA1c declined for the patients who had used DialBetics during a 3-month randomized clinical trial. The objective of the current study was to test a more patient-friendly version of DialBetics, whose development was based on the original participants’ feedback about the previous version of DialBetics. Method: DialBetics comprises 4 modules: data transmission, evaluation, exercise input, and food recording and dietary evaluation. Food recording uses a multimedia food record, FoodLog. A 1-week pilot study was designed to determine if usability and compliance improved over the previous version, especially with the new meal-input function. Results: In the earlier 3-month, diet-evaluation study, HbA1c had declined a significant 0.4% among those who used DialBetics compared with the control group. In the current 1-week study, input of meal photos was higher than with the previous version (84.8 ± 13.2% vs 77.1% ± 35.1% in the first 2 weeks of the 3-month trial). Interviews after the 1-week study showed that 4 of the 5 participants thought the meal-input function improved; the fifth found input easier, but did not consider the result an improvement. Conclusions: DialBetics with FoodLog was shown to be an effective and convenient tool, its new meal-photo input function helping provide patients with real-time support for diet modification. PMID:25883164

Randomized Phase Ib/II Trial of Rilotumumab or Ganitumab with Panitumumab versus Panitumumab Alone in Patients with Wild-type KRAS Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

PubMed Central

Cutsem, Eric Van; Eng, Cathy; Nowara, Elzbieta; Świeboda-Sadlej, Anna; Tebbutt, Niall C.; Mitchell, Edith; Davidenko, Irina; Stephenson, Joe; Elez, Elena; Prenen, Hans; Deng, Hongjie; Tang, Rui; McCaffery, Ian; Oliner, Kelly S.; Chen, Lisa; Gansert, Jennifer; Loh, Elwyn; Smethurst, Dominic; Tabernero, Josep

2015-01-01

Purpose Panitumumab, a fully human anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody (mAb), has demonstrated efficacy in patients with wild-type KRAS metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Rilotumumab and ganitumab are investigational, fully human mAbs against hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/scatter factor and IGF1R, respectively. Here we evaluate combining rilotumumab or ganitumab with panitumumab in previously treated patients with wild-type KRAS mCRC. Experimental Design Part 1 was a phase Ib dose-finding study of panitumumab plus rilotumumab. The primary endpoint was the incidence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLT). Part 2 was a randomized phase II trial of panitumumab in combination with rilotumumab, ganitumab, or placebo. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR); safety, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were secondary endpoints. Archival tissue specimens were collected for exploratory correlative work. Results In part 1, no DLTs were reported. A recommended phase II dose of 10 mg/kg rilotumumab was selected. In part 2, for the panitumumab plus rilotumumab (n = 48), panitumumab plus ganitumab (n = 46), and panitumumab plus placebo arms (n = 48), the ORRs were 31%, 22%, and 21%, respectively. The median PFS was 5.2, 5.3, and 3.7 months and median OS 13.8,10.6, and 11.6 months, respectively. Adverse events were tolerable. Exploratory biomarker analyses, including MET and IGF-related protein expression, failed to indicate conclusive predictive evidence on efficacy endpoints. Conclusions Panitumumab plus rilotumumab met the prespecified criterion for improvement in ORR whereas ganitumab did not. This is the first study to suggest a benefit for combining an HGF inhibitor (rilotumumab) with panitumumab in previously treated patients with wild-type KRAS mCRC. PMID:24919569

Stratigraphic framework and regional subsurface geology of upper Cretaceous through lower Eocene rocks in Wind River basin, Wyoming

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

Hogle, D.G.; Jones, R.W.

1989-03-01

A detailed stratigraphic study of over 6000 m of Upper Cretaceous through lower Eocene sedimentary rocks in the Wind River basin. Wyoming, has refined and expanded previous work and conclusions. A much larger data base than previously available was assembled to include a correlation net of 325 geophysical well logs, 36 drill holes with palynological age dates, lithology logs of drill hoes, and limited surface exposures. The most significant results and conclusions from this study are summarized below. (1) The lower part of the Mesaverde Formation intertongues with marine sandstones and shales of the upper Cody Shale to the eastmore » and with marine sandstones of the lower Mesaverde Formation in the Big Horn basin to the north. (2) An unconformity between the Mesaverde and Fort Union Formations in the southwestern part of the basin can be traced into the subsurface. (3) During the latest Cretaceous and Paleocene, over 2100 m of Lance Formation and over 2700 m of Fort Union Formation were deposited in the northeastern part of the basin. Ponding during the Paleocene is demonstrated by correlation and subsurface mapping of over 900 m of shale and siltstone in the Waltman Shale Member of the Fort Union Formation. (4) The Lance and Fort Union Formations can be mapped in the subsurface throughout much of the basin. The Lance Formation pinches out in the western part of the basin. (5) Coal beds can be traced for short distances in the subsurface; coal bed occurrence is documented for the Mesaverde, lower Fort Union, and Meeteetse Formations in the southwestern, northern and central, and northwestern parts of the basin, respectively.« less

Microbiological Trends and Antimicrobial Resistance in Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis, 2005 to 2014.

PubMed

Zelenitsky, Sheryl A; Howarth, Jacy; Lagacé-Wiens, Philippe; Sathianathan, Christie; Ariano, Robert; Davis, Christine; Verrelli, Mauro

2017-01-01

♦ BACKGROUND: Information related to the microbiology of peritonitis is critical to the optimal management of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD). The goal was to characterize the microbiological etiology and antimicrobial susceptibilities of PD-related peritonitis (PDRP) from 2005 to 2014, inclusive. ♦ METHODS: The distribution of organisms in culture-positive PDRP was described for new episodes and relapse infections, and further detailed for monomicrobial and polymicrobial peritonitis. Annual and overall rates of PDRP were also characterized. Antimicrobial susceptibility rates were calculated for the most common and significant organisms. ♦ RESULTS: We identified 539 episodes of PDRP including 501 new and 38 relapse infections. New episodes of peritonitis were associated with a single organism in 85% of cases, and 44% of those involved staphylococci. Polymicrobial PDRP was more likely to involve gram-negative organisms, observed in 58% versus 24% of monomicrobial infections. Antimicrobial resistance was relatively stable from 2005 to 2014. Methicillin resistance was present in 57% of Staphylococcus epidermidis and 20% of other coagulase-negative staphylococci. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) accounted for only 11% of S. aureus peritonitis compared with 2% in our previous study of PDRP from 1991 to 1998. Ciprofloxacin resistance in Escherichia coli increased from 3% in our previous study to 24% in 2005 - 2014. ♦ CONCLUSIONS: This study characterizes important differences in the distribution of organisms in new episodes of PDRP and relapse infections, as well as monomicrobial versus polymicrobial peritonitis. It also shows relatively stable rates of antimicrobial resistance from 2005 to 2014, but some increases compared with our previous study. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

Mutational spectrum in breast cancer associated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in Colombia

PubMed Central

Gómez-Gutiérrez, Alberto; Díaz-Dussán, Natalia Andrea; Noguera-Santamaría, María Claudia; Díaz-Rincón, Diego; Casas-Gómez, María Consuelo

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: The risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer is higher in families that carry mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, and timely mutation detection is critical. Objective: To identify the presence of mutations in the Colombian population and evaluate two testing strategies. Methods: From a total universe of 853 individual blood samples referred for BRCA1 and BRCA2 typing, 256 cases were analyzed by complete direct sequencing of both genes in Myriad Genetics, and the remaining 597 cases were studied by partial sequencing based on founder mutations in a PCR test designed by ourselves ("Profile Colombia"). Results: We found 107 patients carrying deleterious mutations in this group of patients, 69 (64.5%) located in BRCA1, and 38 (35.5%) in BRCA2. Overall, we detected 39 previously unreported mutations in Colombia (22 in BRCA1 and 17 in BRCA2) and only 4 out of the 6 previously reported founder mutations. Sixty four out of 597 patients (10.7%) studied by "Profile Colombia" showed mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2, and 41/256 patients (16%) showed mutations by complete BRCA1-BRCA2 sequencing. Conclusions: The spectrum of 44 different mutations in Colombia as detected in our study is broader than the one previously reported for this country. "Profile Colombia" is a useful screening test to establish both founder and new mutations (detection rate of 10.7%) in cases with family history of breast cancer. Complete sequencing shows a detection rate of 16.0%, and should complement the study of the genetic basis of this disease. PMID:29021639

CLIMATE, STREAMFLOW AND WATER SUPPLY IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. (R824992)

EPA Science Inventory

Most previous investigations of the impact of potential climatic change on water supply systems have focused on individual systems so that their conclusions only apply to a particular system. Recent advances in computer technology, regional hydrology and our understanding of wate...

Rural public transportation technologies : user needs and applications : executive summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-02-01

The Driver/Carrier project was organized in two phases. The goal of this report is to address the three goals stated in the previous section. This report will discuss the overall findings and conclusions of the project research and analysis. The repo...

A Reply to the Comment on "Assessing Discrepancies Between Previous Plate Kinematic Models of Mesozoic Iberia and Their Constraints" by Barnett-Moore Et Al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnett-Moore, N.; Font, E.; Neres, M.

2017-12-01

We welcome the comments of van Hinsbergen et al. (2017) on the recent efforts of Barnett-Moore et al. (2016). Specifically, van Hinsbergen et al. (2017) raise concerns about two of the major conclusions made by Barnett-Moore et al. (2016). First, Barnett-Moore et al. (2016) choose to negate the Cretaceous Iberian paleomagnetic database as a viable plate kinematic constraint on the plate motions of Mesozoic Iberia. This conclusion, criticized by van Hinsbergen et al. (2017), was based on citing the previous efforts of Neres et al. (2012, 2013), which exposed several shortcomings, elaborated on below, within this data set. Second, van Hinsbergen et al. (2017) criticize Barnett-Moore et al. (2016) for dismissing mantle tomographic interpretations in support of a preserved Cretaceous Pyrenean "subducted slab" beneath northern Africa. Below, we have addressed each of these major criticisms from van Hinsbergen et al. (2017) in a two-section layout, similar to their comment above.

Jumping to conclusions and the continuum of delusional beliefs.

PubMed

Warman, Debbie M; Lysaker, Paul H; Martin, Joel M; Davis, Louanne; Haudenschield, Samantha L

2007-06-01

The present study examined the jumping to conclusions reasoning bias across the continuum of delusional ideation by investigating individuals with active delusions, delusion prone individuals, and non-delusion prone individuals. Neutral and highly self-referent probabilistic reasoning tasks were employed. Results indicated that individuals with delusions gathered significantly less information than delusion prone and non-delusion prone participants on both the neutral and self-referent tasks, (p<.001). Individuals with delusions made less accurate decisions than the delusion prone and non-delusion prone participants on both tasks (p<.001), yet were more confident about their decisions than were delusion prone and non-delusion prone participants on the self-referent task (p=.002). Those with delusions and those who were delusion prone reported higher confidence in their performance on the self-referent task than they did the neutral task (p=.02), indicating that high self-reference impacted information processing for individuals in both of these groups. The results are discussed in relation to previous research in the area of probabilistic reasoning and delusions.

Different neural systems contribute to semantic bias and conflict detection in the inclusion fallacy task.

PubMed

Liang, Peipeng; Goel, Vinod; Jia, Xiuqin; Li, Kuncheng

2014-01-01

The inclusion fallacy is a phenomenon in which generalization from a specific premise category to a more general conclusion category is considered stronger than a generalization to a specific conclusion category nested within the more general set. Such inferences violate rational norms and are part of the reasoning fallacy literature that provides interesting tasks to explore cognitive and neural basis of reasoning. To explore the functional neuroanatomy of the inclusion fallacy, we used a 2 × 2 factorial design, with factors for quantification (explicit and implicit) and response (fallacious and non-fallacious). It was found that a left fronto-temporal system, along with a superior medial frontal system, was specifically activated in response to fallacious responses consistent with a semantic biasing of judgment explanation. A right fronto-parietal system was specifically recruited in response to detecting conflict associated with the heightened fallacy condition. These results are largely consistent with previous studies of reasoning fallacy and support a multiple systems model of reasoning.

High pressure study on molecular mobility of leucrose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaminski, K.; Kaminska, E.; Hensel-Bielowka, S.; Pawlus, S.; Paluch, M.; Ziolo, J.

2008-08-01

Broadband dielectric measurements on leucrose were performed under ambient and high pressure. We showed that in this disaccharide, there are two secondary relaxation modes, a slower one sensitive to pressure and a faster one that is not. This finding clearly indicates that the faster secondary relaxation originates from the intramolecular motion. This conclusion contradicted previous interpretations of this mode observed for trehalose and maltitol, systems very closely related to leucrose. In addition, pressure sensitivity of the slower relaxation confirms our recent interpretation about the character of this process. Furthermore, we discovered that unlike the faster relaxation, the slower secondary relaxation is sensitive to the thermodynamic history of measurements. Finally, monitoring the changes in maximum loss of the slower secondary relaxation measured at the same pressure and temperature conditions for glasses obtained via different thermodynamic routes enabled us to draw a conclusion about the density of the formed glasses. Our observations may be helpful in establishing a new method of suppressing crystallization of amorphous drugs.

The Unruh effect for eccentric uniformly rotating observers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramezani-Aval, H.

It is common to use Galilean rotational transformation (GRT) to investigate the Unruh effect for uniformly rotating observers. However, the rotating observer in this subject is an eccentric observer while GRT is only valid for centrally rotating observers. Thus, the reliability of the results of applying GRT to the study of the Unruh effect might be considered as questionable. In this work, the rotational analog of the Unruh effect is investigated by employing two relativistic rotational transformations corresponding to the eccentric rotating observer, and it is shown that in both cases, the detector response function is nonzero. It is also shown that although consecutive Lorentz transformations cannot give a frame within which the canonical construction can be carried out, the expectation value of particle number operator in canonical approach will be zero if we use modified Franklin transformation. These conclusions reinforce the claim that correspondence between vacuum states defined via canonical field theory and a detector is broken for rotating observers. Some previous conclusions are commented on and some controversies are also discussed.

Reassessment of the predatory effects of rainbow smelt on ciscoes in Lake Superior

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myers, Jared T.; Jones, Michael L.; Stockwell, Jason D.; Yule, Daniel L.

2009-01-01

Evidence from small lakes suggests that predation on larval ciscoes Coregonus artedi by nonnative rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax can lead to cisco suppression or extirpation. However, evidence from larger lakes has led to equivocal conclusions. In this study, we examine the potential predation effects of rainbow smelt in two adjacent but contrasting embayments in Lake Superior (Thunder and Black bays, Ontario). During May 2006, we sampled the ichthyoplankton, pelagic fish communities, and diet composition of rainbow smelt in both bays. Using acoustics and midwater trawling, we estimated rainbow smelt densities to be 476 ± 34/ha (mean ± SE) in Thunder Bay and 3,435 ± 460/ha in Black Bay. We used a bioenergetics model to estimate the proportion of cisco larvae consumed by rainbow smelt. Our results suggest that predation by rainbow smelt accounts for 15–52% and 37–100% of the mortality of larval ciscoes in Thunder and Black bays, respectively, depending on the predator feeding rate and the scale of predator–prey overlap. We also examined the sensitivity of past conclusions (based on 1974 field collections) to assumptions of temporal overlap between rainbow smelt and larval ciscoes and estimates of rainbow smelt abundance derived from bottom trawl samples. After adjusting these parameters to reflect current understanding, we found that the previous predation estimates may have been conservative. We conclude that rainbow smelt may have been a more important contributor to the demise and slow recovery of ciscoes in Lake Superior than previously thought.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with thermoregulation in lactating dairy cows exposed to heat stress.

PubMed

Dikmen, S; Wang, X-z; Ortega, M S; Cole, J B; Null, D J; Hansen, P J

2015-12-01

Dairy cows with increased rectal temperature experience lower milk yield and fertility. Rectal temperature during heat stress is heritable, so genetic selection for body temperature regulation could reduce effects of heat stress on production. One aim of the study was to validate the relationship between genotype and heat tolerance for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously associated with resistance to heat stress. A second aim was to identify new SNPs associated with heat stress resistance. Thermotolerance was assessed in lactating Holsteins during the summer by measuring rectal temperature (a direct measurement of body temperature regulation; n = 435), respiration rate (an indirect measurement of body temperature regulation, n = 450) and sweating rate (the major evaporative cooling mechanism in cattle, n = 455). The association between genotype and thermotolerance was evaluated for 19 SNPs previously associated with rectal temperature from a genomewide analysis study (GWAS), four SNPs previously associated with change in milk yield during heat stress from GWAS, 2 candidate gene SNPs previously associated with rectal temperature and respiration rate during heat stress (ATPA1A and HSP70A) and 66 SNPs in genes previously shown to be associated with reproduction, production or health traits in Holsteins. For SNPs previously associated with heat tolerance, regions of BTA4, BTA6 and BTA24 were associated with rectal temperature; regions of BTA6 and BTA24 were associated with respiration rate; and regions of BTA5, BTA26 and BTA29 were associated with sweating rate. New SNPs were identified for rectal temperature (n = 12), respiration rate (n = 8) and sweating rate (n = 3) from among those previously associated with production, reproduction or health traits. The SNP that explained the most variation were PGR and ASL for rectal temperature, ACAT2 and HSD17B7 for respiration rate, and ARL6IP1 and SERPINE2 for sweating rate. ARL6IP1 was associated with all three thermotolerance traits. In conclusion, specific genetic markers responsible for genetic variation in thermoregulation during heat stress in Holsteins were identified. These markers may prove useful in genetic selection for heat tolerance in Holstein cattle. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Direct measurement of resonance strengths in 34S(α ,γ )38Ar at astrophysically relevant energies using the DRAGON recoil separator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, D.; O'Malley, P. D.; Akers, C.; Chen, A. A.; Christian, G.; Davids, B.; Erikson, L.; Fallis, J.; Fulton, B. R.; Greife, U.; Hager, U.; Hutcheon, D. A.; Ilyushkin, S.; Laird, A. M.; Mahl, A.; Ruiz, C.

2018-03-01

Background: Nucleosynthesis of mid-mass elements is thought to occur under hot and explosive astrophysical conditions. Radiative α capture on 34S has been shown to impact nucleosynthesis in several such conditions, including core and shell oxygen burning, explosive oxygen burning, and type Ia supernovae. Purpose: Broad uncertainties exist in the literature for the strengths of three resonances within the astrophysically relevant energy range (ECM=1.94 -3.42 MeV at T =2.2 GK ). Further, there are several states in 38Ar within this energy range which have not been previously measured. This work aimed to remeasure the resonance strengths of states for which broad uncertainty existed as well as to measure the resonance strengths and energies of previously unmeasured states. Methods: Resonance strengths and energies of eight narrow resonances (five of which had not been previously studied) were measured in inverse kinematics with the DRAGON facility at TRIUMF by impinging an isotopically pure beam of 34S ions on a windowless 4He gas target. Prompt γ emissions of de-exciting 38Ar recoils were detected in an array of bismuth germanate scintillators in coincidence with recoil nuclei, which were separated from unreacted beam ions by an electromagnetic mass separator and detected by a time-of-flight system and a multianode ionization chamber. Results: The present measurements agree with previous results. Broad uncertainty in the resonance strength of the ECM=2709 keV resonance persists. Resonance strengths and energies were determined for five low-energy resonances which had not been studied previously, and their strengths were determined to be significantly weaker than those of previously measured resonances. Conclusions: The five previously unmeasured resonances were found not to contribute significantly to the total thermonuclear reaction rate. A median total thermonuclear reaction rate calculated using data from the present work along with existing literature values using the STARLIB rate calculator agrees with the NON-SMOKER statistical model calculation as well as the REACLIB and STARLIB library rates at explosive and nonexplosive oxygen-burning temperatures (T =3 -4 GK and T =1.5 -2.7 GK , respectively).

Unfoldomics of prostate cancer: on the abundance and roles of intrinsically disordered proteins in prostate cancer

PubMed Central

Landau, Kevin S; Na, Insung; Schenck, Ryan O; Uversky, Vladimir N

2016-01-01

Prostatic diseases such as prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia are highly prevalent among men. The number of studies focused on the abundance and roles of intrinsically disordered proteins in prostate cancer is rather limited. The goal of this study is to analyze the prevalence and degree of disorder in proteins that were previously associated with the prostate cancer pathogenesis and to compare these proteins to the entire human proteome. The analysis of these datasets provides means for drawing conclusions on the roles of disordered proteins in this common male disease. We also hope that the results of our analysis can potentially lead to future experimental studies of these proteins to find novel pathways associated with this disease. PMID:27453073

Using the Virtual Reality-Cognitive Rehabilitation Approach to Improve Contextual Processing in Children with Autism

PubMed Central

Reid, Denise

2013-01-01

Background. This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a novel virtual reality-cognitive rehabilitation (VR-CR) intervention to improve contextual processing of objects in children with autism. Previous research supports that children with autism show deficits in contextual processing, as well as deficits in its elementary components: abstraction and cognitive flexibility. Methods. Four children with autism participated in a multiple-baseline, single-subject study. The children were taught how to see objects in context by reinforcing attention to pivotal contextual information. Results. All children demonstrated statistically significant improvements in contextual processing and cognitive flexibility. Mixed results were found on the control test and changes in context-related behaviours. Conclusions. Larger-scale studies are warranted to determine the effectiveness and usability in comprehensive educational programs. PMID:24324379

National Diet and Nutrition Survey: fat and fatty acid intake from the first year of the rolling programme and comparison with previous surveys.

PubMed

Pot, Gerda K; Prynne, Celia J; Roberts, Caireen; Olson, Ashley; Nicholson, Sonja K; Whitton, Clare; Teucher, Birgit; Bates, Beverley; Henderson, Helen; Pigott, Sarah; Swan, Gillian; Stephen, Alison M

2012-02-01

High saturated fat intake is an established risk factor for several chronic diseases. The objective of the present study is to report dietary intakes and main food sources of fat and fatty acids (FA) from the first year of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme in the UK. Dietary data were collected using 4 d estimated food diaries (n 896) and compared with dietary reference values (DRV) and previous NDNS results. Total fat provided 34-36 % food energy (FE) across all age groups, which was similar to previous surveys for adults. Men (19-64 years) and older girls (11-18 years) had mean intakes just above the DRV, while all other groups had mean total fat intakes of < 35 % FE. SFA intakes were lower compared with previous surveys, ranging from 13 to 15 % FE, but still above the DRV. Mean MUFA intakes were 12·5 % FE for adults and children aged 4-18 years and all were below the DRV. Mean n-3 PUFA intake represented 0·7-1·1 % FE. Compared with previous survey data, the direction of change for n-3 PUFA was upwards for all age groups, although the differences in absolute terms were very small. Trans-FA intakes were lower than in previous NDNS and were less than 2 g/d for all age groups, representing 0·8 % FE and lower than the DRV in all age groups. In conclusion, dietary intake of fat and FA is moving towards recommended levels for the UK population. However, there remains room for considerable further improvement.

National Diet and Nutrition Survey: fat and fatty acid intakes from the first year of the rolling programme and comparison with previous surveys

PubMed Central

Pot, Gerda K.; Prynne, Celia J.; Roberts, Caireen; Olson, Ashley; Nicholson, Sonja K.; Whitton, Clare; Teucher, Birgit; Bates, Beverley; Henderson, Helen; Pigott, Sarah; Swan, Gillian; Stephen, Alison M.

2012-01-01

High saturated fat intake is an established risk factor for several chronic diseases. The objective of the present study is to report dietary intakes and main food sources of fat and fatty acids (FA) from the first year of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme in the UK. Dietary data were collected using 4d estimated food diaries (n896) and compared with dietary reference values (DRV) and previous NDNS results. Total fat provided 34–36% food energy (FE) across all age groups, which was similar to previous surveys for adults. Men (19–64 years) and older girls (11–18 years) had mean intakes just above the DRV, while all other groups had mean total fat intakes of <35% FE. SFA intakes were lower compared with previous surveys, ranging from 13 to 15% FE, but still above the DRV. Mean MUFA intakes were 12.5% FE for adults and children aged 4–18 years and all were below the DRV. Mean n–3 PUFA intake represented 0.7–1.1% FE. Compared with previous survey data, the direction of change for n–3 PUFA was upwards for all age groups, although the differences in absolute terms were very small. Trans-FA intakes were lower than in previous NDNS and were less than 2g/d for all age groups, representing 0.8% FE and lower than the DRV in all age groups. In conclusion, dietary intake of fat and FA is moving towards recommended levels for the UK population. However, there remains room for considerable further improvement. PMID:21767448

Changes in Association between Previous Therapeutic Abortion and Preterm Birth in Scotland, 1980 to 2008: A Historical Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Oliver-Williams, Clare; Fleming, Michael; Monteath, Kirsten; Wood, Angela M.; Smith, Gordon C. S.

2013-01-01

Background Numerous studies have demonstrated that therapeutic termination of pregnancy (abortion) is associated with an increased risk of subsequent preterm birth. However, the literature is inconsistent, and methods of abortion have changed dramatically over the last 30 years. We hypothesized that the association between previous abortion and the risk of preterm first birth changed in Scotland between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 2008. Methods and Findings We studied linked Scottish national databases of births and perinatal deaths. We analysed the risk of preterm birth in relation to the number of previous abortions in 732,719 first births (≥24 wk), adjusting for maternal characteristics. The risk (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]) of preterm birth was modelled using logistic regression, and associations were expressed for a one-unit increase in the number of previous abortions. Previous abortion was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (1.12 [1.09–1.16]). When analysed by year of delivery, the association was strongest in 1980–1983 (1.32 [1.21–1.43]), progressively declined between 1984 and 1999, and was no longer apparent in 2000–2003 (0.98 [0.91–1.05]) or 2004–2008 (1.02 [0.95–1.09]). A statistical test for interaction between previous abortion and year was highly statistically significant (p<0.001). Analysis of data for abortions among nulliparous women in Scotland 1992–2008 demonstrated that the proportion that were surgical without use of cervical pre-treatment decreased from 31% to 0.4%, and that the proportion of medical abortions increased from 18% to 68%. Conclusions Previous abortion was a risk factor for spontaneous preterm birth in Scotland in the 1980s and 1990s, but the association progressively weakened and disappeared altogether by 2000. These changes were paralleled by increasing use of medical abortion and cervical pre-treatment prior to surgical abortion. Although it is plausible that the two trends were related, we could not test this directly as the data on the method of prior abortions were not linked to individuals in the cohort. However, we speculate that modernising abortion methods may be an effective long-term strategy to reduce global rates of preterm birth. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:23874161

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Saarland, Germany: The Long-Term Care Facility Study

PubMed Central

Nillius, Dorothea; von Müller, Lutz; Wagenpfeil, Stefan; Klein, Renate; Herrmann, Mathias

2016-01-01

Background Multiresistant organisms pose a threat for patients and care recipients. Control interventions need to be tailored to region, the type of institution considered, and risk factors. The German state of Saarland is ideally suited to study colonisation epidemiology throughout its various health and care institutions. After conclusion of a large admission prevalence study in acute care hospitals, we now performed a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) point prevalence study in Saarland long term care facilities (LTCF), allowing for a direct comparison with respect of MRSA prevalence and associated risk factors between these two institutional types located within a confined region. Methodology and Principal Findings Of all LTCF of the region, 65/136 participated in the study performed between 09/2013 and 07/2014. Overall, complete microbiological specimen and questionnaires of 2,858 of 4,275 (66.8%) LTCF residents were obtained. 136/2,858 (4.8%) screened residents revealed MRSA carrier status. Multivariate risk factor analysis yielded ulcer/deep soft tissue infection, urinary tract catheter, and MRSA history with multiple MRSA decolonisation cycles to be independently associated with MRSA carrier status. Conclusion As already known from previous studies, colonisation with MRSA is common in LTCF residents even in an area with relatively low MRSA prevalence. This found prevalence can now be related to the acute care admission prevalence (2.2%) as well as to the admission prevalence in acute care geriatric departments (7.6%). The common clonal attribution (spa type) of MRSA isolates prevalent in the LTCF population as well as in the acute care admission population points towards a close relationship between both types of institutions. However, the ostensible absence of risk factors such as “previous hospitalisation” in conjunction with newly identified factors such as “multiple decolonisation cycles” refers to MRSA colonisation risks independent of contact with acute care facilities. Overall, this large LTCF point prevalence study allows data-based, region-tailored decisions on MRSA screening policies and provides a basis for additional preventative measures. PMID:27073899

Reasoning strategies modulate gender differences in emotion processing.

PubMed

Markovits, Henry; Trémolière, Bastien; Blanchette, Isabelle

2018-01-01

The dual strategy model of reasoning has proposed that people's reasoning can be understood asa combination of two different ways of processing information related to problem premises: a counterexample strategy that examines information for explicit potential counterexamples and a statistical strategy that uses associative access to generate a likelihood estimate of putative conclusions. Previous studies have examined this model in the context of basic conditional reasoning tasks. However, the information processing distinction that underlies the dual strategy model can be seen asa basic description of differences in reasoning (similar to that described by many general dual process models of reasoning). In two studies, we examine how these differences in reasoning strategy may relate to processing very different information, specifically we focus on previously observed gender differences in processing negative emotions. Study 1 examined the intensity of emotional reactions to a film clip inducing primarily negative emotions. Study 2 examined the speed at which participants determine the emotional valence of sequences of negative images. In both studies, no gender differences were observed among participants using a counterexample strategy. Among participants using a statistical strategy, females produce significantly stronger emotional reactions than males (in Study 1) and were faster to recognize the valence of negative images than were males (in Study 2). Results show that the processing distinction underlying the dual strategy model of reasoning generalizes to the processing of emotions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-Resolution Ultrasonic Imaging of Dento-Periodontal Tissues Using a Multi-Element Phased Array System.

PubMed

Nguyen, Kim-Cuong T; Le, Lawrence H; Kaipatur, Neelambar R; Zheng, Rui; Lou, Edmond H; Major, Paul W

2016-10-01

Intraoral ultrasonography uses high-frequency mechanical waves to study dento-periodontium. Besides the advantages of portability and cost-effectiveness, ultrasound technique has no ionizing radiation. Previous studies employed a single transducer or an array of transducer elements, and focused on enamel thickness and distance measurement. This study used a phased array system with a 128-element array transducer to image dento-periodontal tissues. We studied two porcine lower incisors from a 6-month-old piglet using 20-MHz ultrasound. The high-resolution ultrasonographs clearly showed the cross-sectional morphological images of the hard and soft tissues. The investigation used an integration of waveform analysis, travel-time calculation, and wavefield simulation to reveal the nature of the ultrasound data, which makes the study novel. With the assistance of time-distance radio-frequency records, we robustly justified the enamel-dentin interface, dentin-pulp interface, and the cemento-enamel junction. The alveolar crest level, the location of cemento-enamel junction, and the thickness of alveolar crest were measured from the images and compared favorably with those from the cone beam computed tomography with less than 10% difference. This preliminary and fundamental study has reinforced the conclusions from previous studies, that ultrasonography has great potential to become a non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool for quantitative assessment of periodontal structures and better delivery of oral care.

Functional connectivity patterns reflect individual differences in conflict adaptation.

PubMed

Wang, Xiangpeng; Wang, Ting; Chen, Zhencai; Hitchman, Glenn; Liu, Yijun; Chen, Antao

2015-04-01

Individuals differ in the ability to utilize previous conflict information to optimize current conflict resolution, which is termed the conflict adaptation effect. Previous studies have linked individual differences in conflict adaptation to distinct brain regions. However, the network-based neural mechanisms subserving the individual differences of the conflict adaptation effect have not been studied. The present study employed a psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis with a color-naming Stroop task to examine this issue. The main results were as follows: (1) the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)-seeded PPI revealed the involvement of the salience network (SN) in conflict adaptation, while the posterior parietal cortex (PPC)-seeded PPI revealed the engagement of the central executive network (CEN). (2) Participants with high conflict adaptation effect showed higher intra-CEN connectivity and lower intra-SN connectivity; while those with low conflict adaptation effect showed higher intra-SN connectivity and lower intra-CEN connectivity. (3) The PPC-centered intra-CEN connectivity positively predicted the conflict adaptation effect; while the ACC-centered intra-SN connectivity had a negative correlation with this effect. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that conflict adaptation is likely supported by the CEN and the SN, providing a new perspective on studying individual differences in conflict adaptation on the basis of large-scale networks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factor structure of the happiness-increasing strategies scales (H-ISS): activities and coping strategies in relation to positive and negative affect.

PubMed

Al Nima, Ali; Garcia, Danilo

2015-01-01

Background. Previous research (Tkach & Lyubomirsky, 2006) shows that there are eight general happiness-increasing strategies: social affiliation, partying, mental control, goal pursuit, passive leisure, active leisure, religion, and direct attempts. The present study investigates the factor structure of the happiness-increasing strategies scales (H-ISS) and their relationship to positive and negative affect. Method. The present study used participants' (N = 1,050 and age mean = 34.21 sd = 12.73) responses to the H-ISS in structural equation modeling analyses. Affect was measured using the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule. Results. After small modifications we obtained a good model that contains the original eight factors/scales. Moreover, we found that women tend to use social affiliation, mental control, passive leisure, religion, and direct attempts more than men, while men preferred to engage in partying and clubbing more than women. The H-ISS explained significantly the variance of positive affect (R (2) = .41) and the variance of negative affect (R (2) = .27). Conclusions. Our study is an addition to previous research showing that the factor structure of the happiness-increasing strategies is valid and reliable. However, due to the model fitting issues that arise in the present study, we give some suggestions for improving the instrument.

Prevalence, virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility of Candida spp. isolated from bloodstream infections in a tertiary care hospital in Brazil.

PubMed

Canela, Heliara Maria Spina; Cardoso, Bárbara; Vitali, Lucia Helena; Coelho, Harnoldo Colares; Martinez, Roberto; Ferreira, Márcia Eliana da Silva

2018-01-01

Candida spp. are responsible for 80% of all systemic fungal infections and are associated with high mortality rates. This study characterised 79 bloodstream isolates of C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. orthopsilosis, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis from patients in a Brazilian hospital. The susceptibility to amphotericin B, caspofungin, fluconazole and voriconazole was determined; virulence factor production was assessed based on haemolysin, phospholipase and proteinase activities, and the patients' clinical characteristics were analysed. C. albicans was the predominant species (44%), followed by C. glabrata (19%), C. tropicalis (19%), C. parapsilosis (14%) and C. orthopsilosis (4%). The candidemia incidence was 1.52 per 1000 admissions, and the crude mortality rate was 52%. One C. albicans isolate was resistant to fluconazole and voriconazole. Moreover, 20.2%, 2.5% and 3.8% of the isolates exhibited dose-dependent susceptibility to fluconazole, voriconazole and caspofungin, respectively. In conclusion, although the C. glabrata incidence was higher than that usually described in Brazil, its increase was previously observed in studies conducted worldwide. Furthermore, the azole resistance of the C. albicans isolate could be due to previous exposure to these antifungals. These results highlight the importance of epidemiological studies and will facilitate an improved understanding of candidemia in the studied hospital. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Evaluation of coronal shift as an indicator of neuroaxial abnormalities in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a prospective study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In previous studies, many indicator factors have been proposed to select patients who need an MRI screening of the spinal canal. In current study, the clinical and radiologic factors including coronal parameters of the curve were evaluated to find out which indicator is more important. Methods A prospective study included 143 consecutive patients with the diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who were treated between 2010 and 2013 at our spinal clinics. Only patients with normal or subtle neurologic findings were included. All patients were evaluated by a total spine MRI protocol for examination of neuroaxial abnormalities. Known indicators and also coronal shift were analysed in all patients with or without abnormal MRI. Results The incidence of neuroaxial abnormalities was 11.9% (17 of 143); only 5 patients (3.5%) were operated to treat their neuroaxial problem. The significant indicators of the abnormalities in our patients were: younger age at onset, asymmetric superficial abdominal reflex and, coronal shift more than 15 mm (P = 0.03). Some previously known indicators like atypical curves, male gender, double curves and absence of thoracic lordosis were not different between two groups of the patients. Conclusions A total spine MRI is recommended at presentation in patients with younger age, abnormal neurologic findings and severe coronal shift. PMID:25071863

Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalence in Austrian Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study among Civilians and Military Professionals

PubMed Central

Lagler, Heimo; Poeppl, Wolfgang; Winkler, Heidi; Herkner, Harald; Faas, Angelus; Mooseder, Gerhard; Burgmann, Heinz

2014-01-01

Background Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) infection is globally increasing. The present study was performed to investigate the HEV seroprevalence, exposure risks as well as occupational risks for military personnel in Austria, a Central European country. Methods and Findings A nationwide cross-sectional seroprevalence study was performed in 997 healthy Austrian adults, professional soldiers and civilians. Routine laboratory and HEV specific antibodies were determined. In addition, epidemiological information on possible risk factors for exposure to HEV was obtained. The overall seropositivity for HEV antibodies was 14.3% and significantly increased with age. Seroprevalence was significantly higher among individuals with previous military employments abroad (21.4% vs. 9.9%) and among professional soldiers aged 30–39 years (20.2% vs. 7.3%). No association was found for private travel, occupational or private animal contact or regular outdoor activities. Individuals who tested positive for antibodies against HEV had significantly higher laboratory values regarding liver enzymes, lipid levels and blood fasting glucose. Conclusions Exposure to HEV is common in Austria. Military employment abroad could be a potential risk factor for HEV infection. Further studies are required to investigate the significance of pathological laboratory results found among asymptomatic individuals previously exposed to HEV. PMID:24498349

Pronounced reduction of acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses in young adults with focal cerebellar lesions impedes conclusions on the role of the cerebellum in extinction and savings.

PubMed

Ernst, T M; Beyer, L; Mueller, O M; Göricke, S; Ladd, M E; Gerwig, M; Timmann, D

2016-05-01

Human cerebellar lesion studies provide good evidence that the cerebellum contributes to the acquisition of classically conditioned eyeblink responses (CRs). As yet, only one study used more advanced methods of lesion-symptom (or lesion-behavior) mapping to investigate which cerebellar areas are involved in CR acquisition in humans. Likewise, comparatively few studies investigated the contribution of the human cerebellum to CR extinction and savings. In this present study, young adults with focal cerebellar disease were tested. A subset of participants was expected to acquire enough conditioned responses to allow the investigation of extinction and saving effects. 19 participants with chronic surgical lesions of the cerebellum and 19 matched control subjects were tested. In all cerebellar subjects benign tumors of the cerebellum had been surgically removed. Eyeblink conditioning was performed using a standard short delay protocol. An initial unpaired control phase was followed by an acquisition phase, an extinction phase and a subsequent reacquisition phase. Structural 3T magnetic resonance images of the brain were acquired on the day of testing. Cerebellar lesions were normalized using methods optimized for the cerebellum. Subtraction analysis and Liebermeister tests were used to perform lesion-symptom mapping. As expected, CR acquisition was significantly reduced in cerebellar subjects compared to controls. Reduced CR acquisition was significantly more likely in participants with lesions of lobule VI and Crus I extending into Crus II (p<0.05, Liebermeister test). Cerebellar subjects could be subdivided into two groups: a smaller group (n=5) which showed acquisition, extinction and savings within the normal range; and a larger group (n=14) which did not show acquisition. In the latter, no conclusions on extinction or savings could be drawn. Previous findings were confirmed that circumscribed areas in lobule VI and Crus I are of major importance in CR acquisition. In addition, the present data suggest that if the critical regions of the cerebellar cortex are lesioned, the ability to acquire CRs is not only reduced but abolished. Subjects with lesions outside these critical areas, on the other hand show preserved acquisition, extinction and saving effects. As a consequence, studies in human subjects with cerebellar lesions do not allow drawing conclusions on CR extinction and savings. In light of the present findings, previous reports of reduced extinction in humans with circumscribed cerebellar disease need to be critically reevaluated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability of phases of a square-well fluid within superposition approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piasecki, Jarosław; Szymczak, Piotr; Kozak, John J.

2013-04-01

The analytic and numerical methods introduced previously to study the phase behavior of hard sphere fluids starting from the Yvon-Born-Green (YBG) equation under the Kirkwood superposition approximation (KSA) are adapted to the square-well fluid. We are able to show conclusively that the YBG equation under the KSA closure when applied to the square-well fluid: (i) predicts the existence of an absolute stability limit corresponding to freezing where undamped oscillations appear in the long-distance behavior of correlations, (ii) in accordance with earlier studies reveals the existence of a liquid-vapor transition by the appearance of a "near-critical region" where monotonically decaying correlations acquire very long range, although the system never loses stability.

Hospitals push back against reimbursement cuts due to Two-Midnight rule.

PubMed

2016-04-01

The American Hospital Association (AHA) and other hospitals are suing CMS, challenging the 0.2% cut in Medicare reimbursement that CMS instituted to compensate for the financial effect of the Two-Midnight rule. CMS' actuaries reported that inpatient claims are likely to increase under the rule, resulting in $220 million additional reimbursement for hospitals. Hospitals disagree and a study commissioned by the AHA concluded that the CMS study was based on data not available to the public and that data from the Medicare Provider and Analysis Review (MedPAR) would lead to a different conclusion. The AHA suit asks CMS to rescind the cut, restore the base rate for Medicare payments to its previous level, and reimburse hospitals retroactively for the reductions.

Phylogenetic relationship of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale strains.

PubMed

DE Oca-Jimenez, Roberto Montes; Vega-Sanchez, Vicente; Morales-Erasto, Vladimir; Salgado-Miranda, Celene; Blackall, Patrick J; Soriano-Vargas, Edgardo

2018-04-10

The bacterium Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale is associated with respiratory disease in wild birds and poultry. In this study, the phylogenetic analysis of nine reference strains of O. rhinotracheale belonging to serovars A to I, and eight Mexican isolates belonging to serovar A, was performed. The analysis was extended to include available sequences from another 23 strains available in the public domain. The analysis showed that the 40 sequences formed six clusters, I to VI. All eight Mexican field isolates were placed in cluster I. One of the reference strains appears to present genetic diversity not previously recognized and was placed in a new genetic cluster. In conclusion, the phylogenetic analysis of O. rhinotracheale strains, based on the 16S rRNA gene, is a suitable tool for epidemiologic studies.

On Deviations between Observed and Theoretically Estimated Values on Additivity-Law Failures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayatani, Yoshinobu; Sobagaki, Hiroaki

The authors have reported in the previous studies that the average observed results are about a half of the corresponding predictions on the experiments with large additivity-law failures. One of the reasons of the deviations is studied and clarified by using the original observed data on additivity-law failures in the Nakano experiment. The conclusion from the observations and their analyses clarified that it was essentially difficult to have a good agreement between the average observed results and the corresponding theoretical predictions in the experiments with large additivity-law failures. This is caused by a kind of unavoidable psychological pressure existing in subjects participated in the experiments. We should be satisfied with the agreement in trend between them.

A Major Controversy in Codon-Anticodon Adaptation Resolved by a New Codon Usage Index

PubMed Central

Xia, Xuhua

2015-01-01

Two alternative hypotheses attribute different benefits to codon-anticodon adaptation. The first assumes that protein production is rate limited by both initiation and elongation and that codon-anticodon adaptation would result in higher elongation efficiency and more efficient and accurate protein production, especially for highly expressed genes. The second claims that protein production is rate limited only by initiation efficiency but that improved codon adaptation and, consequently, increased elongation efficiency have the benefit of increasing ribosomal availability for global translation. To test these hypotheses, a recent study engineered a synthetic library of 154 genes, all encoding the same protein but differing in degrees of codon adaptation, to quantify the effect of differential codon adaptation on protein production in Escherichia coli. The surprising conclusion that “codon bias did not correlate with gene expression” and that “translation initiation, not elongation, is rate-limiting for gene expression” contradicts the conclusion reached by many other empirical studies. In this paper, I resolve the contradiction by reanalyzing the data from the 154 sequences. I demonstrate that translation elongation accounts for about 17% of total variation in protein production and that the previous conclusion is due to the use of a codon adaptation index (CAI) that does not account for the mutation bias in characterizing codon adaptation. The effect of translation elongation becomes undetectable only when translation initiation is unrealistically slow. A new index of translation elongation ITE is formulated to facilitate studies on the efficiency and evolution of the translation machinery. PMID:25480780

Mass Transportation in Massachusetts : demonstration project progress report no. 6 - bus and parking experiments

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1964-04-10

This sixth progress report, as with all previous such reports, has been prepared by the MTC staff to disseminate the results of the individual experiments and tentative preliminary conclusions so that the full Commission might have the benefit of wid...

Multilocus patterns of nucleotide polymorphism and demographic change in Taxodium distichum (Cupressaceae) in the lower Mississippi River alluvial valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kusumi, Junko; Zidong, Li; Kado, Tomoyuki; Tsumura, Yoshihiko; Middleton, Beth A.; Tachida, Hidenori

2010-01-01

Conclusions: Taxodium distichum had significantly higher nucleotide variation than C. japonica, and its patterns of polymorphism contrasted strikingly with those of the latter, which previously has been inferred to have experienced a reduction in population size.

The Serotonin Transporter Promoter Variant (5-HTTLPR), Stress, and Depression Meta-Analysis Revisited: Evidence of Genetic Moderation

PubMed Central

Karg, Katja; Burmeister, Margit; Shedden, Kerby; Sen, Srijan

2013-01-01

Context The initial report of an interaction between a serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and stress in the development of depression is perhaps the best-known and most cited finding in psychiatric genetics. Two recent meta-analyses explored the studies seeking to replicate this initial report and concluded that the evidence did not support the presence of the interaction. However, even the larger of the meta-analyses included only 14 of the 56 studies that have explored the relationship between 5-HTTLPR, stress and depression. Objective We sought to perform a meta-analysis including all relevant studies assessing whether 5-HTTLPR moderates the relationship between stress and depression. Data Sources We identified relevant articles from previous meta-analyses and reviews and a PubMed database search. Study Selection We excluded two studies presenting data that were included in other, larger, studies already included in our meta-analysis to avoid duplicate counting of subjects. Data Extraction In order to perform a more inclusive meta-analysis, we used the Liptak-Stouffer Z-score method to combine findings of primary studies at the significance test level rather than raw data level. Results We included 54 studies and found strong evidence that 5-HTTLPR moderates the relationship between stress and depression, with the 5-HTTLPR s allele associated with an increased risk of developing depression under stress (p<0.0001). When restricting our analysis to the studies included in the previous meta-analyses, we found no evidence of association (Munafo studies p=0.16; Risch studies p=0.11). This suggests that the difference in results between previous meta-analyses and ours was not due to the difference in meta-analytic technique but instead to the expanded set of studies included in this analysis. Conclusions Contrary to the results of the smaller earlier meta-analyses, we find strong evidence that 5-HTTLPR moderates the relationship between stress and depression in the studies published to date. PMID:21199959

Intelligence and obesity: which way does the causal direction go?

PubMed

Kanazawa, Satoshi

2014-10-01

The negative association between intelligence and obesity has been well established, but the direction of causality is unclear. The present review surveys the recent studies on the topic with both cross-sectional and longitudinal data in an attempt to establish causality. Most studies in the area employ cross-sectional data and conclude (without empirical justification) that obesity causes intellectual impairment. The few studies that employ prospectively longitudinal data, however, uniformly conclude that lower intelligence leads to BMI gains and obesity. A close examination of three such studies, from three different nations (Sweden, New Zealand, and the UK), leaves little doubt that the causality runs from low intelligence to obesity. The conclusion in previous studies that obesity impairs cognitive function stems from improper interpretation of a negative association between intelligence and obesity from cross-sectional studies. Results from the analyses of high-quality, population-based, prospectively longitudinal data firmly establish that low intelligence increases the chances of obesity.

The Identification and Assessment of Late-life ADHD in Memory Clinics

PubMed Central

Fischer, Barbara L.; Gunter-Hunt, Gail; Steinhafel, Courtney Holm; Howell, Timothy

2013-01-01

INTRODUCTION Little data exists about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in late life. While evaluating patients’ memory problems, our Memory Clinic staff has periodically identified ADHD in previously undiagnosed adults. We conducted a survey to assess the extent to which other memory clinics view ADHD as a relevant clinical issue. METHOD We developed and sent a questionnaire to Memory Clinics in the United States to ascertain how ADHD was identified and addressed. The percentage of responding memory clinics’ means of assessing and managing late-life ADHD comprised the measurements for this study. RESULTS Approximately one-half of responding memory clinics reported seeing ADHD patients. Of these, one-half reported identifying previously diagnosed cases, and almost one-half reported diagnosing ADHD themselves. One fifth of clinics reported screening regularly for ADHD, and few clinics described treatment methods. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that U.S. memory clinics may not adequately identify and address ADHD in late life. PMID:22173147

Reproducing the nonlinear dynamic behavior of a structured beam with a generalized continuum model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vila, J.; Fernández-Sáez, J.; Zaera, R.

2018-04-01

In this paper we study the coupled axial-transverse nonlinear vibrations of a kind of one dimensional structured solids by application of the so called Inertia Gradient Nonlinear continuum model. To show the accuracy of this axiomatic model, previously proposed by the authors, its predictions are compared with numeric results from a previously defined finite discrete chain of lumped masses and springs, for several number of particles. A continualization of the discrete model equations based on Taylor series allowed us to set equivalent values of the mechanical properties in both discrete and axiomatic continuum models. Contrary to the classical continuum model, the inertia gradient nonlinear continuum model used herein is able to capture scale effects, which arise for modes in which the wavelength is comparable to the characteristic distance of the structured solid. The main conclusion of the work is that the proposed generalized continuum model captures the scale effects in both linear and nonlinear regimes, reproducing the behavior of the 1D nonlinear discrete model adequately.

Coverage Gains After the Affordable Care Act Among the Uninsured in Minnesota

PubMed Central

Lukanen, Elizabeth; Spencer, Donna; Alarcón, Giovann; Kemmick Pintor, Jessie; Baines Simon, Alisha; Gildemeister, Stefan

2015-01-01

Objectives. We determined whether and how Minnesotans who were uninsured in 2013 gained health insurance coverage in 2014, 1 year after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded Medicaid coverage and enrollment. Methods. Insurance status and enrollment experiences came from the Minnesota Health Insurance Transitions Study (MH-HITS), a follow-up telephone survey of children and adults in Minnesota who had no health insurance in the fall of 2013. Results. ACA had a tempered success in Minnesota. Outreach and enrollment efforts were effective; one half of those previously uninsured gained coverage, although many reported difficulty signing up (nearly 62%). Of the previously uninsured who gained coverage, 44% obtained their coverage through MNsure, Minnesota’s insurance marketplace. Most of those who remained uninsured heard of MNsure and went to the Web site. Many still struggled with the enrollment process or reported being deterred by the cost of coverage. Conclusions. Targeting outreach, simplifying the enrollment process, focusing on affordability, and continuing funding for in-person assistance will be important in the future. PMID:26447912

Negligible Egg Positive Rate of Enterobius vermicularis and No Detection of Head Lice among Orphanage Children in Busan and Ulsan, Korea (2014)

PubMed Central

Kim, Dong-Hee; Son, Hyun-Mi; Lee, Sang Hwa; Park, Mi Kyung; Kang, Shin Ae; Park, Sang Kyun; Choi, Jun-Ho; Park, Jung Ha; Yu, Hak-Sun

2015-01-01

To determine whether pinworm infections and head lice infestations spread among children in orphanages, 117 children from 4 orphanages in Busan-si and Ulsan-si, Korea, were examined for enterobiasis and head lice infestation between January and February 2014. The overall rate of Enterobius vermicularis egg positivity was 0.85%, whereas none of the children had head lice infestations. The rate of pinworm infection was much lower among the orphanage children compared to the rates observed in previous studies among kindergarten and primary school students. Moreover, the risk factors for enterobiasis were less frequent among these subjects than previously reported. The personal hygiene and health of the orphanage children were supervised by a regular, employed nurse through a health education program. In conclusion, pinworm infection was efficiently controlled among the children in orphanages, and this might be related to good personal hygiene practices in Korea. PMID:26323851

A Simple and Novel Method to Attain Retrograde Ureteral Access after Previous Cohen Cross-Trigonal Ureteral Reimplantation

PubMed Central

Adam, Ahmed

2017-01-01

Objective To describe a simple, novel method to achieve ureteric access in the Cohen crossed reimplanted ureter, which will allow retrograde working access via the conventional transurethral method. Materials and Methods Under cystoscopic vision, suprapubic needle puncture was performed. The needle was directed (bevel facing) towards the desired ureteric orifice (UO). A guidewire (with a floppy-tip) was then inserted into the suprapubic needle passing into the bladder, and then easily passed into the crossed-reimplanted UO. The distal end of the guidewire was then removed through the urethra with cystoscopic grasping forceps. The straightened ureter then easily facilitated ureteroscopy access, retrograde pyelogram studies, and JJ stent insertion in a conventional transurethral method. Results The UO and ureter were aligned in a more conventional orthotopic course, to allow for conventional transurethral working access. Conclusion A novel method to access the Cohen crossed reimplanted ureter was described. All previously published methods of accessing the crossed ureter were critically appraised. PMID:29463976

Diamond nitrogen vacancy electronic and nuclear spin-state anti-crossings under weak transverse magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clevenson, Hannah; Chen, Edward; Dolde, Florian; Teale, Carson; Englund, Dirk; Braje, Danielle

2016-05-01

We report on detailed studies of electronic and nuclear spin states in the diamond nitrogen vacancy (NV) center under moderate transverse magnetic fields. We numerically predict and experimentally verify a previously unobserved NV ground state hyperfine anti-crossing occurring at magnetic bias fields as low as tens of Gauss - two orders of magnitude lower than previously reported hyperfine anti-crossings at ~ 510 G and ~ 1000 G axial magnetic fields. We then discuss how this regime can be optimized for magnetometry and other sensing applications and propose a method for how the nitrogen-vacancy ground state Hamiltonian can be manipulated by small transverse magnetic fields to polarize the nuclear spin state. Acknowlegement: The Lincoln Laboratory portion of this work is sponsored by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering under Air Force Contract #FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Serum levels of folate and cobalamin in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion.

PubMed

Sütterlin, M; Bussen, S; Ruppert, D; Steck, T

1997-10-01

We evaluated the folate and cobalamin status in 29 non-pregnant women with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortion (three or more consecutive) of unknown aetiology in comparison to 29 healthy nulligravidae of similar reproductive age (controls). Serum concentrations of folate and cobalamin showed no significant differences between the two groups. No correlation between age and vitamin concentrations was found. In the study group there was a significant negative correlation of the number of previous abortions and the concentration of serum folate. Patients with at least four previous miscarriages had significantly lower serum values of folic acid than women with three abortions, but not than controls. The underlying cause of this finding remains unclear. In conclusion, the serum concentrations of folic acid and vitamin B12 are not significantly altered in women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions, and an association between a deficiency of these vitamins and an increased risk of pregnancy loss appears to be questionable in the majority of gestations.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of cornea transplant patients of a reference hospital 1

PubMed Central

Cruz, Giovanna Karinny Pereira; de Azevedo, Isabelle Campos; Carvalho, Diana Paula de Souza Rego Pinto; Vitor, Allyne Fortes; Santos, Viviane Euzébia Pereira; Ferreira, Marcos Antonio

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: clinically characterizing cornea transplant patients and their distribution according to indicated and post-operative conditions of cornea transplantation, as well as estimating the average waiting time. Method: a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study performed for all cornea transplants performed at a reference service (n=258). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 20.0. Results: the main indicator for cornea transplant was keratoconus. The mean waiting time for the transplant was approximately 5 months and 3 weeks for elective transplants and 9 days for urgent cases. An association between the type of corneal disorder with gender, age, previous surgery, eye classification, glaucoma and anterior graft failure were found. Conclusion: keratoconus was the main indicator for cornea transplant. Factors such as age, previous corneal graft failure (retransplantation), glaucoma, cases of surgeries prior to cornea transplant (especially cataract surgery) may be related to the onset corneal endothelium disorders. PMID:28614429

Small Molecule Activation by Intermolecular Zr(IV)-Phosphine Frustrated Lewis Pairs.

PubMed

Metters, Owen J; Forrest, Sebastian J K; Sparkes, Hazel A; Manners, Ian; Wass, Duncan F

2016-02-17

We report intermolecular transition metal frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) based on zirconocene aryloxide and phosphine moieties that exhibit a broad range of small molecule activation chemistry that has previously been the preserve of only intramolecular pairs. Reactions with D2, CO2, THF, and PhCCH are reported. By contrast with previous intramolecular examples, these systems allow facile access to a variety of steric and electronic characteristics at the Lewis acidic and Lewis basic components, with the three-step syntheses of 10 new intermolecular transition metal FLPs being reported. Systematic variation to the phosphine Lewis base is used to unravel steric considerations, with the surprising conclusion that phosphines with relatively small Tolman steric parameters not only give highly reactive FLPs but are often seen to have the highest selectivity for the desired product. DOSY NMR spectroscopic studies on these systems reveal for the first time the nature of the Lewis acid/Lewis base interactions in transition metal FLPs of this type.

Occupational Asthma in Antibiotic Manufacturing Workers: Case Reports and Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Díaz Angulo, Sara; Szram, Joanna; Welch, Jenny; Cannon, Julie; Cullinan, Paul

2011-01-01

Background. The risks of occupational asthma (OA) from antibiotics are uncertain. We report 4 new cases and a systematic review of the literature. Methods. Cases were identified through a specialist clinic, each underwent specific provocation testing (SPT). We subsequently reviewed the published literature. Results. The patients were employed in the manufacture of antibiotics; penicillins were implicated in three cases, in the fourth erythromycin, not previously reported to cause OA. In two, there was evidence of specific IgE sensitisation. At SPT each developed a late asthmatic reaction and increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness. 36 case reports have been previously published, 26 (citing penicillins or cephalosporins). Seven cross-sectional workplace-based surveys found prevalences of 5–8%. Conclusions. OA in antibiotic manufacturers may be more common than is generally recognised. Its pathogenesis remains unclear; immunological tests are of uncertain value and potential cases require confirmation with SPT. Further study of its frequency, mechanisms, and diagnosis is required. PMID:21603168

Development of multiplex microsatellite PCR panels for the seagrass Thalassia hemprichii (Hydrocharitaceae)1

PubMed Central

van Dijk, Kor-jent; Mellors, Jane; Waycott, Michelle

2014-01-01

• Premise of the study: New microsatellites were developed for the seagrass Thalassia hemprichii (Hydrocharitaceae), a long-lived seagrass species that is found throughout the shallow waters of tropical and subtropical Indo-West Pacific. Three multiplex PCR panels were designed utilizing new and previously developed markers, resulting in a toolkit for generating a 16-locus genotype. • Methods and Results: Through the use of microsatellite enrichment and next-generation sequencing, 16 new, validated, polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated. Diversity was between two and four alleles per locus totaling 36 alleles. These markers, plus previously developed microsatellite markers for T. hemprichii and T. testudinum, were tested for suitability in multiplex PCR panels. • Conclusions: The generation of an easily replicated suite of multiplex panels of codominant molecular markers will allow for high-resolution and detailed genetic structure analysis and clonality assessment with minimal genotyping costs. We suggest the establishment of a T. hemprichii primer convention for the unification of future data sets. PMID:25383269

A preliminary investigation into the prevalence and prediction of problematic cell phone use

PubMed Central

Smetaniuk, Peter

2014-01-01

Background and aims: Likening mobile phone use dependency to the classification of excessive behaviors may be necessarily equivalent in seriousness to previously established addictions such as problematic computing or excessive gambling. The aim of the study explores into the behavior of excessive use of mobile phones as a pathological behavior. Methods: Two studies investigated criteria for problematic mobile phone usage by examining student (Study 1, N = 301) and nonstudent (Study 2, N = 362) responses to a set of adapted mobile phone addiction inventories. Study 1 investigated cell phone addiction inventories as constructs designed to measure problematic cell phone use. Additionally, Study 2 sought to predict age, depression, extraversion, emotional stability, impulse control, and self-esteem as independent variables that augment respondents’ perceptions of problematic use. Results: The results from Study 1 and Study 2 indicate that 10 to 25% of the participants tested exhibited problematic cell phone usage. Additionally, age, depression, extraversion, and low impulse control are the most suitable predictors for problematic use. Conclusions: The results of the two studies indicate that problematic mobile phone use does occur and ought to be taken seriously by the psychological community. Presently, there is limited data providing conclusive evidence for a comprehensible categorization of cell phone addiction, as well as a unified explanatory model specific to problematic mobile phone use. Studies such as this one may contribute substantial findings, adding scientific significance, and offering a valuable submission for the ongoing progress of creating intervention frameworks relative to “virtual addictions”. PMID:25215213

Facing a changing world: Thermal physiology of American pikas (Ochotona princeps)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Otto, Hans W; Wilson, James A; Beever, Erik

2015-01-01

American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are of concern with respect to warming montane temperatures; however, little information exists regarding their physiological ability to adapt to warming temperatures. Previous studies have shown that pikas have high metabolism and low thermal conductance, which allow survival during cold winters. It has been hypothesized that these characteristics may be detrimental, given the recent warming trends observed in montane ecosystems. We examined resting metabolic rate, surface activity, and den and ambient temperatures (Ta) of pikas in late summer (August 2011 and 2012) at 2 locations in the Rocky Mountains. Resting metabolic rate was calculated to be 2.02 mL O2 · g-1h-1, with a lower critical temperature (LCT) of 28.1 ± 0.2 °C. No upper critical temperature (UCT) could be determined from our data; therefore, the estimated thermoneutral zone (TNZ) was 28.1 °C to at least 35.0 °C (upper experimental temperature). Pikas in this study showed the same bimodal above-talus activity patterns reported in previous studies. Den temperatures in Colorado were correlated with, but consistently lower than, current ambient temperatures. Wyoming den temperatures showed a weak correlation with Ta 20 min prior to the current den temperature. This study is one of few to present data on the physiological response pikas may have to current warming conditions, and the first to perform metabolic measurements in situ. Our data support conclusions of previous studies, specifically MacArthur and Wang (1973, 1974) and Smith (1974), which indicated American pikas may not have the physiological ability to cope with high Ta. Our results also highlight the importance of shaded regions below the talus rocks for behavioral thermoregulation by pikas.

Genome-wide association study for birth weight in Nellore cattle points to previously described orthologous genes affecting human and bovine height

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Birth weight (BW) is an economically important trait in beef cattle, and is associated with growth- and stature-related traits and calving difficulty. One region of the cattle genome, located on Bos primigenius taurus chromosome 14 (BTA14), has been previously shown to be associated with stature by multiple independent studies, and contains orthologous genes affecting human height. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) for BW in Brazilian Nellore cattle (Bos primigenius indicus) was performed using estimated breeding values (EBVs) of 654 progeny-tested bulls genotyped for over 777,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Results The most significant SNP (rs133012258, PGC = 1.34 × 10-9), located at BTA14:25376827, explained 4.62% of the variance in BW EBVs. The surrounding 1 Mb region presented high identity with human, pig and mouse autosomes 8, 4 and 4, respectively, and contains the orthologous height genes PLAG1, CHCHD7, MOS, RPS20, LYN, RDHE2 (SDR16C5) and PENK. The region also overlapped 28 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) previously reported in literature by linkage mapping studies in cattle, including QTLs for birth weight, mature height, carcass weight, stature, pre-weaning average daily gain, calving ease, and gestation length. Conclusions This study presents the first GWAS applying a high-density SNP panel to identify putative chromosome regions affecting birth weight in Nellore cattle. These results suggest that the QTLs on BTA14 associated with body size in taurine cattle (Bos primigenius taurus) also affect birth weight and size in zebu cattle (Bos primigenius indicus). PMID:23758625

Online tables of contents for books: effect on usage*

PubMed Central

Morris, Ruth C.

2001-01-01

Objectives: To explore whether the presence of online tables of contents (TOC) in an online catalog affects circulation (checkouts and inhouse usage). Two major questions were posed: (1) did the presence of online tables of contents for books increase use, and, (2) if it did, what factors might cause the increase? Method: A randomized and stratified design was used in tracking usage of 3,957 book titles that were previously divided into two groups: one with TOC and one without TOC. Stratification was done for year of imprint, location, subject, previous use, circulating or non-circulating status, and presence of TOC. The use was tracked by the online catalog statistics in the InnoPac online catalog for fourteen months. Results: The study found that tables of contents do increase usage. It also showed a correlation in the size of the effect based on the currency of the titles. In general, even after adjusting for all of the variables (publication date, location, circulation status, subject, and previous use), the odds of a title being used increased by 45% if the titles had online tables of contents, a statistically significant impact at the 0.05 level. Conclusions: This case-control study presents new information about the impact on circulation and inhouse use when tables of contents for books are added to the online catalog record. The study helps to establish the positive role of tables of contents in online catalogs. The research establishes TOC as a major parameter that can be successfully studied using quantitative methods. The study also provides information professionals with some guidance on when enhancement of TOC is likely to be most effective in increasing the use of existing collections. PMID:11209798

Risk of placenta previa in second birth after first birth cesarean section: a population-based study and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Objective: To compare the risk of placenta previa at second birth among women who had a cesarean section (CS) at first birth with women who delivered vaginally. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 399,674 women who gave birth to a singleton first and second baby between April 2000 and February 2009 in England. Multiple logistic regression was used to adjust the estimates for maternal age, ethnicity, deprivation, placenta previa at first birth, inter-birth interval and pregnancy complications. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis of the reported results in peer-reviewed articles since 1980. Results The rate of placenta previa at second birth for women with vaginal first births was 4.4 per 1000 births, compared to 8.7 per 1000 births for women with CS at first birth. After adjustment, CS at first birth remained associated with an increased risk of placenta previa (odds ratio = 1.60; 95% CI 1.44 to 1.76). In the meta-analysis of 37 previously published studies from 21 countries, the overall pooled random effects odds ratio was 2.20 (95% CI 1.96-2.46). Our results from the current study is consistent with those of the meta-analysis as the pooled odds ratio for the six population-based cohort studies that analyzed second births only was 1.51 (95% CI 1.39-1.65). Conclusions There is an increased risk of placenta previa in the subsequent pregnancy after CS delivery at first birth, but the risk is lower than previously estimated. Given the placenta previa rate in England and the adjusted effect of previous CS, 359 deliveries by CS at first birth would result in one additional case of placenta previa in the next pregnancy. PMID:22103697

Tobacco exposure-related alterations in DNA methylation and gene expression in human monocytes: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Lindsay M.; Lohman, Kurt; Pittman, Gary S.; Barr, R. Graham; Chi, Gloria C.; Kaufman, Joel; Wan, Ma; Bell, Douglas A.; Blaha, Michael J.; Rodriguez, Carlos J.; Liu, Yongmei

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Alterations in DNA methylation and gene expression in blood leukocytes are potential biomarkers of harm and mediators of the deleterious effects of tobacco exposure. However, methodological issues, including the use of self-reported smoking status and mixed cell types have made previously identified alterations in DNA methylation and gene expression difficult to interpret. In this study, we examined associations of tobacco exposure with DNA methylation and gene expression, utilizing a biomarker of tobacco exposure (urine cotinine) and CD14+ purified monocyte samples from 934 participants of the community-based Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Urine cotinine levels were measured using an immunoassay. DNA methylation and gene expression were measured with microarrays. Multivariate linear regression was used to test for associations adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and study site. Urine cotinine levels were associated with methylation of 176 CpGs [false discovery rate (FDR)<0.01]. Four CpGs not previously identified by studies of non-purified blood samples nominally replicated (P value<0.05) with plasma cotinine-associated methylation in 128 independent monocyte samples. Urine cotinine levels associated with expression of 12 genes (FDR<0.01), including increased expression of P2RY6 (Beta ± standard error = 0.078 ± 0.008, P = 1.99 × 10−22), a gene previously identified to be involved in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. No cotinine-associated (FDR<0.01) methylation profiles significantly (FDR<0.01) correlated with cotinine-associated (FDR<0.01) gene expression profiles. In conclusion, our findings i) identify potential monocyte-specific smoking-associated methylation patterns and ii) suggest that alterations in methylation may not be a main mechanism regulating gene expression in monocytes in response to cigarette smoking. PMID:29166816

Genome-wide association study of telomere length among South Asians identifies a second RTEL1 association signal

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chenan; Chen, Lin S; Gao, Jianjun; Roy, Shantanu; Shinkle, Justin; Sabarinathan, Mekala; Tong, Lin; Ahmed, Alauddin; Islam, Tariqul; Rakibuz-Zaman, Muhammad; Sarwar, Golam; Shahriar, Hasan; Rahman, Mahfuzar; Yunus, Mohammad; Jasmine, Farzana; Kibriya, Muhammad G; Ahsan, Habibul; Pierce, Brandon L

2018-01-01

Background Leucocyte telomere length (TL) is a potential biomarker of ageing and risk for age-related disease. Leucocyte TL is heritable and shows substantial differences by race/ethnicity. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) report ~10 loci harbouring SNPs associated with leucocyte TL, but these studies focus primarily on populations of European ancestry. Objective This study aims to enhance our understanding of genetic determinants of TL across populations. Methods We performed a GWAS of TL using data on 5075 Bangladeshi adults. We measured TL using one of two technologies (qPCR or a Luminex-based method) and used standardised variables as TL phenotypes. Results Our results replicate previously reported associations in the TERC and TERT regions (P=2.2×10−8 and P=6.4×10−6, respectively). We observed a novel association signal in the RTEL1 gene (intronic SNP rs2297439; P=2.82×10−7) that is independent of previously reported TL-associated SNPs in this region. The minor allele for rs2297439 is common in South Asian populations (≥0.25) but at lower frequencies in other populations (eg, 0.07 in Northern Europeans). Among the eight other previously reported association signals, all were directionally consistent with our study, but only rs8105767 (ZNF208) was nominally significant (P=0.003). SNP-based heritability estimates were as high as 44% when analysing close relatives but much lower when analysing distant relatives only. Conclusions In this first GWAS of TL in a South Asian population, we replicate some, but not all, of the loci reported in prior GWAS of individuals of European ancestry, and we identify a novel second association signal at the RTEL1 locus. PMID:29151059

Conduct of a personal radiofrequency electromagnetic field measurement study: proposed study protocol

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The development of new wireless communication technologies that emit radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) is ongoing, but little is known about the RF-EMF exposure distribution in the general population. Previous attempts to measure personal exposure to RF-EMF have used different measurement protocols and analysis methods making comparisons between exposure situations across different study populations very difficult. As a result, observed differences in exposure levels between study populations may not reflect real exposure differences but may be in part, or wholly due to methodological differences. Methods The aim of this paper is to develop a study protocol for future personal RF-EMF exposure studies based on experience drawn from previous research. Using the current knowledge base, we propose procedures for the measurement of personal exposure to RF-EMF, data collection, data management and analysis, and methods for the selection and instruction of study participants. Results We have identified two basic types of personal RF-EMF measurement studies: population surveys and microenvironmental measurements. In the case of a population survey, the unit of observation is the individual and a randomly selected representative sample of the population is needed to obtain reliable results. For microenvironmental measurements, study participants are selected in order to represent typical behaviours in different microenvironments. These two study types require different methods and procedures. Conclusion Applying our proposed common core procedures in future personal measurement studies will allow direct comparisons of personal RF-EMF exposures in different populations and study areas. PMID:20487532

Why Most Biomedical Findings Echoed by Newspapers Turn Out to be False: The Case of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Gonon, François; Konsman, Jan-Pieter; Cohen, David; Boraud, Thomas

2012-01-01

Context Because positive biomedical observations are more often published than those reporting no effect, initial observations are often refuted or attenuated by subsequent studies. Objective To determine whether newspapers preferentially report on initial findings and whether they also report on subsequent studies. Methods We focused on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using Factiva and PubMed databases, we identified 47 scientific publications on ADHD published in the 1990s and soon echoed by 347 newspapers articles. We selected the ten most echoed publications and collected all their relevant subsequent studies until 2011. We checked whether findings reported in each “top 10” publication were consistent with previous and subsequent observations. We also compared the newspaper coverage of the “top 10” publications to that of their related scientific studies. Results Seven of the “top 10” publications were initial studies and the conclusions in six of them were either refuted or strongly attenuated subsequently. The seventh was not confirmed or refuted, but its main conclusion appears unlikely. Among the three “top 10” that were not initial studies, two were confirmed subsequently and the third was attenuated. The newspaper coverage of the “top 10” publications (223 articles) was much larger than that of the 67 related studies (57 articles). Moreover, only one of the latter newspaper articles reported that the corresponding “top 10” finding had been attenuated. The average impact factor of the scientific journals publishing studies echoed by newspapers (17.1 n = 56) was higher (p<0.0001) than that corresponding to related publications that were not echoed (6.4 n = 56). Conclusion Because newspapers preferentially echo initial ADHD findings appearing in prominent journals, they report on uncertain findings that are often refuted or attenuated by subsequent studies. If this media reporting bias generalizes to health sciences, it represents a major cause of distortion in health science communication. PMID:22984483

The generalization of charged AdS black hole specific volume and number density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zi-Liang; He, Miao; Fang, Chao; Sun, Dao-Quan; Deng, Jian-Bo

2017-04-01

In this paper, by proposing a generalized specific volume, we restudy the P- V criticality of charged AdS black holes in the extended phase space. The results show that most of the previous conclusions can be generalized without change, but the ratio {\\tilde{ρ }}_c should be 3 {\\tilde{α }}/16 in general case. Further research on the thermodynamical phase transition of black hole leads us to a natural interpretation of our assumption, and more black hole properties can be generalized. Finally, we study the number density for charged AdS black hole in higher dimensions, the results show the necessity of our assumption.

Optical properties of bulk gallium nitride single crystals grown by chloride-hydride vapor-phase epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agyekyan, V. F.; Borisov, E. V.; Serov, A. Yu.; Filosofov, N. G.

2017-12-01

A gallium nitride crystal 5 mm in thickness was grown by chloride-hydride vapor-phase epitaxy on a sapphire substrate, from which the crystal separated during cooling. At an early stage, a three-dimensional growth mode was implemented, followed by a switch to a two-dimensional mode. Spectra of exciton reflection, exciton luminescence, and Raman scattering are studied in several regions characteristic of the sample. Analysis of these spectra and comparison with previously obtained data for thin epitaxial GaN layers with a wide range of silicon doping enabled conclusions about the quality of the crystal lattice in these characteristic regions.

Development of a liquid metal slip ring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberger, S. M.

1972-01-01

A liquid metal slip ring/solar orientation mechanism was designed and a model tested. This was a follow-up of previous efforts for the development of a gallium liquid metal slip ring in which the major problem was the formation and ejection of debris. A number of slip ring design approaches were studied. The probe design concept was fully implemented with detail drawings and a model was successfully tested for dielectric strength, shock vibration, acceleration and operation. The conclusions are that a gallium liquid metal slip ring/solar orientation mechanism is feasible and that the problem of debris formation and ejection has been successfully solved.

Seismic hazard exposure for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cluff, L.S.; Page, R.A.; Slemmons, D.B.; Grouse, C.B.; ,

2003-01-01

The discovery of oil on Alaska's North Slope and the construction of a pipeline to transport that oil across Alaska coincided with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and a destructive Southern California earthquake in 1971 to cause stringent stipulations, state-of-the-art investigations, and innovative design for the pipeline. The magnitude 7.9 earthquake on the Denali fault in November 2002 was remarkably consistent with the design earthquake and fault displacement postulated for the Denali crossing of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline route. The pipeline maintained its integrity, and disaster was averted. Recent probabilistic studies to update previous hazard exposure conclusions suggest continuing pipeline integrity.

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

Ma, Yan-Qing; Qiu, Jian-Wei

Following our previous proposal, we construct a class of good "lattice cross sections" (LCSs), from which we can study the partonic structure of hadrons from ab initio lattice QCD calculations. These good LCSs, on the one hand, can be calculated directly in lattice QCD, and on the other hand, can be factorized into parton distribution functions (PDFs) with calculable coefficients, in the same way as QCD factorization for factorizable hadronic cross sections. PDFs could be extracted from QCD global analysis of the lattice QCD generated data of LCSs. In conclusion, we also show that the proposed functions for lattice QCDmore » calculation of PDFs in the literature are special cases of these good LCSs.« less

The effects of list-method directed forgetting on recognition memory.

PubMed

Benjamin, Aaron S

2006-10-01

It is an almost universally accepted claim that the list-method procedure of inducing directed forgetting does not affect recognition. However, previous studies have omitted a critical comparison in reaching this conclusion. This article reports evidence that recognition of material learned after cue presentation is superior for conditions in which the material that preceded cue presentation was designated as to-be-forgotten. Because the absence of an effect of directed-forgetting instructions on recognition is the linchpin of the theoretical claim that retrieval inhibition and not selective rehearsal underlies that effect, the present results call into question the need to postulate a role for inhibition in directed forgetting.

Single-particle tracking of endocytosis and exocytosis of single-walled carbon nanotubes in NIH-3T3 cells.

PubMed

Jin, Hong; Heller, Daniel A; Strano, Michael S

2008-06-01

Over 10000 individual trajectories of nonphotobleaching single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) were tracked as they are incorporated into and expelled from NIH-3T3 cells in real time on a perfusion microscope stage. An analysis of mean square displacement allows the complete construction of the mechanistic steps involved from single duration experiments. We observe the first conclusive evidence of SWNT exocytosis and show that the rate closely matches the endocytosis rate with negligible temporal offset. We identify and study the endocytosis and exocytosis pathway that leads to the previously observed aggregation and accumulation of SWNT within the cells.

[Basic results of an experiment with mammals on the Kosmos-782 biosatellite].

PubMed

Gazenko, O G; Genin, A M; Il'in, E A; Portugalov, V V; Serova, L V

1978-01-01

The rat experiments carried out onboard the biosatellite Cosmos-782 contributed to our understanding of mechanisms of animal adaption to prolonged weightlessness. Postflight analysis helped to study nonspecific changes related to the stress-reaction accompanying space flight and return to the Earth gravity as well as specific changes associated with functional unloading of the musculoskeletal system in weightlessness. The flight results confirmed the previously made conclusions concerning possible adaptation of mammals to prolonged weightlessness and lack of pathological changes in vital weightlessness. They included: metabolic and hormonal changes, muscle atrophy, osteoporosis and delayed bone growth, decrease of ATPase activity of myocardial myosin, inhibition of erythropoiesis.

Absorption of Levothyroxine When Coadministered with Various Calcium Formulations

PubMed Central

Zamfirescu, Isabelle

2011-01-01

Background Calcium carbonate is a commonly used dietary supplement and has been shown to interfere with levothyroxine absorption. However, calcium citrate, which is also used for supplementation purposes, has not been studied previously and calcium acetate, which is used to treat hyperphosphatemia in renal failure, has been reported to show little or no interference with levothyroxine absorption in a retrospective pharmacoepidemiologic study. We aimed to compare the effect of these three calcium formulations on levothyroxine absorption. Materials and Methods The study was conducted in eight healthy, euthyroid adults. We performed single-dose pharmacokinetic studies in which we measured levothyroxine absorption when given alone or when coadministered with calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, or calcium acetate in doses containing 500 mg elemental calcium. Serum thyroxine was measured at intervals over a 6-hour period after ingestion of the study drugs. Results Coadministration of each of the three calcium preparations significantly reduced levothyroxine absorption by about 20%–25% compared with levothyroxine given alone. Conclusions Contrary to a prior report, our data suggest that calcium acetate interferes with levothyroxine absorption in a manner similar to that seen with calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Although the effect of calcium is modest compared with some other medications previously studied, hypothyroid patients should be cautioned to take their levothyroxine well-separated from all of these calcium formulations. PMID:21595516

Towards a conceptual framework demonstrating the effectiveness of audiovisual patient descriptions (patient video cases): a review of the current literature

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Technological advances have enabled the widespread use of video cases via web-streaming and online download as an educational medium. The use of real subjects to demonstrate acute pathology should aid the education of health care professionals. However, the methodology by which this effect may be tested is not clear. Methods We undertook a literature review of major databases, found relevant articles relevant to using patient video cases as educational interventions, extracted the methodologies used and assessed these methods for internal and construct validity. Results A review of 2532 abstracts revealed 23 studies meeting the inclusion criteria and a final review of 18 of relevance. Medical students were the most commonly studied group (10 articles) with a spread of learner satisfaction, knowledge and behaviour tested. Only two of the studies fulfilled defined criteria on achieving internal and construct validity. The heterogeneity of articles meant it was not possible to perform any meta-analysis. Conclusions Previous studies have not well classified which facet of training or educational outcome the study is aiming to explore and had poor internal and construct validity. Future research should aim to validate a particular outcome measure, preferably by reproducing previous work rather than adopting new methods. In particular cognitive processing enhancement, demonstrated in a number of the medical student studies, should be tested at a postgraduate level. PMID:23256787

A Study on New Pochonka Published in A.D. 1792

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Sang-Hyeon

2009-12-01

New Pochonka published in the eighteenth century of the Choson dynasty was composed of star-charts based on the new observations made by Jesuits in China and songs corrected a little bit from previous version of Pochonka. The asterisms in the previous Pochonka are listed in the same order to that in the Song dynasty's literature; while the asterisms in the new Pochonka are listed in accordance with Pu-tien-ko published in China after the Ming dynasty. The Chinese-style twelve-equatorial-section system is adopted in the new Pochonka, while in its song is adopted the zodiac system, which can be seen in the star-charts of previous version of Pochonka. The asterisms belonging to three or four neighboring lunar-mansions are drawn in one chart. Each chart covers asterisms not belonging to a certain range of right ascension, but to a certain lunar mansion. We estimate the forming era of the new Pochonka from the following facts; that the Ling-Tai-I-Hsiang-Chih was used to make charts and footnotes whose archetype can be found in the Chinese literature around A.D. 1700, that these Chinese books were imported into Choson in A.D. 1709, that the naming taboo to the emperor Khang-Hsi was used, that the order of Shen-Hsiu (參宿) was transposed with Tshui-Hsiu (자宿), and that the new Pochonka was substituted for the old version when the rules of Royal Astronomical Bureau was reformed in A.D. 1791. In conclusion, the parent sources of the charts and footnotes of the new Pochonka might be imported from the Ching dynasty around 1709 A.D. to form the new Pochonka between A.D. 1709 and A.D. 1791, and finally to be published in A.D. 1792. We discuss the possible future works to make a firm conclusion.

The Binaural Interaction Component in Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Presents few Differences to Mammalian Data.

PubMed

Palanca-Castan, Nicolas; Laumen, Geneviève; Reed, Darrin; Köppl, Christine

2016-12-01

The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is an evoked potential that reflects the responses to sound by brainstem neural centers. The binaural interaction component (BIC) is obtained by subtracting the sum of the monaural ABR responses from the binaural response. Its latency and amplitude change in response to variations in binaural cues. The BIC is thus thought to reflect the activity of binaural nuclei and is used to non-invasively test binaural processing. However, any conclusions are limited by a lack of knowledge of the relevant processes at the level of individual neurons. The aim of this study was to characterize the ABR and BIC in the barn owl, an animal where the ITD-processing neural circuits are known in great detail. We recorded ABR responses to chirps and to 1 and 4 kHz tones from anesthetized barn owls. General characteristics of the barn owl ABR were similar to those observed in other bird species. The most prominent peak of the BIC was associated with nucleus laminaris and is thus likely to reflect the known processes of ITD computation in this nucleus. However, the properties of the BIC were very similar to previously published mammalian data and did not reveal any specific diagnostic features. For example, the polarity of the BIC was negative, which indicates a smaller response to binaural stimulation than predicted by the sum of monaural responses. This is contrary to previous predictions for an excitatory-excitatory system such as nucleus laminaris. Similarly, the change in BIC latency with varying ITD was not distinguishable from mammalian data. Contrary to previous predictions, this behavior appears unrelated to the known underlying neural delay-line circuitry. In conclusion, the generation of the BIC is currently inadequately understood and common assumptions about the BIC need to be reconsidered when interpreting such measurements.

Genetic diversity of Brucella ovis isolates from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, by MLVA16

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Ovine epididymitis is predominantly associated with Brucella ovis infection. Molecular characterization of Brucella spp. achieved by multi-locus variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) analyses (MLVA) have proved to be a powerful tool for epidemiological trace-back studies. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Brucella ovis isolates from Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, by MLVA16. Findings MLVA16 genotyping identified thirteen distinct genotypes and a Hunter-Gaston diversity index of 0.989 among the fourteen B. ovis genotyped strains. All B. ovis MLVA16 genotypes observed in the present study represented non-previously described profiles. Analyses of the eight conserved loci included in panel 1 (MLVA8) showed three different genotypes, two new and one already described for B. ovis isolates. Among ten B. ovis isolates from same herd only two strains had identical pattern, whereas the four isolates with no epidemiologic information exhibited a single MLVA16 pattern each. Analysis of minimal spanning tree, constructed using the fourteen B. ovis strains typed in this study together with all nineteen B. ovis MLVA16 genotypes available in the MLVAbank 2014, revealed the existence of two clearly distinct major clonal complexes. Conclusions In conclusion, the results of the present study showed a high genetic diversity among B. ovis field isolates from Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, by MLVA16. PMID:25015223

Blue lighting accelerates post-stress relaxation: Results of a preliminary study.

PubMed

Minguillon, Jesus; Lopez-Gordo, Miguel Angel; Renedo-Criado, Diego A; Sanchez-Carrion, Maria Jose; Pelayo, Francisco

2017-01-01

Several authors have studied the influence of light on both human physiology and emotions. Blue light has been proved to reduce sleepiness by suppression of melatonin secretion and it is also present in many emotion-related studies. Most of these have a common lack of objective methodology since results and conclusions are based on subjective perception of emotions. The aim of this work was the objective assessment of the effect of blue lighting in post-stress relaxation, in comparison with white lighting, by means of bio-signals and standardized procedures. We conducted a study in which twelve healthy volunteers were stressed and then performed a relaxation session within a chromotherapy room with blue (test group) or white (control group) lighting. We conclude that the blue lighting accelerates the relaxation process after stress in comparison with conventional white lighting. The relaxation time decreased by approximately three-fold (1.1 vs. 3.5 minutes). We also observed a convergence time (3.5-5 minutes) after which the advantage of blue lighting disappeared. This supports the relationship between color of light and stress, and the observations reported in previous works. These findings could be useful in clinical and educational environments, as well as in daily-life context and emerging technologies such as neuromarketing. However, our study must be extended to draw reliable conclusions and solid scientific evidence.

Blue lighting accelerates post-stress relaxation: Results of a preliminary study

PubMed Central

Lopez-Gordo, Miguel Angel; Renedo-Criado, Diego A.; Sanchez-Carrion, Maria Jose; Pelayo, Francisco

2017-01-01

Several authors have studied the influence of light on both human physiology and emotions. Blue light has been proved to reduce sleepiness by suppression of melatonin secretion and it is also present in many emotion-related studies. Most of these have a common lack of objective methodology since results and conclusions are based on subjective perception of emotions. The aim of this work was the objective assessment of the effect of blue lighting in post-stress relaxation, in comparison with white lighting, by means of bio-signals and standardized procedures. We conducted a study in which twelve healthy volunteers were stressed and then performed a relaxation session within a chromotherapy room with blue (test group) or white (control group) lighting. We conclude that the blue lighting accelerates the relaxation process after stress in comparison with conventional white lighting. The relaxation time decreased by approximately three-fold (1.1 vs. 3.5 minutes). We also observed a convergence time (3.5–5 minutes) after which the advantage of blue lighting disappeared. This supports the relationship between color of light and stress, and the observations reported in previous works. These findings could be useful in clinical and educational environments, as well as in daily-life context and emerging technologies such as neuromarketing. However, our study must be extended to draw reliable conclusions and solid scientific evidence. PMID:29049332

Obesity in Pediatric ALL Survivors: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Kelly, Michael J.; Saltzman, Edward; Must, Aviva; Roberts, Susan B.; Parsons, Susan K.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Previous studies of survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have drawn heterogeneous conclusions regarding the prevalence of obesity and risk factors for developing obesity in pediatric ALL survivors. We sought to determine the prevalence of obesity in pediatric ALL survivors and examine risk factors for obesity through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A MEDLINE search was performed from its inception through 2013. Studies met the inclusion criteria if they (1) included at least 10 survivors of pediatric ALL; (2) assessed the prevalence or indicators of obesity; and (3) compared obesity among ALL survivors to a reference population or external control group. Extracted data included patient and treatment characteristics, study design, population used for comparison, and prevalence of obesity. RESULTS: Forty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Despite significant heterogeneity among the studies (I2 = 96%), the mean BMI z score in 1742 pediatric ALL survivors was 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.60–1.06), which corresponds to the 80th BMI percentile, indicating a significantly higher BMI in pediatric ALL survivors than the reference population. Subgroup analyses found a high prevalence of obesity in ALL survivors regardless of survivors’ receipt of cranial irradiation, gender, or age at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is prevalent in pediatric ALL survivors and is independent of patient- and treatment-related characteristics. Clinicians need to screen for obesity and its associated health conditions early in survivorship. PMID:24534408

Hierarchical organization of the coordinative structure of the skill of clay kneading.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Tomoyuki; Fujinami, Tsutomu

2008-10-01

An experiment was conducted to study the skill of clay kneading in pottery. This task usually requires a few years to master and is therefore well suited to study the long-term development of a complex motor skill. Participants' kneading movements were measured in 3D using a motion capture device and phase relations among coordinates and joint angles were analyzed in terms of the mutual phase relative to a reference point using the Hilbert transform. While a certain degree of periodicity was observed in all 10 participants, the behavior of the experts was characterized by a significant delay for the right elbow (i.e., the pushing arm) and the fore-aft position of the upper torso and only brief delays for the other parts, which all tended to synchronize with the reference. These findings are consistent with our notion of "differentiation within coordination", according to which skill learning proceeds in a hierarchical manner in that coordination among limb movements is established first, followed by modulations of specific limb movements within the established coordination. Although this feature of expert behavior was also apparent in our previous studies of clay kneading and samba shaking and dancing, the numbers of participants in those studies were not sufficient to draw firm conclusions. Since the present study involved more participants and a superior method of analysis, the present evidence for the principle of differentiation within coordination is more conclusive.

Thermal safety of ultrasound-enhanced ocular drug delivery: A modeling study

PubMed Central

Nabili, Marjan; Geist, Craig; Zderic, Vesna

2015-01-01

Purpose: Delivery of sufficient amounts of therapeutic drugs into the eye for treatment of various ocular diseases is often a challenging task. Ultrasound was shown to be effective in enhancing ocular drug delivery in the authors’ previous in vitro and in vivo studies. Methods: The study reported here was designed to investigate the safety of ultrasound application and its potential thermal effects in the eye using PZFlex modeling software. The safety limit in this study was set as a temperature increase of no more than 1.5 °C based on regulatory recommendations and previous experimental safety studies. Acoustic and thermal specifications of different human eye tissues were obtained from the published literature. The tissues of particular interest in this modeling safety study were cornea, lens, and the location of optic nerve in the posterior eye. Ultrasound application was modeled at frequencies of 400 kHz–1 MHz, intensities of 0.3–1 W/cm2, and exposure duration of 5 min, which were the parameters used in the authors’ previous drug delivery experiments. The baseline eye temperature was 37 °C. Results: The authors’ results showed that the maximal tissue temperatures after 5 min of ultrasound application were 38, 39, 39.5, and 40 °C in the cornea, 39.5, 40, 42, and 43 °C in the center of the lens, and 37.5, 38.5, and 39 °C in the back of the eye (at the optic nerve location) at frequencies of 400, 600, 800 kHz, and 1 MHz, respectively. Conclusions: The ocular temperatures reached at higher frequencies were considered unsafe based on current recommendations. At a frequency of 400 kHz and intensity of 0.8 W/cm2 (parameters shown in the authors’ previous in vivo studies to be optimal for ocular drug delivery), the temperature increase was small enough to be considered safe inside different ocular tissues. However, the impact of orbital bone and tissue perfusion should be included in future modeling efforts to determine the safety of this method in the whole orbit especially regarding potential adverse optic nerve heating at the location of the bone. PMID:26429235

Intermetallic Compound Growth and Stress Development in Al-Cu Diffusion Couple

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishler, M.; Ouvarov-Bancalero, V.; Chae, Seung H.; Nguyen, Luu; Kim, Choong-Un

2018-01-01

This paper reports experimental observations evidencing that the intermetallic compound phase interfaced with Cu in the Al-Cu diffusion couple is most likely α2-Cu3Al phase, not γ-Cu9Al4 phase as previously assumed, and that its growth to a critical thickness may result in interface failure by stress-driven fracture. These conclusions are made based on an interdiffusion study of a diffusion couple made of a thick Cu plate coated with ˜ 2- μm-thick Al thin film. The interface microstructure and lattice parameter were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. Specimens aged at temperature between 623 K (350°C) and 723 K (450°C) for various hours produced consistent results supporting the main conclusions. It is found that disordered α2-Cu3Al phase grows in a similar manner to solid-state epitaxy, probably owing to its structural similarity to the Cu lattice. The increase in the interface strain that accompanies the α2-Cu3Al phase growth ultimately leads to interface fracture proceeding from crack initiation and growth along the interface. This mechanism provides the most consistent explanation for interface failures observed in other studies.

Hearing Loss, Dizziness, and Carbohydrate Metabolism

PubMed Central

Albernaz, Pedro L. Mangabeira

2015-01-01

Introduction  Metabolic activity of the inner ear is very intense, and makes it sensitive to changes in the body homeostasis. This study involves a group of patients with inner ear disorders related to carbohydrate metabolism disturbances, including hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, and episodes of vertigo. Objectives  To describe the symptoms of metabolic inner ear disorders and the examinations required to establish diagnoses. These symptoms are often the first to allow for an early diagnosis of metabolic disorders and diabetes. Methods  Retrospective study of 376 patients with inner ear symptoms suggestive of disturbances of carbohydrate metabolism. The authors present patientś clinical symptoms and clinical evaluations, with emphasis on the glucose and insulin essays. Results  Authors based their conclusions on otolaryngological findings, diagnostic procedures and treatment principles. They found that auditory and vestibular symptoms usually occur prior to other manifestations of metabolic changes, leading to an early diagnosis of hyperinsulinemia, intestinal sugar malabsorption or diabetes. Previously undiagnosed diabetes mellitus type II was found in 39 patients. Conclusions  The identification of carbohydrate metabolism disturbances is important not only to minimize the patients' clinical symptoms, but also to help maintain their general health. PMID:27413410

Genetic diversity of selected genes that are potentially economically important in feral sheep of New Zealand

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Feral sheep are considered to be a source of genetic variation that has been lost from their domestic counterparts through selection. Methods This study investigates variation in the genes KRTAP1-1, KRT33, ADRB3 and DQA2 in Merino-like feral sheep populations from New Zealand and its offshore islands. These genes have previously been shown to influence wool, lamb survival and animal health. Results All the genes were polymorphic, but no new allele was identified in the feral populations. In some of these populations, allele frequencies differed from those observed in commercial Merino sheep and other breeds found in New Zealand. Heterozygosity levels were comparable to those observed in other studies on feral sheep. Our results suggest that some of the feral populations may have been either inbred or outbred over the duration of their apparent isolation. Conclusion The variation described here allows us to draw some conclusions about the likely genetic origin of the populations and selective pressures that may have acted upon them, but they do not appear to be a source of new genetic material, at least for these four genes. PMID:21176141

Reply to Comment on "Fringe projection profilometry with nonparallel illumination: a least-squares approach"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lujie; Quan, Chenggen

2006-07-01

We have confirmed that a mathematical expression in our previous Letter [Chen and Quan, Opt. Lett.30, 2101 (2005)] should be modified. The modification, however, does not affect the validity of the method reported, the results obtained and the subsequent conclusions made.

Iconic Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakitt, Barbara

1976-01-01

Describes a series of experiments showing that in normal subjects (a) iconic storage occurs primarily in the retina in the photoreceptors and (b) under conditions of dark pre- and postexposure fields, the icon is mainly a rod phenomenon. Draws conclusions based on these experiments, discusses previous work done by others, and attempts to reconcile…

A Comparison of Student Success by Faculty Qualifications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garner, Kristine A.

2012-01-01

Providing the best qualified faculty to ensure the most successful student outcomes is a priority in higher education. The use of adjunct faculty in colleges and universities is continually increasing, especially for lower level courses. Previous research has come to conflicting conclusions regarding the quality of adjunct faculty. Indicators of…

A Triangulation Methodology in Research on Social Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Robert G.; And Others

The purpose of this research was to develop, test, and demonstrate a systematic methodology of triangulation. Triangulation is a technique used to establish credibility of data gathered in qualitative ways. Triangulated conclusions are more stable than any of the individual vantage points from which they were triangulated. Using a previous study…

Orthography Influences the Perception and Production of Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rastle, Kathleen; McCormick, Samantha F.; Bayliss, Linda; Davis, Colin J.

2011-01-01

One intriguing question in language research concerns the extent to which orthographic information impacts on spoken word processing. Previous research has faced a number of methodological difficulties and has not reached a definitive conclusion. Our research addresses these difficulties by capitalizing on recent developments in the area of word…

Conclusion: The Intersection of Student Voice and Policy Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitra, Dana L.

2015-01-01

This concluding chapter examines how this book on student voice intersects with previous research about policy, especially policy implementation and sustainability. Mapping onto the themes of this volume, Discovering, Developing, and Demonstrating the power of student voice, I focus on three issues--legitimizing the role of young people in the…

What We Know about School Counseling: A Reaction to Borders and Drury.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerler, Edwin R., Jr.

1992-01-01

Responds to previous article by Borders and Drury (1992) on effectiveness of school counseling programs by focusing on conclusions that school counseling interventions have substantial impact on students' educational and personal development and that individual and small-group counseling, classroom guidance, and consultation activities seem to…

Review of the Literature: Integrating Psychoneuroimmunology into Pediatric Chronic Illness Interventions

PubMed Central

Nassau, Jack H.; Tien, Karen; Fritz, Gregory K.

2012-01-01

Objective Provide an orientation to psychoneuroimmunology, a rationale for including assessments of immune function in intervention studies of pediatric chronic illness, review the current literature, and provide recommendations for future research. Methods Using electronic searches and previous reviews, selected and reviewed published studies in which immunological changes related to psychological interventions were assessed in pediatric samples. Results Eight studies were identified and included in the review. These utilized a range of interventions (e.g., disclosure and hypnosis) and included a variety of pediatric samples (e.g., those with asthma, HIV infection, or lupus). Conclusions Results suggest that psychological intervention can influence immune function in pediatric samples. Recommendations for advancing our knowledge by studying populations for whom the immune system plays an active role in disease pathophysiology, measuring disease-relevant immune mediators, studying pediatric patients under times of stress, and focusing on interventions aimed at altering the stress system are provided. PMID:17848391

Oral bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: Clinical characteristics of a series of 20 cases in Spain

PubMed Central

López-Cedrún, José L.; Fernández-Sanromán, Jacinto; García-García, Abel; Fernández-Feijoo, Javier; Diz-Dios, Pedro

2012-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to define the clinical characteristics of osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) induced by oral bisphosphonates in a series of patients from a circumscribed area in northwest Spain. Study Design:A retrospective multicentre study was undertaken in 3 hospitals in an area with a radius less than 100 km in the Autonomous Community of Galicia (Spain). The medical records were reviewed and an oral examination was performed of patients diagnosed with oral bisphosphonate-related ONJ in the previous 3 years. Results: We detected 20 cases of ONJ (24 lesions) related to oral bisphosphonates (alendronate [16 patients] and ibandronate [4 patients]), which were mainly administered as treatment for osteoporosis (17 patients). The mean interval between initiation of treatment and confirmation of a diagnosis of ONJ was 66±43 months (range, 6-132 months); in 7 patients (35%) the interval was less than 36 months. The past history revealed hypertension in 13 cases (65%) and diabetes in 4 (20%); 7 patients (35%) were on corticosteroid treatment. Oral surgery had been previously performed in 13 patients (65%) and the remaining 7 patients (35%) had removable dental prostheses. The lesions most frequently affected the posterior mandible (62.5%). The majority of the lesions (75%) were classified as stage 2, although lesions were identified in all established clinical stages (including 2 stage 0 lesions). Conclusion: In conclusion, in the present series, ONJ induced by oral bisphosphonates typically develops in women around 70 years of age, taking alendronate, that underwent oral surgery. Most lesions are located in the posterior mandible and are classified as stage 2 at diagnosis. Some patients presented no known risk factors, suggesting that there may be risk factors still to be identified. There are well-defined patterns of clinical presentation that can facilitate early diagnosis of ONJ. Key words:Oral bisphosphonates, osteonecrosis of the jaws, alendronate. PMID:22549688

Integration of Myeloblastosis Associated Virus proviral sequences occurs in the vicinity of genes encoding signaling proteins and regulators of cell proliferation

PubMed Central

Li, Chang Long; Coullin, Philippe; Bernheim, Alain; Joliot, Véronique; Auffray, Charles; Zoroob, Rima; Perbal, Bernard

2006-01-01

Aims Myeloblastosis Associated Virus type 1 (N) [MAV 1(N)] induces specifically nephroblastomas in 8–10 weeks when injected to newborn chicken. The MAV-induced nephroblastomas constitute a unique animal model of the pediatric Wilms' tumor. We have made use of three independent nephroblastomas that represent increasing tumor grades, to identify the host DNA regions in which MAV proviral sequences were integrated. METHODS Cellular sequences localized next to MAV-integration sites in the tumor DNAs were used to screen a Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs) library and isolate BACs containing about 150 kilobases of normal DNA corresponding to MAV integration regions (MIRs). These BACs were mapped on the chicken chromosomes by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) and used for molecular studies. Results The different MAV integration sites that were conserved after tumor cell selection identify genes involved in the control of cell signaling and proliferation. Syntenic fragments in human DNA contain genes whose products have been involved in normal and pathological kidney development, and several oncogenes responsible for tumorigenesis in human. Conclusion The identification of putative target genes for MAV provides important clues for the understanding of the MAV pathogenic potential. These studies identified ADAMTS1 as a gene upregulated in MAV-induced nephroblastoma and established that ccn3/nov is not a preferential site of integration for MAV as previously thought. The present results support our hypothesis that the highly efficient and specific MAV-induced tumorigenesis results from the alteration of multiple target genes in differentiating blastemal cells, some of which are required for the progression to highly aggressive stages. This study reinforces our previous conclusions that the MAV-induced nephroblastoma constitutes an excellent model in which to characterize new potential oncogenes and tumor suppressors involved in the establishment and maintenance of tumors. PMID:16403231

External prolonged electrocardiogram monitoring in unexplained syncope and palpitations: results of the SYNARR-Flash study.

PubMed

Locati, E T; Moya, A; Oliveira, M; Tanner, H; Willems, R; Lunati, M; Brignole, M

2016-08-01

SYNARR-Flash study (Monitoring of SYNcopes and/or sustained palpitations of suspected ARRhythmic origin) is an international, multicentre, observational, prospective trial designed to evaluate the role of external 4-week electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring in clinical work-up of unexplained syncope and/or sustained palpitations of suspected arrhythmic origin. Consecutive patients were enrolled within 1 month after unexplained syncope or palpitations (index event) after being discharged from emergency room or hospitalization without a conclusive diagnosis. A 4-week ECG monitoring was obtained by external high-capacity loop recorder (SpiderFlash-T(®), Sorin) storing patient-activated and auto-triggered tracings. Diagnostic monitorings included (i) conclusive events with reoccurrence of syncope or palpitation with concomitant ECG recording (with/without arrhythmias) and (ii) events with asymptomatic predefined significant arrhythmias (sustained supraventricular or ventricular tachycardia, advanced atrio-ventricular block, sinus bradycardia <30 b.p.m., pauses >6 s). SYNARR-Flash study enrolled 395 patients (57.7% females, 56.9 ± 18.7 years, 28.1% with syncope, and 71.9% with palpitations) from 10 European centres. For syncope, the 4-week diagnostic yield was 24.5%, and predictors of diagnostic events were early start of recording (0-15 vs. >15 days after index event) (OR 6.2, 95% CI 1.3-29.6, P = 0.021) and previous history of supraventricular arrhythmias (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.4-9.7, P = 0.018). For palpitations, the 4-week diagnostic yield was 71.6% and predictors of diagnostic events were history of recurrent palpitations (P < 0.001) and early start of recording (P = 0.001). The 4-week external ECG monitoring can be considered as first-line tool in the diagnostic work-up of syncope and palpitation. Early recorder use, history of supraventricular arrhythmia, and frequent previous events increased the likelihood of diagnostic events during the 4-week external ECG monitoring. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.

Analysis of Heme Iron Coordination in DGCR8: The Heme-Binding Component of the Microprocessor Complex.

PubMed

Girvan, Hazel M; Bradley, Justin M; Cheesman, Myles R; Kincaid, James R; Liu, Yilin; Czarnecki, Kazimierz; Fisher, Karl; Leys, David; Rigby, Stephen E J; Munro, Andrew W

2016-09-13

DGCR8 is the RNA-binding partner of the nuclease Drosha. Their complex (the "Microprocessor") is essential for processing of long, primary microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) in the nucleus. Binding of heme to DGCR8 is essential for pri-miRNA processing. On the basis of the split Soret ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrum of ferric DGCR8, bis-thiolate sulfur (cysteinate, Cys(-)) heme iron coordination of DGCR8 heme iron was proposed. We have characterized DGCR8 heme ligation using the Δ276 DGCR8 variant and combined electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), electron nuclear double resonance, resonance Raman, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. These studies indicate DGCR8 bis-Cys heme iron ligation, with conversion from bis-thiolate (Cys(-)/Cys(-)) axial coordination in ferric DGCR8 to bis-thiol (CysH/CysH) coordination in ferrous DGCR8. Pri-miRNA binding does not perturb ferric DGCR8's optical spectrum, consistent with the axial ligand environment being separated from the substrate-binding site. UV-vis absorption spectra of the Fe(II) and Fe(II)-CO forms indicate discrete species exhibiting peaks with absorption coefficients substantially larger than those for ferric DGCR8 and that previously reported for a ferrous form of DGCR8. Electron-nuclear double resonance spectroscopy data exclude histidine or water as axial ligands for ferric DGCR8 and favor bis-thiolate coordination in this form. UV-vis MCD and near-infrared MCD provide data consistent with this conclusion. UV-vis MCD data for ferrous DGCR8 reveal features consistent with bis-thiol heme iron coordination, and resonance Raman data for the ferrous-CO form are consistent with a thiol ligand trans to the CO. These studies support retention of DGCR8 cysteine coordination upon reduction, a conclusion distinct from those of previous studies of a different ferrous DGCR8 isoform.

Individual Importance Weighting of Domain Satisfaction Ratings does Not Increase Validity

PubMed Central

Rohrer, Julia M.; Schmukle, Stefan C.

2018-01-01

Bottom-up models of life satisfaction are based on the assumption that individuals judge the overall quality of their lives by aggregating information across various life domains, such as health, family, and income. This aggregation supposedly involves a weighting procedure because individuals care about different parts of their lives to varying degrees. Thus, composite measures of well-being should be more accurate if domain satisfaction scores are weighted by the importance that respondents assign to the respective domains. Previous studies have arrived at mixed conclusions about whether such a procedure actually works. In the present study, importance weighting was investigated in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID; N = 5,049). Both weighted composite scores and moderated regression analyses converged in producing the conclusion that individual importance weights did not result in higher correlations with the outcome variable, a global measure of life satisfaction. By contrast, using weights that vary normatively across domains (e.g., assigning a larger weight to family satisfaction than to housing satisfaction for all respondents) significantly increased the correlation with global life satisfaction (although incremental validity was rather humble). These results converge with findings from other fields such as self-concept research, where evidence for individual importance weighting seems elusive as best. PMID:29652406

Individual Importance Weighting of Domain Satisfaction Ratings does Not Increase Validity.

PubMed

Rohrer, Julia M; Schmukle, Stefan C

2018-01-01

Bottom-up models of life satisfaction are based on the assumption that individuals judge the overall quality of their lives by aggregating information across various life domains, such as health, family, and income. This aggregation supposedly involves a weighting procedure because individuals care about different parts of their lives to varying degrees. Thus, composite measures of well-being should be more accurate if domain satisfaction scores are weighted by the importance that respondents assign to the respective domains. Previous studies have arrived at mixed conclusions about whether such a procedure actually works. In the present study, importance weighting was investigated in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID; N = 5,049). Both weighted composite scores and moderated regression analyses converged in producing the conclusion that individual importance weights did not result in higher correlations with the outcome variable, a global measure of life satisfaction. By contrast, using weights that vary normatively across domains (e.g., assigning a larger weight to family satisfaction than to housing satisfaction for all respondents) significantly increased the correlation with global life satisfaction (although incremental validity was rather humble). These results converge with findings from other fields such as self-concept research, where evidence for individual importance weighting seems elusive as best.

Discrepancies and Uncertainties in Bottom-up Gridded Inventories of Livestock Methane Emissions for the Contiguous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randles, C. A.; Hristov, A. N.; Harper, M.; Meinen, R.; Day, R.; Lopes, J.; Ott, T.; Venkatesh, A.

2017-12-01

In this analysis we used a spatially-explicit, bottom-up approach, based on animal inventories, feed intake, and feed intake-based emission factors to estimate county-level enteric (cattle) and manure (cattle, swine, and poultry) livestock methane emissions for the contiguous United States. Combined enteric and manure emissions were highest for counties in California's Central Valley. Overall, this analysis yielded total livestock methane emissions (8,916 Gg/yr; lower and upper bounds of 6,423 and 11,840 Gg/yr, respectively) for 2012 that are comparable to the current USEPA estimates for 2012 (9,295 Gg/yr) and to estimates from the global gridded Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) inventory (8,728 Gg/yr), used previously in a number of top-down studies. However, the spatial distribution of emissions developed in this analysis differed significantly from that of EDGAR. As an example, methane emissions from livestock in Texas and California (highest contributors to the national total) in this study were 36% lesser and 100% greater, respectively, than estimates by EDGAR. Thespatial distribution of emissions in gridded inventories (e.g., EDGAR) likely strongly impacts the conclusions of top-down approaches that use them, especially in the source attribution of resulting (posterior) emissions, and hence conclusions from such studies should be interpreted with caution.

Predictors of candidaemia caused by non-albicans Candida species: results of a population-based surveillance in Barcelona, Spain.

PubMed

Rodríguez, D; Almirante, B; Cuenca-Estrella, M; Rodríguez-Tudela, J L; Mensa, J; Ayats, J; Sanchez, F; Pahissa, A

2010-11-01

Although Candida albicans (CA) is the most common cause of Candida bloodstream infections (BSIs), recent studies have observed an increasing percentage of candidaemias caused by non-albicans Candida species (NAC). In the present study, we attempted to identify the predictors of candidaemia due to NAC compared to CA. We analyzed data from an active population-based surveillance in Barcelona (Spain) from January 2002 to December 2003. Factors associated with NAC fungaemia were determined by multivariate analysis. A total of 339 episodes of Candida BSI, in 336 patients (median age 63 years, interquartile range: 41-72 years), were included. CA was the most commonly isolated (52%), followed by Candida parapsilosis (23%), Candida tropicalis (10%), Candida glabrata (8.6%), Candida krusei (3.4%) and other NAC spp. (3%).Overall, 48% of cases were due to NAC spp. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with a risk of BSI due to NAC spp.: having received a haematologic transplant (OR 10.8; 95% CI 1.31-90.01; p 0.027), previous fluconazole exposure (OR 4.47; 95% CI 2.12-9.43; p <0.001) and neonatal age (OR 4.42; 95% CI 1.63-12.04; p 0.004). Conversely, previous CA colonization (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.19-0.57; p 0.001) and previous antibiotic use (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.21-0.85; p 0.017) were associated with CA fungaemia compared to NAC. In conclusion, NAC candidaemia comprised 48% of cases in our series. Predictors of NAC include having received a haematologic transplant, neonatal age and previous fluconazole use. © 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2010 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Cheetah paradigm revisited: MHC diversity in the world's largest free-ranging population.

PubMed

Castro-Prieto, Aines; Wachter, Bettina; Sommer, Simone

2011-04-01

For more than two decades, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has been considered a paradigm of disease vulnerability associated with low genetic diversity, particularly at the immune genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Cheetahs have been used as a classic example in numerous conservation genetics textbooks as well as in many related scientific publications. However, earlier studies used methods with low resolution to quantify MHC diversity and/or small sample sizes. Furthermore, high disease susceptibility was reported only for captive cheetahs, whereas free-ranging cheetahs show no signs of infectious diseases and a good general health status. We examined whether the diversity at MHC class I and class II-DRB loci in 149 Namibian cheetahs was higher than previously reported using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, cloning, and sequencing. MHC genes were examined at the genomic and transcriptomic levels. We detected ten MHC class I and four class II-DRB alleles, of which nine MHC class I and all class II-DRB alleles were expressed. Phylogenetic analyses and individual genotypes suggested that the alleles belong to four MHC class I and three class II-DRB putative loci. Evidence of positive selection was detected in both MHC loci. Our study indicated that the low number of MHC class I alleles previously observed in cheetahs was due to a smaller sample size examined. On the other hand, the low number of MHC class II-DRB alleles previously observed in cheetahs was further confirmed. Compared with other mammalian species including felids, cheetahs showed low levels of MHC diversity, but this does not seem to influence the immunocompetence of free-ranging cheetahs in Namibia and contradicts the previous conclusion that the cheetah is a paradigm species of disease vulnerability.

Validation of a Crowdsourcing Methodology for Developing a Knowledge Base of Related Problem-Medication Pairs

PubMed Central

Wright, A.; Krousel-Wood, M.; Thomas, E. J.; McCoy, J. A.; Sittig, D. F.

2015-01-01

Summary Background Clinical knowledge bases of problem-medication pairs are necessary for many informatics solutions that improve patient safety, such as clinical summarization. However, developing these knowledge bases can be challenging. Objective We sought to validate a previously developed crowdsourcing approach for generating a knowledge base of problem-medication pairs in a large, non-university health care system with a widely used, commercially available electronic health record. Methods We first retrieved medications and problems entered in the electronic health record by clinicians during routine care during a six month study period. Following the previously published approach, we calculated the link frequency and link ratio for each pair then identified a threshold cutoff for estimated problem-medication pair appropriateness through clinician review; problem-medication pairs meeting the threshold were included in the resulting knowledge base. We selected 50 medications and their gold standard indications to compare the resulting knowledge base to the pilot knowledge base developed previously and determine its recall and precision. Results The resulting knowledge base contained 26,912 pairs, had a recall of 62.3% and a precision of 87.5%, and outperformed the pilot knowledge base containing 11,167 pairs from the previous study, which had a recall of 46.9% and a precision of 83.3%. Conclusions We validated the crowdsourcing approach for generating a knowledge base of problem-medication pairs in a large non-university health care system with a widely used, commercially available electronic health record, indicating that the approach may be generalizable across healthcare settings and clinical systems. Further research is necessary to better evaluate the knowledge, to compare crowdsourcing with other approaches, and to evaluate if incorporating the knowledge into electronic health records improves patient outcomes. PMID:26171079

Anthropogenic antibiotic resistance genes mobilization to the polar regions.

PubMed

Hernández, Jorge; González-Acuña, Daniel

2016-01-01

Anthropogenic influences in the southern polar region have been rare, but lately microorganisms associated with humans have reached Antarctica, possibly from military bases, fishing boats, scientific expeditions, and/or ship-borne tourism. Studies of seawater in areas of human intervention and proximal to fresh penguin feces revealed the presence of Escherichia coli strains least resistant to antibiotics in penguins, whereas E. coli from seawater elsewhere showed resistance to one or more of the following antibiotics: ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin, and trim-sulfa. In seawater samples, bacteria were found carrying extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-type CTX-M genes in which multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) showed different sequence types (STs), previously reported in humans. In the Arctic, on the contrary, people have been present for a long time, and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) appears to be much more wide-spread than was previously reported. Studies of E coli from Arctic birds (Bering Strait) revealed reduced susceptibility to antibiotics, but one globally spreading clone of E. coli genotype O25b-ST131, carrying genes of ESBL-type CTX-M, was identified. In the few years between sample collections in the same area, differences in resistance pattern were observed, with E. coli from birds showing resistance to a maximum of five different antibiotics. Presence of resistance-type ESBLs (TEM, SHV, and CTX-M) in E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae was also confirmed by specified PCR methods. MLST revealed that those bacteria carried STs that connect them to previously described strains in humans. In conclusion, bacteria previously related to humans could be found in relatively pristine environments, and presently human-associated, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have reached a high global level of distribution that they are now found even in the polar regions.

Pharmacokinetics of Doxorubicin in Pregnant Women

PubMed Central

Ryu, Rachel J.; Eyal, Sara; Kaplan, Henry G.; Akbarzadeh, Arezoo; Hays, Karen; Puhl, Kristin; Easterling, Thomas R.; Berg, Stacey L.; Scorsone, Kathleen A.; Feldman, Eric M.; Umans, Jason G.; Miodovnik, Menachem; Hebert, Mary F.

2014-01-01

Purpose Our objective was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of doxorubicin during pregnancy compared to previously published data from non-pregnant subjects. Methods During mid- to late-pregnancy, serial blood and urine samples were collected over 72 hours from 7 women treated with doxorubicin for malignancies. PK parameters were estimated using noncompartmental techniques. Pregnancy parameters were compared to those previously reported non-pregnant subjects. Results During pregnancy, mean (± SD) doxorubicin PK parameters utilizing 72 hour sampling were: clearance (CL), 412 ± 80 mL/min/m2; steady-state volume of distribution (Vss), 1132 ± 476 L/m2; and terminal half-life (T1/2), 40.3 ± 8.9 hr. The BSA-adjusted CL was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) and T1/2 was not different compared to non-pregnant women. Truncating our data to 48 hours, PK parameters were: CL, 499 ± 116 ml/min/m2; Vss, 843 ± 391 L/m2; and T1/2, 24.8 ± 5.9 hr. The BSA-adjusted CL in pregnancy compared to non-pregnant data was significantly decreased in 2 of 3 non-pregnant studies (p < 0.05, < 0.05, NS). Vss and T1/2 were not significantly different. Conclusions In pregnant subjects, we observed significantly lower doxorubicin CL in our 72 hour and most of our 48 hour sampling comparisons with previously reported non-pregnant subjects. However, the parameters were within the range previously reported in smaller studies. At this time, we cannot recommend alternate dosage strategies for pregnant women. Further research is needed to understand the mechanism of doxorubicin pharmacokinetic changes during pregnancy and optimize care for pregnant women. PMID:24531558

The role of lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer: was the ASTEC trial doomed by design and are we destined to repeat that mistake?

PubMed

Naumann, R Wendel

2012-07-01

This study examines the design of previous and future trials of lymph node dissection in endometrial cancer. Data from previous trials were used to construct a decision analysis modeling the risk of lymphatic spread and the effects of treatment on patients with endometrial cancer. This model was then applied to previous trials as well as other future trial designs that might be used to address this subject. Comparing the predicted and actual results in the ASTEC trial, the model closely mimics the survival results with and without lymph node dissection for the low and high risk groups. The model suggests a survival difference of less than 2% between the experimental and control arms of the ASTEC trial under all circumstances. Sensitivity analyses reveal that these conclusions are robust. Future trial designs were also modeled with hysterectomy only, hysterectomy with radiation in intermediate risk patients, and staging with radiation only with node positive patients. Predicted outcomes for these approaches yield survival rates of 88%, 90%, and 93% in clinical stage I patients who have a risk of pelvic node involvement of approximately 7%. These estimates were 78%, 82%, and 89% in intermediate risk patients who have a risk of nodal spread of approximately 15%. This model accurately predicts the outcome of previous trials and demonstrates that even if lymph node dissection was therapeutic, these trials would have been negative due to study design. Furthermore, future trial designs that are being considered would need to be conducted in high-intermediate risk patients to detect any difference. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting success for college students enrolled in an online, lab-based, biology course for non-majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Regina

Online education has exploded in popularity. While there is ample research on predictors of traditional college student success, little research has been done on effective methods of predicting student success in online education. In this study, a number of demographic variables including GPA, ACT, gender, age and others were examined to determine what, if any, role they play in successfully predicting student success in an online, lab-based biology for non-majors course. Within course variables such as participation in specific categories of assignment and frequency of online visits were also examined. Groups of students including Native American/Non-Native American and Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives and others were also examined to determine if overall course success differed significantly. Good predictors of online success were found to be GPA, ACT, previous course experience and frequency of online visits with the course materials. Additionally, students who completed more of the online assignments within the course were more successful. Native American and Non-Native American students were found to differ in overall course success significantly as well. Findings indicate student academic background, previous college experience and time spent with course materials are the most important factors in course success. Recommendations include encouraging enrollment advisors to advise students about the importance of maintaining high academic levels, previous course experience and spending time with course materials may impact students' choices for online courses. A need for additional research in several areas is indicated, including Native American and Non-Native American differences. A more detailed examination of students' previous coursework would also be valuable. A study involving more courses, a larger number of students and surveys from faculty who teach online courses would help improve the generalizability of the conclusions.

Co-occurring substance-related and behavioral addiction problems: A person-centered, lay epidemiology approach.

PubMed

Konkolÿ Thege, Barna; Hodgins, David C; Wild, T Cameron

2016-12-01

Background and aims The aims of this study were (a) to describe the prevalence of single versus multiple addiction problems in a large representative sample and (b) to identify distinct subgroups of people experiencing substance-related and behavioral addiction problems. Methods A random sample of 6,000 respondents from Alberta, Canada, completed survey items assessing self-attributed problems experienced in the past year with four substances (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine) and six behaviors (gambling, eating, shopping, sex, video gaming, and work). Hierarchical cluster analyses were used to classify patterns of co-occurring addiction problems on an analytic subsample of 2,728 respondents (1,696 women and 1032 men; M age  = 45.1 years, SD age  = 13.5 years) who reported problems with one or more of the addictive behaviors in the previous year. Results In the total sample, 49.2% of the respondents reported zero, 29.8% reported one, 13.1% reported two, and 7.9% reported three or more addiction problems in the previous year. Cluster-analytic results suggested a 7-group solution. Members of most clusters were characterized by multiple addiction problems; the average number of past year addictive behaviors in cluster members ranged between 1 (Cluster II: excessive eating only) and 2.5 (Cluster VII: excessive video game playing with the frequent co-occurrence of smoking, excessive eating and work). Discussion and conclusions Our findings replicate previous results indicating that about half of the adult population struggles with at least one excessive behavior in a given year; however, our analyses revealed a higher number of co-occurring addiction clusters than typically found in previous studies.

Factors influencing participation in colorectal cancer screening programs in Spain.

PubMed

Vanaclocha-Espi, Mercedes; Ibáñez, Josefa; Molina-Barceló, Ana; Pérez, Elena; Nolasco, Andreu; Font, Rebeca; Pérez-Riquelme, Francisco; de la Vega, Mariola; Arana-Arri, Eunate; Oceja, MªElena; Espinàs, Josep Alfons; Portillo, Isabel; Salas, Dolores

2017-12-01

To analyze the sociodemographic and organizational factors influencing participation in population-based colorectal cancer screening programs (CRCSP) in Spain, a retrospective study was conducted in a cohort of people invited to participate in the first 3 screening rounds of 6 CRCSP from 2000 to 2012. Mixed logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic and organizational factors, such as the type of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) used and the FOBT delivery type. The analysis was performed separately in groups (Initial screening-first invitation, Subsequent invitation for previous never-responders, Subsequent invitation-regular, Subsequent invitation-irregular intervals). The results showed that, in the Initial screening-first invitation group, participation was higher in women than in men in all age groups (OR 1.05 in persons aged 50-59years and OR 1.12 in those aged 60-69years). Participation was also higher when no action was required to receive the FOBT kit, independently of the type of screening (Initial screening-first invitation [OR 2.24], Subsequent invitation for previous never-responders [OR 2.14], Subsequent invitation-regular [OR 2.03], Subsequent invitation-irregular intervals [OR 9.38]) and when quantitative rather than qualitative immunological FOBT (FIT) was offered (Initial screening-first invitation [OR 0.70], Subsequent invitation for previous never-responders [OR 0.12], Subsequent invitation-regular [OR 0.20]) or guaiac testing (Initial screening-first invitation [OR 0.81], Subsequent invitation for previous never-responders [OR 0.88], Subsequent invitation-regular [OR 0.73]). In conclusion, the results of this study show that screening participation could be enhanced by inclusion of the FOBT kit with the screening invitation and the use of the quantitative FIT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Underdiagnosis and prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after percutaneous coronary intervention: a prospective study

PubMed Central

Almagro, Pere; Lapuente, Anna; Pareja, Julia; Yun, Sergi; Garcia, Maria Estela; Padilla, Ferrán; Heredia, Josep Ll; De la Sierra, Alex; Soriano, Joan B

2015-01-01

Background Retrospective studies based on clinical data and without spirometric confirmation suggest a poorer prognosis of patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The impact of undiagnosed COPD in these patients is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of COPD – previously or newly diagnosed – in patients with IHD treated with PCI. Methods Patients with IHD confirmed by PCI were consecutively included. After PCI they underwent forced spirometry and evaluation for cardiovascular risk factors. All-cause mortality, new cardiovascular events, and their combined endpoint were analyzed. Results A total of 133 patients (78%) male, with a mean (SD) age of 63 (10.12) years were included. Of these, 33 (24.8%) met the spirometric criteria for COPD, of whom 81.8% were undiagnosed. IHD patients with COPD were older, had more coronary vessels affected, and a greater history of previous myocardial infarction. Median follow-up was 934 days (interquartile range [25%–75%]: 546–1,160). COPD patients had greater mortality (P=0.008; hazard ratio [HR]: 8.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.76–44.47) and number of cardiovascular events (P=0.024; HR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.04–3.33), even those without a previous diagnosis of COPD (P=0.01; HR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.12–2.83). These differences remained after adjustment for sex, age, number of coronary vessels affected, and previous myocardial infarction (P=0.025; HR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.08–3.1). Conclusion Prevalence and underdiagnosis of COPD in patients with IHD who undergo PCI are both high. These patients have an independent greater mortality and a higher number of cardiovascular events during follow-up. PMID:26213464

Use of previous maternal health services has a limited role in reattendance for skilled institutional delivery: cross-sectional survey in Northwest Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Kebede, Bekana; Gebeyehu, Abebaw; Andargie, Gashaw

2013-01-01

Background Maternal mortality rates are unacceptably high in Ethiopia. Institutional delivery with skilled care of the mother is one of the interventions proven to reduce the risk of complications that can cause maternal and neonatal mortality. Quality of service given during antenatal visits and childbirth are important measures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of skilled institutional delivery and its repeat use during a subsequent pregnancy and to identify any reasons why women avoid institutional delivery. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2012 in Chilga Woreda, Northwest Ethiopia. Data were collected from women who gave birth during the year preceding the survey. Information was entered and cleaned using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Multivariate and binary logistic regression was used to identify the relative effect of each explanatory variable on the outcome. Results A total of 402 (84.2%) women gave birth at home. Previous experience of skilled institutional delivery had a limited role in subsequent acceptance or use of institutional delivery. Most mothers who had previously had institutional delivery gave birth at home. Although 111 (40.8%) women visited the health facility during their pregnancy only because of illness, 184 (38.8%) did not know when to visit for antenatal care. In multivariate analysis, lower maternal education, being a rural resident, previous use of institutional delivery, remoteness of the health facility, and multiparity were factors significantly associated with less likelihood of institutional delivery. Number of months pregnant at the time of the first antenatal visit had no role in increasing the likelihood of institutional delivery. Conclusion The quality of the obstetric services presently available for women living in Ethiopia needs review. PMID:23459063

Co-occurring substance-related and behavioral addiction problems: A person-centered, lay epidemiology approach

PubMed Central

Konkolÿ Thege, Barna; Hodgins, David C.; Wild, T. Cameron

2016-01-01

Background and aims The aims of this study were (a) to describe the prevalence of single versus multiple addiction problems in a large representative sample and (b) to identify distinct subgroups of people experiencing substance-related and behavioral addiction problems. Methods A random sample of 6,000 respondents from Alberta, Canada, completed survey items assessing self-attributed problems experienced in the past year with four substances (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine) and six behaviors (gambling, eating, shopping, sex, video gaming, and work). Hierarchical cluster analyses were used to classify patterns of co-occurring addiction problems on an analytic subsample of 2,728 respondents (1,696 women and 1032 men; Mage = 45.1 years, SDage = 13.5 years) who reported problems with one or more of the addictive behaviors in the previous year. Results In the total sample, 49.2% of the respondents reported zero, 29.8% reported one, 13.1% reported two, and 7.9% reported three or more addiction problems in the previous year. Cluster-analytic results suggested a 7-group solution. Members of most clusters were characterized by multiple addiction problems; the average number of past year addictive behaviors in cluster members ranged between 1 (Cluster II: excessive eating only) and 2.5 (Cluster VII: excessive video game playing with the frequent co-occurrence of smoking, excessive eating and work). Discussion and conclusions Our findings replicate previous results indicating that about half of the adult population struggles with at least one excessive behavior in a given year; however, our analyses revealed a higher number of co-occurring addiction clusters than typically found in previous studies. PMID:27829288

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of eHealth Interventions in Somatic Diseases: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

PubMed Central

Elbert, Niels J; van Os-Medendorp, Harmieke; van Renselaar, Wilco; Ekeland, Anne G; Hakkaart-van Roijen, Leona; Raat, Hein; Nijsten, Tamar EC

2014-01-01

Background eHealth potentially enhances quality of care and may reduce health care costs. However, a review of systematic reviews published in 2010 concluded that high-quality evidence on the benefits of eHealth interventions was still lacking. Objective We conducted a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effectiveness/cost-effectiveness of eHealth interventions in patients with somatic diseases to analyze whether, and to what possible extent, the outcome of recent research supports or differs from previous conclusions. Methods Literature searches were performed in PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, and Scopus for systematic reviews and meta-analyses on eHealth interventions published between August 2009 and December 2012. Articles were screened for relevance based on preset inclusion and exclusion criteria. Citations of residual articles were screened for additional literature. Included papers were critically appraised using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement before data were extracted. Based on conclusions drawn by the authors of the included articles, reviews and meta-analyses were divided into 1 of 3 groups: suitable, promising, or limited evidence on effectiveness/cost-effectiveness. Cases of uncertainty were resolved by consensus discussion. Effect sizes were extracted from papers that included a meta-analysis. To compare our results with previous findings, a trend analysis was performed. Results Our literature searches yielded 31 eligible reviews, of which 20 (65%) reported on costs. Seven papers (23%) concluded that eHealth is effective/cost-effective, 13 (42%) underlined that evidence is promising, and others found limited or inconsistent proof. Methodological quality of the included reviews and meta-analyses was generally considered high. Trend analysis showed a considerable accumulation of literature on eHealth. However, a similar percentage of papers concluded that eHealth is effective/cost-effective or evidence is at least promising (65% vs 62%). Reviews focusing primarily on children or family caregivers still remained scarce. Although a pooled (subgroup) analysis of aggregate data from randomized studies was performed in a higher percentage of more recently published reviews (45% vs 27%), data on economic outcome measures were less frequently reported (65% vs 85%). Conclusions The number of reviews and meta-analyses on eHealth interventions in patients with somatic diseases has increased considerably in recent years. Most articles show eHealth is effective/cost-effective or at least suggest evidence is promising, which is consistent with previous findings. Although many researchers advocate larger, well-designed, controlled studies, we believe attention should be given to the development and evaluation of strategies to implement effective/cost-effective eHealth initiatives in daily practice, rather than to further strengthen current evidence. PMID:24739471

[Cutaneous melanoma associated with previous nevus].

PubMed

Gutiérrez, María P; Barengo, Mónica; Mainardi, Claudio; Garay, Iliana; Kurpis, María; Ruiz Lascano, Alejandro

2009-01-01

The malignant melanoma is a neoplasia originated from the melanocytes located in the skin and other locations. Even though there is not information regarding its incidence and prevalence in our country, its most important risk factors are known. The melanoma can originate de novo or from previous melanocytic lesions. The concept that a melanocytic nevus can serve as a precursor lesion is supported by clinical and histological evidence. An observational, retrospective and analytical study was carried out in the Hospital Privado de Córdoba. The objective was to determine which is the frequency of association of malignant melanomas that develop on previous nevus. A total of 134 melanomas were analyzed. In 32 cases (24%), the melanomas were histologically associated with nevus, in individuals with Breslow's depth bigger than 1 mm the percentage of association was 16.3% while in those exhibiting Breslow smaller than 1 mm the percentage of association was 38.1%. Having evaluated the melanomas in relation to the Breslow and Clark classification, we observed that the nevus associated melanoma group showed less Breslow thickness and low Clark levels, which, by statistical analysis were shown to be significant predictors of the probabilty of finding this association (p < 0.027). This study demonstrates that the tumor thickness by itself is an independent predictive factor of the association melanoma-nevus. However, the rest of the variables studied did not throw significant results from the statistical point of view. In conclusion, patients must be educated for the control of new pigmented injuries as well as for the modification of preexisting nevi.

Effectiveness of computer-assisted anesthetic delivery system (sta™) in dental implant surgery: a prospective study

PubMed Central

GRASSI, F.R.; RAPONE, B.; SCARANO CATANZARO, F.; CORSALINI, M.; KALEMAJ, Z.

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Objectives. This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate effectiveness of Computerized Local Anesthesia (CLA) on oral implantology through estimation of pain and discomfort and total quantity of injected anesthetic. Methods. Forty-five consecutive patients whose treatment plan included immediate or late dental implants were included in this study. The main inclusion criteria comprised: previous implant intervention under conventional anesthesia (CA) during the past 3 years and no previous treatment of pain relief. All patients reported on a 0–10 scale on previous experience with CA, and new experience with CLA. The same CLA system, namely Single Tooth Anesthesia (STA) was used for all patients with half of the quantity normally used for CA. Data on quantity of anesthetic and reported ratings were collected and described. Potential associations and determinant variables were analysed through correlation analysis and regression models. Results. Out of 45 patients, 27 received post-extractive implant surgery whereas the rest 18 implant surgery on healed sites. The reported pain from STA (mean 1.6, SD 0.7) showed important difference as compared to CA (7.9, SD 1.2; z=5.873; p<0.0001). The comfort perceived during the STA ranged from 7 to 10 (mean 9.5, SD 0.79). A second injection with half of the initial dose was necessary in three cases only. Conclusions. STA system proved to be effective during interventions of dental implantology, by markedly reducing patients’ pain and discomfort and the total quantity of necessary anesthetic. PMID:29682255

Apparatus for investigating the reactions of soft-bodied invertebrates to controlled humidity gradients

PubMed Central

Russell, Joshua; Pierce-Shimomura, Jonathan T.

2015-01-01

Background While many studies have assayed behavioral responses of animals to chemical, temperature and light gradients, fewer studies have assayed how animals respond to humidity gradients. Our novel humidity chamber has allowed us to study the neuromolecular basis of humidity sensation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (Russell et al. 2014). New Method We describe an easy-to-construct, low-cost humidity chamber to assay the behavior of small animals, including soft-bodied invertebrates, in controlled humidity gradients. Results We show that our humidity-chamber design is amenable to soft-bodied invertebrates and can produce reliable gradients ranging 0.3–8% RH/cm across a 9-cm long x 7.5-cm wide gel-covered arena. Comparison with Existing Method(s) Previous humidity chambers relied on circulating dry and moist air to produce a steep humidity gradient in a small arena (e.g. Sayeed & Benzer, 1996). To remove the confound of moving air that may elicit mechanical responses independent of humidity responses, our chamber controlled the humidity gradient using reservoirs of hygroscopic materials. Additionally, to better observe the behavioral mechanisms for humidity responses, our chamber provided a larger arena. Although similar chambers have been described previously, these approaches were not suitable for soft-bodied invertebrates or for easy imaging of behavior because they required that animals move across wire or fabric mesh. Conclusion The general applicability of our humidity chamber overcomes limitations of previous designs and opens the door to observe the behavioral responses of soft-bodied invertebrates, including genetically powerful C. elegans and Drosophila larvae. PMID:25176025

The effects of previous open renal stone surgery types on PNL outcomes

PubMed Central

Ozgor, Faruk; Kucuktopcu, Onur; Ucpinar, Burak; Sarilar, Omer; Erbin, Akif; Yanaral, Fatih; Sahan, Murat; Binbay, Murat

2016-01-01

Introduction: Our aim was to demonstrate the effect of insicion of renal parenchyma during open renal stone surgery (ORSS) on percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) outcomes. Methods: Patients with history of ORSS who underwent PNL operation between June 2005 and June 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups according to their type of previous ORSS. Patients who had a history of ORSS with parenchymal insicion, such as radial nephrotomies, anatrophic nephrolithotomy, lower pole resection, and partial nephrectomy, were included in Group 1. Other patients with a history of open pyelolithotomy were enrolled in Group 2. Preoperative characteristics, perioperative data, stone-free status, and complications were compared between the groups. Stone-free status was defined as complete clearance of stone(s) or presence of residual fragments smaller than 4 mm. The retrospective nature of our study, different experience level of surgeons, and lack of the evaluation of anesthetic agents and cost of procedures were limitations of our study. Results: 123 and 111 patients were enrolled in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. Preoperative characteristics were similar between groups. In Group 1, the mean operative time was statistically longer than in Group 2 (p=0.013). Stone-free status was significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p=0.027). Complication rates were similar between groups. Hemorrhage requiring blood transfusion was the most common complication in both groups (10.5% vs. 9.9%). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that a history of previous ORSS with parenchymal insicion significantly reduces the success rates of PNL procedure. PMID:28255416

Realistic kinetic loading of the jaw system during single chewing cycles: a finite element study.

PubMed

Martinez Choy, S E; Lenz, J; Schweizerhof, K; Schmitter, M; Schindler, H J

2017-05-01

Although knowledge of short-range kinetic interactions between antagonistic teeth during mastication is of essential importance for ensuring interference-free fixed dental reconstructions, little information is available. In this study, the forces on and displacements of the teeth during kinetic molar biting simulating the power stroke of a chewing cycle were investigated by use of a finite-element model that included all the essential components of the human masticatory system, including an elastic food bolus. We hypothesised that the model can approximate the loading characteristics of the dentition found in previous experimental studies. The simulation was a transient analysis, that is, it considered the dynamic behaviour of the jaw. In particular, the reaction forces on the teeth and joints arose from contact, rather than nodal forces or constraints. To compute displacements of the teeth, the periodontal ligament (PDL) was modelled by use of an Ogden material model calibrated on the basis of results obtained in previous experiments. During the initial holding phase of the power stroke, bite forces were aligned with the roots of the molars until substantial deformation of the bolus occurred. The forces tilted the molars in the bucco-lingual and mesio-distal directions, but as the intrusive force increased the teeth returned to their initial configuration. The Ogden material model used for the PDL enabled accurate prediction of the displacements observed in experimental tests. In conclusion, the comprehensive kinetic finite element model reproduced the kinematic and loading characteristics of previous experimental investigations. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of Cognitive Activity Level on Duration of Post-Concussion Symptoms

PubMed Central

Brown, Naomi J.; Mannix, Rebekah C.; O’Brien, Michael J.; Gostine, David; Collins, Michael W.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of cognitive activity level on duration of post-concussion symptoms. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients who presented to a Sports Concussion Clinic within 3 weeks of injury between October 2009 and July 2011. At each visit, patients completed a scale that recorded their average level of cognitive activity since the previous visit. The product of cognitive activity level and days between visits (cognitive activity-days) was calculated and divided into quartiles. Kaplan-Meier Product Limit method was used to generate curves of symptom duration based on cognitive activity level. To adjust for other possible predictors of concussion recovery, we constructed a Cox proportional hazard model with cognitive activity-days as the main predictor. RESULTS: Of the 335 patients included in the study, 62% were male, 19% reported a loss of consciousness, and 37% reported experiencing amnesia at the time of injury. The mean age of participants was 15 years (range, 8–23) and the mean number of previous concussions was 0.76; 39% of athletes had sustained a previous concussion. The mean Post-Concussion Symptom Scale score at the initial visit was 30 (SD, 26). The overall mean duration of symptoms was 43 days (SD, 53). Of all variables assessed, only total symptom burden at initial visit and cognitive activity level were independently associated with duration of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Increased cognitive activity is associated with longer recovery from concussion. This study supports the use of cognitive rest and adds to the current consensus opinion. PMID:24394679

Identification of balanced chromosomal rearrangements previously unknown among participants in the 1000 Genomes Project: implications for interpretation of structural variation in genomes and the future of clinical cytogenetics.

PubMed

Dong, Zirui; Wang, Huilin; Chen, Haixiao; Jiang, Hui; Yuan, Jianying; Yang, Zhenjun; Wang, Wen-Jing; Xu, Fengping; Guo, Xiaosen; Cao, Ye; Zhu, Zhenzhen; Geng, Chunyu; Cheung, Wan Chee; Kwok, Yvonne K; Yang, Huanming; Leung, Tak Yeung; Morton, Cynthia C; Cheung, Sau Wai; Choy, Kwong Wai

2017-11-02

PurposeRecent studies demonstrate that whole-genome sequencing enables detection of cryptic rearrangements in apparently balanced chromosomal rearrangements (also known as balanced chromosomal abnormalities, BCAs) previously identified by conventional cytogenetic methods. We aimed to assess our analytical tool for detecting BCAs in the 1000 Genomes Project without knowing which bands were affected.MethodsThe 1000 Genomes Project provides an unprecedented integrated map of structural variants in phenotypically normal subjects, but there is no information on potential inclusion of subjects with apparent BCAs akin to those traditionally detected in diagnostic cytogenetics laboratories. We applied our analytical tool to 1,166 genomes from the 1000 Genomes Project with sufficient physical coverage (8.25-fold).ResultsWith this approach, we detected four reciprocal balanced translocations and four inversions, ranging in size from 57.9 kb to 13.3 Mb, all of which were confirmed by cytogenetic methods and polymerase chain reaction studies. One of these DNAs has a subtle translocation that is not readily identified by chromosome analysis because of the similarity of the banding patterns and size of exchanged segments, and another results in disruption of all transcripts of an OMIM gene.ConclusionOur study demonstrates the extension of utilizing low-pass whole-genome sequencing for unbiased detection of BCAs including translocations and inversions previously unknown in the 1000 Genomes Project.GENETICS in MEDICINE advance online publication, 2 November 2017; doi:10.1038/gim.2017.170.

Real world heart failure epidemiology and outcome: A population-based analysis of 88,195 patients

PubMed Central

Vela, Emili; Clèries, Montse; Bustins, Montse; Cainzos-Achirica, Miguel; Enjuanes, Cristina; Moliner, Pedro; Ruiz, Sonia; Verdú-Rotellar, José María; Comín-Colet, Josep

2017-01-01

Background Heart failure (HF) is frequent and its prevalence is increasing. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiologic features of HF patients, the 1-year follow-up outcomes and the independent predictors of those outcomes at a population level. Methods and results Population-based longitudinal study including all prevalent HF cases in Catalonia (Spain) on December 31st, 2012. Patients were divided in 3 groups: patients without a previous HF hospitalization, patients with a remote (>1 year) HF hospitalization and patients with a recent (<1 year) HF admission. We analyzed 1year all-cause and HF hospitalizations, and all-cause mortality. Logistic regression was used to identify the independent predictors of each of those outcomes. A total of 88,195 patients were included. Mean age was 77 years, 55% were women. Comorbidities were frequent. Fourteen percent of patients had never been hospitalized, 71% had a remote HF hospitalization and 15% a recent hospitalization. At 1-year follow-up, all-cause and HF hospitalization were 53% and 8.8%, respectively. One-year all-cause mortality rate was 14%, and was higher in patients with a recent HF hospitalization (24%). The presence of diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation or chronic kidney disease was independently associated with all-cause and HF hospitalization and all-cause mortality. Hospital admissions and emergency department visits the previous year were also found to be independently associated with the three study outcomes. Conclusions Outcomes are different depending on the HF population studied. Some comorbidity, an all-cause hospitalization or emergency department visit the previous year were associated with a worse outcome. PMID:28235067

Predictors of skilled attendance at delivery among antenatal clinic attendants in Ghana: a cross-sectional study of population data

PubMed Central

Amoakoh-Coleman, Mary; Ansah, Evelyn K; Agyepong, Irene Akua; Grobbee, Diederick E; Kayode, Gbenga A; Klipstein-Grobusch, Kerstin

2015-01-01

Objective To identify demographic, maternal and community predictors of skilled attendance at delivery among women who attend antenatal clinic at least once during their pregnancy in Ghana. Design A cross-sectional study using the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data. We used frequencies for descriptive analysis, χ2 test for associations and logistic regression to identify significant predictors. Predictive models were built with estimation of area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). Setting Ghana. Participants A total of 2041 women who had a live birth in the 5 years preceding the survey, and attended an antenatal clinic having a skilled provider, at least once, during the pregnancy. Outcome Skilled attendance at delivery. Results Overall, 60.5% (1235/2041) of women in our study sample reported skilled attendance at delivery. Significant positive associations existed between skilled attendance at delivery and the variables such as maternal educational level, wealth status class, ever use of contraception, previous pregnancy complications and health insurance coverage (p<0.001). Significant predictors of skilled attendance were wealth status class, residency, previous delivery complication, health insurance coverage and religion in a model with AUC (95% CI) of 0.85 (0.83 to 0.88). Conclusions Women less likely to have skilled attendance at delivery can be identified during antenatal care by using data on wealth status class, health insurance coverage, residence, history of previous birth complications and religion, and targeted with interventions to improve skilled attendance at delivery. PMID:25991459