On an additive partial correlation operator and nonparametric estimation of graphical models

PubMed Central

Li, Bing; Zhao, Hongyu

2016-01-01

Abstract We introduce an additive partial correlation operator as an extension of partial correlation to the nonlinear setting, and use it to develop a new estimator for nonparametric graphical models. Our graphical models are based on additive conditional independence, a statistical relation that captures the spirit of conditional independence without having to resort to high-dimensional kernels for its estimation. The additive partial correlation operator completely characterizes additive conditional independence, and has the additional advantage of putting marginal variation on appropriate scales when evaluating interdependence, which leads to more accurate statistical inference. We establish the consistency of the proposed estimator. Through simulation experiments and analysis of the DREAM4 Challenge dataset, we demonstrate that our method performs better than existing methods in cases where the Gaussian or copula Gaussian assumption does not hold, and that a more appropriate scaling for our method further enhances its performance. PMID:29422689

Conflict over condition-dependent sex allocation can lead to mixed sex-determination systems

PubMed Central

Kuijper, Bram; Pen, Ido

2014-01-01

Theory suggests that genetic conflicts drive turnovers between sex-determining mechanisms, yet these studies only apply to cases where sex allocation is independent of environment or condition. Here, we model parent–offspring conflict in the presence of condition-dependent sex allocation, where the environment has sex-specific fitness consequences. Additionally, one sex is assumed to be more costly to produce than the other, which leads offspring to favor a sex ratio less biased toward the cheaper sex in comparison to the sex ratio favored by mothers. The scope for parent–offspring conflict depends on the relative frequency of both environments: when one environment is less common than the other, parent–offspring conflict can be reduced or even entirely absent, despite a biased population sex ratio. The model shows that conflict-driven invasions of condition-independent sex factors (e.g., sex chromosomes) result either in the loss of condition-dependent sex allocation, or, interestingly, lead to stable mixtures of condition-dependent and condition-independent sex factors. The latter outcome corresponds to empirical observations in which sex chromosomes are present in organisms with environment-dependent sex determination. Finally, conflict can also favor errors in environmental perception, potentially resulting in the loss of condition-dependent sex allocation without genetic changes to sex-determining loci. PMID:25180669

On statistical independence of a contingency matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsumoto, Shusaku; Hirano, Shoji

2005-03-01

A contingency table summarizes the conditional frequencies of two attributes and shows how these two attributes are dependent on each other with the information on a partition of universe generated by these attributes. Thus, this table can be viewed as a relation between two attributes with respect to information granularity. This paper focuses on several characteristics of linear and statistical independence in a contingency table from the viewpoint of granular computing, which shows that statistical independence in a contingency table is a special form of linear dependence. The discussions also show that when a contingency table is viewed as a matrix, called a contingency matrix, its rank is equal to 1.0. Thus, the degree of independence, rank plays a very important role in extracting a probabilistic model from a given contingency table. Furthermore, it is found that in some cases, partial rows or columns will satisfy the condition of statistical independence, which can be viewed as a solving process of Diophatine equations.

Work and health in a contemporary society: demands, control, and insecurity.

PubMed

D'Souza, R M; Strazdins, L; Lim, L L-Y; Broom, D H; Rodgers, B

2003-11-01

To examine independent associations of job strain (high demands and low control) and job insecurity with mental and physical health outcomes. Cross sectional general population study conducted in 2000 using a self completed questionnaire. Two adjoining cities in south east Australia. 1188 employed professionals, aged 40-44 years, 55% (n = 655) male. Depression, anxiety, physical, and self rated health (SRH). Adverse job conditions were relatively prevalent as 23% of the sample reported high job strain, while 7.3% and 23% reported high and moderate job insecurity respectively. Associations between job conditions and health persisted after adjustment for gender, education, marital status, employment status, major life events, and negative affectivity (personality). When adjusted for job strain, high job insecurity was independently associated with a greater than threefold increase in odds for poor SRH, depression and anxiety (OR (95% confidence intervals) poor SRH: 3.72 (1.97 to 7.04) depression: 3.49 (1.90 to 6.41), anxiety: 3.29 (1.71 to 6.33)), and a twofold increase for physical health 2.19 (1.21 to 3.95). High job strain also showed significant independent associations with depression: 2.54 (1.34 to.4.75) and anxiety: 3.15 (1.48 to 6.70). In this relatively privileged socioeconomic group, insecure employment and high job strain showed independent, consistent, and strong associations with physical and mental health. These adverse job conditions are on the increase, particularly insecure employment, and the influence of these two work conditions are an important focus for future public health research and their prevalence and impact should be examined in other occupations.

10 CFR 72.240 - Conditions for spent fuel storage cask reapproval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conditions for spent fuel storage cask reapproval. 72.240 Section 72.240 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C...

Rank and independence in contingency table

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsumoto, Shusaku

2004-04-01

A contingency table summarizes the conditional frequencies of two attributes and shows how these two attributes are dependent on each other. Thus, this table is a fundamental tool for pattern discovery with conditional probabilities, such as rule discovery. In this paper, a contingency table is interpreted from the viewpoint of statistical independence and granular computing. The first important observation is that a contingency table compares two attributes with respect to the number of equivalence classes. For example, a n x n table compares two attributes with the same granularity, while a m x n(m >= n) table compares two attributes with different granularities. The second important observation is that matrix algebra is a key point of analysis of this table. Especially, the degree of independence, rank plays a very important role in evaluating the degree of statistical independence. Relations between rank and the degree of dependence are also investigated.

A Comparison of Independent Event-Related Desynchronization Responses in Motor-Related Brain Areas to Movement Execution, Movement Imagery, and Movement Observation.

PubMed

Duann, Jeng-Ren; Chiou, Jin-Chern

2016-01-01

Electroencephalographic (EEG) event-related desynchronization (ERD) induced by movement imagery or by observing biological movements performed by someone else has recently been used extensively for brain-computer interface-based applications, such as applications used in stroke rehabilitation training and motor skill learning. However, the ERD responses induced by the movement imagery and observation might not be as reliable as the ERD responses induced by movement execution. Given that studies on the reliability of the EEG ERD responses induced by these activities are still lacking, here we conducted an EEG experiment with movement imagery, movement observation, and movement execution, performed multiple times each in a pseudorandomized order in the same experimental runs. Then, independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to the EEG data to find the common motor-related EEG source activity shared by the three motor tasks. Finally, conditional EEG ERD responses associated with the three movement conditions were computed and compared. Among the three motor conditions, the EEG ERD responses induced by motor execution revealed the alpha power suppression with highest strengths and longest durations. The ERD responses of the movement imagery and movement observation only partially resembled the ERD pattern of the movement execution condition, with slightly better detectability for the ERD responses associated with the movement imagery and faster ERD responses for movement observation. This may indicate different levels of involvement in the same motor-related brain circuits during different movement conditions. In addition, because the resulting conditional EEG ERD responses from the ICA preprocessing came with minimal contamination from the non-related and/or artifactual noisy components, this result can play a role of the reference for devising a brain-computer interface using the EEG ERD features of movement imagery or observation.

Growth-independent cross-feeding modifies boundaries for coexistence in a bacterial mutualism.

PubMed

McCully, Alexandra L; LaSarre, Breah; McKinlay, James B

2017-09-01

Nutrient cross-feeding can stabilize microbial mutualisms, including those important for carbon cycling in nutrient-limited anaerobic environments. It remains poorly understood how nutrient limitation within natural environments impacts mutualist growth, cross-feeding levels and ultimately mutualism dynamics. We examined the effects of nutrient limitation within a mutualism using theoretical and experimental approaches with a synthetic anaerobic coculture pairing fermentative Escherichia coli and phototrophic Rhodopseudomonas palustris. In this coculture, E. coli and R. palustris resemble an anaerobic food web by cross-feeding essential carbon (organic acids) and nitrogen (ammonium) respectively. Organic acid cross-feeding stemming from E. coli fermentation can continue in a growth-independent manner during nitrogen limitation, while ammonium cross-feeding by R. palustris is growth-dependent. When ammonium cross-feeding was limited, coculture trends changed yet coexistence persisted under both homogenous and heterogenous conditions. Theoretical modelling indicated that growth-independent fermentation was crucial to sustain cooperative growth under conditions of low nutrient exchange. In contrast to stabilization at most cell densities, growth-independent fermentation inhibited mutualistic growth when the E. coli cell density was adequately high relative to that of R. palustris. Thus, growth-independent fermentation can conditionally stabilize or destabilize a mutualism, indicating the potential importance of growth-independent metabolism for nutrient-limited mutualistic communities. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stereotype activation is unintentional: Behavioural and event-related potenials evidence.

PubMed

Wang, Pei; Yang, Ya-Ping; Tan, Chen-Hao; Zhao, Xiang-Xia; Liu, Yong-He; Lin, Chong-De

2016-04-01

In this study, a priming Stroop paradigm was used to determine whether stereotype activation is unintentional. Priming conditions (priming/no-priming) and the relationship between priming and target (consistent/inconsistent/no-relation) were the independent variables; accuracy, reaction time and N400 amplitude were used as dependent variables. The reaction time revealed that stereotype activation is, to some extent, unintentional. Furthermore, the event-related potenial (ERP) results showed that N400 amplitude was larger for inconsistent conditions than for consistent conditions. This result supported the notion that stereotype activation is an unintentional and automatic process. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Exploring the Adult Life of Men and Women With Fragile X Syndrome: Results From a National Survey

PubMed Central

Hartley, Sigan L.; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Raspa, Melissa; Olmstead, Murrey; Bishop, Ellen; Bailey, Donald B.

2011-01-01

Using data from a national family survey, the authors describe the adult lives (i.e., residence, employment, level of assistance needed with everyday life, friendships, and leisure activities) of 328 adults with the full mutation of the FMR1 gene and identify characteristics related to independence in these domains. Level of functional skills was the strongest predictor of independence in adult life for men, whereas ability to interact appropriately was the strongest predictor for women. Co-occurring mental health conditions influenced independence in adult life for men and women, in particular, autism spectrum disorders for men and affect problems for women. Services for adults with fragile X syndrome should not only target functional skills but interpersonal skills and co-occurring mental health conditions. PMID:21291308

Evaluation of an index of biotic integrity approach used to assess biological condition in western U.S. streams and rivers at varying spatial scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meador, M.R.; Whittier, T.R.; Goldstein, R.M.; Hughes, R.M.; Peck, D.V.

2008-01-01

Consistent assessments of biological condition are needed across multiple ecoregions to provide a greater understanding of the spatial extent of environmental degradation. However, consistent assessments at large geographic scales are often hampered by lack of uniformity in data collection, analyses, and interpretation. The index of biotic integrity (IBI) has been widely used in eastern and central North America, where fish assemblages are complex and largely composed of native species, but IBI development has been hindered in the western United States because of relatively low fish species richness and greater relative abundance of alien fishes. Approaches to developing IBIs rarely provide a consistent means of assessing biological condition across multiple ecoregions. We conducted an evaluation of IBIs recently proposed for three ecoregions of the western United States using an independent data set covering a large geographic scale. We standardized the regional IBIs and developed biological condition criteria, assessed the responsiveness of IBIs to basin-level land uses, and assessed their precision and concordance with basin-scale IBIs. Standardized IBI scores from 318 sites in the western United States comprising mountain, plains, and xeric ecoregions were significantly related to combined urban and agricultural land uses. Standard deviations and coefficients of variation revealed relatively low variation in IBI scores based on multiple sampling reaches at sites. A relatively high degree of corroboration with independent, locally developed IBIs indicates that the regional IBIs are robust across large geographic scales, providing precise and accurate assessments of biological condition for western U.S. streams. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2008.

Is work engagement related to work ability beyond working conditions and lifestyle factors?

PubMed

Airila, Auli; Hakanen, Jari; Punakallio, Anne; Lusa, Sirpa; Luukkonen, Ritva

2012-11-01

To examine the associations of age, lifestyle and work-related factors, and particularly work engagement with the work ability index (WAI) and its sub-dimensions. Step-wise regression analysis with a sample of Finnish firefighters (n = 403) was used. The outcome variables were the WAI and its six sub-dimensions. The independent variables consisted of age, lifestyle variables (alcohol consumption, BMI, smoking, physical exercise, and sleep problems), working conditions (job demands, physical workload, supervisory relations, and task resources), and work engagement. The outcome variables and all the variables related to lifestyle, working conditions, and work engagement were measured in 2009. Work ability at baseline 10 years earlier was adjusted for in the models. Work engagement, age, physical exercise, sleep problems, and physical workload were associated with the WAI. All independent variables, except BMI and alcohol consumption, were associated with at least one sub-dimension of the WAI after controlling the baseline WAI. Lifestyle variables, working conditions, and work engagement were more strongly related to the subjective WAI sub-dimensions than to the two more objective WAI sub-dimensions. Work engagement was significantly associated with work ability even after adjusting for various factors, indicating its importance in promoting work ability. Other key factors for good work ability were frequent exercise, good sleep, non-smoking, low job demands, low physical workload, and high task resources. More specifically, this study suggests that in maintaining work ability, it is valuable not only to promote lifestyle factors or working conditions, but also to enhance employees' positive state of work engagement.

Tryptophan depletion under conditions that imitate insulin resistance enhances fatty acid oxidation and induces endothelial dysfunction through reactive oxygen species-dependent and independent pathways.

PubMed

Eleftheriadis, Theodoros; Pissas, Georgios; Sounidaki, Maria; Antoniadi, Georgia; Rountas, Christos; Liakopoulos, Vassilios; Stefanidis, Loannis

2017-04-01

In atherosclerosis-associated pathologic entities characterized by malnutrition and inflammation, L-tryptophan (TRP) levels are low. Insulin resistance is an independent cardiovascular risk factor and induces endothelial dysfunction by increasing fatty acid oxidation. It is also associated with inflammation and low TRP levels. Low TRP levels have been related to worse cardiovascular outcome. This study evaluated the effect of TRP depletion on endothelial dysfunction under conditions that imitate insulin resistance. Fatty acid oxidation, harmful pathways due to increased fatty acid oxidation, and endothelial dysfunction were assessed in primary human aortic endothelial cells cultured under normal glucose, low insulin conditions in the presence or absence of TRP. TRP depletion activated general control non-derepressible 2 kinase and inhibited aryl hydrocarbon receptor. It increased fatty acid oxidation by increasing expression and activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1. Elevated fatty acid oxidation increased the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggering the polyol and hexosamine pathways, and enhancing protein kinase C activity and methylglyoxal production. TRP absence inhibited nitric oxide synthase activity in a ROS-dependent way, whereas it increased the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in a ROS independent and possibly p53-dependent manner. Thus, TRP depletion, an amino acid whose low levels have been related to worse cardiovascular outcome and to inflammatory atherosclerosis-associated pathologic entities, under conditions that imitate insulin resistance enhances fatty acid oxidation and induces endothelial dysfunction through ROS-dependent and independent pathways. These findings may offer new insights at the molecular mechanisms involved in accelerated atherosclerosis that frequently accompanies malnutrition and inflammation.

Detecting components of hearing aid fitting using a self-assessment-inventory.

PubMed

Meister, Hartmut; Lausberg, Isabel; Kiessling, Juergen; von Wedel, Hasso; Walger, Martin

2005-07-01

The evaluation of hearing-aid fitting includes numerous assessments such as electro- and psychoacoustic tests. The subjective estimation of the hearing aid user can be elicited with self-assessment inventories encompassing various parameters, e.g., benefit, satisfaction and usage. A questionnaire comprising 11 domains (disability, handicap, frequency and significance of the listening situation, importance of the hearing aid, expectation, demand, aided performance, benefit, satisfaction and usage) within three different conditions (speech in quiet and in noise and listening to sounds) was used to detect components underlying hearing aid fitting. The data show a three-factor structure (situation-, restriction- and aid-related variables) independent from the conditions. Usage depends on all of the three factors. Disability and handicap reveal the highest values for speech in noise, whereas the aid-related factor shows the lowest values for this condition. Global satisfaction with the hearing aid is significantly correlated with the aid-related factor, but independent from the restriction of hearing. The aid-related factor is positively influenced by the amount of social activity because more active persons report higher benefit and satisfaction for all listening conditions. Age does not exhibit a significant relationship to one of the components. Basically, all correlation coefficients are only intermediate, revealing that inter-individual differences of the patients are rather high. The data indicate that extra-audiological factors might also play an important role in the success of hearing aid fitting.

A path-independent integral for the characterization of solute concentration and flux at biofilm detachments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moran, B.; Kulkarni, S.S.; Reeves, H.W.

2007-01-01

A path-independent (conservation) integral is developed for the characterization of solute concentration and flux in a biofilm in the vicinity of a detachment or other flux limiting boundary condition. Steady state conditions of solute diffusion are considered and biofilm kinetics are described by an uptake term which can be expressed in terms of a potential (Michaelis-Menten kinetics). An asymptotic solution for solute concentration at the tip of the detachment is obtained and shown to be analogous to that of antiplane crack problems in linear elasticity. It is shown that the amplitude of the asymptotic solution can be calculated by evaluating a path-independent integral. The special case of a semi-infinite detachment in an infinite strip is considered and the amplitude of the asymptotic field is related to the boundary conditions and problem parameters in closed form for zeroth and first order kinetics and numerically for Michaelis-Menten kinetics. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2007.

Relations of Cognitive Style to Assessment Components of Reading Comprehension for Deaf Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davey, Beth; LaSasso, Carol

The study examined the relations of cognitive style (field independence) to reading comprehension test performance for 48 prelingually, profoundly deaf adolescents. Ss read passages and answered comprehension questions consisting of two Information Types (text-explicit, text-implicit), Lookback Conditions (lookback, no-lookback), and Question…

Palatini wormholes and energy conditions from the prism of general relativity.

PubMed

Bejarano, Cecilia; Lobo, Francisco S N; Olmo, Gonzalo J; Rubiera-Garcia, Diego

2017-01-01

Wormholes are hypothetical shortcuts in spacetime that in general relativity unavoidably violate all of the pointwise energy conditions. In this paper, we consider several wormhole spacetimes that, as opposed to the standard designer procedure frequently employed in the literature, arise directly from gravitational actions including additional terms resulting from contractions of the Ricci tensor with the metric, and which are formulated assuming independence between metric and connection (Palatini approach). We reinterpret such wormhole solutions under the prism of General Relativity and study the matter sources that thread them. We discuss the size of violation of the energy conditions in different cases and how this is related to the same spacetimes when viewed from the modified gravity side.

Epilepsy as a systemic condition: Link with somatic comorbidities.

PubMed

Novy, J; Bell, G S; Peacock, J L; Sisodiya, S M; Sander, J W

2017-10-01

People with epilepsy have more concomitant medical conditions than the general population; these comorbidities play an important role in premature mortality. We sought to generate explanatory hypotheses about the co-occurrence of somatic comorbidities and epilepsy, avoiding causal and treatment-resultant biases. We collected clinical, demographic and somatic comorbidity data for 2016 consecutive adults with epilepsy undergoing assessment at a tertiary centre and in 1278 people with epilepsy in the community. Underlying causes of epilepsy were not classed as comorbidities. Somatic comorbidities were more frequent in the referral centre (49%) where people more frequently had active epilepsy than in the community (36%). Consistent risk factors for comorbidities were found in both cohorts. Using multivariable ordinal regression adjusted for age, longer epilepsy duration and an underlying brain lesion were independently associated with a smaller burden of somatic conditions. The treatment burden, measured by the number of drugs to which people were exposed, was not an independent predictor. Shorter epilepsy duration was a predictor for conditions that conceivably harbour significant mortality risks. Somatic comorbidities do not occur randomly in relation to epilepsy; having more severe epilepsy seems to be a risk factor. Independently from age, the early period after epilepsy onset appears to be at particular risk, although it is not clear whether this relates to an early mortality or to a later decrease in the burden of comorbidities. These results suggest that, for some people, epilepsy should be considered a systemic condition not limited to the CNS. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors Associated With Concussion-like Symptom Reporting in High School Athletes

PubMed Central

Iverson, Grant L.; Silverberg, Noah D.; Mannix, Rebekah; Maxwell, Bruce A.; Atkins, Joseph E.; Zafonte, Ross; Berkner, Paul D.

2017-01-01

Importance Every state in the United States has passed legislation for sport-related concussion, making this health issue important for physicians and other health care professionals. Safely returning athletes to sport after concussion relies on accurately determining when their symptoms resolve. Objective To evaluate baseline concussion-like symptom reporting in uninjured adolescent student athletes. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional, observational study, we studied 31 958 high school athletes from Maine with no concussion in the past 6 months who completed a preseason baseline testing program between 2009 and 2013. Results Symptom reporting was more common in girls than boys. Most students with preexisting conditions reported one or more symptoms (60%-82% of boys and 73%-97% of girls). Nineteen percent of boys and 28% of girls reported having a symptom burden resembling an International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis of postconcussional syndrome (PCS). Students with preexisting conditions were even more likely to endorse a symptom burden that resembled PCS (21%-47% for boys and 33%-72% for girls). Prior treatment of a psychiatric condition was the strongest independent predictor for symptom reporting in boys, followed by a history of migraines. For girls, the strongest independent predictors were prior treatment of a psychiatric condition or substance abuse and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The weakest independent predictor of symptoms for both sexes was history of prior concussions. Conclusions and Relevance In the absence of a recent concussion, symptom reporting is related to sex and preexisting conditions. Consideration of sex and preexisting health conditions can help prevent misinterpretation of symptoms in student athletes who sustain a concussion. PMID:26457403

Teaching an Individual with Severe Intellectual Delay to Request Assistance Conditionally

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reichle, Joe; McComas, Jennifer; Dahl, Norm; Solberg, Gina; Pierce, Sarah; Smith, David

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate intervention procedures to teach conditional use of a communicative request for assistance and independent task performance. A 40-year-old man with autism and severe mental retardation with a history of escape-related problems was taught to use a graphic symbol to request assistance and to engage…

Testing the linearity and independence assumptions of the generalized matching law for reinforcer magnitude: a residual meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cording, Jacinta R; McLean, Anthony P; Grace, Randolph C

2011-05-01

We conducted a residual meta-analysis to test the assumptions of the generalized matching law that effects of relative reinforcer magnitude on response allocation in concurrent schedules can be described by a power function and are independent from the effects of relative reinforcer rate. We identified five studies which varied magnitude ratios over at least four levels and six studies in which reinforcer rate and magnitude ratios were varied factorially. The generalized matching law provided a reasonably good description of the data, accounting for 77.1% and 90.1% of the variance in the two sets of studies. Results of polynomial regressions showed that there were no systematic patterns in pooled residuals as a function of predicted log response ratios for data sets in which relative magnitude was varied. For data sets in which relative rate and magnitude were varied factorially, there was a significant negative cubic pattern in the pooled residuals, suggesting that obtained response allocation was less extreme than predicted for conditions with extreme predicted values. However, subsequent analyses showed that this result was associated with results from conditions in one study in which the product of the rate and magnitude ratios was 63:1, and in which response allocation may have been attenuated by a ceiling effect. When data from these conditions were omitted, there were no significant components in the residuals. Although the number of available studies was small, results provide tentative support for the assumptions of the generalized matching law that effects of reinforcer magnitude ratios on choice can be described by a power function and are independent from reinforcer rate ratios. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Altitude-related cough

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Altitude-related cough is a troublesome condition of uncertain aetiology that affects many visitors to high altitude. The traditionally held belief that it was due solely to the inspiration of cold, dry air was refuted by observations and experiments in long duration hypobaric chamber studies. It is likely that altitude-related cough is a symptom of a number of possible perturbations in the cough reflex arc that may exist independently or together. These include loss of water from the respiratory tract; respiratory tract infections and sub-clinical high altitude pulmonary oedema. The published work on altitude-related cough is reviewed and possible aetiologies for the condition are discussed. PMID:24175933

The Impact of Socioeconomic Conditions, Social Networks, and Health on Frail Older People's Life Satisfaction: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Berglund, Helene; Hasson, Henna; Wilhelmson, Katarina; Dunér, Anna; Dahlin-Ivanoff, Synneve

2016-01-01

It has been shown that frailty is associated with low levels of well-being and life satisfaction. Further exploration is needed, however, to better understand which components constitute life satisfaction for frail older people and how satisfaction is related to other life circumstances. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between frail older people’s life satisfaction and their socioeconomic conditions, social networks, and health-related conditions. A cross-sectional study was conducted (n=179). A logistic regression analysis was performed, including life satisfaction as the dependent variable and 12 items as independent variables. Four of the independent variables made statistically significant contributions: financial situation (OR 3.53), social contacts (OR 2.44), risk of depression (OR 2.26), and self-rated health (OR 2.79). This study demonstrates that financial situation, self-rated health conditions and social networks are important components for frail older people’s life satisfaction. Health and social care professionals and policy makers should consider this knowledge in the care and service for frail older people; and actions that benefit life satisfaction – such as social support – should be promoted. PMID:27403463

Model-independent cosmological constraints from growth and expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

L'Huillier, Benjamin; Shafieloo, Arman; Kim, Hyungjin

2018-05-01

Reconstructing the expansion history of the Universe from Type Ia supernovae data, we fit the growth rate measurements and put model-independent constraints on some key cosmological parameters, namely, Ωm, γ, and σ8. The constraints are consistent with those from the concordance model within the framework of general relativity, but the current quality of the data is not sufficient to rule out modified gravity models. Adding the condition that dark energy density should be positive at all redshifts, independently of its equation of state, further constrains the parameters and interestingly supports the concordance model.

Projection correlation between two random vectors.

PubMed

Zhu, Liping; Xu, Kai; Li, Runze; Zhong, Wei

2017-12-01

We propose the use of projection correlation to characterize dependence between two random vectors. Projection correlation has several appealing properties. It equals zero if and only if the two random vectors are independent, it is not sensitive to the dimensions of the two random vectors, it is invariant with respect to the group of orthogonal transformations, and its estimation is free of tuning parameters and does not require moment conditions on the random vectors. We show that the sample estimate of the projection correction is [Formula: see text]-consistent if the two random vectors are independent and root-[Formula: see text]-consistent otherwise. Monte Carlo simulation studies indicate that the projection correlation has higher power than the distance correlation and the ranks of distances in tests of independence, especially when the dimensions are relatively large or the moment conditions required by the distance correlation are violated.

"Frontal systems" behaviors in comorbid human immunodeficiency virus infection and methamphetamine dependency.

PubMed

Marquine, María J; Iudicello, Jennifer E; Morgan, Erin E; Brown, Gregory G; Letendre, Scott L; Ellis, Ronald J; Deutsch, Reena; Woods, Steven Paul; Grant, Igor; Heaton, Robert K

2014-01-30

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and methamphetamine (MA) dependence are associated with neural injury preferentially involving frontostriatal circuits. Little is known, however, about how these commonly comorbid conditions impact behavioral presentations typically associated with frontal systems dysfunction. Our sample comprised 47 HIV-uninfected/MA-nondependent; 25 HIV-uninfected/MA-dependent; 36 HIV-infected/MA-nondependent; and 28 HIV-infected/MA-dependent subjects. Participants completed self-report measures of "frontal systems" behaviors, including impulsivity/disinhibition, sensation-seeking, and apathy. They also underwent comprehensive neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric assessments that allowed for detailed characterization of neurocognitive deficits and comorbid/premorbid conditions, including lifetime Mood and Substance Use Disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder. Multivariable regression models adjusting for potential confounds (i.e., demographics and comorbid/premorbid conditions) showed that MA dependence was independently associated with increased impulsivity/disinhibition, sensation-seeking and apathy, and HIV infection with greater apathy. However, we did not see synergistic/additive effects of HIV and MA on frontal systems behaviors. Global neurocognitive impairment was relatively independent of the frontal systems behaviors, which is consistent with the view that these constructs may have relatively separable biopsychosocial underpinnings. Future research should explore whether both neurocognitive impairment and frontal systems behaviors may independently contribute to everyday functioning outcomes relevant to HIV and MA. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Online Health Information Seeking in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery.

PubMed

Özkan, Sezai; Mellema, Jos J; Nazzal, Adam; Lee, Sang-Gil; Ring, David

2016-12-01

Information gathering is a key component of shared decision making and has a measurable effect on treatment decisions. Access to health information might improve quality of care in hand surgery. Our purpose was to identify socio-demographic, condition-related, and psychosocial factors associated with online information-seeking behavior in patients with hand and upper-extremity conditions. From June 2015 to February 2016, we enrolled 134 patients with an upper-extremity condition who presented to an outpatient hand surgery office at an urban level I trauma center in this cross-sectional study. Participants provided socio-demographic information and completed online questionnaires assessing their online information-seeking behavior, pain intensity, symptoms of depression, and pain interference, and an upper extremity-specific, patient-reported outcome measure. A total of 57 patients (43%) sought information regarding their condition online before their visit. Compared with patients with no online information-seeking behavior, patients who sought information online were more educated. Psychosocial and condition-related factors were not associated with online information seeking. In multivariable analysis, education in years and involvement of the dominant upper limb were independently associated with online information-seeking behavior. Education in years and involvement of the dominant upper limb were independently associated with online information-seeking behavior but psychosocial and condition-related factors were not. As health information seeking is becoming an integral part of the modern day clinical experience, efforts to make online information more appealing and useful to people of all education levels are merited. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Disulfide Bonding System Suppresses CsgD-Independent Cellulose Production in Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

Hufnagel, David A.; DePas, William H.

2014-01-01

The bacterial extracellular matrix encases cells and protects them from host-related and environmental insults. The Escherichia coli master biofilm regulator CsgD is required for the production of the matrix components curli and cellulose. CsgD activates the diguanylate cyclase AdrA, which in turn stimulates cellulose production through cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP). Here, we identified and characterized a CsgD- and AdrA-independent cellulose production pathway that was maximally active when cultures were grown under reducing conditions or when the disulfide bonding system (DSB) was compromised. The CsgD-independent cellulose activation pathway was dependent on a second diguanylate cyclase, called YfiN. c-di-GMP production by YfiN was repressed by the periplasmic protein YfiR, and deletion of yfiR promoted CsgD-independent cellulose production. Conversely, when YfiR was overexpressed, cellulose production was decreased. Finally, we found that YfiR was oxidized by DsbA and that intraprotein YfiR disulfide bonds stabilized YfiR in the periplasm. Altogether, we showed that reducing conditions and mutations in the DSB system caused hyperactivation of YfiN and subsequent CsgD-independent cellulose production. PMID:25112475

The disulfide bonding system suppresses CsgD-independent cellulose production in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Hufnagel, David A; DePas, William H; Chapman, Matthew R

2014-11-01

The bacterial extracellular matrix encases cells and protects them from host-related and environmental insults. The Escherichia coli master biofilm regulator CsgD is required for the production of the matrix components curli and cellulose. CsgD activates the diguanylate cyclase AdrA, which in turn stimulates cellulose production through cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP). Here, we identified and characterized a CsgD- and AdrA-independent cellulose production pathway that was maximally active when cultures were grown under reducing conditions or when the disulfide bonding system (DSB) was compromised. The CsgD-independent cellulose activation pathway was dependent on a second diguanylate cyclase, called YfiN. c-di-GMP production by YfiN was repressed by the periplasmic protein YfiR, and deletion of yfiR promoted CsgD-independent cellulose production. Conversely, when YfiR was overexpressed, cellulose production was decreased. Finally, we found that YfiR was oxidized by DsbA and that intraprotein YfiR disulfide bonds stabilized YfiR in the periplasm. Altogether, we showed that reducing conditions and mutations in the DSB system caused hyperactivation of YfiN and subsequent CsgD-independent cellulose production. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Dissociable Electroencephalograph Correlates of Visual Awareness and Feature-Based Attention

PubMed Central

Chen, Yifan; Wang, Xiaochun; Yu, Yanglan; Liu, Ying

2017-01-01

Background: The relationship between awareness and attention is complex and controversial. A growing body of literature has shown that the neural bases of consciousness and endogenous attention (voluntary attention) are independent. The important role of exogenous attention (reflexive attention) on conscious experience has been noted in several studies. However, exogenous attention can also modulate subliminal processing, suggesting independence between the two processes. The question of whether visual awareness and exogenous attention rely on independent mechanisms under certain circumstances remains unanswered. Methods: In the current study, electroencephalograph recordings were conducted using 64 channels from 16 subjects while subjects attempted to detect faint speed changes of colored rotating dots. Awareness and attention were manipulated throughout trials in order to test whether exogenous attention and visual awareness rely on independent mechanisms. Results: Neural activity related to consciousness was recorded in the following cue-locked time-windows (event related potential, cluster- based permutation test): 0–50, 150–200, and 750–800 ms. With a more liberal threshold, the inferior occipital lobe was found to be the source of awareness-related activity in the 0–50 ms range. In the later 150–200 ms range, activity in the fusiform and post-central gyrus was related to awareness. Awareness-related activation in the later 750–800 ms range was more widely distributed. This awareness-related activation pattern was quite different from that of attention. Attention-related neural activity was emphasized in the 750–800 ms time window and the main source of attention-related activity was localized to the right angular gyrus. These results suggest that exogenous attention and visual consciousness correspond to different and relatively independent neural mechanisms and are distinct processes under certain conditions. PMID:29180950

Temporal dynamics of sensorimotor integration in speech perception and production: independent component analysis of EEG data

PubMed Central

Jenson, David; Bowers, Andrew L.; Harkrider, Ashley W.; Thornton, David; Cuellar, Megan; Saltuklaroglu, Tim

2014-01-01

Activity in anterior sensorimotor regions is found in speech production and some perception tasks. Yet, how sensorimotor integration supports these functions is unclear due to a lack of data examining the timing of activity from these regions. Beta (~20 Hz) and alpha (~10 Hz) spectral power within the EEG μ rhythm are considered indices of motor and somatosensory activity, respectively. In the current study, perception conditions required discrimination (same/different) of syllables pairs (/ba/ and /da/) in quiet and noisy conditions. Production conditions required covert and overt syllable productions and overt word production. Independent component analysis was performed on EEG data obtained during these conditions to (1) identify clusters of μ components common to all conditions and (2) examine real-time event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) within alpha and beta bands. 17 and 15 out of 20 participants produced left and right μ-components, respectively, localized to precentral gyri. Discrimination conditions were characterized by significant (pFDR < 0.05) early alpha event-related synchronization (ERS) prior to and during stimulus presentation and later alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) following stimulus offset. Beta ERD began early and gained strength across time. Differences were found between quiet and noisy discrimination conditions. Both overt syllable and word productions yielded similar alpha/beta ERD that began prior to production and was strongest during muscle activity. Findings during covert production were weaker than during overt production. One explanation for these findings is that μ-beta ERD indexes early predictive coding (e.g., internal modeling) and/or overt and covert attentional/motor processes. μ-alpha ERS may index inhibitory input to the premotor cortex from sensory regions prior to and during discrimination, while μ-alpha ERD may index sensory feedback during speech rehearsal and production. PMID:25071633

A k-nearest neighbor approach for estimation of single-tree biomass

Treesearch

Lutz Fehrmann; Christoph Kleinn

2007-01-01

Allometric biomass models are typically site and species specific. They are mostly based on a low number of independent variables such as diameter at breast height and tree height. Because of relatively small datasets, their validity is limited to the set of conditions of the study, such as site conditions and diameter range. One challenge in the context of the current...

Self-reference enhances relational memory in young and older adults.

PubMed

Hou, Mingzhu; Grilli, Matthew D; Glisky, Elizabeth L

2017-11-27

The present study investigated the influence of self-reference on two kinds of relational memory, internal source memory and associative memory, in young and older adults. Participants encoded object-location word pairs using the strategies of imagination and sentence generation, either with reference to themselves or to a famous other (i.e., George Clooney or Oprah Winfrey). Both young and older adults showed memory benefits in the self-reference conditions compared to other-reference conditions on both tests, and the self-referential effects in older adults were not limited by low memory or executive functioning. These results suggest that self-reference can benefit relational memory in older adults relatively independently of basic memory and executive functions.

The antisaccade task: visual distractors elicit a location-independent planning 'cost'.

PubMed

DeSimone, Jesse C; Everling, Stefan; Heath, Matthew

2015-01-01

The presentation of a remote - but not proximal - distractor concurrent with target onset increases prosaccade reaction times (RT) (i.e., the remote distractor effect: RDE). The competitive integration model asserts that the RDE represents the time required to resolve the conflict for a common saccade threshold between target- and distractor-related saccade generating commands in the superior colliculus. To our knowledge however, no previous research has examined whether remote and proximal distractors differentially influence antisaccade RTs. This represents a notable question because antisaccades require decoupling of the spatial relations between stimulus and response (SR) and therefore provide a basis for determining whether the sensory- and/or motor-related features of a distractor influence response planning. Participants completed pro- and antisaccades in a target-only condition and conditions wherein the target was concurrently presented with a proximal or remote distractor. As expected, prosaccade RTs elicited a reliable RDE. In contrast, antisaccade RTs were increased independent of the distractor's spatial location and the magnitude of the effect was comparable across each distractor location. Thus, distractor-related antisaccade RT costs are not accounted for by a competitive integration between conflicting saccade generating commands. Instead, we propose that a visual distractor increases uncertainty related to the evocation of the response-selection rule necessary for decoupling SR relations.

Stressful working conditions and poor self-rated health among financial services employees.

PubMed

Silva, Luiz Sérgio; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

2012-06-01

To assess the association between exposure to adverse psychosocial working conditions and poor self-rated health among bank employees. A cross-sectional study including a sample of 2,054 employees of a government bank was conducted in 2008. Self-rated health was assessed by a single question: "In general, would you say your health is (...)." Exposure to adverse psychosocial working conditions was evaluated by the effort-reward imbalance model and the demand-control model. Information on other independent variables was obtained through a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed and odds ratio calculated to assess independent associations between adverse psychosocial working conditions and poor self-rated health. The overall prevalence of poor self-rated health was 9%, with no significant gender difference. Exposure to high demand and low control environment at work was associated with poor self-rated health. Employees with high effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment also reported poor self-rated health, with a dose-response relationship. Social support at work was inversely related to poor self-rated health, with a dose-response relationship. Exposure to adverse psychosocial work factors assessed based on the effort-reward imbalance model and the demand-control model is independently associated with poor self-rated health among the workers studied.

Independence of Terminal-Link Entry Rate and Immediacy in Concurrent Chains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berg, Mark E.; Grace, Randolph C.

2004-01-01

In Phase 1, 4 pigeons were trained on a three-component multiple concurrent-chains procedure in which components differed only in terms of relative terminal-link entry rate. The terminal links were variable-interval schedules and were varied across four conditions to produce immediacy ratios of 4:1, 1:4, 2:1, and 1:2. Relative terminal-link entry…

The estimation of tree posterior probabilities using conditional clade probability distributions.

PubMed

Larget, Bret

2013-07-01

In this article I introduce the idea of conditional independence of separated subtrees as a principle by which to estimate the posterior probability of trees using conditional clade probability distributions rather than simple sample relative frequencies. I describe an algorithm for these calculations and software which implements these ideas. I show that these alternative calculations are very similar to simple sample relative frequencies for high probability trees but are substantially more accurate for relatively low probability trees. The method allows the posterior probability of unsampled trees to be calculated when these trees contain only clades that are in other sampled trees. Furthermore, the method can be used to estimate the total probability of the set of sampled trees which provides a measure of the thoroughness of a posterior sample.

The Estimation of Tree Posterior Probabilities Using Conditional Clade Probability Distributions

PubMed Central

Larget, Bret

2013-01-01

In this article I introduce the idea of conditional independence of separated subtrees as a principle by which to estimate the posterior probability of trees using conditional clade probability distributions rather than simple sample relative frequencies. I describe an algorithm for these calculations and software which implements these ideas. I show that these alternative calculations are very similar to simple sample relative frequencies for high probability trees but are substantially more accurate for relatively low probability trees. The method allows the posterior probability of unsampled trees to be calculated when these trees contain only clades that are in other sampled trees. Furthermore, the method can be used to estimate the total probability of the set of sampled trees which provides a measure of the thoroughness of a posterior sample. [Bayesian phylogenetics; conditional clade distributions; improved accuracy; posterior probabilities of trees.] PMID:23479066

Human Fear Conditioning and Extinction in Neuroimaging: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Sehlmeyer, Christina; Schöning, Sonja; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Pfleiderer, Bettina; Kircher, Tilo; Arolt, Volker; Konrad, Carsten

2009-01-01

Fear conditioning and extinction are basic forms of associative learning that have gained considerable clinical relevance in enhancing our understanding of anxiety disorders and facilitating their treatment. Modern neuroimaging techniques have significantly aided the identification of anatomical structures and networks involved in fear conditioning. On closer inspection, there is considerable variation in methodology and results between studies. This systematic review provides an overview of the current neuroimaging literature on fear conditioning and extinction on healthy subjects, taking into account methodological issues such as the conditioning paradigm. A Pubmed search, as of December 2008, was performed and supplemented by manual searches of bibliographies of key articles. Two independent reviewers made the final study selection and data extraction. A total of 46 studies on cued fear conditioning and/or extinction on healthy volunteers using positron emission tomography or functional magnetic resonance imaging were reviewed. The influence of specific experimental factors, such as contingency and timing parameters, assessment of conditioned responses, and characteristics of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli, on cerebral activation patterns was examined. Results were summarized descriptively. A network consisting of fear-related brain areas, such as amygdala, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex, is activated independently of design parameters. However, some neuroimaging studies do not report these findings in the presence of methodological heterogeneities. Furthermore, other brain areas are differentially activated, depending on specific design parameters. These include stronger hippocampal activation in trace conditioning and tactile stimulation. Furthermore, tactile unconditioned stimuli enhance activation of pain related, motor, and somatosensory areas. Differences concerning experimental factors may partly explain the variance between neuroimaging investigations on human fear conditioning and extinction and should, therefore, be taken into serious consideration in the planning and the interpretation of research projects. PMID:19517024

Proteomics in biomanufacturing control: Protein dynamics of CHO-K1 cells and conditioned media during apoptosis and necrosis.

PubMed

Albrecht, Simone; Kaisermayer, Christian; Gallagher, Clair; Farrell, Amy; Lindeberg, Anna; Bones, Jonathan

2018-06-01

Cell viability has a critical impact on product quantity and quality during the biomanufacturing of therapeutic proteins. An advanced understanding of changes in the cellular and conditioned media proteomes upon cell stress and death is therefore needed for improved bioprocess control. Here, a high pH/low pH reversed phase data independent 2D-LC-MS E discovery proteomics platform was applied to study the cellular and conditioned media proteomes of CHO-K1 apoptosis and necrosis models where cell death was induced by staurosporine exposure or aeration shear in a benchtop bioreactor, respectively. Functional classification of gene ontology terms related to molecular functions, biological processes, and cellular components revealed both cell death independent and specific features. In addition, label free quantitation using the Hi3 approach resulted in a comprehensive shortlist of 23 potential cell viability marker proteins with highest abundance and a significant increase in the conditioned media upon induction of cell death, including proteins related to cellular stress response, signal mediation, cytoskeletal organization, cell differentiation, cell interaction as well as metabolic and proteolytic enzymes which are interesting candidates for translating into targeted analysis platforms for monitoring bioprocessing response and increasing process control. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Key factors for the bicycle use of visually impaired people: a Delphi study.

PubMed

Jelijs, Bart; Heutink, Joost; de Waard, Dick; Brookhuis, Karel A; Melis-Dankers, Bart J M

2018-06-12

This study aims to identify the most important factors that influence the independent bicycle use of visually impaired people in the Netherlands. Both visually impaired people and professionals participated in a two-round online Delphi study (n = 42). In Round 1 the participants identified the factors which they ranked by relevance in Round 2. The participants prioritised environmental factors related to the traffic situation, the characteristics of the infrastructure, and weather and light conditions (Kendall's W = 0.66). They indicated that the most influencing personal factors are related to personality, traffic experience, and personal background (W = 0.58). Glaucoma was ranked as the most relevant ophthalmic condition (W = 0.74), while glare was regarded as the most important factor with respect to the visual functions (W = 0.78). The factors provided by this study can be used to optimise the independent cycling mobility of visually impaired people. More research is needed to investigate, both, how and to what extent the mentioned factors influence the cycling behaviour. Implications for rehabilitation The results of this study can be used to set priorities during the rehabilitation and training of visually impaired people who wish to cycle independently. Visually impaired cyclists may compensate for the consequences of their visual impairments by taking alternative routes that suit their individual abilities and limitations. Since gaining and maintaining self-confidence is important for independent cycling with a visual impairment, practitioners such as mobility trainers should not only focus on cycling-related skills and abilities, but also aim to improve the self-confidence of visually impaired people who wish to cycle.

Evaluative Priming in the Pronunciation Task.

PubMed

Klauer, Karl Christoph; Becker, Manuel; Spruyt, Adriaan

2016-01-01

We replicated and extended a study by Spruyt and Hermans (2008) in which picture primes engendered an evaluative-priming effect on the pronunciation of target words. As preliminary steps, we assessed data reproducibility of the original study, conducted Pilot Study I to identify highly semantically related prime-target pairs, reanalyzed the original data excluding such pairs, conducted Pilot Study II to demonstrate that we can replicate traditional associative priming effects in the pronunciation task, and conducted Pilot Study III to generate relatively unrelated sets of prime pictures and target words. The main study comprised three between-participants conditions: (1) a close replication of the original study, (2) the same condition excluding highly related prime-target pairs, and (3) a condition based on the relatively unrelated sets of prime pictures and target words developed in Pilot Study III. There was little evidence for an evaluative priming effect independent of semantic relatedness.

The desorptivity model of bulk soil-water evaporation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clapp, R. B.

1983-01-01

Available models of bulk evaporation from a bare-surfaced soil are difficult to apply to field conditions where evaporation is complicated by two main factors: rate-limiting climatic conditions and redistribution of soil moisture following infiltration. Both factors are included in the "desorptivity model', wherein the evaporation rate during the second stage (the soil-limiting stage) of evaporation is related to the desorptivity parameter, A. Analytical approximations for A are presented. The approximations are independent of the surface soil moisture. However, calculations using the approximations indicate that both soil texture and soil moisture content at depth significantly affect A. Because the moisture content at depth decreases in time during redistribution, it follows that the A parameter also changes with time. Consequently, a method to calculate a representative value of A was developed. When applied to field data, the desorptivity model estimated cumulative evaporation well. The model is easy to calculate, but its usefulness is limited because it requires an independent estimate of the time of transition between the first and second stages of evaporation. The model shows that bulk evaporation after the transition to the second stage is largely independent of climatic conditions.

Inhibition of return in the visual field: the eccentricity effect is independent of cortical magnification.

PubMed

Bao, Yan; Lei, Quan; Fang, Yuan; Tong, Yu; Schill, Kerstin; Pöppel, Ernst; Strasburger, Hans

2013-01-01

Inhibition of return (IOR) as an indicator of attentional control is characterized by an eccentricity effect, that is, the more peripheral visual field shows a stronger IOR magnitude relative to the perifoveal visual field. However, it could be argued that this eccentricity effect may not be an attention effect, but due to cortical magnification. To test this possibility, we examined this eccentricity effect in two conditions: the same-size condition in which identical stimuli were used at different eccentricities, and the size-scaling condition in which stimuli were scaled according to the cortical magnification factor (M-scaling), thus stimuli being larger at the more peripheral locations. The results showed that the magnitude of IOR was significantly stronger in the peripheral relative to the perifoveal visual field, and this eccentricity effect was independent of the manipulation of stimulus size (same-size or size-scaling). These results suggest a robust eccentricity effect of IOR which cannot be eliminated by M-scaling. Underlying neural mechanisms of the eccentricity effect of IOR are discussed with respect to both cortical and subcortical structures mediating attentional control in the perifoveal and peripheral visual field.

Act To Promote Adult Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1970

An act of the German Lower Saxony Parliament to promote adult education is presented. It has 24 general provisions relating to the following: purpose of adult education, principle for promotion, conditions for promotions of establishments, independence of adult education, prerequisites and form of acknowledgement of entitlement to promotion,…

Applying the concept of Independent Applicability to results from the National Aquatic Resource Surveys

EPA Science Inventory

The assessments resulting from the National Aquatic Resource Surveys have taken the tact of basing estimates of resource condition on the biological indicators of quality. The physical habitat, chemical, hydrological, and watershed indicators are used to evaluate the relative ra...

Enhanced MET Translation and Signaling Sustains K-Ras-Driven Proliferation under Anchorage-Independent Growth Conditions.

PubMed

Fujita-Sato, Saori; Galeas, Jacqueline; Truitt, Morgan; Pitt, Cameron; Urisman, Anatoly; Bandyopadhyay, Sourav; Ruggero, Davide; McCormick, Frank

2015-07-15

Oncogenic K-Ras mutation occurs frequently in several types of cancers, including pancreatic and lung cancers. Tumors with K-Ras mutation are resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs as well as molecular targeting agents. Although numerous approaches are ongoing to find effective ways to treat these tumors, there are still no effective therapies for K-Ras mutant cancer patients. Here we report that K-Ras mutant cancers are more dependent on K-Ras in anchorage-independent culture conditions than in monolayer culture conditions. In seeking to determine mechanisms that contribute to the K-Ras dependency in anchorage-independent culture conditions, we discovered the involvement of Met in K-Ras-dependent, anchorage-independent cell growth. The Met signaling pathway is enhanced and plays an indispensable role in anchorage-independent growth even in cells in which Met is not amplified. Indeed, Met expression is elevated under anchorage-independent growth conditions and is regulated by K-Ras in a MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK)-dependent manner. Remarkably, in spite of a global downregulation of mRNA translation during anchorage-independent growth, we find that Met mRNA translation is specifically enhanced under these conditions. Importantly, ectopic expression of an active Met mutant rescues K-Ras ablation-derived growth suppression, indicating that K-Ras-mediated Met expression drives "K-Ras addiction" in anchorage-independent conditions. Our results indicate that enhanced Met expression and signaling is essential for anchorage-independent growth of K-Ras mutant cancer cells and suggests that pharmacological inhibitors of Met could be effective for K-Ras mutant tumor patients. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Enhanced MET translation and signaling sustains K-Ras driven proliferation under anchorage-independent growth conditions

PubMed Central

Fujita-Sato, Saori; Galeas, Jacqueline; Truitt, Morgan; Pitt, Cameron; Urisman, Anatoly; Bandyopadhyay, Sourav; Ruggero, Davide; McCormick, Frank

2015-01-01

Oncogenic K-Ras mutation occurs frequently in several types of cancers including pancreatic and lung cancers. Tumors with K-Ras mutation are resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs as well as molecular targeting agents. Although numerous approaches are ongoing to find effective ways to treat these tumors, there are still no effective therapies for K-Ras mutant cancer patients. Here we report that K-Ras mutant cancers are more dependent on K-Ras in anchorage independent culture conditions than in monolayer culture conditions. In seeking to determine mechanisms that contribute to the K-Ras dependency in anchorage independent culture conditions, we discovered the involvement of Met in K-Ras-dependent, anchorage independent cell growth. The Met signaling pathway is enhanced and plays an indispensable role in anchorage independent growth even in cells in which Met is not amplified. Indeed, Met expression is elevated under anchorage-independent growth conditions and is regulated by K-Ras in a MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK)-dependent manner. Remarkably, in spite of a global down-regulation of mRNA translation during anchorage independent growth, we find that Met mRNA translation is specifically enhanced under these conditions. Importantly, ectopic expression of an active Met mutant rescues K-Ras ablation-derived growth suppression, indicating that K-Ras mediated Met expression drives “K-Ras addiction” in anchorage independent conditions. Our results indicate that enhanced Met expression and signaling is essential for anchorage independent growth of K-Ras mutant cancer cells and suggests that pharmacological inhibitors of Met could be effective for K-Ras mutant tumor patients. PMID:25977330

ERP Evidence for the Activation of Syntactic Structure During Comprehension of Lexical Idiom.

PubMed

Zhang, Meichao; Lu, Aitao; Song, Pingfang

2017-10-01

The present study used event-related potentials to investigate whether the syntactic structure was activated in the comprehension of lexical idioms, and if so, whether it varied as a function of familiarity and semantic transparency. Participants were asked to passively read the "1+2" structural Chinese lexical idioms with each being presented following 3-5 contextual "1+2" (congruent-structure condition) or "2+1" structural Chinese phrases (incongruent-structure condition). The N400 ERP responses showed more positivity in congruent-structure condition relative to incongruent-structure condition in idioms with high familiarity and high semantic transparency, but less positivity in congruent-structure condition in idioms with high familiarity but low semantic transparency, idioms with low familiarity but high semantic transparency, and idioms with low familiarity and low semantic transparency. Our results suggest that syntactic structure, as the unnecessarity of lexical idiomatic words, was nevertheless activated, independent of familiarity and semantic transparency.

Social comparison, self-stereotyping, and gender differences in self-construals.

PubMed

Guimond, Serge; Chatard, Armand; Martinot, Delphine; Crisp, Richard J; Redersdorff, Sandrine

2006-02-01

Four studies examined gender differences in self-construals and the role of social comparison in generating these differences. Consistent with previous research, Study 1 (N=461) showed that women define themselves as higher in relational interdependence than men, and men define themselves as higher in independence/agency than women. Study 2 (N=301) showed that within-gender social comparison decreases gender differences in self-construals relative to a control condition, whereas between-genders comparison increases gender differences on both relational interdependence and independence/agency. Studies 3 (N=169) and 4 (N=278) confirmed these findings and showed that changing self-construal changes gender differences in social dominance orientation. Across the 4 studies, strong evidence for the role of in-group stereotyping as mediator of the effect of gender on self-construal was observed on the relational dimension but not on the agentic dimension. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

31 CFR 10.35 - Requirements for covered opinions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. (6) Conditions of confidentiality. Written advice... proprietary or exclusive is not a limitation on disclosure if the practitioner confirms to all recipients of... must use reasonable efforts to identify and ascertain the facts, which may relate to future events if a...

10 CFR 72.62 - Backfitting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Backfitting. 72.62 Section 72.62 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Issuance and Conditions of License § 72.62...

10 CFR 72.40 - Issuance of license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Issuance of license. 72.40 Section 72.40 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Issuance and Conditions of...

10 CFR 72.58 - Issuance of amendment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Issuance of amendment. 72.58 Section 72.58 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Issuance and Conditions of...

Body Condition Indices Predict Reproductive Success but Not Survival in a Sedentary, Tropical Bird

PubMed Central

Milenkaya, Olga; Catlin, Daniel H.; Legge, Sarah; Walters, Jeffrey R.

2015-01-01

Body condition may predict individual fitness because those in better condition have more resources to allocate towards improving their fitness. However, the hypothesis that condition indices are meaningful proxies for fitness has been questioned. Here, we ask if intraspecific variation in condition indices predicts annual reproductive success and survival. We monitored a population of Neochmia phaeton (crimson finch), a sedentary, tropical passerine, for reproductive success and survival over four breeding seasons, and sampled them for commonly used condition indices: mass adjusted for body size, muscle and fat scores, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, total plasma protein, and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio. Our study population is well suited for this research because individuals forage in common areas and do not hold territories such that variation in condition between individuals is not confounded by differences in habitat quality. Furthermore, we controlled for factors that are known to impact condition indices in our study population (e.g., breeding stage) such that we assessed individual condition relative to others in the same context. Condition indices that reflect energy reserves predicted both the probability of an individual fledging young and the number of young produced that survived to independence, but only during some years. Those that were relatively heavy for their body size produced about three times more independent young compared to light individuals. That energy reserves are a meaningful predictor of reproductive success in a sedentary passerine supports the idea that energy reserves are at least sometimes predictors of fitness. However, hematological indices failed to predict reproductive success and none of the indices predicted survival. Therefore, some but not all condition indices may be informative, but because we found that most indices did not predict any component of fitness, we question the ubiquitous interpretation of condition indices as surrogates for individual quality and fitness. PMID:26305457

Comparison of body segmental kinematic characteristics between children with cerebral palsy performing sit-to-stand with and without a walker.

PubMed

Thanapan, Puthamaluk; Prasertsukdee, Saipin; Vachalathiti, Roongtiwa

2013-03-01

The study investigated how the subjects, 18 children with spastic diplegia aged 7-14 years, attained sit-to-stand (STS). The children were divided into two groups and three STS conditions: 1) those who could attain STS independently (I-STS), 2) those who could not attain STS independently (D-STS), and 3) subjects from the D-STS condition who could successfully attain STS with the walker (W-STS). The results showed that I-STS had more mean maximum horizontal location of the upper body and knee than the hip. All body segments of D-STS followed the same model as the I-STS condition, but they moved with less magnitude than I-STS. W-STS presented both pattern and magnitudes relatively similar to I-STS. Furthermore, I-STS showed the highest mean maximum horizontal and vertical velocities of body segments, when compared with the other STS conditions. W-STS performed the mean maximum horizontal and vertical linear velocities of all selected segments close to D-STS did.

Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Medical Illness Among Adults with Anxiety Disorders

PubMed Central

Niles, Andrea N.; Dour, Halina J.; Stanton, Annette L.; Roy-Byrne, Peter P.; Stein, Murray B.; Sullivan, Greer; Sherbourne, Cathy D.; Rose, Raphael D.; Craske, Michelle G.

2014-01-01

Objective Anxiety is linked to a number of medical conditions, yet few studies have examined how symptom severity relates to medical comorbidity. Purpose The current study assessed associations between severity of anxiety and depression and presence of medical conditions in adults diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Method Nine-hundred eighty-nine patients diagnosed with panic, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorders reported on the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms and on diagnoses of 11 medical conditions. Results Severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms was strongly associated with having more medical conditions over and above control variables, and the association was as strong as that between BMI and disease. Odds of having asthma, heart disease, back problems, ulcer, migraine headache and eyesight difficulties also increased as anxiety and depressive symptom severity increased. Anxiety symptoms were independently associated with ulcer, whereas depressive symptoms were independently associated with heart disease, migraine, and eyesight difficulties. Conclusions These findings add to a growing body of research linking anxiety disorders with physical health problems and indicate that anxiety and depressive symptoms deserve greater attention in their association with disease. PMID:25510186

Combining Remotely Sensed Environmental Characteristics with Social and Behavioral Conditions that Affect Surface Water Use in Spatiotemporal Modelling of Schistosomiasis in Ghana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulinkina, A. V.; Walz, Y.; Liss, A.; Kosinski, K. C.; Biritwum, N. K.; Naumova, E. N.

2016-06-01

Schistosoma haematobium transmission is influenced by environmental conditions that determine the suitability of the parasite and intermediate host snail habitats, as well as by socioeconomic conditions, access to water and sanitation infrastructure, and human behaviors. Remote sensing is a demonstrated valuable tool to characterize environmental conditions that support schistosomiasis transmission. Socioeconomic and behavioral conditions that propagate repeated domestic and recreational surface water contact are more difficult to quantify at large spatial scales. We present a mixed-methods approach that builds on the remotely sensed ecological variables by exploring water and sanitation related community characteristics as independent risk factors of schistosomiasis transmission.

Relative Deprivation, Poverty, and Subjective Health: JAGES Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Saito, Masashige; Kondo, Katsunori; Kondo, Naoki; Abe, Aya; Ojima, Toshiyuki; Suzuki, Kayo

2014-01-01

To evaluate the association between relative deprivation (lacking daily necessities) and subjective health in older Japanese adults, we performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). The data were obtained from functionally independent residents aged ≥65 years from 24 municipalities in Japan (n = 24,742). Thirteen items in three dimensions were used to evaluate relative deprivation of material conditions. Approximately 28% of older Japanese people indicated that they lacked some daily necessities (non-monetary poverty). A two-level Poisson regression analysis revealed that relative deprivation was associated with poor self-rated health (PR = 1.3–1.5) and depressive symptoms (PR = 1.5–1.8) in both men and women, and these relationships were stronger than those observed in people living in relative poverty (monetary poverty). The interaction effect between relative deprivation and relative poverty was not associated with poor health. As a dimension of the social determinants of health, poverty should be evaluated from a multidimensional approach, capturing not only monetary conditions but also material-based, non-monetary conditions. PMID:25350284

Relative deprivation, poverty, and subjective health: JAGES cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Saito, Masashige; Kondo, Katsunori; Kondo, Naoki; Abe, Aya; Ojima, Toshiyuki; Suzuki, Kayo

2014-01-01

To evaluate the association between relative deprivation (lacking daily necessities) and subjective health in older Japanese adults, we performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). The data were obtained from functionally independent residents aged ≥65 years from 24 municipalities in Japan (n = 24,742). Thirteen items in three dimensions were used to evaluate relative deprivation of material conditions. Approximately 28% of older Japanese people indicated that they lacked some daily necessities (non-monetary poverty). A two-level Poisson regression analysis revealed that relative deprivation was associated with poor self-rated health (PR = 1.3-1.5) and depressive symptoms (PR = 1.5-1.8) in both men and women, and these relationships were stronger than those observed in people living in relative poverty (monetary poverty). The interaction effect between relative deprivation and relative poverty was not associated with poor health. As a dimension of the social determinants of health, poverty should be evaluated from a multidimensional approach, capturing not only monetary conditions but also material-based, non-monetary conditions.

Associations of psychosocial working conditions with self-rated general health and mental health among municipal employees.

PubMed

Laaksonen, Mikko; Rahkonen, Ossi; Martikainen, Pekka; Lahelma, Eero

2006-03-01

To examine associations of job demands and job control, procedural and relational organizational fairness, and physical work load with self-rated general health and mental health. In addition, the effect of occupational class on these associations is examined. The data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study baseline surveys in 2001-2002. Respondents to cross-sectional postal surveys were middle-aged employees of the City of Helsinki (n=5.829, response rate 67%). Associations of job demands and job control, organizational fairness and physical work load with less than good self-rated health and poor GHQ-12 mental health were examined. Those with the poorest working conditions two to three times more, often reported poor general and mental health than those with the best working conditions. Adjustment for occupational class weakened the associations of low job control and physical work load with general health by one fifth, but even more strengthened that of high job demands. Adjustment for occupational class clearly strengthened the associations of job control and physical work load with mental health in men. Mutual adjustment for all working conditions notably weakened their associations with both health measures, except those of job control in men. All working conditions except relational organizational fairness remained independently associated with general and mental health. All studied working conditions were strongly associated with both general and mental health but the associations weakened after mutual adjustments. Of the two organizational fairness measures, procedural fairness remained independently associated with both health outcomes. Adjustment for occupational class had essentially different effects on the associations of different working conditions and different health outcomes.

The independent roles of cardiorespiratory fitness and sedentary time on chronic conditions and Body Mass Index in older adults.

PubMed

Stathokostas, L; Dogra, S; Paterson, D H

2015-10-01

The aim of this paper was to examine the independent influence of cardiorespiratory fitness and sedentary behavior on chronic disease incidence and body composition in older adults. A sample of 292 community dwelling men and women (mean 69.3±8.1 years) underwent maximal treadmill testing and completed questionnaires relating to their leisure-time physical activity, sedentary time, and health. The average V O2 of the sample was approximately 21 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) with the average sedentary time being over 3 hours per day. Cardiorespiratory fitness was found to be a stronger predictor of number of chronic conditions and BMI than total physical activity and sedentary. Those with a higher cardiorespiratory fitness had fewer chronic conditions and a lower BMI. No such associations were seen for either total physical activity levels or sedentary time. Cardiorespiratory fitness is a stronger predictor of health among older adults and further highlights the importance of promoting public health guidelines for cardiorespiratory fitness.

Transcriptome meta-analysis reveals common differential and global gene expression profiles in cystic fibrosis and other respiratory disorders and identifies CFTR regulators.

PubMed

Clarke, Luka A; Botelho, Hugo M; Sousa, Lisete; Falcao, Andre O; Amaral, Margarida D

2015-11-01

A meta-analysis of 13 independent microarray data sets was performed and gene expression profiles from cystic fibrosis (CF), similar disorders (COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, IPF: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma), environmental conditions (smoking, epithelial injury), related cellular processes (epithelial differentiation/regeneration), and non-respiratory "control" conditions (schizophrenia, dieting), were compared. Similarity among differentially expressed (DE) gene lists was assessed using a permutation test, and a clustergram was constructed, identifying common gene markers. Global gene expression values were standardized using a novel approach, revealing that similarities between independent data sets run deeper than shared DE genes. Correlation of gene expression values identified putative gene regulators of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, of potential therapeutic significance. Our study provides a novel perspective on CF epithelial gene expression in the context of other lung disorders and conditions, and highlights the contribution of differentiation/EMT and injury to gene signatures of respiratory disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[HIV and the nursing professional in the face of needlestick accidents].

PubMed

Vieira, Mariana; Padilha, Maria Itayra Coelho de Souza

2008-12-01

The goal of this study was to identify the scientific production about work-related needlestick accidents among nursing professionals involving HIV-contaminated biological material, as well as to characterize the pre-existing factors to such accidents, such as procedures occurring after the exposure to potentially HIV-contaminated needlestick material. This is a literature review, whose bibliographic search for keywords was carried out within the LILACS databases from the year 2000 onward. This study confirms that pre-existing factors for the occurrence of work-related needlestick accidents are related to work conditions as much as to individual conditions. In face of these accidents, the nursing workers need to know the conducts concerning post-exposure to potentially HIV-contaminated needlestick material. We conclude that the adoption of standardized precautions when working in healthcare is a fundamental condition for worker safety, independently of their area of expertise, given the increasing number of HIV cases.

Effects of set-size and lateral masking in visual search.

PubMed

Põder, Endel

2004-01-01

In the present research, the roles of lateral masking and central processing limitations in visual search were studied. Two search conditions were used: (1) target differed from distractors by presence/absence of a simple feature; (2) target differed by relative position of the same components only. The number of displayed stimuli (set-size) and the distance between neighbouring stimuli were varied as independently as possible in order to measure the effect of both. The effect of distance between stimuli (lateral masking) was found to be similar in both conditions. The effect of set-size was much larger for relative position stimuli. The results support the view that perception of relative position of stimulus components is limited mainly by the capacity of central processing.

Association of Psychosocial Conditions, Oral Health, and Dietary Variety with Intellectual Activity in Older Community-Dwelling Japanese Adults.

PubMed

Tomioka, Kimiko; Okamoto, Nozomi; Kurumatani, Norio; Hosoi, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

This study examined the factors related to intellectual activity in community-dwelling elderly persons. Self-administered questionnaires mailed to all people aged ≥65 years in a dormitory suburb in Japan (n = 15,210). The response rate was 72.2%. Analytical subjects (n = 8,910) were those who lived independently and completely answered questions about independent and dependent variables and covariates. Independent variables included psychosocial conditions (i.e., social activities, hobbies, and a sense that life is worth living (ikigai)), oral health (i.e., dental health behaviors and oral function evaluated by chewing difficulties, swallowing difficulties, and oral dryness), and dietary variety measured using the dietary variety score (DVS). A dependent variable was intellectual activity measured using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence. Covariates included age, gender, family structure, pensions, body mass index, alcohol, smoking, medical history, self-rated health, medications, cognitive function, depression, and falling. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for poor intellectual activity. Poor intellectual activity was reported by 28.9% of the study population. After adjustment for covariates and independent variables, poor intellectual activity was significantly associated with nonparticipation in social activities (OR = 1.90, 95%CI = 1.61-2.24), having neither hobbies nor ikigai (3.13, 2.55-3.84), having neither regular dental visits nor daily brushing (1.70, 1.35-2.14), the poorest oral function (1.61, 1.31-1.98), and the lowest DVS quartile (1.96, 1.70-2.26). These results indicate that psychosocial conditions, oral health, and dietary variety are independently associated with intellectual activity in elderly persons. The factors identified in this study may be used in community health programs for maintaining the intellectual activity ability of the elderly.

Effects of two successive parity-invariant point interactions on one-dimensional quantum transmission: Resonance conditions for the parameter space

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

Konno, Kohkichi, E-mail: kohkichi@tomakomai-ct.ac.jp; Nagasawa, Tomoaki, E-mail: nagasawa@tomakomai-ct.ac.jp; Takahashi, Rohta, E-mail: takahashi@tomakomai-ct.ac.jp

We consider the scattering of a quantum particle by two independent, successive parity-invariant point interactions in one dimension. The parameter space for the two point interactions is given by the direct product of two tori, which is described by four parameters. By investigating the effects of the two point interactions on the transmission probability of plane wave, we obtain the conditions for the parameter space under which perfect resonant transmission occur. The resonance conditions are found to be described by symmetric and anti-symmetric relations between the parameters.

Employee (Dis)Engagement: Learning from Nurses Who Left Organizational Jobs for Independent Practice.

PubMed

Stahlke Wall, Sarah

2015-09-01

Employee engagement is of growing interest in healthcare organizations. Engaged employees give an extra measure of effort to contribute to organization goals, whereas disengaged employees withdraw, have lower performance and are more likely to leave their jobs. The aim of this ethnographic study was, in part, to explore the reasons why high-calibre nurses became disengaged from their work and opted to leave their hospital-based employment in favour of independent practice, as well as to consider the organizational conditions that influenced their desire to leave. The findings revealed that nurses left their hospital-based jobs because of health system change, job characteristics, working conditions and lack of respect, which relate closely to the antecedents of employee engagement. Employee engagement can be fostered through organizational support, trust-building management behaviour and transformational leadership. Copyright © 2015 Longwoods Publishing.

Is patient-grouping on basis of condition on admission indicative for discharge destination in geriatric stroke patients after rehabilitation in skilled nursing facilities? The results of a cluster analysis.

PubMed

Buijck, Bianca I; Zuidema, Sytse U; Spruit-van Eijk, Monica; Bor, Hans; Gerritsen, Debby L; Koopmans, Raymond T C M

2012-12-04

Geriatric stroke patients are generally frail, have an advanced age and co-morbidity. It is yet unclear whether specific groups of patients might benefit differently from structured multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs. Therefore, the aims of our study are 1) to determine relevant patient characteristics to distinguish groups of patients based on their admission scores in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and (2) to study the course of these particular patient-groups in relation to their discharge destination. This is a longitudinal, multicenter, observational study. We collected data on patient characteristics, balance, walking ability, arm function, co-morbidity, activities of daily living (ADL), neuropsychiatric symptoms, and depressive complaints of 127 geriatric stroke patients admitted to skilled nursing facilities with specific units for geriatric rehabilitation after stroke. Cluster analyses revealed two groups: cluster 1 included patients in poor condition upon admission (n = 52), and cluster 2 included patients in fair/good condition upon admission (n = 75). Patients in both groups improved in balance, walking abilities, and arm function. Patients in cluster 1 also improved in ADL. Depressive complaints decreased significantly in patients in cluster 1 who were discharged to an independent- or assisted-living situation. Compared to 80% of the patients in cluster 2, a lower proportion (46%) of the patients in cluster 1 were discharged to an independent- or assisted-living situation. Stroke patients referred for rehabilitation to SNFs could be clustered on the basis of their condition upon admission. Although patients in poor condition on admission were more likely to be referred to a facility for long-term care, this was certainly not the case in all patients. Almost half of them could be discharged to an independent or assisted living situation, which implied that also in patients in poor condition on admission, discharge to an independent or assisted living situation was an attainable goal. It is important to put substantial effort into the rehabilitation of patients in poor condition at admission.

Choice and conditioned reinforcement.

PubMed Central

Fantino, E; Freed, D; Preston, R A; Williams, W A

1991-01-01

A potential weakness of one formulation of delay-reduction theory is its failure to include a term for rate of conditioned reinforcement, that is, the rate at which the terminal-link stimuli occur in concurrent-chains schedules. The present studies assessed whether or not rate of conditioned reinforcement has an independent effect upon choice. Pigeons responded on either modified concurrent-chains schedules or on comparable concurrent-tandem schedules. The initial link was shortened on only one of two concurrent-chains schedules and on only one of two corresponding concurrent-tandem schedules. This manipulation increased rate of conditioned reinforcement sharply in the chain but not in the tandem schedule. According to a formulation of delay-reduction theory, when the outcomes chosen (the terminal links) are equal, as in Experiment 1, choice should depend only on rate of primary reinforcement; thus, choice should be equivalent for the tandem and chain schedules despite a large difference in rate of conditioned reinforcement. When the outcomes chosen are unequal, however, as in Experiment 2, choice should depend upon both rate of primary reinforcement and relative signaled delay reduction; thus, larger preferences should occur in the chain than in the tandem schedules. These predictions were confirmed, suggesting that increasing the rate of conditioned reinforcement on concurrent-chains schedules may have no independent effect on choice. PMID:2037826

Allopregnanolone induces state-dependent fear via the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

PubMed Central

Acca, Gillian M.; Mathew, Abel S.; Jin, Jingji; Maren, Stephen; Nagaya, Naomi

2017-01-01

Gonadal steroids and their metabolites have been shown to be important modulators of emotional behavior. Allopregnanolone (ALLO), for example, is a metabolite of progesterone that has been linked to anxiety-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. In rodents, it has been shown to reduce anxiety in a number of behavioral paradigms including Pavlovian fear conditioning. We have recently found that expression of conditioned contextual (but not auditory) freezing in rats can be suppressed by infusion of ALLO into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). To further explore the nature of this effect, we infused ALLO into the BNST of male rats prior to both conditioning and testing. We found that suppression of contextual fear occurred when the hormone was present during either conditioning or testing but not during both procedures, suggesting that ALLO acts in a state-dependent manner within the BNST. A shift in interoceptive context during testing for animals conditioned under ALLO provided further support for this mechanism of hormonal action on contextual fear. Interestingly, infusions of ALLO into the basolateral amygdala produced a state-independent suppression of both conditioned contextual and auditory freezing. Altogether, these results suggest that ALLO can influence the acquisition and expression of fear memories by both state-dependent and state-independent mechanisms. PMID:28104355

Independent functions and the geometry of Banach spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astashkin, Sergey V.; Sukochev, Fedor A.

2010-12-01

The main objective of this survey is to present the `state of the art' of those parts of the theory of independent functions which are related to the geometry of function spaces. The `size' of a sum of independent functions is estimated in terms of classical moments and also in terms of general symmetric function norms. The exposition is centred on the Rosenthal inequalities and their various generalizations and sharp conditions under which the latter hold. The crucial tool here is the recently developed construction of the Kruglov operator. The survey also provides a number of applications to the geometry of Banach spaces. In particular, variants of the classical Khintchine-Maurey inequalities, isomorphisms between symmetric spaces on a finite interval and on the semi-axis, and a description of the class of symmetric spaces with any sequence of symmetrically and identically distributed independent random variables spanning a Hilbert subspace are considered. Bibliography: 87 titles.

Neurochemical and behavioral indices of exercise reward are independent of exercise controllability

PubMed Central

Herrera, Jonathan J; Fedynska, Sofiya; Ghasem, Parsa R; Wieman, Tyler; Clark, Peter J; Gray, Nathan; Loetz, Esteban; Campeau, Serge; Fleshner, Monika; Greenwood, Benjamin N

2016-01-01

Brain reward circuits are implicated in stress-related psychiatric disorders. Exercise reduces the incidence of stress-related disorders, but the contribution of exercise reward to stress resistance is unknown. Exercise-induced stress resistance is independent of exercise controllability; both voluntary and forced wheel running protect rats against anxiety- and depression-like behavioral consequences of stress. Voluntary exercise is a natural reward, but whether rats find forced wheel running rewarding is unknown. Moreover, the contribution of dopamine (DA) and striatal reward circuits to exercise reward is not well characterized. Adult, male rats were assigned to locked wheels, voluntary running (VR), or forced running (FR) groups. FR rats were forced to run in a pattern resembling rats' natural wheel running behavior. Both VR and FR increased the reward-related plasticity marker ΔFosB in the dorsal striatum (DS) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), and increased activity of DA neurons in the lateral ventral tegmental area (VTA), as revealed by immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and pCREB. Both VR and FR rats developed conditioned place preference (CPP) to the side of a CPP chamber paired with exercise. Re-exposure to the exercise-paired side of the CPP chamber elicited conditioned increases in cfos mRNA in direct pathway (dynorphin-positive) neurons in the DS and NAc in both VR and FR rats, and in TH-positive neurons in the lateral VTA of VR rats only. Results suggest that the rewarding effects of exercise are independent of exercise controllability and provide insight into the DA and striatal circuitries involved in exercise reward and exercise-induced stress resistance. PMID:26833814

It doesn't matter what you say: FMRI correlates of voice learning and recognition independent of speech content.

PubMed

Zäske, Romi; Awwad Shiekh Hasan, Bashar; Belin, Pascal

2017-09-01

Listeners can recognize newly learned voices from previously unheard utterances, suggesting the acquisition of high-level speech-invariant voice representations during learning. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we investigated the anatomical basis underlying the acquisition of voice representations for unfamiliar speakers independent of speech, and their subsequent recognition among novel voices. Specifically, listeners studied voices of unfamiliar speakers uttering short sentences and subsequently classified studied and novel voices as "old" or "new" in a recognition test. To investigate "pure" voice learning, i.e., independent of sentence meaning, we presented German sentence stimuli to non-German speaking listeners. To disentangle stimulus-invariant and stimulus-dependent learning, during the test phase we contrasted a "same sentence" condition in which listeners heard speakers repeating the sentences from the preceding study phase, with a "different sentence" condition. Voice recognition performance was above chance in both conditions although, as expected, performance was higher for same than for different sentences. During study phases activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was related to subsequent voice recognition performance and same versus different sentence condition, suggesting an involvement of the left IFG in the interactive processing of speaker and speech information during learning. Importantly, at test reduced activation for voices correctly classified as "old" compared to "new" emerged in a network of brain areas including temporal voice areas (TVAs) of the right posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), as well as the right inferior/middle frontal gyrus (IFG/MFG), the right medial frontal gyrus, and the left caudate. This effect of voice novelty did not interact with sentence condition, suggesting a role of temporal voice-selective areas and extra-temporal areas in the explicit recognition of learned voice identity, independent of speech content. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identified particle distributions in pp and Au+Au collisions atsqrt sNN=200 GeV

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

Adams, J.; Adler, C.; Aggarwal, M.M.

2003-10-06

Transverse mass and rapidity distributions for charged pions, charged kaons, protons and antiprotons are reported for {radical}sNN = 200 GeV pp and Au+Au collisions at RHIC. The transverse mass distributions are rapidity independent within |y| < 0.5, consistent with a boost-invariant system in this rapidity interval. Spectral shapes and relative particle yields are similar in pp and peripheral Au+Au collisions and change smoothly to central Au+Au collisions. No centrality dependence was observed in the kaon and antiproton production rates relative to the pion production rate from medium-central to central collisions. Chemical and kinetic equilibrium model fits to our data revealmore » strong radial flow and relatively long duration from chemical to kinetic freeze-out in central Au+Au collisions. The chemical freeze-out temperature appears to be independent of initial conditions at RHIC energies.« less

A Gaze Independent Brain-Computer Interface Based on Visual Stimulation through Closed Eyelids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Han-Jeong; Ferreria, Valeria Y.; Ulrich, Daniel; Kilic, Tayfun; Chatziliadis, Xenofon; Blankertz, Benjamin; Treder, Matthias

2015-10-01

A classical brain-computer interface (BCI) based on visual event-related potentials (ERPs) is of limited application value for paralyzed patients with severe oculomotor impairments. In this study, we introduce a novel gaze independent BCI paradigm that can be potentially used for such end-users because visual stimuli are administered on closed eyelids. The paradigm involved verbally presented questions with 3 possible answers. Online BCI experiments were conducted with twelve healthy subjects, where they selected one option by attending to one of three different visual stimuli. It was confirmed that typical cognitive ERPs can be evidently modulated by the attention of a target stimulus in eyes-closed and gaze independent condition, and further classified with high accuracy during online operation (74.58% ± 17.85 s.d.; chance level 33.33%), demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed novel visual ERP paradigm. Also, stimulus-specific eye movements observed during stimulation were verified as reflex responses to light stimuli, and they did not contribute to classification. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to show the possibility of using a gaze independent visual ERP paradigm in an eyes-closed condition, thereby providing another communication option for severely locked-in patients suffering from complex ocular dysfunctions.

Survival curve estimation with dependent left truncated data using Cox's model.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Todd

2012-10-19

The Kaplan-Meier and closely related Lynden-Bell estimators are used to provide nonparametric estimation of the distribution of a left-truncated random variable. These estimators assume that the left-truncation variable is independent of the time-to-event. This paper proposes a semiparametric method for estimating the marginal distribution of the time-to-event that does not require independence. It models the conditional distribution of the time-to-event given the truncation variable using Cox's model for left truncated data, and uses inverse probability weighting. We report the results of simulations and illustrate the method using a survival study.

Bayesian network representing system dynamics in risk analysis of nuclear systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varuttamaseni, Athi

2011-12-01

A dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) model is used in conjunction with the alternating conditional expectation (ACE) regression method to analyze the risk associated with the loss of feedwater accident coupled with a subsequent initiation of the feed and bleed operation in the Zion-1 nuclear power plant. The use of the DBN allows the joint probability distribution to be factorized, enabling the analysis to be done on many simpler network structures rather than on one complicated structure. The construction of the DBN model assumes conditional independence relations among certain key reactor parameters. The choice of parameter to model is based on considerations of the macroscopic balance statements governing the behavior of the reactor under a quasi-static assumption. The DBN is used to relate the peak clad temperature to a set of independent variables that are known to be important in determining the success of the feed and bleed operation. A simple linear relationship is then used to relate the clad temperature to the core damage probability. To obtain a quantitative relationship among different nodes in the DBN, surrogates of the RELAP5 reactor transient analysis code are used. These surrogates are generated by applying the ACE algorithm to output data obtained from about 50 RELAP5 cases covering a wide range of the selected independent variables. These surrogates allow important safety parameters such as the fuel clad temperature to be expressed as a function of key reactor parameters such as the coolant temperature and pressure together with important independent variables such as the scram delay time. The time-dependent core damage probability is calculated by sampling the independent variables from their probability distributions and propagate the information up through the Bayesian network to give the clad temperature. With the knowledge of the clad temperature and the assumption that the core damage probability has a one-to-one relationship to it, we have calculated the core damage probably as a function of transient time. The use of the DBN model in combination with ACE allows risk analysis to be performed with much less effort than if the analysis were done using the standard techniques.

Joint independent component analysis for simultaneous EEG-fMRI: principle and simulation.

PubMed

Moosmann, Matthias; Eichele, Tom; Nordby, Helge; Hugdahl, Kenneth; Calhoun, Vince D

2008-03-01

An optimized scheme for the fusion of electroencephalography and event related potentials with functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) data should simultaneously assess all available electrophysiologic and hemodynamic information in a common data space. In doing so, it should be possible to identify features of latent neural sources whose trial-to-trial dynamics are jointly reflected in both modalities. We present a joint independent component analysis (jICA) model for analysis of simultaneous single trial EEG-fMRI measurements from multiple subjects. We outline the general idea underlying the jICA approach and present results from simulated data under realistic noise conditions. Our results indicate that this approach is a feasible and physiologically plausible data-driven way to achieve spatiotemporal mapping of event related responses in the human brain.

Escape conditioning and low-frequency whole-body vibration - The effects of frequency, amplitude, and controls for noise and activation.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wike, E. L.; Wike, S. S.

1972-01-01

Seven experiments are reported on low-frequency whole-body vibration and rats' escape conditioning in a modified Skinner box. In the first three studies, conditioning was observed but was independent of frequency. In experiment four, the number of escape responses was directly related to vibration amplitude. Experiment five was a control for vibration noise and noise termination; experiments six and seven studied vibration-induced activation. Noise termination did not produce conditioning. In experiment six, subjects made more responses when responding led to termination than when it did not. In experiment seven, subjects preferred a bar which terminated vibration to one which did not.

Chronic health conditions and school performance among children and youth.

PubMed

Crump, Casey; Rivera, Diana; London, Rebecca; Landau, Melinda; Erlendson, Bill; Rodriguez, Eunice

2013-04-01

Chronic health conditions are common and increasing among U.S. children and youth. We examined whether chronic health conditions are associated with low school performance. This retrospective cohort study of 22,730 children and youth (grades 2-11) in San Jose, California, was conducted from 2007 through 2010. Health conditions were defined as chronic if reported in each of the first 2 years, and school performance was measured using standardized English language arts (ELA) and math assessments. Chronic health conditions were independently associated with low ELA and math performance, irrespective of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or grade level. Adjusted odds ratios for the association between any chronic health condition and low ("basic or below") performance were 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.36; P < .001) for ELA and 1.28 (95% CI, 1.18-1.38; P < .001) for math, relative to students without reported health conditions. Further adjustment for absenteeism had little effect on these results. The strongest associations were found for ADHD, autism, and seizure disorders, whereas a weak association was found for asthma before but not after adjusting for absenteeism, and no associations were found for cardiovascular disorders or diabetes. Chronic neurodevelopmental and seizure disorders, but not cardiovascular disorders or diabetes, were independently associated with low school performance among children and youth. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Naïve and Robust: Class-Conditional Independence in Human Classification Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarecki, Jana B.; Meder, Björn; Nelson, Jonathan D.

2018-01-01

Humans excel in categorization. Yet from a computational standpoint, learning a novel probabilistic classification task involves severe computational challenges. The present paper investigates one way to address these challenges: assuming class-conditional independence of features. This feature independence assumption simplifies the inference…

Multimorbidity in Middle-Aged Adults with Cerebral Palsy

PubMed Central

Cremer, Nicole; Hurvitz, Edward A.; Peterson, Mark D.

2017-01-01

Background Individuals with cerebral palsy have less lean body mass, greater relative adiposity, and lower fitness and physical activity participation; and yet, the prevalence of age-related multimorbidity in this population has yet to be established. Purpose To examine the prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic conditions and multimorbidity in a sample of middle-aged adults with cerebral palsy. Methods A clinic-based sample of middle-aged adults with cerebral palsy was examined using Electronic Medical Records Search Engine (EMERSE) software. Our cohort included n= 435 individuals aged 40–60 years old, with an ICD-9/10-CM Diagnosis Code for cerebral palsy. Prevalence of 12 chronic conditions were evaluated, including existing diagnoses or historical record of: osteopenia/osteoporosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery disease, impaired glucose tolerance/type 2 diabetes, other cardiovascular conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, asthma, emphysema, pre-hypertension/hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Multivariate logistic models were used to estimate adjusted mulitmorbidity (i.e., ≥2 chronic conditions), adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, obesity, and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Results There were 137 unique multimorbidity combinations. Multimorbidity was significantly more prevalent among obese versus non-obese individuals for both GMFCS I–III (75.8% vs. 53.6%) and GMFCS IV–V (79.0% vs 64.2%), but was also significantly higher in non-obese individuals with GMFCS IV–V (64.2%) compared to individuals with non-obese individuals with GMFCS I–III (53.6%). Both obesity status (OR: 2.20; 95% CI 1.32–2.79) and the GMFCS IV–V category (OR: 1.81; 95% CI 1.32–3.68) were independently associated with multimorbidity. Conclusion Middle-aged adults with cerebral palsy have high estimates of multimorbidity, and both obesity and higher GMFCS levels are independently associated with greater risk. PMID:28065772

Temporal context, preference, and resistance to change.

PubMed

Podlesnik, Christopher A; Jimenez-Gomez, Corina; Thrailkill, Eric A; Shahan, Timothy A

2011-09-01

According to behavioral momentum theory, preference and relative resistance to change in concurrent-chains schedules are correlated and reflect the relative conditioned value of discriminative stimuli. In the present study, we explore the generality of this relation by manipulating the temporal context within a concurrent-chains procedure through changes in the duration of the initial links. Consistent with previous findings, preference for a richer terminal link was less extreme with longer initial links across three experiments with pigeons. In Experiment 1, relative resistance to change and preference were related inversely when responding was disrupted with response-independent food presentations during initial links, replicating a previous finding with rats. However, more food was presented with longer initial links, confounding the disrupter and initial-link duration. In Experiment 2, presession feeding was used instead and eliminated the negative relation between relative resistance to change and preference, but relative resistance to change was not sensitive to relative terminal-link reinforcement rates. In Experiment 3, with more extreme relative terminal-link reinforcement rates, increasing initial-link duration similarly decreased preference and relative resistance to change for the richer terminal link. Thus, when conditions of disruption are equal and assessed under the appropriate reinforcement conditions, changes in temporal context impact relative resistance to change and preference similarly.

Laboratory Studies of Temperature and Relative Humidity Dependence of Aerosol Nucleation during the TANGENT 2017 IOP Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Q.; Tiszenkel, L.; Stangl, C. M.; Krasnomowitz, J.; Johnston, M. V.; Lee, S.

2017-12-01

In this poster, we will present recent measurements of temperature and relative humidity dependence of aerosol nucleation of sulfuric acid under the conditions representative of the ground level to the free troposphere. Aerosol nucleation is critically dependent on temperature, but the current global aerosol models use nucleation algorithms that are independent of temperature and relative humidity due to the lack of experimental data. Thus, these models fail to simulate nucleation in a wide range of altitude and latitude conditions. We are currently conducting the Tandem Aerosol Nucleation and Growth Environment Tube (TANGENT) the intense observation period (IOP) experiments to investigate the aerosol nucleation and growth properties independently, during nucleation and growth. Nucleation takes place from sulfuric acid, water and some base compounds in a fast flow nucleation tube (FT-1). Nucleation precursors are detected with two chemical ionization mass spectrometers (CIMS) and newly nucleated particles are measured with a particle size magnifier (PSM) and a scanning mobility particle sizers (SMPS). Then these particles grow further in the second flow tube (FT-2) in the presence of oxidants of biogenic organic compounds. Chemical compositions of grown particles are further analyzed with a nano-aerosol mass spectrometer (NAMS). Our experimental results will provide a robust algorithm for aerosol nucleation and growth rates as a function of temperature and relative humidity.

Dissociation of frontal-midline delta-theta and posterior alpha oscillations: A mobile EEG study.

PubMed

Liang, Mingli; Starrett, Michael J; Ekstrom, Arne D

2018-04-22

Numerous reports have demonstrated low-frequency oscillations during navigation using invasive recordings in the hippocampus of both rats and human patients. Given evidence, in some cases, of low-frequency synchronization between midline cortex and hippocampus, it is also possible that low-frequency movement-related oscillations manifest in healthy human neocortex. However, this possibility remains largely unexplored, in part due to the difficulties of coupling free ambulation and effective scalp EEG recordings. In the current study, participants freely ambulated on an omnidirectional treadmill and explored an immersive virtual reality city rendered on a head-mounted display while undergoing simultaneous wireless scalp EEG recordings. We found that frontal-midline (FM) delta-theta (2-7.21 Hz) oscillations increased during movement compared to standing still periods, consistent with a role in navigation. In contrast, posterior alpha (8.32-12.76 Hz) oscillations were suppressed in the presence of visual input, independent of movement. Our findings suggest that FM delta-theta and posterior alpha oscillations arise at independent frequencies, under complementary behavioral conditions, and, at least for FM delta-theta oscillations, at independent recordings sites. Together, our findings support a double dissociation between movement-related FM delta-theta and resting-related posterior alpha oscillations. Our study thus provides novel evidence that FM delta-theta oscillations arise, in part, from real-world ambulation, and are functionally independent from posterior alpha oscillations. © 2018 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Using the SIRDE model of social change to examine the vote of Scottish teenagers in the 2014 independence referendum.

PubMed

Grant, Peter R; Bennett, Mark; Abrams, Dominic

2017-09-01

Five hundred and seventy-three Scottish high school students were surveyed in the 2 months following the 2014 referendum on Scotland's independence. We used the Social Identity, Relative Deprivation, collective Efficacy (SIRDE) model of social change to examine the social psychological factors that should have influenced the voting choices of these teenagers. Structural equation modelling indicated that the SIRDE model fit the data and largely supported four sets of hypotheses derived from the model. Specifically, (1) those with a stronger Scottish identity, (2) those who felt frustrated and angry that Scottish people are discriminated against in British society, and (3) those who believed that Scottish people are not able to improve their relatively poor social conditions within the United Kingdom (a lack of collective efficacy) were more likely to hold separatist beliefs. Further, the relationships between identity, relative deprivation, and collective efficacy, on the one hand, and voting for Scotland's independence, on the other, were fully mediated by separatist social change beliefs. Consistent with the specificity of the model, neither political engagement nor personal relative deprivation were associated with voting choice, whereas the latter was associated with lower life satisfaction. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

?he Effect of a Traditional Dance Program on Health-Related Quality of Life as Perceived by Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgios, Lykesas; Ioannis, Giosos; Olga, Theocharidou; Dimitris, Chatzopoulos; Maria, Koutsouba

2018-01-01

Physical exercise is acknowledged to play a highly significant role in human health and life quality. The concept "Quality of Life" (QoL) refers to many parameters, including the individual's physical condition, psychological status, level of independence, social relationships and interaction with the environment. Participating in dance…

Developmental Differences in Young Children's Sex-Typing: Automatic versus Reflective Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Louise C.; Sung, Hung-yen A.

To investigate social cognitive factors in early sex-role development, this study examined young children's gender-related judgments of toy appropriateness under speeded and delayed response conditions. Subjects were 55 boys and 59 girls, aged 3, 5, and 7. Ninety-two photographs of common toys were independently rated as mainly for girls, mainly…

The air-conditioning capacity of the human nose.

PubMed

Naftali, Sara; Rosenfeld, Moshe; Wolf, Michael; Elad, David

2005-04-01

The nose is the front line defender of the respiratory system. Unsteady simulations in three-dimensional models have been developed to study transport patterns in the human nose and its overall air-conditioning capacity. The results suggested that the healthy nose can efficiently provide about 90% of the heat and the water fluxes required to condition the ambient inspired air to near alveolar conditions in a variety of environmental conditions and independent of variations in internal structural components. The anatomical replica of the human nose showed the best performance and was able to provide 92% of the heating and 96% of the moisture needed to condition the inspired air to alveolar conditions. A detailed analysis explored the relative contribution of endonasal structural components to the air-conditioning process. During a moderate breathing effort, about 11% reduction in the efficacy of nasal air-conditioning capacity was observed.

The simulation of microgravity conditions on the ground.

PubMed

Albrecht-Buehler, G

1992-10-01

This chapter defines weightlessness as the condition where the acceleration of an object is independent of its mass. Applying this definition to the clinostat, it argues that the clinostat is very limited as a simulator of microgravity because it (a) generates centrifugal forces, (b) generates particle oscillations with mass-dependent amplitudes of speed and phase shifts relative to the clinorotation, (c) is unable to remove globally the scalar effects of gravity such as hydrostatic pressure, which are independent of the direction of gravity in the first place, and, (d) generates more convective mixing of the gaseous or liquid environment of the test object, rather than eliminating it, as would true weightlessness. It is proposed that attempts to simulate microgravity must accept the simulation of one aspect of microgravity at a time, and urges that the suppression of convective currents be a major feature of experimental methods that simulate microgravity.

A comparison of two independent measurements and analysis of jet aircraft flyover noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hosier, R. N.

1977-01-01

Flyover noise measurements were made simultaneously by two groups. The measurements were made close to one another for the same flyover conditions and with similar measurement procedures, but with different acoustic equipment and personnel. Each group also independently processed the data in accordance with FAR 36 procedures, indluding corrections to reference meteorological, performance, and flight-path conditions. Measured and corrected data, from 24 controlled flyovers processed by both groups, are compared and the differences in the results obtained by the two groups are discussed. It is observed that the average value of the difference between the groups' measured acoustic descriptors (PNL, PNLTM, and EPNL) was less than or = 0.8 db; the average difference for the corrected descriptors (PNL, PNLTM, and EPNL) was less than or = 1.5 db. Causes of the differences were found to be mainly related to different spectrum extrapolation and preemphasis techniques used by the two groups.

Preprototype independent air revitalization subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, F. H.; Hallick, T. M.; Woods, R. R.

1982-01-01

The performance and maturity of a preprototype, three-person capacity, automatically controlled and monitored, self-contained independent air revitalization subsystem were evaluated. The subsystem maintains the cabin partial pressure of oxygen at 22 kPa (3.2 psia) and that of carbon dioxide at 400 Pa (3 mm Hg) over a wide range of cabin air relative humidity conditions. Consumption of water vapor by the water vapor electrolysis module also provides partial humidity control of the cabin environment. During operation, the average carbon dioxide removal efficiency at baseline conditions remained constant throughout the test at 84%. The average electrochemical depolarized concentrator cell voltage at the end of the parametric/endurance test was 0.41 V, representing a very slowly decreasing average cell voltage. The average water vapor electrolysis cell voltage increased only at a rate of 20 mu/h from the initial level of 1.67 V to the final level of 1.69 V at conclusion of the testing.

Increasing independent decision-making skills of women with mental retardation in simulated interpersonal situations of abuse.

PubMed

Khemka, I

2000-09-01

The effectiveness of two decision-making training approaches in increasing independent decision-making skills of 36 women with mild mental retardation in response to hypothetical social interpersonal situations involving abuse was evaluated. Participants were randomly assigned to a control or one of two training conditions (a decision-making training approach that either addressed both cognitive and motivational aspects of decision-making or included only instruction on the cognitive aspect of decision-making). Although both approaches were effective relative to a control condition, the combined cognitive and motivational training approach was superior to the cognitive only training approach. The superiority of this approach was also reflected on a verbally presented generalization task requiring participants to respond to a decision-making situation involving abuse from their own perspective and on a locus of control scale that measured perceptions of control.

Dualities and emergent gravity: Gauge/gravity duality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Haro, Sebastian

2017-08-01

In this paper I develop a framework for relating dualities and emergence: two notions that are close to each other but also exclude one another. I adopt the conception of duality as 'isomorphism', from the physics literature, cashing it out in terms of three conditions. These three conditions prompt two conceptually different ways in which a duality can be modified to make room for emergence; and I argue that this exhausts the possibilities for combining dualities and emergence (via coarse-graining). I apply this framework to gauge/gravity dualities, considering in detail three examples: AdS/CFT, Verlinde's scheme, and black holes. My main point about gauge/gravity dualities is that the theories involved, qua theories of gravity, must be background-independent. I distinguish two senses of background-independence: (i) minimalistic and (ii) extended. I argue that the former is sufficiently strong to allow for a consistent theory of quantum gravity; and that AdS/CFT is background-independent on this account; while Verlinde's scheme best fits the extended sense of background-independence. I argue that this extended sense should be applied with some caution: on pain of throwing the baby (general relativity) out with the bath-water (extended background-independence). Nevertheless, it is an interesting and potentially fruitful heuristic principle for quantum gravity theory construction. It suggests some directions for possible generalisations of gauge/gravity dualities. The interpretation of dualities is discussed; and the so-called 'internal' vs. 'external' viewpoints are articulated in terms of: (i) epistemic and metaphysical commitments; (ii) parts vs. wholes. I then analyse the emergence of gravity in gauge/gravity dualities in terms of the two available conceptualisations of emergence; and I show how emergence in AdS/CFT and in Verlinde's scenario differ from each other. Finally, I give a novel derivation of the Bekenstein-Hawking black hole entropy formula based on Verlinde's scheme; the derivation sheds light on several aspects of Verlinde's scheme and how it compares to Bekenstein's original calculation.

Primer vector theory applied to the linear relative-motion equations. [for N-impulse space trajectory optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jezewski, D.

1980-01-01

Prime vector theory is used in analyzing a set of linear relative-motion equations - the Clohessy-Wiltshire (C/W) equations - to determine the criteria and necessary conditions for an optimal N-impulse trajectory. The analysis develops the analytical criteria for improving a solution by: (1) moving any dependent or independent variable in the initial and/or final orbit, and (2) adding intermediate impulses. If these criteria are violated, the theory establishes a sufficient number of analytical equations. The subsequent satisfaction of these equations will result in the optimal position vectors and times of an N-impulse trajectory. The solution is examined for the specific boundary conditions of: (1) fixed-end conditions, two impulse, and time-open transfer; (2) an orbit-to-orbit transfer; and (3) a generalized renezvous problem.

Anxiety and depressive symptoms and medical illness among adults with anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Niles, Andrea N; Dour, Halina J; Stanton, Annette L; Roy-Byrne, Peter P; Stein, Murray B; Sullivan, Greer; Sherbourne, Cathy D; Rose, Raphael D; Craske, Michelle G

2015-02-01

Anxiety is linked to a number of medical conditions, yet few studies have examined how symptom severity relates to medical comorbidity. The current study assessed associations between severity of anxiety and depression and the presence of medical conditions in adults diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Nine-hundred eighty-nine patients diagnosed with panic, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorders reported on the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms and on diagnoses of 11 medical conditions. Severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms was strongly associated with having more medical conditions over and above control variables, and the association was as strong as that between BMI and disease. Odds of having asthma, heart disease, back problems, ulcer, migraine headache and eyesight difficulties also increased as anxiety and depressive symptom severity increased. Anxiety symptoms were independently associated with ulcer, whereas depressive symptoms were independently associated with heart disease, migraine, and eyesight difficulties. These findings add to a growing body of research linking anxiety disorders with physical health problems and indicate that anxiety and depressive symptoms deserve greater attention in their association with disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of suspension of air-conditioning on airtight-type racks.

PubMed

Kanzaki, M; Fujieda, M; Furukawa, T

2001-10-01

Although isolation racks are superior to open-type racks in terms of securing breeding conditions for laboratory animals, the contingency-proofing capability of the former has yet to be determined. Therefore, from the view of risk management, we studied the environmental change in isolation racks by forcibly suspending ventilation and air-conditioning and confirming the maximal time length for complete recovery to the original condition after restarting their operations. The isolation racks were placed in a room that was equipped with an independent air-conditioning system. When the inside condition of the racks reached 22-24 degrees C and 59-64% of relative humidity, the air-conditioning and ventilation were forcibly suspended and the subsequent temperature, relative humidity, ammonium and CO2 concentrations in the racks were measured over time. We found that after suspending the air-conditioning and ventilation, it took 40-60 min for temperature, and about 10 min for relative humidity to exceed the maximum values (temperature and relative humidity) referred to in the Showa 58 Nenban Guideline Jikken Doubutsu Shisetsu no Kenchiku oyobi Setsubi (Guidelines of buildings and facilities for experimental animals in Japan; Year 1983 edition). After 17 hr 25 min of the suspension of air-conditioning and ventilation, two rats were found dead. Then, the air-conditioning and ventilation were restarted. It took about 2 hr for temperature, and 50 min for relative humidity to regain the guideline values. The ammonium concentration stayed within the guideline value with a maximum concentration of 2 ppm in the experimental period, whereas the CO2 concentration was found to exceed 9% at the time of animal death.

The primer vector in linear, relative-motion equations. [spacecraft trajectory optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Primer vector theory is used in analyzing a set of linear, relative-motion equations - the Clohessy-Wiltshire equations - to determine the criteria and necessary conditions for an optimal, N-impulse trajectory. Since the state vector for these equations is defined in terms of a linear system of ordinary differential equations, all fundamental relations defining the solution of the state and costate equations, and the necessary conditions for optimality, can be expressed in terms of elementary functions. The analysis develops the analytical criteria for improving a solution by (1) moving any dependent or independent variable in the initial and/or final orbit, and (2) adding intermediate impulses. If these criteria are violated, the theory establishes a sufficient number of analytical equations. The subsequent satisfaction of these equations will result in the optimal position vectors and times of an N-impulse trajectory. The solution is examined for the specific boundary conditions of (1) fixed-end conditions, two-impulse, and time-open transfer; (2) an orbit-to-orbit transfer; and (3) a generalized rendezvous problem. A sequence of rendezvous problems is solved to illustrate the analysis and the computational procedure.

Do you make a difference? Social context in a betting task

PubMed Central

Nelson, Eric E.; Pine, Daniel S.; Ernst, Monique

2008-01-01

Social context strongly influences human motivated behavior. The triadic model implicates three major nodes in the regulation of motivated behavior, i.e. amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and striatum. The present work examines how social context modulates this system. Nineteen healthy subjects completed an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study of a monetary betting task in the presence (social trials) and in the absence of a social peer (nonsocial trials). In the social trials, the scanned subject played along with another subject, although their performances were independent from one another. In the nonsocial trials the scanned subject played alone. Although behavioral performance did not differ between social and nonsocial trials, BOLD signal changes during betting were significantly greater in the amygdala bilaterally and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 9) in the social condition relative to the nonsocial condition. In contrast, activation was greater in ventral striatum in the nonsocial condition relative to the social condition. These findings suggest that social context modulates the triadic neural-systems ensemble to adjust motivated behavior to the unique demands associated with the presence of conspecifics. PMID:19015081

Medicaid program; mental retardation--definition of "persons with related conditions"--Health Care Financing Administration. Proposed rule.

PubMed

1983-02-23

We propose to amend the 1978 Medicaid regulations on intermediate care facility services for the mentally retarded and persons with related conditions to correct the definition of "persons with related conditions". This definition, because of an inadvertent error in 1978, is currently tied to the definition of developmental disability in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DDABRA) as amended in 1978. The DDABRA, as amended, covers the mentally ill. The 1978 regulations intended to make "no substantive change" to prior Medicaid regulations which did not cover the mentally ill. The cross-reference to the DDABRA produced the unintended result of incorporating into Medicaid regulations the revision to the definition of the developmentally disabled created by the 1978 amendments to the DDABRA and may tend to cause confusion about the kind of care that is covered by the Medicaid program. Therefore, a correction of this drafting error is necessary. To avoid results of this kind in the future this proposal would establish a Medicaid definition of conditions related to mental retardation that would meet specific needs of the Medicaid program and would be independent of the definition of developmental disability in the DDABRA.

A field simulation study of the effectiveness of penalty kick strategies in soccer: late alterations of kick direction increase errors and reduce accuracy.

PubMed

van der Kamp, John

2006-05-01

This field experiment investigated the relative merits of approaching the penalty kick with either a keeper-independent or keeper-dependent strategy. In the keeper-independent strategy, the shooter selects a target location in advance and disregards the goalkeeper's actions during the run-up. In the keeper-dependent strategy, the shooter makes a decision resting on the anticipation of the goalkeeper's movements during the run-up. Ten intermediate-level soccer players shot at one of two visually specified targets to the right and left side of the goal. In the keeper-independent strategy condition, participants were told that the visually specified target would not change. In the keeper-dependent strategy condition, participants were told that in half of the trials the visually specified target would change side at different times before ball contact, indicating that the direction of the kick needed to be altered. The results showed that penalty-taking performance was apt to be less than perfect in the keeper-dependent strategy condition. A decrease in the time available to alter kick direction resulted in a higher risk of not only an incorrect but also inaccurate shot placement. It is concluded that anticipating the goalkeeper's movements may degrade penalty kick performance, mainly due to insufficient time to modify the kicking action.

Allopregnanolone induces state-dependent fear via the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

PubMed

Acca, Gillian M; Mathew, Abel S; Jin, Jingji; Maren, Stephen; Nagaya, Naomi

2017-03-01

Gonadal steroids and their metabolites have been shown to be important modulators of emotional behavior. Allopregnanolone (ALLO), for example, is a metabolite of progesterone that has been linked to anxiety-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. In rodents, it has been shown to reduce anxiety in a number of behavioral paradigms including Pavlovian fear conditioning. We have recently found that expression of conditioned contextual (but not auditory) freezing in rats can be suppressed by infusion of ALLO into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). To further explore the nature of this effect, we infused ALLO into the BNST of male rats prior to both conditioning and testing. We found that suppression of contextual fear occurred when the hormone was present during either conditioning or testing but not during both procedures, suggesting that ALLO acts in a state-dependent manner within the BNST. A shift in interoceptive context during testing for animals conditioned under ALLO provided further support for this mechanism of hormonal action on contextual fear. Interestingly, infusions of ALLO into the basolateral amygdala produced a state-independent suppression of both conditioned contextual and auditory freezing. Altogether, these results suggest that ALLO can influence the acquisition and expression of fear memories by both state-dependent and state-independent mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Place and contingency differential responses of monkey septal neurons during conditional place-object discrimination.

PubMed

Kita, T; Nishijo, H; Eifuku, S; Terasawa, K; Ono, T

1995-03-01

To elucidate spatial and cognitive function of the septal nuclei, neural activity was recorded from alert monkeys during performance of a place-dependent go/no-go (PGN) task. Response/reinforcement contingencies of given objects were conditional upon the location of a motorized, movable device (cab) containing a monkey in one of four places. The task was initiated by presentation of the outside view (place phase) followed by presentation of an object (object phase) selected from a total of four. A lever press was reinforced only if the correct object was seen in its corresponding place, and the same object was never reinforced in any of the other three places. Of 430 septal neurons recorded, the responses during the place phase in the four places were significantly different in 58 neurons. Responses of eight of these neurons were also place-differential during the object phase as well as the place phase. Furthermore, when the outside view was not presented before the object phase, differential responses in the object phase disappeared. Responses of 91 neurons in the object phase were differential in terms of go/no-go responses and reward availability. Of these 91 neurons, 72 were further tested on a place-independent asymmetrical go/no-go (AGN) task, which required no conditional discrimination. Forty-three neurons responded differentially only in the PGN task. It is thus concluded that this PGN-specific activity reflected conditional place-object relations. Of the remaining 29 neurons that responded differentially in both tasks, 21 were further tested by a place-independent symmetrical go/no-go task (no-go responses were also rewarded). Responses of 19 of these 21 neurons were related to the reward/nonreward contingency but not to the response contingency. The results suggest that septal nuclei are involved in integrating spatial information, conditional place-object relations, and reward/nonreward contingency.

A first scramjet study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emanuel, George

1989-01-01

A variety of related scramjet engine topics are examined. The flow is assumed to be 1-D, the gas is thermally and calorically perfect, and focus is on low hypersonic Mach numbers. The thrust and lift of an exposed half nozzle, which is used on the aerospace plane, is evaluated as well as a fully confined nozzle. A rough estimate of the drag of an aerospace plane is provided. Thermal effects and shock waves are next discussed. A parametric scramjet model is then presented based on the influence coefficient method, which evaluates the dominant scramjet processes. The independent parameters are the ratio of specific heats, a nondimensional heat addition parameter, and four Mach numbers. The total thrust generated by the combustor and nozzle is shown to be independent of the heat release distribution and the combustor exit Mach number, providing thermal choking is avoided. An operating condition for the combustor is found that maximizes the thrust. An alternative condition is explored when this optimum is no longer realistic. This condition provides a favorable pressure gradient and a reasonable area ratio for the combustor. Parametric results based on the model is provided.

Utilization of tannery fleshings: Optimization of conditions for fermenting delimed tannery fleshings using Enterococcus faecium HAB01 by response surface methodology.

PubMed

Kumar Rai, Amit; General, Thiyam; Bhaskar, N; Suresh, P V; Sakhare, P Z; Halami, P M; Gowda, Lalitha R; Mahendrakar, N S

2010-03-01

Conditions for fermentation of delimed tannery fleshings--to obtain higher degree of protein hydrolysis and reasonably better antioxidant activity--using Enterococcus faecium HAB01 (GenBank #FJ418568) were optimized. Three independent variables--viz., inoculum level (X1), glucose level (X2) and fermentation time (X3)--were optimized using response surface method considering degree of hydrolysis (DH; %) and total titrable acidity (TTA) as response variables. The optimized conditions were found to be 12.5% (v/w) inoculum, 17.5% (w/w) glucose and 96h of fermentation at 37+/-1 degrees C to obtain a maximum DH%. The usefulness of the predicted model was further validated by considering random combinations of the independent factors. The chemical score of the hydrolysate revealed an excess amount of essential amino acids, viz., arginine and leucine compared to reference protein. The liquor portion had relatively high antioxidant activities, indicating its potential for use as a high value feed ingredient. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study the Cyclic Plasticity Behavior of 508 LAS under Constant, Variable and Grid-Load-Following Loading Cycles for Fatigue Evaluation of PWR Components

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

Mohanty, Subhasish; Barua, Bipul; Soppet, William K.

This report provides an update of an earlier assessment of environmentally assisted fatigue for components in light water reactors. This report is a deliverable in September 2016 under the work package for environmentally assisted fatigue under DOE’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability program. In an April 2016 report, we presented a detailed thermal-mechanical stress analysis model for simulating the stress-strain state of a reactor pressure vessel and its nozzles under grid-load-following conditions. In this report, we provide stress-controlled fatigue test data for 508 LAS base metal alloy under different loading amplitudes (constant, variable, and random grid-load-following) and environmental conditions (in airmore » or pressurized water reactor coolant water at 300°C). Also presented is a cyclic plasticity-based analytical model that can simultaneously capture the amplitude and time dependency of the component behavior under fatigue loading. Results related to both amplitude-dependent and amplitude-independent parameters are presented. The validation results for the analytical/mechanistic model are discussed. This report provides guidance for estimating time-dependent, amplitude-independent parameters related to material behavior under different service conditions. The developed mechanistic models and the reported material parameters can be used to conduct more accurate fatigue and ratcheting evaluation of reactor components.« less

Bayesian analysis of the kinetics of quantal transmitter secretion at the neuromuscular junction.

PubMed

Saveliev, Anatoly; Khuzakhmetova, Venera; Samigullin, Dmitry; Skorinkin, Andrey; Kovyazina, Irina; Nikolsky, Eugeny; Bukharaeva, Ellya

2015-10-01

The timing of transmitter release from nerve endings is considered nowadays as one of the factors determining the plasticity and efficacy of synaptic transmission. In the neuromuscular junction, the moments of release of individual acetylcholine quanta are related to the synaptic delays of uniquantal endplate currents recorded under conditions of lowered extracellular calcium. Using Bayesian modelling, we performed a statistical analysis of synaptic delays in mouse neuromuscular junction with different patterns of rhythmic nerve stimulation and when the entry of calcium ions into the nerve terminal was modified. We have obtained a statistical model of the release timing which is represented as the summation of two independent statistical distributions. The first of these is the exponentially modified Gaussian distribution. The mixture of normal and exponential components in this distribution can be interpreted as a two-stage mechanism of early and late periods of phasic synchronous secretion. The parameters of this distribution depend on both the stimulation frequency of the motor nerve and the calcium ions' entry conditions. The second distribution was modelled as quasi-uniform, with parameters independent of nerve stimulation frequency and calcium entry. Two different probability density functions for the distribution of synaptic delays suggest at least two independent processes controlling the time course of secretion, one of them potentially involving two stages. The relative contribution of these processes to the total number of mediator quanta released depends differently on the motor nerve stimulation pattern and on calcium ion entry into nerve endings.

Processing load induced by informational masking is related to linguistic abilities.

PubMed

Koelewijn, Thomas; Zekveld, Adriana A; Festen, Joost M; Rönnberg, Jerker; Kramer, Sophia E

2012-01-01

It is often assumed that the benefit of hearing aids is not primarily reflected in better speech performance, but that it is reflected in less effortful listening in the aided than in the unaided condition. Before being able to assess such a hearing aid benefit the present study examined how processing load while listening to masked speech relates to inter-individual differences in cognitive abilities relevant for language processing. Pupil dilation was measured in thirty-two normal hearing participants while listening to sentences masked by fluctuating noise or interfering speech at either 50% and 84% intelligibility. Additionally, working memory capacity, inhibition of irrelevant information, and written text reception was tested. Pupil responses were larger during interfering speech as compared to fluctuating noise. This effect was independent of intelligibility level. Regression analysis revealed that high working memory capacity, better inhibition, and better text reception were related to better speech reception thresholds. Apart from a positive relation to speech recognition, better inhibition and better text reception are also positively related to larger pupil dilation in the single-talker masker conditions. We conclude that better cognitive abilities not only relate to better speech perception, but also partly explain higher processing load in complex listening conditions.

Mapping the functional connectome traits of levels of consciousness.

PubMed

Amico, Enrico; Marinazzo, Daniele; Di Perri, Carol; Heine, Lizette; Annen, Jitka; Martial, Charlotte; Dzemidzic, Mario; Kirsch, Murielle; Bonhomme, Vincent; Laureys, Steven; Goñi, Joaquín

2017-03-01

Examining task-free functional connectivity (FC) in the human brain offers insights on how spontaneous integration and segregation of information relate to human cognition, and how this organization may be altered in different conditions, and neurological disorders. This is particularly relevant for patients in disorders of consciousness (DOC) following severe acquired brain damage and coma, one of the most devastating conditions in modern medical care. We present a novel data-driven methodology, connICA, which implements Independent Component Analysis (ICA) for the extraction of robust independent FC patterns (FC-traits) from a set of individual functional connectomes, without imposing any a priori data stratification into groups. We here apply connICA to investigate associations between network traits derived from task-free FC and cognitive/clinical features that define levels of consciousness. Three main independent FC-traits were identified and linked to consciousness-related clinical features. The first one represents the functional configuration of a "resting" human brain, and it is associated to a sedative (sevoflurane), the overall effect of the pathology and the level of arousal. The second FC-trait reflects the disconnection of the visual and sensory-motor connectivity patterns. It also relates to the time since the insult and to the ability of communicating with the external environment. The third FC-trait isolates the connectivity pattern encompassing the fronto-parietal and the default-mode network areas as well as the interaction between left and right hemispheres, which are also associated to the awareness of the self and its surroundings. Each FC-trait represents a distinct functional process with a role in the degradation of conscious states of functional brain networks, shedding further light on the functional sub-circuits that get disrupted in severe brain-damage. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Determination of variability in leaf biomass densities of conifers and mixed conifers under different environmental conditions in the San Joaquin Valley air basin. Final report

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

Temple, P.J.; Mutters, R.J.; Adams, C.

1995-06-01

Biomass sampling plots were established at 29 locations within the dominant vegetation zones of the study area. Estimates of foliar biomass were made for each plot by three independent methods: regression analysis on the basis of tree diameter, calculation of the amount of light intercepted by the leaf canopy, and extrapolation from branch leaf area. Multivariate regression analysis was used to relate these foliar biomass estimates for oak plots and conifer plots to several independent predictor variables, including elevation, slope, aspect, temperature, precipitation, and soil chemical characteristics.

The ties to unbind: age-related differences in feature (un)binding in working memory for emotional faces

PubMed Central

Pehlivanoglu, Didem; Jain, Shivangi; Ariel, Robert; Verhaeghen, Paul

2014-01-01

In the present study, we investigated age-related differences in the processing of emotional stimuli. Specifically, we were interested in whether older adults would show deficits in unbinding emotional expression (i.e., either no emotion, happiness, anger, or disgust) from bound stimuli (i.e., photographs of faces expressing these emotions), as a hyper-binding account of age-related differences in working memory would predict. Younger and older adults completed different N-Back tasks (side-by-side 0-Back, 1-Back, 2-Back) under three conditions: match/mismatch judgments based on either the identity of the face (identity condition), the face’s emotional expression (expression condition), or both identity and expression of the face (both condition). The two age groups performed more slowly and with lower accuracy in the expression condition than in the both condition, indicating the presence of an unbinding process. This unbinding effect was more pronounced in older adults than in younger adults, but only in the 2-Back task. Thus, older adults seemed to have a specific deficit in unbinding in working memory. Additionally, no age-related differences were found in accuracy in the 0-Back task, but such differences emerged in the 1-Back task, and were further magnified in the 2-Back task, indicating independent age-related differences in attention/STM and working memory. Pupil dilation data confirmed that the attention/STM version of the task (1-Back) is more effortful for older adults than younger adults. PMID:24795660

The ties to unbind: age-related differences in feature (un)binding in working memory for emotional faces.

PubMed

Pehlivanoglu, Didem; Jain, Shivangi; Ariel, Robert; Verhaeghen, Paul

2014-01-01

In the present study, we investigated age-related differences in the processing of emotional stimuli. Specifically, we were interested in whether older adults would show deficits in unbinding emotional expression (i.e., either no emotion, happiness, anger, or disgust) from bound stimuli (i.e., photographs of faces expressing these emotions), as a hyper-binding account of age-related differences in working memory would predict. Younger and older adults completed different N-Back tasks (side-by-side 0-Back, 1-Back, 2-Back) under three conditions: match/mismatch judgments based on either the identity of the face (identity condition), the face's emotional expression (expression condition), or both identity and expression of the face (both condition). The two age groups performed more slowly and with lower accuracy in the expression condition than in the both condition, indicating the presence of an unbinding process. This unbinding effect was more pronounced in older adults than in younger adults, but only in the 2-Back task. Thus, older adults seemed to have a specific deficit in unbinding in working memory. Additionally, no age-related differences were found in accuracy in the 0-Back task, but such differences emerged in the 1-Back task, and were further magnified in the 2-Back task, indicating independent age-related differences in attention/STM and working memory. Pupil dilation data confirmed that the attention/STM version of the task (1-Back) is more effortful for older adults than younger adults.

Condition Self-Management in Pediatric Spina Bifida: A Longitudinal Investigation of Medical Adherence, Responsibility-Sharing, and Independence Skills.

PubMed

Psihogios, Alexandra M; Kolbuck, Victoria; Holmbeck, Grayson N

2015-09-01

This study aimed to evaluate rates of medical adherence, responsibility, and independence skills across late childhood and adolescence in youth with spina bifida (SB) and to explore associations among these disease self-management variables. 111 youth with SB, their parents, and a health professional participated at two time points. Informants completed questionnaires regarding medical adherence, responsibility-sharing, and child independence skills. Youth gained more responsibility and independence skills across time, although adherence rates did not follow a similar trajectory. Increased child medical responsibility was related to poorer adherence, and father-reported independence skills were associated with increased child responsibility. This study highlights medical domains that are the most difficult for families to manage (e.g., skin checks). Although youth appear to gain more autonomy across time, ongoing parental involvement in medical care may be necessary to achieve optimal adherence across adolescence. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Conversion of short-term to long-term memory in the novel object recognition paradigm

PubMed Central

Moore, Shannon J.; Deshpande, Kaivalya; Stinnett, Gwen S.; Seasholtz, Audrey F.; Murphy, Geoffrey G.

2013-01-01

It is well-known that stress can significantly impact learning; however, whether this effect facilitates or impairs the resultant memory depends on the characteristics of the stressor. Investigation of these dynamics can be confounded by the role of the stressor in motivating performance in a task. Positing a cohesive model of the effect of stress on learning and memory necessitates elucidating the consequences of stressful stimuli independently from task-specific functions. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effect of manipulating a task-independent stressor (elevated light level) on short-term and long-term memory in the novel object recognition paradigm. Short-term memory was elicited in both low light and high light conditions, but long-term memory specifically required high light conditions during the acquisition phase (familiarization trial) and was independent of the light level during retrieval (test trial). Additionally, long-term memory appeared to be independent of stress-mediated glucocorticoid release, as both low and high light produced similar levels of plasma corticosterone, which further did not correlate with subsequent memory performance. Finally, both short-term and long-term memory showed no savings between repeated experiments suggesting that this novel object recognition paradigm may be useful for longitudinal studies, particularly when investigating treatments to stabilize or enhance weak memories in neurodegenerative diseases or during age-related cognitive decline. PMID:23835143

Conversion of short-term to long-term memory in the novel object recognition paradigm.

PubMed

Moore, Shannon J; Deshpande, Kaivalya; Stinnett, Gwen S; Seasholtz, Audrey F; Murphy, Geoffrey G

2013-10-01

It is well-known that stress can significantly impact learning; however, whether this effect facilitates or impairs the resultant memory depends on the characteristics of the stressor. Investigation of these dynamics can be confounded by the role of the stressor in motivating performance in a task. Positing a cohesive model of the effect of stress on learning and memory necessitates elucidating the consequences of stressful stimuli independently from task-specific functions. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effect of manipulating a task-independent stressor (elevated light level) on short-term and long-term memory in the novel object recognition paradigm. Short-term memory was elicited in both low light and high light conditions, but long-term memory specifically required high light conditions during the acquisition phase (familiarization trial) and was independent of the light level during retrieval (test trial). Additionally, long-term memory appeared to be independent of stress-mediated glucocorticoid release, as both low and high light produced similar levels of plasma corticosterone, which further did not correlate with subsequent memory performance. Finally, both short-term and long-term memory showed no savings between repeated experiments suggesting that this novel object recognition paradigm may be useful for longitudinal studies, particularly when investigating treatments to stabilize or enhance weak memories in neurodegenerative diseases or during age-related cognitive decline. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Affective reactivity to daily life stress: Relationship to positive psychotic and depressive symptoms in a general population sample.

PubMed

Booij, Sanne H; Snippe, Evelien; Jeronimus, Bertus F; Wichers, Marieke; Wigman, Johanna T W

2018-01-01

Increased affective reactivity to daily life stress has been found in individuals with psychosis and depression, and in those at risk for these conditions. Because depressive and psychotic symptoms often co-occur, increased affective reactivity in these disorders may be explained by the presence of depressive symptoms, psychotic symptoms, or both. Therefore, we examined whether affective reactivity to daily stress is related to positive psychotic symptoms, independently of depressive symptoms, and vice versa. We used data from an intensive sampling study in the general population (n = 411), with three measurements a day (t = 90). The following subjective stressors were assessed: appraisal of activities, appraisal of social interactions, and experienced physical discomfort. Affective reactivity was conceptualized as both the positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) response to these stressors. By means of mixed model analyses, it was examined whether affective reactivity was independently related to depressive and/or positive psychotic symptoms. The PA response to activities and NA response to social interactions were negatively and positively related to depressive symptoms, respectively, independent of psychotic symptoms. In contrast, no (in)dependent association was found between positive psychotic symptoms and affective reactivity to any of the daily life stressors. These findings were confirmed in a subsample with increased symptoms. The prevalence of positive psychotic symptoms was relatively low in this general population sample. Increased affect reactivity predicts depressive symptoms, but not positive psychotic symptoms. Affective reactivity may still facilitate the development of psychotic symptomatology via its impact on depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Developmental Phenomena of Pre-School Children in Relation to Socio-Economic Status, Anthropometric Status, and Home Environmental Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jena, Ananta Kumar; Paul, Bhabatosh

2016-01-01

The present study was a causality study that investigate the effects of conditional factors; if x, y & z are the independent factors (e.g. socio-economic status, Anthropometric status, and home environmental status) on the dependent factors (e.g. memory, social skill, language acquisition, logical reasoning, and problem solving). The present…

Classifying the Quantum Phases of Matter

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

Kim related entanglement entropy to topological storage of quantum information [8]. Michalakis et al. showed that a particle-like excitation spectrum...Perturbative analysis of topological entanglement entropy from conditional independence, Phys. Rev. B 86, 254116 (2012), arXiv:1210.2360. [3] I. Kim...symmetries or long-range entanglement ), (2) elucidating the properties of three-dimensional quantum codes (in particular those which admit no string-like

Bayes Nets and Babies: Infants' Developing Statistical Reasoning Abilities and Their Representation of Causal Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobel, David M.; Kirkham, Natasha Z.

2007-01-01

A fundamental assumption of the causal graphical model framework is the Markov assumption, which posits that learners can discriminate between two events that are dependent because of a direct causal relation between them and two events that are independent conditional on the value of another event(s). Sobel and Kirkham (2006) demonstrated that…

Estimation of Logistic Regression Models in Small Samples. A Simulation Study Using a Weakly Informative Default Prior Distribution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordovil-Merino, Amalia; Guardia-Olmos, Joan; Pero-Cebollero, Maribel

2012-01-01

In this paper, we used simulations to compare the performance of classical and Bayesian estimations in logistic regression models using small samples. In the performed simulations, conditions were varied, including the type of relationship between independent and dependent variable values (i.e., unrelated and related values), the type of variable…

Transfer of Learning between Hemifields in Multiple Object Tracking: Memory Reduces Constraints of Attention

PubMed Central

Lapierre, Mark; Howe, Piers D. L.; Cropper, Simon J.

2013-01-01

Many tasks involve tracking multiple moving objects, or stimuli. Some require that individuals adapt to changing or unfamiliar conditions to be able to track well. This study explores processes involved in such adaptation through an investigation of the interaction of attention and memory during tracking. Previous research has shown that during tracking, attention operates independently to some degree in the left and right visual hemifields, due to putative anatomical constraints. It has been suggested that the degree of independence is related to the relative dominance of processes of attention versus processes of memory. Here we show that when individuals are trained to track a unique pattern of movement in one hemifield, that learning can be transferred to the opposite hemifield, without any evidence of hemifield independence. However, learning is not influenced by an explicit strategy of memorisation of brief periods of recognisable movement. The findings lend support to a role for implicit memory in overcoming putative anatomical constraints on the dynamic, distributed spatial allocation of attention involved in tracking multiple objects. PMID:24349555

Psychosocial working conditions and weight gain among employees.

PubMed

Lallukka, T; Laaksonen, M; Martikainen, P; Sarlio-Lähteenkorva, S; Lahelma, E

2005-08-01

To study the associations between psychosocial working conditions and weight gain. Data from postal questionnaires (response rate 67%) sent to 40- to 60-y-old women (n=7093) and men (n=1799) employed by the City of Helsinki in 2000-2002 were analysed. Weight gain during the previous 12 months was the outcome variable in logistic regression analyses. Independent variables included Karasek's job demands and job control, work fatigue, working overtime, work-related mental strain, social support and the work-home interface. The final models were adjusted for age, education, marital status, physical strain and body mass index. In the previous 12 months, 25% of women and 19% of men reported weight gain. Work fatigue and working overtime were associated with weight gain in both sexes. Women who were dissatisfied with combining paid work and family life were more likely to have gained weight. Men with low job demands were less likely to have gained weight. All of these associations were independent of each other. Few work-related factors were associated with weight gain. However, our study suggests that work fatigue and working overtime are potential risk factors for weight gain. These findings need to be confirmed in prospective studies.

The Temporal and Dynamic Nature of Self-Regulatory Processes during Independent and Externally Assisted Hypermedia Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Amy M.; Azevedo, Roger; D'Mello, Sidney K.

2011-01-01

This study examined the temporal and dynamic nature of students' self-regulatory processes while learning about the circulatory system with hypermedia. A total of 74 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 conditions: independent learning or externally assisted learning. Participants in the independent learning condition used a…

Influence of deposition conditions on electrical and mechanical properties of Sm2O3-doped CeO2 thin films prepared by EB-PVD (+IBAD) methods. Part 1: Effective relative permittivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmanová, Mária; Nádaždy, Vojtech; Kundracik, František; Mansilla, Catina

2013-03-01

Study is devoted to the effective relative permittivity ɛr of CeO2 + x. Sm2O3 thin films prepared by electron-beam physical vapour deposition and ionic beam-assisted deposition methods; ɛr was investigated by three independent ways from the bulk parallel capacitance Cp, impedance capacitance Cimp, and accumulation capacitance Cacc in dependence on the deposition conditions (deposition temperature, dopant amount x and Ar+ ion bombardment during the film deposition) used. Investigations were performed using impedance spectroscopy, capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics as well as deep level transient spectroscopy. Results obtained are described and discussed.

Sadness and ruminative thinking independently depress people's moods.

PubMed

Jahanitabesh, Azra; Cardwell, Brittany A; Halberstadt, Jamin

2017-11-02

Depression and rumination often co-occur in clinical populations, but it is not clear which causes which, or if both are manifestations of an underlying pathology. Does rumination simply exacerbate whatever affect a person is experiencing, or is it a negative experience in and of itself? In two experiments we answer this question by independently manipulating emotion and rumination. Participants were allocated to sad or neutral (in Experiment 1), or sad, neutral or happy (Experiment 2) mood conditions, via a combination of emotionally evocative music and autobiographical recall. Afterwards, in both studies, participants either ruminated by thinking about self-relevant statements or, in a control group, thought about self-irrelevant statements. Taken together, our data show that, independent of participants' mood, ruminators reported more negative affect relative to controls. The findings are consistent with theories suggesting that self-focus is itself unpleasant, and illustrate that depressive rumination comprises both affective and ruminative components, which could be targeted independently in clinical samples. © 2017 International Union of Psychological Science.

Community-based telemonitoring for hypertension management: practical challenges and potential solutions.

PubMed

Hovey, Lauren; Kaylor, Mary Beth; Alwan, Majd; Resnick, Helaine E

2011-10-01

Older adults residing in rural areas often lack convenient, patient-centered, community-based approaches to facilitate receipt of routine care to manage common chronic conditions. Without adequate access to appropriate disease management resources, the risk of seniors' experiencing acute events related to these common conditions increases substantially. Further, poorly managed chronic conditions are costly and place seniors at increased risk of institutionalization and permanent loss of independence. Novel, telehealth-based approaches to management of common chronic conditions like hypertension may not only improve the health of older adults, but may also lead to substantial cost savings associated with acute care episodes and institutionalization. The aim of this report is to summarize practical considerations related to operations and logistics of a unique community-based telemonitoring pilot study targeting rural seniors who utilize community-based senior centers. This article reviews the technological challenges encountered during the study and proposes solutions relevant to future research and implementation of telehealth in community-based, congregate settings.

Association of Psychosocial Conditions, Oral Health, and Dietary Variety with Intellectual Activity in Older Community-Dwelling Japanese Adults

PubMed Central

Tomioka, Kimiko; Okamoto, Nozomi; Kurumatani, Norio; Hosoi, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

Background This study examined the factors related to intellectual activity in community-dwelling elderly persons. Methods Self-administered questionnaires mailed to all people aged ≥65 years in a dormitory suburb in Japan (n = 15,210). The response rate was 72.2%. Analytical subjects (n = 8,910) were those who lived independently and completely answered questions about independent and dependent variables and covariates. Independent variables included psychosocial conditions (i.e., social activities, hobbies, and a sense that life is worth living (ikigai)), oral health (i.e., dental health behaviors and oral function evaluated by chewing difficulties, swallowing difficulties, and oral dryness), and dietary variety measured using the dietary variety score (DVS). A dependent variable was intellectual activity measured using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence. Covariates included age, gender, family structure, pensions, body mass index, alcohol, smoking, medical history, self-rated health, medications, cognitive function, depression, and falling. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for poor intellectual activity. Results Poor intellectual activity was reported by 28.9% of the study population. After adjustment for covariates and independent variables, poor intellectual activity was significantly associated with nonparticipation in social activities (OR = 1.90, 95%CI = 1.61–2.24), having neither hobbies nor ikigai (3.13, 2.55–3.84), having neither regular dental visits nor daily brushing (1.70, 1.35–2.14), the poorest oral function (1.61, 1.31–1.98), and the lowest DVS quartile (1.96, 1.70–2.26). Conclusion These results indicate that psychosocial conditions, oral health, and dietary variety are independently associated with intellectual activity in elderly persons. The factors identified in this study may be used in community health programs for maintaining the intellectual activity ability of the elderly. PMID:26360380

The cost of proactive interference is constant across presentation conditions.

PubMed

Endress, Ansgar D; Siddique, Aneela

2016-10-01

Proactive interference (PI) severely constrains how many items people can remember. For example, Endress and Potter (2014a) presented participants with sequences of everyday objects at 250ms/picture, followed by a yes/no recognition test. They manipulated PI by either using new images on every trial in the unique condition (thus minimizing PI among items), or by re-using images from a limited pool for all trials in the repeated condition (thus maximizing PI among items). In the low-PI unique condition, the probability of remembering an item was essentially independent of the number of memory items, showing no clear memory limitations; more traditional working memory-like memory limitations appeared only in the high-PI repeated condition. Here, we ask whether the effects of PI are modulated by the availability of long-term memory (LTM) and verbal resources. Participants viewed sequences of 21 images, followed by a yes/no recognition test. Items were presented either quickly (250ms/image) or sufficiently slowly (1500ms/image) to produce LTM representations, either with or without verbal suppression. Across conditions, participants performed better in the unique than in the repeated condition, and better for slow than for fast presentations. In contrast, verbal suppression impaired performance only with slow presentations. The relative cost of PI was remarkably constant across conditions: relative to the unique condition, performance in the repeated condition was about 15% lower in all conditions. The cost of PI thus seems to be a function of the relative strength or recency of target items and interfering items, but relatively insensitive to other experimental manipulations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Diazotrophs Containing Mo-Independent Nitrogenases, Isolated from Diverse Natural Environments▿

PubMed Central

Betancourt, Doris A.; Loveless, Telisa M.; Brown, James W.; Bishop, Paul E.

2008-01-01

Molybdenum-independent nitrogenases were first described in the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii and have since been described in other diazotrophic bacteria. Previously, we reported the isolation of seven diazotrophs with Mo-independent nitrogenases from aquatic environments. In the present study, we extend these results to include diazotrophs isolated from wood chip mulch, soil, “paraffin dirt,” and sediments from mangrove swamps. Mo-deficient, N-free media under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions were used for the isolations. A total of 26 isolates were genetically and physiologically characterized. Their phylogenetic placement was determined using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Most of the isolates are members of the gamma subdivision of the class Proteobacteria and appear to be specifically related to fluorescent pseudomonads and azotobacteria. Two other isolates, AN1 and LPF4, are closely related to Enterobacter spp. and Paenibacillus spp., respectively. PCR and/or Southern hybridization were used to detect the presence of nitrogenase genes in the isolates. PCR amplification of vnfG and anfG was used to detect the genetic potential for the expression of the vanadium-containing nitrogenase and the iron-only nitrogenase in the isolates. This study demonstrates that diazotrophs with Mo-independent nitrogenases can be readily isolated from diverse natural environments. PMID:18378646

Aerobic Exercise During Encoding Impairs Hippocampus-Dependent Memory.

PubMed

Soga, Keishi; Kamijo, Keita; Masaki, Hiroaki

2017-08-01

We investigated how aerobic exercise during encoding affects hippocampus-dependent memory through a source memory task that assessed hippocampus-independent familiarity and hippocampus-dependent recollection processes. Using a within-participants design, young adult participants performed a memory-encoding task while performing a cycling exercise or being seated. The subsequent retrieval phase was conducted while sitting on a chair. We assessed behavioral and event-related brain potential measures of familiarity and recollection processes during the retrieval phase. Results indicated that source accuracy was lower for encoding with exercise than for encoding in the resting condition. Event-related brain potential measures indicated that the parietal old/new effect, which has been linked to recollection processing, was observed in the exercise condition, whereas it was absent in the rest condition, which is indicative of exercise-induced hippocampal activation. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise during encoding impairs hippocampus-dependent memory, which may be attributed to inefficient source encoding during aerobic exercise.

The Stark Effect on the Wave Function of Tritium in Relativistic Condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Supriadi, B.; Prastowo, S. H. B.; Bahri, S.; Ridlo, Z. R.; Prihandono, T.

2018-03-01

Tritium Atom is one of the isotopes of Hydrogen that has two Neutrons in the nucleus and an electron that surrounds the nucleus. The Stark Effect is an effect of a shift or polarization of the atomic spectrum caused by the external electrostatic field. The interaction between the electrons and the external electric field can be reviewed using an approximation method of perturbation theory. The perturbation theory used is a time Independent non-degenerate perturbation and reviewed to second order to obtain correction of Tritium Atomic wave function. The condition that used in the system is a relativistic condition by reviewing the movement of electrons within the Atom. The effects of relativity also affect the correction of the wave function of Atom Tritium in the ground state. Tritium is radioactive material that is still relatively safe, and one of the applications of Tritium Atom is on the battery of betavoltaics (Nano Tritium Battery).

Talker's voice and gender stereotype in human auditory sentence processing--evidence from event-related brain potentials.

PubMed

Lattner, Sonja; Friederici, Angela D

2003-03-27

The present study investigated the influence of implicit speaker information on the sentence interpretation. We auditorily presented sentences that comprised of either stereotypically male or stereotypically female self-referent utterances. In the congruent conditions, these utterances were produced by speakers whose gender matched the semantic content. In the incongruent condition, stereotypically male utterances were produced by female speakers and vice versa. The event-related brain potentials (ERP) of 32 listeners exhibited a late positivity (P600) for the incongruent condition. No significant differences were observed between male and female listeners. In the absence of any ERP effect in the earlier time range, it was concluded that the access of the semantic information as such is independent of the speaker's voice, but that speaker property, semantic content and stereotypical knowledge are integrated in a later processing stage.

Early Life Growth Predictors of Childhood Adiposity Trajectories and Future Risk for Obesity: Birth to Twenty Cohort.

PubMed

Munthali, Richard J; Kagura, Juliana; Lombard, Zané; Norris, Shane A

2017-10-01

There is growing evidence of variations in adiposity trajectories among individuals, but the influence of early life growth patterns on these trajectories is underresearched in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, our aim was to examine the association between early life conditional weight gain and childhood adiposity trajectories. We previously identified distinct adiposity trajectories (four for girls and three for boys) in black South African children (boys = 877; girls = 947). The association between the trajectories and early life growth patterns, and future obesity risk was assessed by multivariate linear and multinomial logistic and logistic regressions. Conditional weight gain independent of height was computed for infancy (0-2 years) and early childhood (2-4 years). Conditional weight gain before 5 years of age was significantly associated with early onset of obesity or overweight (excess weight) BMI trajectories in both boys and girls. In girls, greater conditional weight gain in infancy was associated with increased relative risk of being in the early-onset obese to morbid obese trajectory, with relative risk ratios of 2.03 (95% confidence interval: 1.17-3.52) compared to belonging to a BMI trajectory in the normal range. Boys and girls in the early-onset obesity or overweight BMI trajectories were more likely to be overweight or obese in early adulthood. Excessive weight gain in infancy and early childhood, independent of linear growth, predicts childhood and adolescent BMI trajectories toward obesity. These results underscore the importance of early life factors in the development of obesity and other NCDs in later life.

Investigation of Saltwater Intrusion and Recirculation of Seawater for Henry Constant Dispersion and Velocity-Dependent Dispersion Problems and Field-Scale Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motz, L. H.; Kalakan, C.

2013-12-01

Three problems regarding saltwater intrusion, namely the Henry constant dispersion and velocity-dependent dispersion problems and a larger, field-scale velocity-dependent dispersion problem, have been investigated to determine quantitatively how saltwater intrusion and the recirculation of seawater at a coastal boundary are related to the freshwater inflow and the density-driven buoyancy flux. Based on dimensional analysis, saltwater intrusion and the recirculation of seawater are dependent functions of the independent ratio of freshwater advective flux relative to the density-driven vertical buoyancy flux, defined as az (or a for an isotropic aquifer), and the aspect ratio of horizontal and vertical dimensions of the cross-section. For the Henry constant dispersion problem, in which the aquifer is isotropic, saltwater intrusion and recirculation are related to an additional independent dimensionless parameter that is the ratio of the constant dispersion coefficient treated as a scalar quantity, the porosity, and the freshwater advective flux, defined as b. For the Henry velocity-dependent dispersion problem, the ratio b is zero, and saltwater intrusion and recirculation are related to an additional independent dimensionless parameter that is the ratio of the vertical and horizontal dispersivities, or rα = αz/αx. For an anisotropic aquifer, saltwater intrusion and recirculation are also dependent on the ratio of vertical and horizontal hydraulic conductivities, or rK = Kz/Kx. For the field-scale velocity-dependent dispersion problem, saltwater intrusion and recirculation are dependent on the same independent ratios as the Henry velocity-dependent dispersion problem. In the two-dimensional cross-section for all three problems, freshwater inflow occurs at an upgradient boundary, and recirculated seawater outflow occurs at a downgradient coastal boundary. The upgradient boundary is a specified-flux boundary with zero freshwater concentration, and the downgradient boundary is a specified-head boundary with a specified concentration equal to seawater. Equivalent freshwater heads are specified at the downstream boundary to account for density differences between freshwater and saltwater at the downstream boundary. The three problems were solved using the numerical groundwater flow and transport code SEAWAT for two conditions, i.e., first for the uncoupled condition in which the fluid density is constant and thus the flow and transport equations are uncoupled in a constant-density flowfield, and then for the coupled condition in which the fluid density is a function of the total dissolved solids concentration and thus the flow and transport equations are coupled in a variable-density flowfield. A wide range of results for the landward extent of saltwater intrusion and the amount of recirculation of seawater at the coastal boundary was obtained by varying the independent dimensionless ratio az (or a in problem one) in all three problems. The dimensionless dispersion ratio b was also varied in problem one, and the dispersivity ratio rα and the hydraulic conductivity ratio rK were also varied in problems two and three.

Entropic uncertainty from effective anticommutators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaniewski, Jedrzej; Tomamichel, Marco; Wehner, Stephanie

2014-07-01

We investigate entropic uncertainty relations for two or more binary measurements, for example, spin-1/2 or polarization measurements. We argue that the effective anticommutators of these measurements, i.e., the anticommutators evaluated on the state prior to measuring, are an expedient measure of measurement incompatibility. Based on the knowledge of pairwise effective anticommutators we derive a class of entropic uncertainty relations in terms of conditional Rényi entropies. Our uncertainty relations are formulated in terms of effective measures of incompatibility, which can be certified in a device-independent fashion. Consequently, we discuss potential applications of our findings to device-independent quantum cryptography. Moreover, to investigate the tightness of our analysis we consider the simplest (and very well studied) scenario of two measurements on a qubit. We find that our results outperform the celebrated bound due to Maassen and Uffink [Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 1103 (1988), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.60.1103] and provide an analytical expression for the minimum uncertainty which also outperforms some recent bounds based on majorization.

Overcoming confirmation bias in causal attribution: a case study of antibiotic resistance risks.

PubMed

Cox, Louis Anthony Tony; Popken, Douglas A

2008-10-01

When they do not use formal quantitative risk assessment methods, many scientists (like other people) make mistakes and exhibit biases in reasoning about causation, if-then relations, and evidence. Decision-related conclusions or causal explanations are reached prematurely based on narrative plausibility rather than adequate factual evidence. Then, confirming evidence is sought and emphasized, but disconfirming evidence is ignored or discounted. This tendency has serious implications for health-related public policy discussions and decisions. We provide examples occurring in antimicrobial health risk assessments, including a case study of a recently reported positive relation between virginiamycin (VM) use in poultry and risk of resistance to VM-like (streptogramin) antibiotics in humans. This finding has been used to argue that poultry consumption causes increased resistance risks, that serious health impacts may result, and therefore use of VM in poultry should be restricted. However, the original study compared healthy vegetarians to hospitalized poultry consumers. Our examination of the same data using conditional independence tests for potential causality reveals that poultry consumption acted as a surrogate for hospitalization in this study. After accounting for current hospitalization status, no evidence remains supporting a causal relationship between poultry consumption and increased streptogramin resistance. This example emphasizes both the importance and the practical possibility of analyzing and presenting quantitative risk information using data analysis techniques (such as Bayesian model averaging (BMA) and conditional independence tests) that are as free as possible from potential selection, confirmation, and modeling biases.

A critical review of perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctanesulfonate exposure and immunological health conditions in humans

PubMed Central

Chang, Ellen T.; Adami, Hans-Olov; Boffetta, Paolo; Wedner, H. James; Mandel, Jack S.

2016-01-01

Abstract Whether perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), two widely used and biopersistent synthetic chemicals, are immunotoxic in humans is unclear. Accordingly, this article systematically and critically reviews the epidemiologic evidence on the association between exposure to PFOA and PFOS and various immune-related health conditions in humans. Twenty-four epidemiologic studies have reported associations of PFOA and/or PFOS with immune-related health conditions, including ten studies of immune biomarker levels or gene expression patterns, ten studies of atopic or allergic disorders, five studies of infectious diseases, four studies of vaccine responses, and five studies of chronic inflammatory or autoimmune conditions (with several studies evaluating multiple endpoints). Asthma, the most commonly studied condition, was evaluated in seven studies. With few, often methodologically limited studies of any particular health condition, generally inconsistent results, and an inability to exclude confounding, bias, or chance as an explanation for observed associations, the available epidemiologic evidence is insufficient to reach a conclusion about a causal relationship between exposure to PFOA and PFOS and any immune-related health condition in humans. When interpreting such studies, an immunodeficiency should not be presumed to exist when there is no evidence of a clinical abnormality. Large, prospective studies with repeated exposure assessment in independent populations are needed to confirm some suggestive associations with certain endpoints. PMID:26761418

Children and adolescents' health-related quality of life in relation to eczema, asthma and hay fever: results from a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Matterne, Uwe; Schmitt, Jochen; Diepgen, Thomas L; Apfelbacher, Christian

2011-10-01

Several studies have looked at the relationship between childhood atopic disease and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but existing research is limited by selected populations, small samples or lack to consider each of the three atopic conditions simultaneously. Impact of 4-week and 12-month occurrences of the three conditions on HRQoL were analysed by the use of complex sample general linear models alone and adjusted for the other atopic conditions, sociodemographics and mental health in a population-based sample (n = 6,518) of children and adolescents aged 11-17. In univariate analyses, total HRQoL was significantly impacted by eczema and hay fever but not asthma with stronger effects for 4-week occurrence. In multivariate analyses, 12-month occurrence of hay fever and 4-week occurrence of eczema and hay fever significantly impacted on total HRQoL. Although most of the variance in HRQoL was explained by mental health, independent effects of the atopic conditions remained. Atopic conditions impact HRQoL over and above mental health. When analysing the relationship between atopic conditions and HRQoL, it is important to consider more immediate versus less immediate effects of the conditions. Extent of impairment and the domains affected appear to vary when different time intervals are used.

The Comparative Performance of Conditional Independence Indices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Doyoung; De Ayala, R. J.; Ferdous, Abdullah A.; Nering, Michael L.

2011-01-01

To realize the benefits of item response theory (IRT), one must have model-data fit. One facet of a model-data fit investigation involves assessing the tenability of the conditional item independence (CII) assumption. In this Monte Carlo study, the comparative performance of 10 indices for identifying conditional item dependence is assessed. The…

Limitations in Life Participation and Independence Due to Secondary Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koritsas, Stella; Iacono, Teresa

2009-01-01

The effects of secondary conditions across adults with autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy were explored in terms of overall limitation in life participation and independence, changes over time, and the degree and nature of limitation in specific secondary conditions. Information was obtained for 35 adults with autism, 49 with Down syndrome,…

Contributing risk factors for orthopedic device related infections in sina hospital, tehran, iran.

PubMed

Hadadi, A; Zehtab, M J; Babagolzadeh, H; Ashraf, H

2011-02-01

In spite of decreasing incidence of orthopedic device-related infections to 1%, nowadays, device-related infection still remains a diagnostic, therapeutic and cost-related problem. The objective of this study is to evaluate the contributing risk factors for orthopedic device-related infections in Sina Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Three hundred and thirty patients who underwent orthopedic device implantation from 2002-2006 were enrolled; among them, 110 patients were complicated with infection. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the risk factors for device related infections. Patients with infection were older compared to those without infection. The Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest organism. A correlation was observed between wound infection and external fixation, an underlying health condition, and addiction which were independent risk factors for a device related infection. Orthopedic device-related infection puts a great financial burden on patients and hospital resources and could lead to morbidity and mortality in patients. So, appropriate pre and postoperative wound care for dirty wounds, especially when external fixators are used, and in patients with poor conditions or addiction should be done with more caution.

Association between serum bicarbonate and pH with depression, cognition and sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Afsar, Baris; Elsurer, Rengin

2015-07-01

Metabolic acidosis is a common feature in chronic renal failure patients, worsening progressively as renal function declines. There are conflicting data in hemodialysis (HD) patients with regard to acidosis, alkalosis and mortality. In HD patients, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep disorders and impaired quality of life are very common. Besides, these conditions are related with increased morbidity and mortality. However, no previous study investigated the relationship between pH, venous bicarbonate and anion gap with depression, sleep problems and cognitive function in HD patients. In this study we investigated these relationships. In total, 65 HD patients were included. The demographic parameters and laboratory parameters including bicarbonate, pH and anion gap was measured for all patients. Depressive symptoms, sleep quality and cognitive function, were measured by Beck depression inventory, The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and by Mini Mental State Examination, respectively. We found that, sleep quality but not cognitive function or depression was independently related with venous pH and bicarbonate. Anion gap has no independent relationship with sleep quality, cognitive function and depression. In conclusion, metabolic acidosis and bicarbonate levels were independently related with sleep quality in HD patients. However, there was no association between metabolic acidosis and bicarbonate levels with cognitive function and depression.

Determinants of relative skeletal maturity in South African children.

PubMed

Hawley, Nicola L; Rousham, Emily K; Johnson, William; Norris, Shane A; Pettifor, John M; Cameron, Noël

2012-01-01

The variation of skeletal maturity about chronological age is a sensitive indicator of population health. Age appropriate or advanced skeletal maturity is a reflection of adequate environmental and social conditions, whereas delayed maturation suggests inadequate conditions for optimal development. There remains a paucity of data, however, to indicate which specific biological and environmental factors are associated with advancement or delay in skeletal maturity. The present study utilises longitudinal data from the South African Birth to Twenty (Bt20) study to indentify predictors of relative skeletal maturity (RSM) in early adolescence. A total of 244 black South African children (n=131 male) were included in this analysis. Skeletal maturity at age 9/10 years was assessed using the Tanner and Whitehouse III RUS technique. Longitudinal data on growth, socio-economic position and pubertal development were entered into sex-specific multivariable general linear regression models with relative skeletal maturity (skeletal age-chronological age) as the outcome. At 9/10 years of age males showed an average of 0.66 years delay in skeletal maturation relative to chronological age. Females showed an average of 1.00 year delay relative to chronological age. In males, being taller at 2 years (p<0.01) and heavier at 2 years (p<0.01) predicted less delay in RSM at age 9/10 years, independent of current size and body composition. In females, both height at 2 years and conditional weight at 2 years predicted less delay in RSM at 9/10 years (p<0.05) but this effect was mediated by current body composition. Having greater lean mass at 9/10 years was associated with less delayed RSM in females (p<0.01) as was pubertal status at the time of skeletal maturity assessment (p<0.01). This study identifies several predictors of skeletal maturation at 9/10 years, indicating a role for early life exposures in determining the rate of skeletal maturation during childhood independently of current stature. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modulating effects in learned helplessness of dyadic dominance-submission relations.

PubMed

Díaz-Berciano, Cristina; de Vicente, Francisco; Fontecha, Elisa

2008-01-01

In this experiment, learned helplessness was studied from an ethological perspective by examining individual differences in social dominance and its influence on the effects of helplessness. Ninety animals were used, 30 randomly selected and 60 selected because of their clear dominance or submission. Each condition (dominant, submissive, and random) was distributed in three subgroups corresponding to the triadic design. The test consisted of an escape/avoidance task. The results showed that the animals in the uncontrollable condition performed worse than those in the controllable and no treatment conditions. Social submission and dominance reduced vulnerability of the subjects against learned helplessness. Submission had a facilitating effect on subsequent learning, independently of whether pretreatment was controllability or uncontrollability. Learned mastery was observed in the submissive condition, because submission benefited the subjects in the controllable condition in comparison with the untreated subjects, and dominance impaired the subjects in the controllable condition. Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Experimental joint quantum measurements with minimum uncertainty.

PubMed

Ringbauer, Martin; Biggerstaff, Devon N; Broome, Matthew A; Fedrizzi, Alessandro; Branciard, Cyril; White, Andrew G

2014-01-17

Quantum physics constrains the accuracy of joint measurements of incompatible observables. Here we test tight measurement-uncertainty relations using single photons. We implement two independent, idealized uncertainty-estimation methods, the three-state method and the weak-measurement method, and adapt them to realistic experimental conditions. Exceptional quantum state fidelities of up to 0.999 98(6) allow us to verge upon the fundamental limits of measurement uncertainty.

Low-dose radiation: a cause of breast cancer

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

Land, C.E.

1980-08-15

It is likely that the breast is the organ most sensitive to radiation carcinogenesis in postpubertal women. Studies of different exposed populations have yielded remarkably consistent results, in spite of wide differences in underlying breast cancer rates and conditions of exposure. Excess risk is approximately proportional to dose, and is relatively independent of ionization density and fractionization of dose. This implies that the risk associated with low-dose exposures to ionizing radiation can be estimated with some confidence from higher-dose data. Excess risk is heavily dependent on age at exposure but relatively independent of population differences in normal risk. The temporalmore » patterns after exposure of both radiation-induced and naturally occurring breast cancer are similar, suggesting a strong influence of factors other than radiation on radiation-induced breast cancer. Uncertainties remain about risks from exposures before puberty and after menopause.« less

The combining of multiple hemispheric resources in learning-disabled and skilled readers' recall of words: a test of three information-processing models.

PubMed

Swanson, H L

1987-01-01

Three theoretical models (additive, independence, maximum rule) that characterize and predict the influence of independent hemispheric resources on learning-disabled and skilled readers' simultaneous processing were tested. Predictions related to word recall performance during simultaneous encoding conditions (dichotic listening task) were made from unilateral (dichotic listening task) presentations. The maximum rule model best characterized both ability groups in that simultaneous encoding produced no better recall than unilateral presentations. While the results support the hypothesis that both ability groups use similar processes in the combining of hemispheric resources (i.e., weak/dominant processing), ability group differences do occur in the coordination of such resources.

Cloning and expression of VB12-independent methionine synthase gene responsive to alkaline stress in rice.

PubMed

Xie, Guo-Sheng; Liu, Shen-Kui; Takano, Tetsuo; You, Zong-Bin; Zhang, Duan-Pin

2002-12-01

VB12-independent methionine synthase is present in higher plants, and catalyzes the methylation of C-homocysteine to form methionine, which is very important for methylation reactions and syntheses of polyamines and ethylene. Under the alkaline condition, using cDNA-RAPD method, a new VB12-independent methionine synthase gene has been cloned and characterized for the first time in rice in this study. The results exhibited that, the cDNA gene entailed 2740 bp, had single copy in the rice genome and encoded peptide of 765 amino acids, the peptide showed 92% and 83% identity with that from Mesembryanthemum cystallinum (U84889) and Cathararanthus roseus (X83499), respectively. It enhanced the transcription more greatly after sodium carbonate treatment for 12 h and 24 h than that of sodium chloride treatment, and then obviously reduced in 48 h later, suggesting that it is related to this stress tolerance in rice.

Outsourcing mental health care services? The practice and potential of community-based farms in psychiatric rehabilitation.

PubMed

Iancu, Sorana C; Zweekhorst, Marjolein B M; Veltman, Dick J; van Balkom, Anton J L M; Bunders, Joske F G

2015-02-01

Psychiatric rehabilitation supports individuals with mental disorders to acquire the skills needed for independent lives in communities. This article assesses the potential of outsourcing psychiatric rehabilitation by analysing care farm services in the Netherlands. Service characteristics were analysed across 214 care farms retrieved from a national database. Qualitative insights were provided by five case descriptions, selected from 34 interviews. Institutional care farms were significantly larger and older than private care farms (comprising 88.8% of all care farms). Private, independent care farms provide real-life work conditions to users who are relatively less impaired. Private, contracted care farms tailor the work activities to their capacities and employ professional supervisors. Institutional care farms accommodate for the most vulnerable users. We conclude that collaborations with independent, contracted and institutional care farms would provide mental health care organizations with a diversity in services, enhanced community integration and a better match with users' rehabilitation needs.

Physical Therapy for Neurological Conditions in Geriatric Populations.

PubMed

Carmeli, Eli

2017-01-01

With more of the world's population surviving longer, individuals often face age-related neurology disorders and decline of function that can affect lifestyle and well-being. Despite neurophysiological changes affecting the brain function and structure, the aged brain, in some degree, can learn and relearn due to neuroplasticity. Recent advances in rehabilitation techniques have produced better functional outcomes in age-related neurological conditions. Physical therapy (PT) of the elderly individual focuses in particular on sensory-motor impairments, postural control coordination, and prevention of sarcopenia. Geriatric PT has a significant influence on quality of life, independent living, and life expectancy. However, in many developed and developing countries, the profession of PT is underfunded and understaffed. This article provides a brief overview on (a) age-related disease of central nervous system and (b) the principles, approaches, and doctrines of motor skill learning and point out the most common treatment models that PTs use for neurological patients.

Physical Therapy for Neurological Conditions in Geriatric Populations

PubMed Central

Carmeli, Eli

2017-01-01

With more of the world’s population surviving longer, individuals often face age-related neurology disorders and decline of function that can affect lifestyle and well-being. Despite neurophysiological changes affecting the brain function and structure, the aged brain, in some degree, can learn and relearn due to neuroplasticity. Recent advances in rehabilitation techniques have produced better functional outcomes in age-related neurological conditions. Physical therapy (PT) of the elderly individual focuses in particular on sensory–motor impairments, postural control coordination, and prevention of sarcopenia. Geriatric PT has a significant influence on quality of life, independent living, and life expectancy. However, in many developed and developing countries, the profession of PT is underfunded and understaffed. This article provides a brief overview on (a) age-related disease of central nervous system and (b) the principles, approaches, and doctrines of motor skill learning and point out the most common treatment models that PTs use for neurological patients. PMID:29270402

Spatial analysis of geologic and hydrologic features relating to sinkhole occurrence in Jefferson County, West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doctor, Daniel H.; Doctor, Katarina Z.

2012-01-01

In this study the influence of geologic features related to sinkhole susceptibility was analyzed and the results were mapped for the region of Jefferson County, West Virginia. A model of sinkhole density was constructed using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) that estimated the relations among discrete geologic or hydrologic features and sinkhole density at each sinkhole location. Nine conditioning factors on sinkhole occurrence were considered as independent variables: distance to faults, fold axes, fracture traces oriented along bedrock strike, fracture traces oriented across bedrock strike, ponds, streams, springs, quarries, and interpolated depth to groundwater. GWR model parameter estimates for each variable were evaluated for significance, and the results were mapped. The results provide visual insight into the influence of these variables on localized sinkhole density, and can be used to provide an objective means of weighting conditioning factors in models of sinkhole susceptibility or hazard risk.

Selective Influence through Conditional Independence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dzhafarov, Ehtibar N.

2003-01-01

Presents a generalization and improvement for the definition proposed by E. Dzhafarov (2001) for selectiveness in the dependence of several random variables on several (sets of) external factors. This generalization links the notion of selective influence with that of conditional independence. (SLD)

Discussion on fresh air volume in Temperature and Humidity Independent Control of Air-conditioning System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Xiaolong; Liu, Jinxiang; Wang, Yu; Yuan, Xiaolei; Jin, Hui

2018-05-01

The fresh air volume in Temperature and Humidity Independent Control of Air-conditioning System(THIC) of a typical office was comfirmed, under the premise of adopting the refrigeration dehumidifying fresh air unit(7°C/12°C). By detailed calculating the space moisture load and the fresh air volume required for dehumidification in 120 selected major cities in China, it can be inferred that the minimum fresh air volume required for dehumidification in THIC is mainly determined by the local outdoor air moisture and the outdoor wind speed; Then the mathematical fitting software Matlab was used to fit the three parameters, and a simplified formula for calculating the minimum per capita fresh air volume required for dehumidification was obtained; And the indoor relative humidity was simulated by the numerical software Airpak and the results by using the formula data and the data for hygiene were compared to verify the relibility of the simplified formula.

Predictors of 5-year mortality following inpatient/residential group treatment for substance use disorders.

PubMed

Johnson, Jennifer E; Finney, John W; Moos, Rudolf H

2005-08-01

This study examined the prevalence and predictors of 5-year mortality following treatment for substance use disorders. The predictors were assessed at baseline, at discharge, and at a 1-year follow-up for 3698 male veterans, and included demographic, substance use, medical, and psychological functioning, social support, and continuing care. The annual mortality rate was 2.38%, with an observed/expected ratio of 3.05. After accounting for significant demographic, substance use, psychological, and medical conditions, not having a spouse or partner at intake independently predicted 5-year mortality. After accounting for intake variables, more depression at discharge and more medical conditions, a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS, more ounces of ethanol on a maximum drinking day, and lack of a spouse or partner at the 1-year follow-up independently predicted 5-year mortality. Unexpectedly, good quality relationships were related to a higher mortality risk. Results can be used to increase at-risk patients' motivation for recovery.

An integrated control strategy for the composite braking system of an electric vehicle with independently driven axles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Fengchun; Liu, Wei; He, Hongwen; Guo, Hongqiang

2016-08-01

For an electric vehicle with independently driven axles, an integrated braking control strategy was proposed to coordinate the regenerative braking and the hydraulic braking. The integrated strategy includes three modes, namely the hybrid composite mode, the parallel composite mode and the pure hydraulic mode. For the hybrid composite mode and the parallel composite mode, the coefficients of distributing the braking force between the hydraulic braking and the two motors' regenerative braking were optimised offline, and the response surfaces related to the driving state parameters were established. Meanwhile, the six-sigma method was applied to deal with the uncertainty problems for reliability. Additionally, the pure hydraulic mode is activated to ensure the braking safety and stability when the predictive failure of the response surfaces occurs. Experimental results under given braking conditions showed that the braking requirements could be well met with high braking stability and energy regeneration rate, and the reliability of the braking strategy was guaranteed on general braking conditions.

Charge independence, charge symmetry breaking in the S-wave nucleon-nucleon interaction, and renormalization

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

Alvaro Calle Cordon,Manuel Pavon Valderrama,Enrique Ruiz Arriola

2012-02-01

We study the interplay between charge symmetry breaking and renormalization in the NN system for S-waves. We find a set of universality relations which disentangle explicitly the known long distance dynamics from low energy parameters and extend them to the Coulomb case. We analyze within such an approach the One-Boson-Exchange potential and the theoretical conditions which allow to relate the proton-neutron, proton-proton and neutron-neutron scattering observables without the introduction of extra new parameters and providing good phenomenological success.

Initial Outcomes from a Multicenter Study Utilizing the Indego Powered Exoskeleton in Spinal Cord Injury.

PubMed

Tefertiller, Candy; Hays, Kaitlin; Jones, Janell; Jayaraman, Arun; Hartigan, Clare; Bushnik, Tamara; Forrest, Gail F

2018-01-01

Objective: To assess safety and mobility outcomes utilizing the Indego powered exoskeleton in indoor and outdoor walking conditions with individuals previously diagnosed with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: We conducted a multicenter prospective observational cohort study in outpatient clinics associated with 5 rehabilitation hospitals. A convenience sample of nonambulatory individuals with SCI ( N = 32) completed an 8-week training protocol consisting of walking training 3 times per week utilizing the Indego powered exoskeleton in indoor and outdoor conditions. Participants were also trained in donning/doffing the exoskeleton during each session. Safety measures such as adverse events (AEs) were monitored and reported. Time and independence with donning/doffing the exoskeleton as well as walking outcomes to include the 10-meter walk test (10MWT), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Timed Up & Go test (TUG), and 600-meter walk test were evaluated from midpoint to final evaluations. Results: All 32 participants completed the training protocol with limited device-related AEs, which resulted in no interruption in training. The majority of participants in this trial were able to don and doff the Indego independently. Final walking speed ranged from 0.19 to 0.55 m/s. Final average indoor and outdoor walking speeds among all participants were 0.37 m/s ( SD = 0.08, 0.09, respectively), after 8 weeks of training. Significant ( p < .05) improvements were noted between midpoint and final gait speeds in both indoor and outdoor conditions. Average walking endurance also improved among participants after training. Conclusion: The Indego was shown to be safe for providing upright mobility to 32 individuals with SCIs who were nonambulatory. Improvements in speed and independence were noted with walking in indoor and outdoor conditions as well as with donning/doffing the exoskeleton.

Feeding and Fasting Signals Converge on the LKB1-SIK3 Pathway to Regulate Lipid Metabolism in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Choi, Sekyu; Lim, Dae-Sik; Chung, Jongkyeong

2015-01-01

LKB1 plays important roles in governing energy homeostasis by regulating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and other AMPK-related kinases, including the salt-inducible kinases (SIKs). However, the roles and regulation of LKB1 in lipid metabolism are poorly understood. Here we show that Drosophila LKB1 mutants display decreased lipid storage and increased gene expression of brummer, the Drosophila homolog of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL). These phenotypes are consistent with those of SIK3 mutants and are rescued by expression of constitutively active SIK3 in the fat body, suggesting that SIK3 is a key downstream kinase of LKB1. Using genetic and biochemical analyses, we identify HDAC4, a class IIa histone deacetylase, as a lipolytic target of the LKB1-SIK3 pathway. Interestingly, we found that the LKB1-SIK3-HDAC4 signaling axis is modulated by dietary conditions. In short-term fasting, the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) pathway, related to the mammalian glucagon pathway, inhibits the kinase activity of LKB1 as shown by decreased SIK3 Thr196 phosphorylation, and consequently induces HDAC4 nuclear localization and brummer gene expression. However, under prolonged fasting conditions, AKH-independent signaling decreases the activity of the LKB1-SIK3 pathway to induce lipolytic responses. We also identify that the Drosophila insulin-like peptides (DILPs) pathway, related to mammalian insulin pathway, regulates SIK3 activity in feeding conditions independently of increasing LKB1 kinase activity. Overall, these data suggest that fasting stimuli specifically control the kinase activity of LKB1 and establish the LKB1-SIK3 pathway as a converging point between feeding and fasting signals to control lipid homeostasis in Drosophila. PMID:25996931

It's how you get there: walking down a virtual alley activates premotor and parietal areas.

PubMed

Wagner, Johanna; Solis-Escalante, Teodoro; Scherer, Reinhold; Neuper, Christa; Müller-Putz, Gernot

2014-01-01

Voluntary drive is crucial for motor learning, therefore we are interested in the role that motor planning plays in gait movements. In this study we examined the impact of an interactive Virtual Environment (VE) feedback task on the EEG patterns during robot assisted walking. We compared walking in the VE modality to two control conditions: walking with a visual attention paradigm, in which visual stimuli were unrelated to the motor task; and walking with mirror feedback, in which participants observed their own movements. Eleven healthy participants were considered. Application of independent component analysis to the EEG revealed three independent component clusters in premotor and parietal areas showing increased activity during walking with the adaptive VE training paradigm compared to the control conditions. During the interactive VE walking task spectral power in frequency ranges 8-12, 15-20, and 23-40 Hz was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased. This power decrease is interpreted as a correlate of an active cortical area. Furthermore activity in the premotor cortex revealed gait cycle related modulations significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) from baseline in the frequency range 23-40 Hz during walking. These modulations were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced depending on gait cycle phases in the interactive VE walking task compared to the control conditions. We demonstrate that premotor and parietal areas show increased activity during walking with the adaptive VE training paradigm, when compared to walking with mirror- and movement unrelated feedback. Previous research has related a premotor-parietal network to motor planning and motor intention. We argue that movement related interactive feedback enhances motor planning and motor intention. We hypothesize that this might improve gait recovery during rehabilitation.

Uncertainty quantification for accident management using ACE surrogates

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

Varuttamaseni, A.; Lee, J. C.; Youngblood, R. W.

The alternating conditional expectation (ACE) regression method is used to generate RELAP5 surrogates which are then used to determine the distribution of the peak clad temperature (PCT) during the loss of feedwater accident coupled with a subsequent initiation of the feed and bleed (F and B) operation in the Zion-1 nuclear power plant. The construction of the surrogates assumes conditional independence relations among key reactor parameters. The choice of parameters to model is based on the macroscopic balance statements governing the behavior of the reactor. The peak clad temperature is calculated based on the independent variables that are known tomore » be important in determining the success of the F and B operation. The relationship between these independent variables and the plant parameters such as coolant pressure and temperature is represented by surrogates that are constructed based on 45 RELAP5 cases. The time-dependent PCT for different values of F and B parameters is calculated by sampling the independent variables from their probability distributions and propagating the information through two layers of surrogates. The results of our analysis show that the ACE surrogates are able to satisfactorily reproduce the behavior of the plant parameters even though a quasi-static assumption is primarily used in their construction. The PCT is found to be lower in cases where the F and B operation is initiated, compared to the case without F and B, regardless of the F and B parameters used. (authors)« less

Work stress and mental health in a changing society.

PubMed

Kopp, Maria S; Stauder, Adrienne; Purebl, György; Janszky, Imre; Skrabski, Arpád

2008-06-01

The aim of this representative study in the Hungarian population was to analyse the association between work-related factors and self-reported mental and physical health after controlling for negative affect and hostility as personality traits. The effects of job related factors on Beck Depression Score, WHO well-being score and self-rated health (SRH) were analysed in a representative sample of 3153 male and 2710 female economically active Hungarians. In both genders negative affect was the most important correlate of depression, well-being and SRH, whereas hostility was closely associated only with depression. Job insecurity, low control and low social support at work, weekend work hours, job-related life events and dissatisfaction with work and with boss were independent mental health risk factors, but there were important gender differences. Job related factors seem to be equally important predictors of mental health as social support from family. The results of this large national representative study indicate that independent of negative affect and hostility, a cluster of stressful work-related psychosocial conditions accounts for a substantial part of variation in self-reported mental and physical health of the economically active population in Hungary.

Relations between psychological avoidance, symptom severity and embarrassment in essential tremor.

PubMed

Holding, Sophie J; Lew, Adina R

2015-03-01

Research with community- and clinic-based samples of essential tremor (ET) sufferers has identified embarrassment as a common consequence of the condition, leading to social anxiety and avoidance. We sought to ascertain whether psychological avoidance was related to embarrassment in ET, and whether any such relation was independent of symptom severity. Establishing whether psychological avoidance is related to embarrassment in ET would be a first indicator that mindfulness-based therapeutic approaches may be appropriate for sufferers of ET. Ninety-two participants were recruited through online support groups run by the International Tremor Foundation and the UK National Tremor Foundation, with the self-reported inclusion criteria being a clinical diagnosis of ET. Participants completed three validated questionnaires concerning ET-related embarrassment, ET symptom severity and psychological avoidance. Females had slightly higher embarrassment scores than males, and symptom severity and psychological avoidance made significant moderate (each accounting for 10-15% of variance approximately), but independent contributions to embarrassment scores. These results suggest that to address the potentially debilitating effects of embarrassment in ET, both symptom severity and psychological avoidance need to be targeted, with intervention research being required. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Memory for pictures and sounds: independence of auditory and visual codes.

PubMed

Thompson, V A; Paivio, A

1994-09-01

Three experiments examined the mnemonic independence of auditory and visual nonverbal stimuli in free recall. Stimulus lists consisted of (1) pictures, (2) the corresponding environmental sounds, or (3) picture-sound pairs. In Experiment 1, free recall was tested under three learning conditions: standard intentional, intentional with a rehearsal-inhibiting distracter task, or incidental with the distracter task. In all three groups, recall was best for the picture-sound items. In addition, recall for the picture-sound stimuli appeared to be additive relative to pictures or sounds alone when the distracter task was used. Experiment 2 included two additional groups: In one, two copies of the same picture were shown simultaneously; in the other, two different pictures of the same concept were shown. There was no difference in recall among any of the picture groups; in contrast, recall in the picture-sound condition was greater than recall in either single-modality condition. However, doubling the exposure time in a third experiment resulted in additively higher recall for repeated pictures with different exemplars than ones with identical exemplars. The results are discussed in terms of dual coding theory and alternative conceptions of the memory trace.

Inverse Problems in Complex Models and Applications to Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosch, M. E.

2015-12-01

The inference of the subsurface earth structure and properties requires the integration of different types of data, information and knowledge, by combined processes of analysis and synthesis. To support the process of integrating information, the regular concept of data inversion is evolving to expand its application to models with multiple inner components (properties, scales, structural parameters) that explain multiple data (geophysical survey data, well-logs, core data). The probabilistic inference methods provide the natural framework for the formulation of these problems, considering a posterior probability density function (PDF) that combines the information from a prior information PDF and the new sets of observations. To formulate the posterior PDF in the context of multiple datasets, the data likelihood functions are factorized assuming independence of uncertainties for data originating across different surveys. A realistic description of the earth medium requires modeling several properties and structural parameters, which relate to each other according to dependency and independency notions. Thus, conditional probabilities across model components also factorize. A common setting proceeds by structuring the model parameter space in hierarchical layers. A primary layer (e.g. lithology) conditions a secondary layer (e.g. physical medium properties), which conditions a third layer (e.g. geophysical data). In general, less structured relations within model components and data emerge from the analysis of other inverse problems. They can be described with flexibility via direct acyclic graphs, which are graphs that map dependency relations between the model components. Examples of inverse problems in complex models can be shown at various scales. At local scale, for example, the distribution of gas saturation is inferred from pre-stack seismic data and a calibrated rock-physics model. At regional scale, joint inversion of gravity and magnetic data is applied for the estimation of lithological structure of the crust, with the lithotype body regions conditioning the mass density and magnetic susceptibility fields. At planetary scale, the Earth mantle temperature and element composition is inferred from seismic travel-time and geodetic data.

Independent component model for cognitive functions of multiple subjects using [15O]H2O PET images.

PubMed

Park, Hae-Jeong; Kim, Jae-Jin; Youn, Tak; Lee, Dong Soo; Lee, Myung Chul; Kwon, Jun Soo

2003-04-01

An independent component model of multiple subjects' positron emission tomography (PET) images is proposed to explore the overall functional components involved in a task and to explain subject specific variations of metabolic activities under altered experimental conditions utilizing the Independent component analysis (ICA) concept. As PET images represent time-compressed activities of several cognitive components, we derived a mathematical model to decompose functional components from cross-sectional images based on two fundamental hypotheses: (1) all subjects share basic functional components that are common to subjects and spatially independent of each other in relation to the given experimental task, and (2) all subjects share common functional components throughout tasks which are also spatially independent. The variations of hemodynamic activities according to subjects or tasks can be explained by the variations in the usage weight of the functional components. We investigated the plausibility of the model using serial cognitive experiments of simple object perception, object recognition, two-back working memory, and divided attention of a syntactic process. We found that the independent component model satisfactorily explained the functional components involved in the task and discuss here the application of ICA in multiple subjects' PET images to explore the functional association of brain activations. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Mass-independent area (or entropy) and thermodynamic volume products in conformal gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradhan, Parthapratim

2017-06-01

In this work, we investigate the thermodynamic properties of conformal gravity in four dimensions. We compute the area (or entropy) functional relation for this black hole (BH). We consider both de Sitter (dS) and anti-de Sitter (AdS) cases. We derive the Cosmic-Censorship-Inequality which is an important relation in general relativity that relates the total mass of a spacetime to the area of all the BH horizons. Local thermodynamic stability is studied by computing the specific heat. The second-order phase transition occurs at a certain condition. Various types of second-order phase structure have been given for various values of a and the cosmological constant Λ in the Appendix. When a = 0, one obtains the result of Schwarzschild-dS and Schwarzschild-AdS cases. In the limit aM ≪ 1, one obtains the result of Grumiller spacetime, where a is nontrivial Rindler parameter or Rindler acceleration and M is the mass parameter. The thermodynamic volume functional relation is derived in the extended phase space, where the cosmological constant is treated as a thermodynamic pressure and its conjugate variable as a thermodynamic volume. The mass-independent area (or entropy) functional relation and thermodynamic volume functional relation that we have derived could turn out to be a universal quantity.

Interdependent selves show face-induced facilitation of error processing: cultural neuroscience of self-threat

PubMed Central

Kitayama, Shinobu

2014-01-01

The fundamentally social nature of humans is revealed in their exquisitely high sensitivity to potentially negative evaluations held by others. At present, however, little is known about neurocortical correlates of the response to such social-evaluative threat. Here, we addressed this issue by showing that mere exposure to an image of a watching face is sufficient to automatically evoke a social-evaluative threat for those who are relatively high in interdependent self-construal. Both European American and Asian participants performed a flanker task while primed with a face (vs control) image. The relative increase of the error-related negativity (ERN) in the face (vs control) priming condition became more pronounced as a function of interdependent (vs independent) self-construal. Relative to European Americans, Asians were more interdependent and, as predicted, they showed a reliably stronger ERN in the face (vs control) priming condition. Our findings suggest that the ERN can serve as a robust empirical marker of self-threat that is closely modulated by socio-cultural variables. PMID:23160814

The influence of dimensional overlap on location-related priming in the Simon task.

PubMed

Lehle, Carola; Stürmer, Birgit; Sommer, Werner

2013-01-01

Choice reaction times are shorter when stimulus and response locations are compatible than when they are incompatible as in the Simon effect. Recent studies revealed that Simon effects are strongly attenuated when there is temporal overlap with a different high-priority task, accompanied by a decrease of early location-related response priming as reflected in the lateralized readiness potential (LRP). The latter result was obtained in a study excluding overlap of stimulus location with any other dimension in the tasks. Independent evidence suggests that location-related priming might be present in conditions with dimensional overlap. Here we tested this prediction in a dual-task experiment supplemented with recording LRPs. The secondary task was either a standard Simon task where irrelevant stimulus location overlapped with dimensions of the primary task or a Stroop-like Simon task including additional overlap of irrelevant and relevant stimulus attributes. At high temporal overlap, there was no Simon effect nor was there stimulus-related response priming in either condition. Therefore stimulus-triggered response priming seems to be abolished in conditions of limited capacity even if the likelihood of an S-R compatibility effect is maximized.

Effects of wi-fi signals on the p300 component of event-related potentials during an auditory hayling task.

PubMed

Papageorgiou, Charalabos C; Hountala, Chrissanthi D; Maganioti, Argiro E; Kyprianou, Miltiades A; Rabavilas, Andreas D; Papadimitriou, George N; Capsalis, Christos N

2011-06-01

The P300 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) is believed to index attention and working memory (WM) operation of the brain. The present study focused on the possible gender-related effects of Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) electromagnetic fields (EMF) on these processes. Fifteen male and fifteen female subjects, matched for age and education level, were investigated while performing a modified version of the Hayling Sentence Completion test adjusted to induce WM. ERPs were recorded at 30 scalp electrodes, both without and with the exposure to a Wi-Fi signal. P300 amplitude values at 18 electrodes were found to be significantly lower in the response inhibition condition than in the response initiation and baseline conditions. Independent of the above effect, within the response inhibition condition there was also a significant gender X radiation interaction effect manifested at 15 leads by decreased P300 amplitudes of males in comparison to female subjects only at the presence of EMF. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that Wi-Fi exposure may exert gender-related alterations on neural activity associated with the amount of attentional resources engaged during a linguistic test adjusted to induce WM.

Fine-scale mapping of the 4q24 locus identifies two independent loci associated with breast cancer risk.

PubMed

Guo, Xingyi; Long, Jirong; Zeng, Chenjie; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Ghoussaini, Maya; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Milne, Roger L; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Cai, Qiuyin; Beesley, Jonathan; Kar, Siddhartha P; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Beckmann, Matthias W; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia; Benitez, Javier; Blot, William; Bogdanova, Natalia; Bojesen, Stig E; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Brinton, Louise; Broeks, Annegien; Brüning, Thomas; Burwinkel, Barbara; Cai, Hui; Canisius, Sander; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Couch, Fergus J; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Czene, Kamila; Darabi, Hatef; Devilee, Peter; Droit, Arnaud; Dörk, Thilo; Fasching, Peter A; Fletcher, Olivia; Flyger, Henrik; Fostira, Florentia; Gaborieau, Valerie; García-Closas, Montserrat; Giles, Graham G; Grip, Mervi; Guénel, Pascal; Haiman, Christopher A; Hamann, Ute; Hartman, Mikael; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Hopper, John L; Hsiung, Chia-Ni; Ito, Hidemi; Jakubowska, Anna; Johnson, Nichola; Kabisch, Maria; Kang, Daehee; Khan, Sofia; Knight, Julia A; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Lambrechts, Diether; Le Marchand, Loic; Li, Jingmei; Lindblom, Annika; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Manoukian, Siranoush; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; Matsuo, Keitaro; McLean, Catriona A; Meindl, Alfons; Muir, Kenneth; Neuhausen, Susan L; Nevanlinna, Heli; Nord, Silje; Olson, Janet E; Orr, Nick; Peterlongo, Paolo; Putti, Thomas Choudary; Rudolph, Anja; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Sawyer, Elinor J; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Schmutzler, Rita K; Shen, Chen-Yang; Shi, Jiajun; Shrubsole, Martha J; Southey, Melissa C; Swerdlow, Anthony; Teo, Soo Hwang; Thienpont, Bernard; Toland, Amanda Ewart; Tollenaar, Robert A E M; Tomlinson, Ian P M; Truong, Thérèse; Tseng, Chiu-Chen; van den Ouweland, Ans; Wen, Wanqing; Winqvist, Robert; Wu, Anna; Yip, Cheng Har; Zamora, M Pilar; Zheng, Ying; Hall, Per; Pharoah, Paul D P; Simard, Jacques; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M; Easton, Douglas F; Zheng, Wei

2015-11-01

A recent association study identified a common variant (rs9790517) at 4q24 to be associated with breast cancer risk. Independent association signals and potential functional variants in this locus have not been explored. We conducted a fine-mapping analysis in 55,540 breast cancer cases and 51,168 controls from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Conditional analyses identified two independent association signals among women of European ancestry, represented by rs9790517 [conditional P = 2.51 × 10(-4); OR, 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.07] and rs77928427 (P = 1.86 × 10(-4); OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07). Functional annotation using data from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project revealed two putative functional variants, rs62331150 and rs73838678 in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs9790517 (r(2) ≥ 0.90) residing in the active promoter or enhancer, respectively, of the nearest gene, TET2. Both variants are located in DNase I hypersensitivity and transcription factor-binding sites. Using data from both The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC), we showed that rs62331150 was associated with level of expression of TET2 in breast normal and tumor tissue. Our study identified two independent association signals at 4q24 in relation to breast cancer risk and suggested that observed association in this locus may be mediated through the regulation of TET2. Fine-mapping study with large sample size warranted for identification of independent loci for breast cancer risk. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Fine-scale mapping of the 4q24 locus identifies two independent loci associated with breast cancer risk

PubMed Central

Guo, Xingyi; Long, Jirong; Zeng, Chenjie; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Ghoussaini, Maya; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Wang, Qin; Milne, Roger L.; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Cai, Qiuyin; Beesley, Jonathan; Kar, Siddhartha P.; Andrulis, Irene L.; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia; Benitez, Javier; Blot, William; Bogdanova, Natalia; Bojesen, Stig E.; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Brinton, Louise; Broeks, Annegien; Brüning, Thomas; Burwinkel, Barbara; Cai, Hui; Canisius, Sander; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Couch, Fergus J.; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S.; Czene, Kamila; Darabi, Hatef; Devilee, Peter; Droit, Arnaud; Dörk, Thilo; Fasching, Peter A.; Fletcher, Olivia; Flyger, Henrik; Fostira, Florentia; Gaborieau, Valerie; García-Closas, Montserrat; Giles, Graham G.; Grip, Mervi; Guénel, Pascal; Haiman, Christopher A.; Hamann, Ute; Hartman, Mikael; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Hopper, John L.; Hsiung, Chia-Ni; Ito, Hidemi; Jakubowska, Anna; Johnson, Nichola; Kabisch, Maria; Kang, Daehee; Khan, Sofia; Knight, Julia A.; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Lambrechts, Diether; Marchand, Loic Le; Li, Jingmei; Lindblom, Annika; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Manoukian, Siranoush; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; Matsuo, Keitaro; McLean, Catriona A.; Meindl, Alfons; Muir, Kenneth; Neuhausen, Susan L.; Nevanlinna, Heli; Nord, Silje; Olson, Janet E.; Orr, Nick; Peterlongo, Paolo; Putti, Thomas Choudary; Rudolph, Anja; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Sawyer, Elinor J.; Schmidt, Marjanka K.; Schmutzler, Rita K.; Shen, Chen-Yang; Shi, Jiajun; Shrubsole, Martha J; Southey, Melissa C.; Swerdlow, Anthony; Teo, Soo Hwang; Thienpont, Bernard; Toland, Amanda Ewart; Tollenaar, Robert A.E.M.; Tomlinson, Ian P.M.; Truong, Thérèse; Tseng, Chiu-chen; van den Ouweland, Ans; Wen, Wanqing; Winqvist, Robert; Wu, Anna; Yip, Cheng Har; Zamora, M. Pilar; Zheng, Ying; Hall, Per; Pharoah, Paul D.P.; Simard, Jacques; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M.; Easton, Douglas F.; Zheng, Wei

2015-01-01

Background A recent association study identified a common variant (rs9790517) at 4q24 to be associated with breast cancer risk. Independent association signals and potential functional variants in this locus have not been explored. Methods We conducted a fine-mapping analysis in 55,540 breast cancer cases and 51,168 controls from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Results Conditional analyses identified two independent association signals among women of European ancestry, represented by rs9790517 (conditional p = 2.51 × 10−4; OR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.02–1.07) and rs77928427 (p = 1.86 × 10−4; OR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.02–1.07). Functional annotation using data from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project revealed two putative functional variants, rs62331150 and rs73838678 in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs9790517 (r2 ≥ 0.90) residing in the active promoter or enhancer, respectively, of the nearest gene, TET2. Both variants are located in DNase I hypersensitivity and transcription factor binding sites. Using data from both The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC), we showed that rs62331150 was associated with level of expression of TET2 in breast normal and tumor tissue. Conclusion Our study identified two independent association signals at 4q24 in relation to breast cancer risk and suggested that observed association in this locus may be mediated through the regulation of TET2. Impact Fine-mapping study with large sample size warranted for identification of independent loci for breast cancer risk. PMID:26354892

Effect of combined heat and radiation on microbial destruction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, D. A.; Pflug, I. J.

1977-01-01

A series of experiments at several levels of relative humidity and radiation dose rates was carried out using spores of Bacillus subtilis var. niger to evaluate the effect of heat alone, radiation alone, and a combination of heat and radiation. Combined heat and radiation treatment of microorganisms yields a destruction rate greater than the additive rates of the independent agents. The synergistic mechanism shows a proportional dependency on radiation dose rate, an Arrhenius dependence on temperature, and a dependency on relative humidity. Maximum synergism occurs under conditions where heat and radiation individually destroy microorganisms at approximately equal rates. Larger synergistic advantage is possible at low relative humidities rather than at high relative humidities.

Part mutual information for quantifying direct associations in networks.

PubMed

Zhao, Juan; Zhou, Yiwei; Zhang, Xiujun; Chen, Luonan

2016-05-03

Quantitatively identifying direct dependencies between variables is an important task in data analysis, in particular for reconstructing various types of networks and causal relations in science and engineering. One of the most widely used criteria is partial correlation, but it can only measure linearly direct association and miss nonlinear associations. However, based on conditional independence, conditional mutual information (CMI) is able to quantify nonlinearly direct relationships among variables from the observed data, superior to linear measures, but suffers from a serious problem of underestimation, in particular for those variables with tight associations in a network, which severely limits its applications. In this work, we propose a new concept, "partial independence," with a new measure, "part mutual information" (PMI), which not only can overcome the problem of CMI but also retains the quantification properties of both mutual information (MI) and CMI. Specifically, we first defined PMI to measure nonlinearly direct dependencies between variables and then derived its relations with MI and CMI. Finally, we used a number of simulated data as benchmark examples to numerically demonstrate PMI features and further real gene expression data from Escherichia coli and yeast to reconstruct gene regulatory networks, which all validated the advantages of PMI for accurately quantifying nonlinearly direct associations in networks.

Sudden transition and sudden change from open spin environments

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

Hu, Zheng-Da; School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122; Xu, Jing-Bo, E-mail: xujb@zju.edu.cn

2014-11-15

We investigate the necessary conditions for the existence of sudden transition or sudden change phenomenon for appropriate initial states under dephasing. As illustrative examples, we study the behaviors of quantum correlation dynamics of two noninteracting qubits in independent and common open spin environments, respectively. For the independent environments case, we find that the quantum correlation dynamics is closely related to the Loschmidt echo and the dynamics exhibits a sudden transition from classical to quantum correlation decay. It is also shown that the sudden change phenomenon may occur for the common environment case and stationary quantum discord is found at themore » high temperature region of the environment. Finally, we investigate the quantum criticality of the open spin environment by exploring the probability distribution of the Loschmidt echo and the scaling transformation behavior of quantum discord, respectively. - Highlights: • Sudden transition or sudden change from open spin baths are studied. • Quantum discord is related to the Loschmidt echo in independent open spin baths. • Steady quantum discord is found in a common open spin bath. • The probability distribution of the Loschmidt echo is analyzed. • The scaling transformation behavior of quantum discord is displayed.« less

Pavlovian conditioning of shock-induced suppression of lymphocyte reactivity: acquisition, extinction, and preexposure effects.

PubMed

Lysle, D T; Cunnick, J E; Fowler, H; Rabin, B S

1988-01-01

Recent research has indicated that physical stressors, such as electric shock, can suppress immune function in rats. The present study investigated whether a nonaversive stimulus that had been associated with electric shock would also impair immune function. Presentation of that conditioned stimulus (CS) by itself produced a pronounced suppression of lymphocyte proliferation in response to the nonspecific mitogens, Concanavalin-A (ConA) and Phytohemagglutinin (PHA). In further evidence of a conditioning effect, the suppression was attenuated by extinction and preexposure manipulations that degraded the associative value of the CS. These results indicate that a psychological or learned stressor can suppress immune reactivity independently of the direct effect of physically aversive stimulation or of ancillary changes in dietary and health-related habits.

Win some, lose some: parental hypertension and heart rate change in an incentive versus response cost paradigm.

PubMed

Hastrup, J L; Johnson, C A; Hotchkiss, A P; Kraemer, D L

1986-11-01

Fowles (1983), citing evidence from separate studies, suggests that both incentive and response cost paradigms increase heart rate and should be subsumed under Gray's (1975) 'appetitive motivational system'. Shock avoidance and loss of reward (response cost) contingencies, while aversive, appear to evoke this motivational system; consequently both should elicit heart rate increases independent of anxiety. The present investigation compared magnitude of heart rate changes observed under conditions of winning and losing money. Results showed: no differences between incentive and response cost conditions; no effect of state anxiety on heart rate in these conditions, despite an elevation of state anxiety on the task day relative to a subsequent relaxation day assessment; and some evidence for the presence under both such appetitive conditions of cardiovascular hyperresponsivity among offspring of hypertensive parents. The results suggest a need for systematic parametric studies of experimental conditions.

Simultaneous conditioning of valence and arousal.

PubMed

Gawronski, Bertram; Mitchell, Derek G V

2014-01-01

Evaluative conditioning (EC) refers to the change in the valence of a conditioned stimulus (CS) due to its pairing with a positive or negative unconditioned stimulus (US). To the extent that core affect can be characterised by the two dimensions of valence and arousal, EC has important implications for the origin of affective responses. However, the distinction between valence and arousal is rarely considered in research on EC or conditioned responses more generally. Measuring the subjective feelings elicited by a CS, the results from two experiments showed that (1) repeated pairings of a CS with a positive or negative US of either high or low arousal led to corresponding changes in both CS valence and CS arousal, (2) changes in CS arousal, but not changes in CS valence, were significantly related to recollective memory for CS-US pairings, (3) subsequent presentations of the CS without the US reduced the conditioned valence of the CS, with conditioned arousal being less susceptible to extinction and (4) EC effects were stronger for high arousal than low arousal USs. The results indicate that the conditioning of affective responses can occur simultaneously along two independent dimensions, supporting evidence in related areas that calls for a consideration of both valence and arousal. Implications for research on EC and the acquisition of emotional dispositions are discussed.

Hypoxic areas, density-dependence and food limitation drive the body condition of a heavily exploited marine fish predator

PubMed Central

Käll, Filip; Hansson, Martin; Baranova, Tatjana; Karlsson, Olle; Lundström, Karl; Neuenfeldt, Stefan; Hjelm, Joakim

2016-01-01

Investigating the factors regulating fish condition is crucial in ecology and the management of exploited fish populations. The body condition of cod (Gadus morhua) in the Baltic Sea has dramatically decreased during the past two decades, with large implications for the fishery relying on this resource. Here, we statistically investigated the potential drivers of the Baltic cod condition during the past 40 years using newly compiled fishery-independent biological data and hydrological observations. We evidenced a combination of different factors operating before and after the ecological regime shift that occurred in the Baltic Sea in the early 1990s. The changes in cod condition related to feeding opportunities, driven either by density-dependence or food limitation, along the whole period investigated and to the fivefold increase in the extent of hypoxic areas in the most recent 20 years. Hypoxic areas can act on cod condition through different mechanisms related directly to species physiology, or indirectly to behaviour and trophic interactions. Our analyses found statistical evidence for an effect of the hypoxia-induced habitat compression on cod condition possibly operating via crowding and density-dependent processes. These results furnish novel insights into the population dynamics of Baltic Sea cod that can aid the management of this currently threatened population. PMID:27853557

Quality of life in relation to upper and lower respiratory conditions among retired 9/11-exposed firefighters with pulmonary disability.

PubMed

Berninger, Amy; Webber, Mayris P; Weakley, Jessica; Gustave, Jackson; Zeig-Owens, Rachel; Lee, Roy; Al-Othman, Fairouz; Cohen, Hillel W; Kelly, Kerry; Prezant, David J

2010-12-01

To examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and World Trade Center (WTC) cough syndrome conditions in male firefighters who retired due to a 9/11-related pulmonary disability. From 3/1/2008 to 1/31/2009, we contacted 275 disability-retired firefighters and compared their HRQoL and current aerodigestive conditions to those from WTC-exposed non-disabled retired and active firefighters. Relationships between HRQoL and explanatory variable(s) were examined using multivariable linear regression models. Mean physical component summary (PCS) scores were lowest in disabled retirees compared with non-disabled retirees and actives: 36.4 (9.6), 49.4 (8.7), and 53.1 (5.1), respectively (P < 0.0001). Mean mental component summary (MCS) scores were closer: 44.5 (11.9), 48.1 (8.5), and 48.7 (7.4), respectively (P < 0.0001). In multivariable models, after adjustment for many factors, PCS scores were not associated with early WTC arrival, but were inversely associated with disability retirement and all WTC cough syndrome conditions. MCS scores were inversely associated with early WTC arrival and most WTC cough syndrome conditions, but were not associated with disability retirement. WTC cough syndrome conditions predict lower HRQoL scores even 8 years after exposure, independent of retirement status. These data suggest that monitoring physical conditions of individuals with occupational exposures might help identify those at risk for impaired HRQoL.

Determinants of endogenous analgesia magnitude in a diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) paradigm: do conditioning stimulus painfulness, gender and personality variables matter?

PubMed

Granot, Michal; Weissman-Fogel, Irit; Crispel, Yonathan; Pud, Dorit; Granovsky, Yelena; Sprecher, Elliot; Yarnitsky, David

2008-05-01

Descending modulation of pain can be demonstrated psychophysically by dual pain stimulation. This study evaluates in 31 healthy subjects the association between parameters of the conditioning stimulus, gender and personality, and the endogenous analgesia (EA) extent assessed by diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) paradigm. Contact heat pain was applied as the test stimulus to the non-dominant forearm, with stimulation temperature at a psychophysical intensity score of 60 on a 0-100 numerical pain scale. The conditioning stimulus was a 60s immersion of the dominant hand in cold (12, 15, 18 degrees C), hot (44 and 46.5 degrees C), or skin temperature (33 degrees C) water. The test stimulus was repeated on the non-dominant hand during the last 30s of the conditioning immersion. EA extent was calculated as the difference between pain scores of the two test stimuli. State and trait anxiety and pain catastrophizing scores were assessed prior to stimulation. EA was induced only for the pain-generating conditioning stimuli at 46.5 degrees C (p=0.011) and 12 degrees C (p=0.003). EA was independent of conditioning pain modality, or personality, but a significant gender effect was found, with greater EA response in males. Importantly, pain scores of the conditioning stimuli were not correlated with EA extent. The latter is based on both our study population, and on additional 82 patients, who participated in another study, in which EA was induced by immersion at 46.5 degrees C. DNIC testing, thus, seems to be relatively independent of the stimulation conditions, making it an easy to apply tool, suitable for wide range applications in pain psychophysics.

Increased sensorimotor network activity in DYT1 dystonia: a functional imaging study

PubMed Central

Argyelan, Miklos; Habeck, Christian; Ghilardi, M. Felice; Fitzpatrick, Toni; Dhawan, Vijay; Pourfar, Michael; Bressman, Susan B.; Eidelberg, David

2010-01-01

Neurophysiological studies have provided evidence of primary motor cortex hyperexcitability in primary dystonia, but several functional imaging studies suggest otherwise. To address this issue, we measured sensorimotor activation at both the regional and network levels in carriers of the DYT1 dystonia mutation and in control subjects. We used 15Oxygen-labelled water and positron emission tomography to scan nine manifesting DYT1 carriers, 10 non-manifesting DYT1 carriers and 12 age-matched controls while they performed a kinematically controlled motor task; they were also scanned in a non-motor audio-visual control condition. Within- and between-group contrasts were analysed with statistical parametric mapping. For network analysis, we first identified a normal motor-related activation pattern in a set of 39 motor and audio-visual scans acquired in an independent cohort of 18 healthy volunteer subjects. The expression of this pattern was prospectively quantified in the motor and control scans acquired in each of the gene carriers and controls. Network values for the three groups were compared with ANOVA and post hoc contrasts. Voxel-wise comparison of DYT1 carriers and controls revealed abnormally increased motor activation responses in the former group (P < 0.05, corrected; statistical parametric mapping), localized to the sensorimotor cortex, dorsal premotor cortex, supplementary motor area and the inferior parietal cortex. Network analysis of the normative derivation cohort revealed a significant normal motor-related activation pattern topography (P < 0.0001) characterized by covarying neural activity in the sensorimotor cortex, dorsal premotor cortex, supplementary motor area and cerebellum. In the study cohort, normal motor-related activation pattern expression measured during movement was abnormally elevated in the manifesting gene carriers (P < 0.001) but not in their non-manifesting counterparts. In contrast, in the non-motor control condition, abnormal increases in network activity were present in both groups of gene carriers (P < 0.001). In this condition, normal motor-related activation pattern expression in non-manifesting carriers was greater than in controls, but lower than in affected carriers. In the latter group, measures of normal motor-related activation pattern expression in the audio-visual condition correlated with independent dystonia clinical ratings (r = 0.70, P = 0.04). These findings confirm that overexcitability of the sensorimotor system is a robust feature of dystonia. The presence of elevated normal motor-related activation pattern expression in the non-motor condition suggests that abnormal integration of audio-visual input with sensorimotor network activity is an important trait feature of this disorder. Lastly, quantification of normal motor-related activation pattern expression in individual cases may have utility as an objective descriptor of therapeutic response in trials of new treatments for dystonia and related disorders. PMID:20207699

The Dependence Structure of Conditional Probabilities in a Contingency Table

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joarder, Anwar H.; Al-Sabah, Walid S.

2002-01-01

Conditional probability and statistical independence can be better explained with contingency tables. In this note some special cases of 2 x 2 contingency tables are considered. In turn an interesting insight into statistical dependence as well as independence of events is obtained.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) Learn Color Discriminations via Differential Conditioning Independent of Long Wavelength (Green) Photoreceptor Modulation

PubMed Central

Wijesekara Witharanage, Randika; Rosa, Marcello G. P.

2012-01-01

Background Recent studies on colour discrimination suggest that experience is an important factor in how a visual system processes spectral signals. In insects it has been shown that differential conditioning is important for processing fine colour discriminations. However, the visual system of many insects, including the honeybee, has a complex set of neural pathways, in which input from the long wavelength sensitive (‘green’) photoreceptor may be processed either as an independent achromatic signal or as part of a trichromatic opponent-colour system. Thus, a potential confound of colour learning in insects is the possibility that modulation of the ‘green’ photoreceptor could underlie observations. Methodology/Principal Findings We tested honeybee vision using light emitting diodes centered on 414 and 424 nm wavelengths, which limit activation to the short-wavelength-sensitive (‘UV’) and medium-wavelength-sensitive (‘blue’) photoreceptors. The absolute irradiance spectra of stimuli was measured and modelled at both receptor and colour processing levels, and stimuli were then presented to the bees in a Y-maze at a large visual angle (26°), to ensure chromatic processing. Sixteen bees were trained over 50 trials, using either appetitive differential conditioning (N = 8), or aversive-appetitive differential conditioning (N = 8). In both cases the bees slowly learned to discriminate between the target and distractor with significantly better accuracy than would be expected by chance. Control experiments confirmed that changing stimulus intensity in transfers tests does not significantly affect bee performance, and it was possible to replicate previous findings that bees do not learn similar colour stimuli with absolute conditioning. Conclusion Our data indicate that honeybee colour vision can be tuned to relatively small spectral differences, independent of ‘green’ photoreceptor contrast and brightness cues. We thus show that colour vision is at least partly experience dependent, and behavioural plasticity plays an important role in how bees exploit colour information. PMID:23155394

Testicular microlithiasis and testicular cancer: review of the literature.

PubMed

Pedersen, Malene Roland; Rafaelsen, Søren Rafael; Møller, Henrik; Vedsted, Peter; Osther, Palle Jörn

2016-07-01

To perform a systematic literature review to assess whether the occurrence of testicular microlithiasis (TML) in conjunction with other risk factors is associated with testicular cancer. A systematic literature search was performed of original articles in English published 1998 to 2015. Relevant studies were selected by reading the title and abstract by two of the authors. Studies were included if TML was diagnosed by ultrasonography and a risk condition was reported. Studies were only eligible if the particular risk condition was reported in more than one article. In total, 282 abstracts in were identified. Based on title and abstract the eligibility was assessed and 31 studies were included. Five conditions in relation to TML and testicular cancer emerged: Down syndrome, McCune-Albright syndrome, cryptorchidism, infertility and familial disposition of testicular cancer. Data support the conclusion that TML is not an independent risk factor for testicular cancer but associated with testicular cancer through other conditions. In male infertility, TML appears to be related to an increased risk of testicular cancer possibly as part of a testicular dysgenesis syndrome.

The Effects of Fluency Enhancing Conditions on Sensorimotor Control of Speech in Typically Fluent Speakers: An EEG Mu Rhythm Study

PubMed Central

Kittilstved, Tiffani; Reilly, Kevin J.; Harkrider, Ashley W.; Casenhiser, Devin; Thornton, David; Jenson, David E.; Hedinger, Tricia; Bowers, Andrew L.; Saltuklaroglu, Tim

2018-01-01

Objective: To determine whether changes in sensorimotor control resulting from speaking conditions that induce fluency in people who stutter (PWS) can be measured using electroencephalographic (EEG) mu rhythms in neurotypical speakers. Methods: Non-stuttering (NS) adults spoke in one control condition (solo speaking) and four experimental conditions (choral speech, delayed auditory feedback (DAF), prolonged speech and pseudostuttering). Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify sensorimotor μ components from EEG recordings. Time-frequency analyses measured μ-alpha (8–13 Hz) and μ-beta (15–25 Hz) event-related synchronization (ERS) and desynchronization (ERD) during each speech condition. Results: 19/24 participants contributed μ components. Relative to the control condition, the choral and DAF conditions elicited increases in μ-alpha ERD in the right hemisphere. In the pseudostuttering condition, increases in μ-beta ERD were observed in the left hemisphere. No differences were present between the prolonged speech and control conditions. Conclusions: Differences observed in the experimental conditions are thought to reflect sensorimotor control changes. Increases in right hemisphere μ-alpha ERD likely reflect increased reliance on auditory information, including auditory feedback, during the choral and DAF conditions. In the left hemisphere, increases in μ-beta ERD during pseudostuttering may have resulted from the different movement characteristics of this task compared with the solo speaking task. Relationships to findings in stuttering are discussed. Significance: Changes in sensorimotor control related feedforward and feedback control in fluency-enhancing speech manipulations can be measured using time-frequency decompositions of EEG μ rhythms in neurotypical speakers. This quiet, non-invasive, and temporally sensitive technique may be applied to learn more about normal sensorimotor control and fluency enhancement in PWS. PMID:29670516

The effect of processing conditions on the GaAs/plasma-grown insulator interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hshieh, F. I.; Borrego, J. M.; Ghandhi, S. K.

1986-01-01

The effect of processing conditions on the interface state density was evaluated from C-V measurements on metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors. The optimum processing conditions for the minimum surface state density was found to be related to the postoxidation annealing temperature and time, and was independent of chemical treatments prior to oxidation. Annealing at the optimum condition (i.e., at 350 C for 1 h in either nitrogen or hydrogen gas, with or without an aluminum pattern on the oxide) reduces the fast surface state density by about one order of magnitude. By using a nitrogen/oxygen plasma, the static dielectric constant of the oxide decreased as the N/O ratio was increased, and nitrogen was incorporated into the oxide. In addition, the fast surface state density was reduced as a result of this nitridation process.

Associations between Nausea, Vomiting, Fatigue and Health-Related Quality of Life of Women in Early Pregnancy: The Generation R Study.

PubMed

Bai, Guannan; Korfage, Ida J; Groen, Esther Hafkamp-de; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Mautner, Eva; Raat, Hein

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the independent associations between nausea, vomiting, fatigue and health-related quality of life of women in early pregnancy in the Generation R study, which is a prospective mother and child cohort. Analyses were based on 5079 women in early pregnancy in the Rotterdam area, the Netherlands. The information on nausea, vomiting and fatigue in the previous three months was measured in the questionnaire at enrollment, as well as potential confounders (i.e., maternal/gestational age, ethnic background, educational level, parity, marital status, body mass index, tobacco and alcohol use, chronic/infectious conditions, uro-genital conditions/symptoms, sleep quality, headache, anxiety, and depression). Health-related quality of life was assessed by the 12-item Short Form Health Survey and physical and mental component summary scores were calculated. Multivariate regression models were performed to evaluate the independent associations of the presence of nausea, vomiting and fatigue with health-related quality of life, adjusting for potential confounders. 33.6% of women experienced daily presence of nausea, 9.6% for vomiting and 44.4% for fatigue. Comparing with women who never reported nausea, vomiting and fatigue, women with daily presence of at least one of these symptoms had significantly lower scores of physical component summary and mental component summary, after adjusting for potential confounders. Our study shows how common nausea, vomiting and fatigue are among women in early pregnancy and how much each of these symptoms negatively impact on health-related quality of life. We call for awareness of this issue from health care professionals, pregnant women and their families.

Dauer-independent insulin/IGF-1-signalling implicates collagen remodelling in longevity.

PubMed

Ewald, Collin Y; Landis, Jess N; Porter Abate, Jess; Murphy, Coleen T; Blackwell, T Keith

2015-03-05

Interventions that delay ageing mobilize mechanisms that protect and repair cellular components, but it is unknown how these interventions might slow the functional decline of extracellular matrices, which are also damaged during ageing. Reduced insulin/IGF-1 signalling (rIIS) extends lifespan across the evolutionary spectrum, and in juvenile Caenorhabditis elegans also allows the transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO to induce development into dauer, a diapause that withstands harsh conditions. It has been suggested that rIIS delays C. elegans ageing through activation of dauer-related processes during adulthood, but some rIIS conditions confer robust lifespan extension unaccompanied by any dauer-like traits. Here we show that rIIS can promote C. elegans longevity through a program that is genetically distinct from the dauer pathway, and requires the Nrf (NF-E2-related factor) orthologue SKN-1 acting in parallel to DAF-16. SKN-1 is inhibited by IIS and has been broadly implicated in longevity, but is rendered dispensable for rIIS lifespan extension by even mild activity of dauer-related processes. When IIS is decreased under conditions that do not induce dauer traits, SKN-1 most prominently increases expression of collagens and other extracellular matrix genes. Diverse genetic, nutritional, and pharmacological pro-longevity interventions delay an age-related decline in collagen expression. These collagens mediate adulthood extracellular matrix remodelling, and are needed for ageing to be delayed by interventions that do not involve dauer traits. By genetically delineating a dauer-independent rIIS ageing pathway, our results show that IIS controls a broad set of protective mechanisms during C. elegans adulthood, and may facilitate elucidation of processes of general importance for longevity. The importance of collagen production in diverse anti-ageing interventions implies that extracellular matrix remodelling is a generally essential signature of longevity assurance, and that agents promoting extracellular matrix youthfulness may have systemic benefit.

Modelling leaf photosynthetic and transpiration temperature-dependent responses in Vitis vinifera cv. Semillon grapevines growing in hot, irrigated vineyard conditions

PubMed Central

Greer, Dennis H.

2012-01-01

Background and aims Grapevines growing in Australia are often exposed to very high temperatures and the question of how the gas exchange processes adjust to these conditions is not well understood. The aim was to develop a model of photosynthesis and transpiration in relation to temperature to quantify the impact of the growing conditions on vine performance. Methodology Leaf gas exchange was measured along the grapevine shoots in accordance with their growth and development over several growing seasons. Using a general linear statistical modelling approach, photosynthesis and transpiration were modelled against leaf temperature separated into bands and the model parameters and coefficients applied to independent datasets to validate the model. Principal results Photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance varied along the shoot, with early emerging leaves having the highest rates, but these declined as later emerging leaves increased their gas exchange capacities in accordance with development. The general linear modelling approach applied to these data revealed that photosynthesis at each temperature was additively dependent on stomatal conductance, internal CO2 concentration and photon flux density. The temperature-dependent coefficients for these parameters applied to other datasets gave a predicted rate of photosynthesis that was linearly related to the measured rates, with a 1 : 1 slope. Temperature-dependent transpiration was multiplicatively related to stomatal conductance and the leaf to air vapour pressure deficit and applying the coefficients also showed a highly linear relationship, with a 1 : 1 slope between measured and modelled rates, when applied to independent datasets. Conclusions The models developed for the grapevines were relatively simple but accounted for much of the seasonal variation in photosynthesis and transpiration. The goodness of fit in each case demonstrated that explicitly selecting leaf temperature as a model parameter, rather than including temperature intrinsically as is usually done in more complex models, was warranted. PMID:22567220

In the Blink of an Eye: Investigating the Role of Awareness in Fear Responding by Measuring the Latency of Startle Potentiation

PubMed Central

Åsli, Ole; Flaten, Magne A.

2012-01-01

The latency of startle reflex potentiation may shed light on the aware and unaware processes underlying associative learning, especially associative fear learning. We review research suggesting that single-cue delay classical conditioning is independent of awareness of the contingency between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US). Moreover, we discuss research that argues that conditioning independent of awareness has not been proven. Subsequently, three studies from our lab are presented that have investigated the role of awareness in classical conditioning, by measuring the minimum latency from CS onset to observed changes in reflexive behavior. In sum, research using this method shows that startle is potentiated 30 to 100 ms after CS onset following delay conditioning. Following trace fear conditioning, startle is potentiated 1500 ms after CS presentation. These results indicate that the process underlying delay conditioned responding is independent of awareness, and that trace fear conditioned responding is dependent on awareness. Finally, this method of investigating the role of awareness is discussed and future research possibilities are proposed. PMID:24962686

I-Love-Q to the extreme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Hector O.; Yunes, Nicolás

2018-01-01

Certain bulk properties of neutron stars, in particular their moment of inertia, rotational quadrupole moment and tidal Love number, when properly normalized, are related to one another in a nearly equation of state independent way. The goal of this paper is to test these relations with extreme equations of state at supranuclear densities constrained to satisfy only a handful of generic, physically sensible conditions. By requiring that the equation of state be (i) barotropic and (ii) its associated speed of sound be real, we construct a piecewise function that matches a tabulated equation of state at low densities, while matching a stiff equation of state parametrized by its sound speed in the high-density region. We show that the I-Love-Q relations hold to 1 percent with this class of equations of state, even in the extreme case where the speed of sound becomes superluminal and independently of the transition density. We also find further support for the interpretation of the I-Love-Q relations as an emergent symmetry due to the nearly constant eccentricity of isodensity contours inside the star. These results reinforce the robustness of the I-Love-Q relations against our current incomplete picture of physics at supranuclear densities, while strengthening our confidence in the applicability of these relations in neutron star astrophysics.

The role of physical and mental health multimorbidity in suicidal ideation.

PubMed

Kavalidou, Katerina; Smith, Daniel J; O'Connor, Rory C

2017-02-01

Previous research has focused on the separate roles of mental illness and physical health conditions in suicide risk, with relatively few studies investigating the importance of physical and psychiatric disorder co-occurrence. We aimed to investigate whether suicidal ideation might be influenced by physical and mental ill-health multimorbidity. Data from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of England were analysed. Participants who responded to the suicidal thoughts question were grouped into four distinct categories based on their health conditions (Common mental disorders (CMD) only, physical health conditions only, CMD/physical health multimorbidity and a control group with neither physical nor mental health conditions). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted and odds ratios (OR) and 95% CIs are presented. In the fully adjusted model, both the multimorbidity and CMD-only groups were associated with higher levels of suicidal ideation relative to the control group. Secondary analyses of cross-sectional data. Although multimorbidity was associated with suicidal thoughts, it does not appear to elevate risk beyond the independent effects of common mental disorders or physical health problems. Primary care and mental health clinicians should consider assessment of suicidal ideation among patients with multimorbid physical/mental health conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Panic attack and its correlation with acute coronary syndrome - more than just a diagnosis of exclusion.

PubMed

Soh, Keng Chuan; Lee, Cheng

2010-03-01

The panic attack is able to mimic the clinical presentation of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), to the point of being clinically indistinguishable without appropriate investigations. However, the literature actually demonstrates that the 2 conditions are more related than just being differential diagnoses. Through a review of the literature involving epidemiological studies, randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses found on a Medline search, the relation between panic disorder and ACS is explored in greater depth. Panic disorder, a psychiatric condition with recurrent panic attacks, has been found to be an independent risk factor for subsequent coronary events. This has prognostic bearing and higher mortality rates. Through activation of the sympathetic system by differing upstream mechanisms, the 2 conditions have similar presentations. Another psychiatric differential diagnosis would be that of akathisia, as an adverse effect to antidepressant medications. An overview on the investigations, diagnostic process, treatment modalities and prognoses of the two conditions is presented. Panic disorders remain under-diagnosed, but various interviews are shown to allow physicians without psychiatric training to accurately pick up the condition. Comprehensive multidisciplinary approaches are needed to help patients with both coronary heart disease and anxiety disorder.

Independence of reaction time and response force control during isometric leg extension.

PubMed

Fukushi, Tamami; Ohtsuki, Tatsuyuki

2004-04-01

In this study, we examined the relative control of reaction time and force in responses of the lower limb. Fourteen female participants (age 21.2 +/- 1.0 years, height 1.62 +/- 0.05 m, body mass 54.1 +/- 6.1 kg; mean +/- s) were instructed to exert their maximal isometric one-leg extension force as quickly as possible in response to an auditory stimulus presented after one of 13 foreperiod durations, ranging from 0.5 to 10.0 s. In the 'irregular condition' each foreperiod was presented in random order, while in the 'regular condition' each foreperiod was repeated consecutively. A significant interactive effect of foreperiod duration and regularity on reaction time was observed (P < 0.001 in two-way ANOVA with repeated measures). In the irregular condition the shorter foreperiod induced a longer reaction time, while in the regular condition the shorter foreperiod induced a shorter reaction time. Peak amplitude of isometric force was affected only by the regularity of foreperiod and there was a significant variation of changes in peak force across participants; nine participants were shown to significantly increase peak force for the regular condition (P < 0.001), three to decrease it (P < 0.05) and two showed no difference. These results indicate the independence of reaction time and response force control in the lower limb motor system. Variation of changes in peak force across participants may be due to the different attention to the bipolar nature of the task requirements such as maximal force and maximal speed.

The Material-Independent Signatures of Life.Forensic Tools of Astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radu, Popa

Biological life is intimately related to the geochemical conditions on Earth and is fit for this planet's energy flux. It has often been suggested that life was also built in accordance with the particular local conditions offered by the early Earth. Common sense dictates that the constructive details of life on another planet should also be a reflection of the particular local conditions. Moreover, the collective activity of all life forms on a planet should have some measurable consequences on the global geochemistry. Comparison with the Earth-bound type of life is certainly inspirational but only up to a point. One central rule in astrobiology is: life can be made of many things and can have many forms. The search for extraterrestrial life cannot be limited to the search for Earth-like examples. Despite the common sense of this guideline, a manifest tendency exists today to judge the geochemical conditions from other planets through Earth-colored glasses. Much too often we hear expressions such as conditions too hostile to harbor life', or the search for Earth-like planets as potential hosts of life', or chemistry appropriate for life', or water as the fluid of life', or terra-formation of another planet to make it appropriate for life'. Irrespectively of how hostile another planet might appear to our Earth-based metabolism, we cannot state with certainty that life cannot be present before a comprehensive investigation is performed which includes the search for life's material-independent signatures.

Collective diffusion and quantum chaos in holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shao-Feng; Wang, Bin; Ge, Xian-Hui; Tian, Yu

2018-05-01

We define a particular combination of charge and heat currents that is decoupled with the heat current. This "heat-decoupled" (HD) current can be transported by diffusion at long distances, when some thermoelectric conductivities and susceptibilities satisfy a simple condition. Using the diffusion condition together with the Kelvin formula, we show that the HD diffusivity can be same as the charge diffusivity and also the heat diffusivity. We illustrate that such mechanism is implemented in a strongly coupled field theory, which is dual to a Lifshitz gravity with the dynamical critical index z =2 . In particular, it is exhibited that both charge and heat diffusivities build the relationship to the quantum chaos. Moreover, we study the HD diffusivity without imposing the diffusion condition. In some homogeneous holographic lattices, it is found that the diffusivity/chaos relation holds independently of any parameters, including the strength of momentum relaxation, chemical potential, or temperature. We also show a counter example of the relation and discuss its limited universality.

Reading and writing skills in young adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Barnes, Marcia; Dennis, Maureen; Hetherington, Ross

2004-09-01

Reading and writing were studied in 31 young adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus (SBH). Like children with this condition, young adults with SBH had better word decoding than reading comprehension, and, compared to population means, had lower scores on a test of writing fluency. Reading comprehension was predicted by word decoding and listening comprehension. Writing was predicted by fine motor finger function, verbal intelligence, and short-term and working memory. These findings are consistent with cognitive models of reading and writing. Writing, but not reading, was related to highest level of education achieved and writing fluency predicted several aspects of functional independence. Reading comprehension and writing remain deficient in adults with SBH and have consequences for educational attainments and functional independence.

Mental health symptoms in relation to socio-economic conditions and lifestyle factors--a population-based study in Sweden.

PubMed

Molarius, Anu; Berglund, Kenneth; Eriksson, Charli; Eriksson, Hans G; Lindén-Boström, Margareta; Nordström, Eva; Persson, Carina; Sahlqvist, Lotta; Starrin, Bengt; Ydreborg, Berit

2009-08-20

Poor mental health has large social and economic consequences both for the individual and society. In Sweden, the prevalence of mental health symptoms has increased since the beginning of the 1990 s. There is a need for a better understanding of the area for planning preventive activities and health care. The study is based on a postal survey questionnaire sent to a random sample of men and women aged 18-84 years in 2004. The overall response rate was 64%. The area investigated covers 55 municipalities with about one million inhabitants in central part of Sweden. The study population includes 42,448 respondents. Mental health was measured with self-reported symptoms of anxiety/depression (EQ-5D, 5th question). The association between socio-economic conditions, lifestyle factors and mental health symptoms was investigated using multivariate multinomial logistic regression models. About 40% of women and 30% of men reported that they were moderately or extremely anxious or depressed. Younger subjects reported poorer mental health than older subjects, the best mental health was found at ages 65-74 years. Factors that were strongly and independently related to mental health symptoms were poor social support, experiences of being belittled, employment status (receiving a disability pension and unemployment), economic hardship, critical life events, and functional disability. A strong association was also found between how burdensome domestic work was experienced and anxiety/depression. This was true for both men and women. Educational level was not associated with mental health symptoms. Of lifestyle factors, physical inactivity, underweight and risk consumption of alcohol were independently associated with mental health symptoms. Our results support the notion that a ground for good mental health includes balance in social relations, in domestic work and in employment as well as in personal economy both among men and women. In addition, physical inactivity, underweight and risk consumption of alcohol are associated with mental health symptoms independent of socio-economic factors.

Chronic disease prevalence and associations in a cohort of Australian men: The Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study (FAMAS)

PubMed Central

Martin, Sean A; Haren, Matthew T; Taylor, Anne W; Middleton, Sue M; Wittert, Gary A

2008-01-01

Background An increasing proportion of Australia's chronic disease burden is carried by the ageing male. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asthma, cancer, diabetes, angina and musculoskeletal conditions and their relationship to behavioural and socio-demographic factors in a cohort of Australian men. Methods Self-reports of disease status were obtained from baseline clinic visits (August 2002 – July 2003 & July 2004 – May 2005) from 1195 randomly selected men, aged 35–80 years and living in the north-west regions of Adelaide. Initially, relative risks were assessed by regression against selected variables for each outcome. Where age-independent associations were observed with the relevant chronic disease, independent variables were fitted to customized multiadjusted models. Results The prevalence of all conditions was moderately higher in comparison to national data for age-matched men. In particular, there was an unusually high rate of men with cancer. Multiadjusted analyses revealed age as a predictor of chronic conditions (type 2 diabetes mellitus, angina, cancer & osteoarthritis). A number of socio-demographic factors, independent of age, were associated with chronic disease, including: low income status (diabetes), separation/divorce (asthma), unemployment (cancer), high waist circumference (diabetes), elevated cholesterol (angina) and a family history of obesity (angina). Conclusion Socio-demographic factors interact to determine disease status in this broadly representative group of Australian men. In addition to obesity and a positive personal and family history of disease, men who are socially disadvantaged (low income, unemployed, separated) should be specifically targeted by public health initiatives. PMID:18664294

The Montreal Imaging Stress Task: using functional imaging to investigate the effects of perceiving and processing psychosocial stress in the human brain

PubMed Central

Dedovic, Katarina; Renwick, Robert; Mahani, Najmeh Khalili; Engert, Veronika; Lupien, Sonia J.; Pruessner, Jens C.

2005-01-01

Objective We developed a protocol for inducing moderate psychologic stress in a functional imaging setting and evaluated the effects of stress on physiology and brain activation. Methods The Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), derived from the Trier Mental Challenge Test, consists of a series of computerized mental arithmetic challenges, along with social evaluative threat components that are built into the program or presented by the investigator. To allow the effects of stress and mental arithmetic to be investigated separately, the MIST has 3 test conditions (rest, control and experimental), which can be presented in either a block or an event-related design, for use with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or positron emission tomography (PET). In the rest condition, subjects look at a static computer screen on which no tasks are shown. In the control condition, a series of mental arithmetic tasks are displayed on the computer screen, and subjects submit their answers by means of a response interface. In the experimental condition, the difficulty and time limit of the tasks are manipulated to be just beyond the individual's mental capacity. In addition, in this condition the presentation of the mental arithmetic tasks is supplemented by a display of information on individual and average performance, as well as expected performance. Upon completion of each task, the program presents a performance evaluation to further increase the social evaluative threat of the situation. Results In 2 independent studies using PET and a third independent study using fMRI, with a total of 42 subjects, levels of salivary free cortisol for the whole group were significantly increased under the experimental condition, relative to the control and rest conditions. Performing mental arithmetic was linked to activation of motor and visual association cortices, as well as brain structures involved in the performance of these tasks (e.g., the angular gyrus). Conclusions We propose the MIST as a tool for investigating the effects of perceiving and processing psychosocial stress in functional imaging studies. PMID:16151536

User-independent assessment of conditioning pain modulation by cuff pressure algometry.

PubMed

Graven-Nielsen, T; Izumi, M; Petersen, K K; Arendt-Nielsen, L

2017-03-01

The use of conditioning pain modulation (CPM) is hampered by poor reproducibility and lack of user-independent paradigms. This study refined the CPM paradigm by applying user-independent cuff algometry. In 20 subjects, the CPM effect of conditioning with cuff stimulation on the arm was investigated by pain test stimuli on the contralateral leg before and in parallel with different cuff conditionings (10, 30, 60 kPa/60 s; 30, 60 kPa/10 s). As test stimulus, another cuff was inflated (1 kPa/s) until the subjects detected the pain tolerance threshold (PTT) during which the pain detection threshold (PDT) and the pressure at a pain intensity of 6 cm on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (PVAS6) were extracted. For comparison, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) as test stimuli were recorded by the user-dependent handheld pressure algometry. Combinations of cuff locations for conditioning (pain intensity standardized) and contralateral test stimuli were additionally evaluated (leg-arm, leg-leg, arm-thigh). The test-retest reliability in two sessions 1 month apart was assessed in five CPM protocols. In all protocols, the PDT, PVAS6 and PTT increased during conditioning compared with baseline (p < 0.05). The CPM effect (i.e. conditioning minus baseline) for PVAS6, PTT and PPT increased for increasing conditioning intensities (p < 0.05). The CPM effects were not significantly different for changes in conditioning durations or conditioning/test stimulus locations. In two sessions, the CPM effects for PVAS6 and PTT assessed after 60 s of conditioning on the leg/thigh showed the highest intra-class correlations (0.47-0.73), where they were 0.04-0.6 for PPTs. The user-independent cuff algometry is reliable for CPM assessment and for supra-pain threshold test stimuli better than the user-dependent technology. A user-independent CPM technique where the conditioning is controlled by one cuff stimulation, and the test-stimulus is provided by another cuff stimulation. This study shows that cuff algometry is reliable for CPM assessment. © 2016 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

45 CFR 95.626 - Independent Verification and Validation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Independent Verification and Validation. 95.626... (FFP) Specific Conditions for Ffp § 95.626 Independent Verification and Validation. (a) An assessment for independent verification and validation (IV&V) analysis of a State's system development effort may...

45 CFR 95.626 - Independent Verification and Validation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Independent Verification and Validation. 95.626... (FFP) Specific Conditions for Ffp § 95.626 Independent Verification and Validation. (a) An assessment for independent verification and validation (IV&V) analysis of a State's system development effort may...

45 CFR 95.626 - Independent Verification and Validation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Independent Verification and Validation. 95.626... (FFP) Specific Conditions for Ffp § 95.626 Independent Verification and Validation. (a) An assessment for independent verification and validation (IV&V) analysis of a State's system development effort may...

45 CFR 95.626 - Independent Verification and Validation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Independent Verification and Validation. 95.626... (FFP) Specific Conditions for Ffp § 95.626 Independent Verification and Validation. (a) An assessment for independent verification and validation (IV&V) analysis of a State's system development effort may...

Posterior Predictive Checks for Conditional Independence between Response Time and Accuracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolsinova, Maria; Tijmstra, Jesper

2016-01-01

Conditional independence (CI) between response time and response accuracy is a fundamental assumption of many joint models for time and accuracy used in educational measurement. In this study, posterior predictive checks (PPCs) are proposed for testing this assumption. These PPCs are based on three discrepancy measures reflecting different…

Transition Literature Review on Educational, Employment, and Independent Living Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harnisch, Delwyn L.; And Others

The report, which is part of a series, provides an analysis of approximately 100 documents focusing on education, employment, and independent living outcomes across 10 handicapping conditions, including those students considered to be disadvantaged. Document summaries are organized by the 3 outcome areas and 11 conditions (learning disabled,…

Chile: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-10

achieve full independence until 1818. By 1932, Chile had established a mass electoral democracy, which endured until 1973. During much of this period...by the armed forces and other bodies. 6 Peter M. Siavelis, “ Electoral System, Coalitional Disintegration, and the Future of Chile’s Concertación...finally replaced,” Latin News Weekly Report, August 20, 2009. 13 Monte Reel, “Chile’s Student Activists: A Course in Democracy,” Washington Post

The Theory and Practice of Bayesian Image Labeling

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-01

simple. The intensity images are the results of many confounding factors - lighting, surface geometry , surface reflectance, and camera characteristics...related through the geometry of the surfaces in view. They are conditionally independent in the following sense: P (g,O Ifp) = P (g Ifl) P(O If,). (6.6a...different spatial resolution and projection geometry , or using DOG-type filters of various scales. We believe that the success of visual integration at

Higher resting-state activity in reward-related brain circuits in obese versus normal-weight females independent of food intake.

PubMed

Hogenkamp, P S; Zhou, W; Dahlberg, L S; Stark, J; Larsen, A L; Olivo, G; Wiemerslage, L; Larsson, E-M; Sundbom, M; Benedict, C; Schiöth, H B

2016-11-01

In response to food cues, obese vs normal-weight individuals show greater activation in brain regions involved in the regulation of food intake under both fasted and sated conditions. Putative effects of obesity on task-independent low-frequency blood-oxygenation-level-dependent signals-that is, resting-state brain activity-in the context of food intake are, however, less well studied. To compare eyes closed, whole-brain low-frequency BOLD signals between severely obese and normal-weight females, as assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations were measured in the morning following an overnight fast in 17 obese (age: 39±11 years, body mass index (BMI): 42.3±4.8 kg m - 2 ) and 12 normal-weight females (age: 36±12 years, BMI: 22.7±1.8 kg m - 2 ), both before and 30 min after consumption of a standardized meal (~260 kcal). Compared with normal-weight controls, obese females had increased low-frequency activity in clusters located in the putamen, claustrum and insula (P<0.05). This group difference was not altered by food intake. Self-reported hunger dropped and plasma glucose concentrations increased after food intake (P<0.05); however, these changes did not differ between the BMI groups. Reward-related brain regions are more active under resting-state conditions in obese than in normal-weight females. This difference was independent of food intake under the experimental settings applied in the current study. Future studies involving males and females, as well as utilizing repeated post-prandial resting-state fMRI scans and various types of meals are needed to further investigate how food intake alters resting-state brain activity in obese humans.

Individual modulation of pain sensitivity under stress.

PubMed

Reinhardt, Tatyana; Kleindienst, Nikolaus; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Bohus, Martin; Schmahl, Christian

2013-05-01

Stress has a strong influence on pain sensitivity. However, the direction of this influence is unclear. Recent studies reported both decreased and increased pain sensitivities under stress, and one hypothesis is that interindividual differences account for these differences. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of stress on individual pain sensitivity in a relatively large female sample. Eighty female participants were included. Pain thresholds and temporal summation of pain were tested before and after stress, which was induced by the Mannheim Multicomponent Stress Test. In an independent sample of 20 women, correlation coefficients between 0.45 and 0.89 indicated relatively high test-retest reliability for pain measurements. On average, there were significant differences between pain thresholds under non-stress and stress conditions, indicating an increased sensitivity to pain under stress. No significant differences between non-stress and stress conditions were found for temporal summation of pain. On an individual basis, both decreased and increased pain sensitivities under stress conditions based on Jacobson's criteria for reliable change were observed. Furthermore, we found significant negative associations between pain sensitivity under non-stress conditions and individual change of pain sensitivity under stress. Participants with relatively high pain sensitivity under non-stress conditions became less sensitive under stress and vice versa. These findings support the view that pain sensitivity under stress shows large interindividual variability, and point to a possible dichotomy of altered pain sensitivity under stress. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Integrated plumage colour variation in relation to body condition, reproductive investment and laying date in the collared flycatcher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laczi, Miklós; Hegyi, Gergely; Herényi, Márton; Kiss, Dorottya; Markó, Gábor; Nagy, Gergely; Rosivall, Balázs; Szöllősi, Eszter; Török, János

2013-10-01

The possible integration of different sexual ornaments into a composite system, and especially the information content of such ornament complexes, is poorly investigated. Many bird species display complex plumage coloration, but whether this represents one integrated or several independent sexual traits can be unclear. Collared flycatchers ( Ficedula albicollis) display melanised and depigmented plumage areas, and the spectral features (brightness and UV chroma) of these are correlated with each other across the plumage. In a 5-year dataset of male and female plumage reflectance, we examined some of the potential information content of integrated, plumage-level colour attributes by estimating their relationships to previous and current year body condition, laying date and clutch size. Females were in better condition the year before they became darker pigmented, and males in better current year condition were also darker pigmented. Female pigment-based brightness was positively, while male structurally based brightness was negatively related to current laying date. Finally, the overall UV chroma of white plumage areas in males was positively associated with current clutch size. Our results show that higher degree of pigmentation is related to better condition, while the structural colour component is associated with some aspects of reproductive investment. These results highlight the possibility that correlated aspects of a multiple plumage ornamentation system may reflect together some aspects of individual quality, thereby functioning as a composite signal.

[Changes in the tryptophan content during the technological manufacturing processes of several wheat flour products].

PubMed

Horvatić, M; Grüner, M

1989-12-01

The change of tryptophan contents in proteins of bread and cookies under technological processing conditions were investigated. Tryptophan contents in all cookie samples were noted to be significantly (p = 0.05) reduced in relation to corresponding dough. The relative decreases are significantly correlated with fat content and the degree of unsaturation of fats in the dough of cookies (r = 0.802 and r = 0.777, p = 0.01), independently of various physical parameters during different cookie samples' processing. Tryptophan decrease in proteins of bread during baking was not significant.

You make me tired: An experimental test of the role of interpersonal operant conditioning in fatigue.

PubMed

Lenaert, Bert; Jansen, Rebecca; van Heugten, Caroline M

2018-04-01

Chronic fatigue is highly prevalent in the general population as well as in multiple chronic diseases and psychiatric disorders. Its etiology however remains poorly understood and cannot be explained by biological factors alone. Occurring in a psychosocial context, the experience and communication of fatigue may be shaped by social interactions. In particular, interpersonal operant conditioning may strengthen and perpetuate fatigue complaints. In this experiment, individuals (N = 44) repeatedly rated their currently experienced fatigue while engaging in cognitive effort (working memory task). Subtle social reward was given when fatigue increased relative to the previous rating; or disapproval when fatigue decreased. In the control condition, only neutral feedback was given. Although all participants became more fatigued during cognitive effort, interpersonal operant conditioning led to increased fatigue reporting relative to neutral feedback. This effect occurred independently of conscious awareness. Interestingly, the experimental condition also performed worse on the working memory task. Results suggest that fatigue complaints (and cognitive performance) may become controlled by their consequences such as social reward, and not exclusively by their antecedents such as effort. Results have implications for treatment development and suggest that interpersonal operant conditioning may contribute to fatigue becoming a chronic symptom. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

38 CFR 21.128 - Independent study course.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Independent study course.... Chapter 31 Educational and Vocational Training Services § 21.128 Independent study course. A veteran may pursue a course by independent study under the following conditions: (a) College level. The course is...

38 CFR 21.128 - Independent study course.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Independent study course.... Chapter 31 Educational and Vocational Training Services § 21.128 Independent study course. A veteran may pursue a course by independent study under the following conditions: (a) College level. The course is...

38 CFR 21.128 - Independent study course.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Independent study course.... Chapter 31 Educational and Vocational Training Services § 21.128 Independent study course. A veteran may pursue a course by independent study under the following conditions: (a) College level. The course is...

38 CFR 21.128 - Independent study course.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Independent study course.... Chapter 31 Educational and Vocational Training Services § 21.128 Independent study course. A veteran may pursue a course by independent study under the following conditions: (a) College level. The course is...

38 CFR 21.128 - Independent study course.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Independent study course.... Chapter 31 Educational and Vocational Training Services § 21.128 Independent study course. A veteran may pursue a course by independent study under the following conditions: (a) College level. The course is...

(−)-Epicatechin induces calcium and translocation independent eNOS activation in arterial endothelial cells

PubMed Central

Ramirez-Sanchez, Israel; Maya, Lisandro; Ceballos, Guillermo

2011-01-01

The consumption of cacao-derived (i.e., cocoa) products provides beneficial cardiovascular effects in healthy subjects as well as individuals with endothelial dysfunction such as smokers, diabetics, and postmenopausal women. The vascular actions of cocoa are related to enhanced nitric oxide (NO) production. These actions can be reproduced by the administration of the cacao flavanol (−)-epicatechin (EPI). To further understand the mechanisms behind the vascular action of EPI, we investigated the effects of Ca2+ depletion on endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) activation/phosphorylation and translocation. Human coronary artery endothelial cells were treated with EPI or with bradykinin (BK), a well-known Ca2+-dependent eNOS activator. Results demonstrate that both EPI and BK induce increases in intracellular calcium and NO levels. However, under Ca2+-free conditions, EPI (but not BK) is still capable of inducing NO production through eNOS phosphorylation at serine 615, 633, and 1177. Interestingly, EPI-induced translocation of eNOS from the plasmalemma was abolished upon Ca2+ depletion. Thus, under Ca2+-free conditions, EPI can stimulate NO synthesis independent of calmodulin binding to eNOS and of its translocation into the cytoplasm. We also examined the effect of EPI on the NO/cGMP/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) pathway activation in isolated Ca2+-deprived canine mesenteric arteries. Results demonstrate that under these conditions, EPI induces the activation of this vasorelaxation-related pathway and that this effect is inhibited by pretreatment with nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, suggesting a functional relevance for this phenomenon. PMID:21209365

The Conditional Entropy Power Inequality for Bosonic Quantum Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Palma, Giacomo; Trevisan, Dario

2018-06-01

We prove the conditional Entropy Power Inequality for Gaussian quantum systems. This fundamental inequality determines the minimum quantum conditional von Neumann entropy of the output of the beam-splitter or of the squeezing among all the input states where the two inputs are conditionally independent given the memory and have given quantum conditional entropies. We also prove that, for any couple of values of the quantum conditional entropies of the two inputs, the minimum of the quantum conditional entropy of the output given by the conditional Entropy Power Inequality is asymptotically achieved by a suitable sequence of quantum Gaussian input states. Our proof of the conditional Entropy Power Inequality is based on a new Stam inequality for the quantum conditional Fisher information and on the determination of the universal asymptotic behaviour of the quantum conditional entropy under the heat semigroup evolution. The beam-splitter and the squeezing are the central elements of quantum optics, and can model the attenuation, the amplification and the noise of electromagnetic signals. This conditional Entropy Power Inequality will have a strong impact in quantum information and quantum cryptography. Among its many possible applications there is the proof of a new uncertainty relation for the conditional Wehrl entropy.

The Conditional Entropy Power Inequality for Bosonic Quantum Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Palma, Giacomo; Trevisan, Dario

2018-01-01

We prove the conditional Entropy Power Inequality for Gaussian quantum systems. This fundamental inequality determines the minimum quantum conditional von Neumann entropy of the output of the beam-splitter or of the squeezing among all the input states where the two inputs are conditionally independent given the memory and have given quantum conditional entropies. We also prove that, for any couple of values of the quantum conditional entropies of the two inputs, the minimum of the quantum conditional entropy of the output given by the conditional Entropy Power Inequality is asymptotically achieved by a suitable sequence of quantum Gaussian input states. Our proof of the conditional Entropy Power Inequality is based on a new Stam inequality for the quantum conditional Fisher information and on the determination of the universal asymptotic behaviour of the quantum conditional entropy under the heat semigroup evolution. The beam-splitter and the squeezing are the central elements of quantum optics, and can model the attenuation, the amplification and the noise of electromagnetic signals. This conditional Entropy Power Inequality will have a strong impact in quantum information and quantum cryptography. Among its many possible applications there is the proof of a new uncertainty relation for the conditional Wehrl entropy.

Usefulness of the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment (UPSA) for Predicting Residential Independence in Patients with Chronic Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Mausbach, Brent T.; Bowie, Christopher R.; Harvey, Philip D.; Twamley, Elizabeth W.; Goldman, Sherrill R.; Jeste, Dilip V.; Patterson, Thomas L.

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the sensitivity and specificity of a performance-based measure of functional capacity, the UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment (UPSA) for the prediction of independent living status in patients with chronic schizophrenia-related conditions. A sample of 434 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder was administered the UPSA and assessed for independent living status. Participants were classified as “independent” if they were living alone in an apartment, house, or single-resident occupancy (e.g., hotel room) and non-independent if they resided in a care facility (e.g., Board-and-Care home, Skilled Nursing Facility). Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated with the UPSA and Mattis’ Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) scores as predictor variables and residential independence as the state variable. Of the 434 participants, 99 (23%) were living independently at the time of assessment. The discriminant validity of the UPSA was adequate (ROC area under the curve = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.68–0.79), with greatest dichotomization for the UPSA at a cutoff score of 75 (68% accuracy, 69% sensitivity, 66% specificity), or 80 (68% accuracy, 59% sensitivity, 76% specificity). The UPSA was also a significantly better predictor of living status than was the DRS, based on ROC (z = 2.43, p = .015). The UPSA is a brief measure of functional capacity that predicts the ability of patients with schizophrenia to reside independently in the community. PMID:17303168

Spatiotemporal Patterns of Precipitation-Modulated Landslide Deformation From Independent Component Analysis of InSAR Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen-Waeber, J.; Bürgmann, R.; Chaussard, E.; Giannico, C.; Ferretti, A.

2018-02-01

Long-term landslide deformation is disruptive and costly in urbanized environments. We rely on TerraSAR-X satellite images (2009-2014) and an improved data processing algorithm (SqueeSAR™) to produce an exceptionally dense Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar ground deformation time series for the San Francisco East Bay Hills. Independent and principal component analyses of the time series reveal four distinct spatial and temporal surface deformation patterns in the area around Blakemont landslide, which we relate to different geomechanical processes. Two components of time-dependent landslide deformation isolate continuous motion and motion driven by precipitation-modulated pore pressure changes controlled by annual seasonal cycles and multiyear drought conditions. Two components capturing more widespread seasonal deformation separate precipitation-modulated soil swelling from annual cycles that may be related to groundwater level changes and thermal expansion of buildings. High-resolution characterization of landslide response to precipitation is a first step toward improved hazard forecasting.

Obstructive sleep apnea as an independent stroke risk factor: possible mechanisms.

PubMed

Godoy, Jaime; Mellado, Patricio; Tapia, Jorge; Santín, Julia

2009-03-01

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a prevalent disease that has emerged as a new cerebrovascular disease (CVD) risk factor, which is independent of its association to hypertension, age and other known conditions that increase CVD. The mechanisms involved in this relation are most likely induced by the periodic hypoxia/reoxygenation that characteristically occurs in OSA, which results in oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and activation of the inflammatory cascade, all of which favor atherogenesis. Numerous markers of these changes have been reported in OSA patients, including increased circulating free radicals, increased lipid peroxidation, decreased antioxidant capacity, elevation of tumor necrosis factor and interleukines, increased levels of proinflammatory nuclear transcription factor kappa B, decreased circulating nitric oxide, elevation of vascular adhesion molecules and vascular endothelial growth factor. In addition, several authors have described that Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, the standard OSA therapy, reverts these abnormalities. Further research is needed in order to better clarify the complex mechanisms that underlie the relation between OSA, atherogenesis and CVD which most likely will have significant clinical impact.

Some Exact Conditional Tests of Independence for R X C Cross-Classification Tables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agresti, Alan; Wackerly, Dennis

1977-01-01

Exact conditional tests of independence in cross-classification tables are formulated based on chi square and other statistics with stronger operational interpretations, such as some nominal and ordinal measures of association. Guidelines for table dimensions and sample sizes for which the tests are economically implemented on a computer are…

Glottal Adduction and Subglottal Pressure in Singing.

PubMed

Herbst, Christian T; Hess, Markus; Müller, Frank; Švec, Jan G; Sundberg, Johan

2015-07-01

Previous research suggests that independent variation of vocal loudness and glottal configuration (type and degree of vocal fold adduction) does not occur in untrained speech production. This study investigated whether these factors can be varied independently in trained singing and how subglottal pressure is related to average glottal airflow, voice source properties, and sound level under these conditions. A classically trained baritone produced sustained phonations on the endoscopic vowel [i:] at pitch D4 (approximately 294 Hz), exclusively varying either (a) vocal register; (b) phonation type (from "breathy" to "pressed" via cartilaginous adduction); or (c) vocal loudness, while keeping the others constant. Phonation was documented by simultaneous recording of videokymographic, electroglottographic, airflow and voice source data, and by percutaneous measurement of relative subglottal pressure. Register shifts were clearly marked in the electroglottographic wavegram display. Compared with chest register, falsetto was produced with greater pulse amplitude of the glottal flow, H1-H2, mean airflow, and with lower maximum flow declination rate (MFDR), subglottal pressure, and sound pressure. Shifts of phonation type (breathy/flow/neutral/pressed) induced comparable systematic changes. Increase of vocal loudness resulted in increased subglottal pressure, average flow, sound pressure, MFDR, glottal flow pulse amplitude, and H1-H2. When changing either vocal register or phonation type, subglottal pressure and mean airflow showed an inverse relationship, that is, variation of glottal flow resistance. The direct relation between subglottal pressure and airflow when varying only vocal loudness demonstrated independent control of vocal loudness and glottal configuration. Achieving such independent control of phonatory control parameters would be an important target in vocal pedagogy and in voice therapy. Copyright © 2015 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stable quantum systems in anti-de Sitter space: Causality, independence, and spectral properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchholz, Detlev; Summers, Stephen J.

2004-12-01

If a state is passive for uniformly accelerated observers in n-dimensional (n⩾2) anti-de Sitter (Ads) space-time (i.e., cannot be used by them to operate a perpetuum mobile), they will (a) register a universal value of the Unruh temperature, (b) discover a PCT symmetry, and (c) find that observables in complementary wedge-shaped regions necessarily commute with each other in this state. The stability properties of such a passive state induce a "geodesic causal structure" on AdS and concommitant locality relations. It is shown that observables in these complementary wedge-shaped regions fulfill strong additional independence conditions. In two-dimensional AdS these even suffice to enable the derivation of a nontrivial, local, covariant net indexed by bounded space-time regions. All these results are model-independent and hold in any theory which is compatible with a weak notion of space-time localization. Examples are provided of models satisfying the hypotheses of these theorems.

Coactivation of Gustatory and Olfactory Signals in Flavor Perception

PubMed Central

Veldhuizen, Maria G.; Shepard, Timothy G.; Wang, Miao-Fen

2010-01-01

It is easier to detect mixtures of gustatory and olfactory flavorants than to detect either component alone. But does the detection of mixtures exceed the level predicted by probability summation, assuming independent detection of each component? To answer this question, we measured simple response times (RTs) to detect brief pulses of one of 3 flavorants (sucrose [gustatory], citral [olfactory], sucrose–citral mixture) or water, presented into the mouth by a computer-operated, automated flow system. Subjects were instructed to press a button as soon as they detected any of the 3 nonwater stimuli. Responses to the mixtures were faster (RTs smaller) than predicted by a model of probability summation of independently detected signals, suggesting positive coactivation (integration) of gustation and retronasal olfaction in flavor perception. Evidence for integration appeared mainly in the fastest 60% of the responses, indicating that integration arises relatively early in flavor processing. Results were similar when the 3 possible flavorants, and water, were interleaved within the same session (experimental condition), and when each flavorant was interleaved with water only (control conditions). This outcome suggests that subjects did not attend selectively to one flavor component or the other in the experimental condition and further supports the conclusion that (late) decisional or attentional strategies do not exert a large influence on the gustatory–olfactory flavor integration. PMID:20032112

The Role of Attention in the Binding of Surface Features to Locations

PubMed Central

Hyun, Joo-seok; Woodman, Geoffrey F.; Luck, Steven J.

2013-01-01

Previous studies have proposed that attention is not necessary for detecting simple features but is necessary for binding them to spatial locations. The present study tested this hypothesis, using the N2pc component of the event-related potential waveform as a measure of the allocation of attention. A simple feature detection condition, in which observers reported whether a target color was present or not, was compared with feature-location binding conditions, in which observers reported the location of the target color. A larger N2pc component was observed in the binding conditions than in the detection condition, indicating that additional attentional resources are needed to bind a feature to a location than to detect the feature independently of its location. This finding supports theories of attention in which attention plays a special role in binding features. PMID:24235876

Adenoviruses as a model in the study of the effect of space flight factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nosach, L. M.; Povnitsa, O. Yu.; Zhovnovata, V. L.

Simulated microgravity conditions, independently of multiplicity of infection, does not influence the reproduction of adenoviruses in cells which were clinorotated for 48 hours after adsorption of virus. The incubation of infected cells before clinorotation under static conditions at a temperature of 4 °C for three days (the conditions for keeping cells before the flight) does not change the number of infected cells relatively to control, but some changes of cell morphology are revealed, namely round off and aggregation of cells. The adenoviruses which were exposed in the medium keep infectivity under the conditions of clinorotation at 4 and 20-22 °C over prolonged periods (90 and 60 days, respectively). A model is elaborated for investigation of the influence of space flight factors on the interaction of the adenovirus and Epstein-Barr virus genomes at combined infection of limphoblastoid cells.

Comparing virtual reality exposure therapy to present-centered therapy with 11 U.S. Vietnam veterans with PTSD.

PubMed

Ready, David J; Gerardi, Robert J; Backscheider, Andrea G; Mascaro, Nathan; Rothbaum, Barbara Olasov

2010-02-01

Eleven Vietnam veterans with war-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were randomly assigned to 10 sessions of either virtual reality exposure (VRE) therapy within a computer-generated virtual Vietnam environment or present-centered therapy (PCT) that avoided traumatic content and utilized a problem-solving approach. Participants were assessed at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6 months posttreatment by an independent assessor blind to treatment condition. Nine participants completed treatment with one dropout per condition. No significant differences emerged between treatments, likely due to insufficient power. Although comparison of mean changes in PTSD symptoms for the VRE and PCT conditions yielded a moderate effect size (d = 0.56) in favor of VRE at 6 months posttreatment, changes in PTSD scores were more variable, and therefore less reliable, within the VRE condition. The utility of VRE with older veterans with PTSD is discussed.

Effects of ecological interactions and environmental conditions on community dynamics in an estuarine ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H.; Minello, T.; Sutton, G.

2016-02-01

Coastal marine ecosystems are both productive and vulnerable to human and natural stressors. Examining the relative importance of fishing, environmental variability, and habitat alteration on ecosystem dynamics is challenging. Intensive harvest and habitat loss have resulted in widespread concerns related to declines in fisheries production, but causal mechanisms are rarely clear. In this study, we modeled trophic dynamics in Galveston Bay, Texas, using fishery-independent catch data for blue crab, shrimp, red drum, Atlantic croaker and spotted seatrout along with habitat information collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department during 1984 - 2014. We developed a multispecies state-space model to examine ecological interactions and partition the relative effects of trophic interactions and environmental conditions on the community dynamics. Preliminary results showed the importance of salinity, density-dependence, and trophic interactions. We are continuing to explore these results from a perspective of fish community compensatory responses to exploitation, reflecting both direct and indirect effects of harvesting under the influence of climate variability.

Working memory contributes to elevated motor activity in adults with ADHD: an examination of the role of central executive and storage/rehearsal processes.

PubMed

Hudec, Kristen L; Alderson, R Matt; Kasper, Lisa J; Patros, Connor H G

2014-05-01

The relationship between working memory (WM) and objectively measured motor activity was examined in adults with ADHD and healthy controls (HCs). Thirty-five adults (ADHD = 20, HC = 15) were grouped using self-report and collateral-report measures in addition to a semistructured clinical interview. All participants completed control conditions with minimal WM demands, and separate phonological (PH) and visuospatial (VS) WM tasks with recall demands ranging from four to seven stimuli. The ADHD group exhibited significantly more motor activity relative to the HC group, and both groups exhibited greater activity during PH and VS WM tasks, relative to control conditions. Finally, the central executive (CE) and PH storage/rehearsal subsystems were associated with large-magnitude between-group differences in activity. Findings suggest that increased demands on WM, particularly the CE and PH storage/rehearsal, contribute to ADHD-related hyperactivity, though a portion of excessive motor activity in adults with ADHD may occur independently of WM demands.

Effects of distinctive encoding on correct and false memory: a meta-analytic review of costs and benefits and their origins in the DRM paradigm.

PubMed

Huff, Mark J; Bodner, Glen E; Fawcett, Jonathan M

2015-04-01

We review and meta-analyze how distinctive encoding alters encoding and retrieval processes and, thus, affects correct and false recognition in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Reductions in false recognition following distinctive encoding (e.g., generation), relative to a nondistinctive read-only control condition, reflected both impoverished relational encoding and use of a retrieval-based distinctiveness heuristic. Additional analyses evaluated the costs and benefits of distinctive encoding in within-subjects designs relative to between-group designs. Correct recognition was design independent, but in a within design, distinctive encoding was less effective at reducing false recognition for distinctively encoded lists but more effective for nondistinctively encoded lists. Thus, distinctive encoding is not entirely "cost free" in a within design. In addition to delineating the conditions that modulate the effects of distinctive encoding on recognition accuracy, we discuss the utility of using signal detection indices of memory information and memory monitoring at test to separate encoding and retrieval processes.

Design of Experiments with Multiple Independent Variables: A Resource Management Perspective on Complete and Reduced Factorial Designs

PubMed Central

Collins, Linda M.; Dziak, John J.; Li, Runze

2009-01-01

An investigator who plans to conduct experiments with multiple independent variables must decide whether to use a complete or reduced factorial design. This article advocates a resource management perspective on making this decision, in which the investigator seeks a strategic balance between service to scientific objectives and economy. Considerations in making design decisions include whether research questions are framed as main effects or simple effects; whether and which effects are aliased (confounded) in a particular design; the number of experimental conditions that must be implemented in a particular design and the number of experimental subjects the design requires to maintain the desired level of statistical power; and the costs associated with implementing experimental conditions and obtaining experimental subjects. In this article four design options are compared: complete factorial, individual experiments, single factor, and fractional factorial designs. Complete and fractional factorial designs and single factor designs are generally more economical than conducting individual experiments on each factor. Although relatively unfamiliar to behavioral scientists, fractional factorial designs merit serious consideration because of their economy and versatility. PMID:19719358

Prominent role for plasmacytoid dendritic cells in mucosal T cell-independent IgA induction.

PubMed

Tezuka, Hiroyuki; Abe, Yukiko; Asano, Jumpei; Sato, Taku; Liu, Jiajia; Iwata, Makoto; Ohteki, Toshiaki

2011-02-25

Although both conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are present in the gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT), the roles of pDCs in the gut remain largely unknown. Here we show a critical role for pDCs in T cell-independent (TI) IgA production by B cells in the GALT. When pDCs of the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and Peyer's patches (PPs) (which are representative GALT) were cultured with naive B cells to induce TI IgA class switch recombination (CSR), IgA production was substantially higher than in cocultures of these cells with cDCs. IgA production was dependent on APRIL and BAFF production by pDCs. Importantly, pDC expression of APRIL and BAFF was dependent on stromal cell-derived type I IFN signaling under steady-state conditions. Our findings provide insight into the molecular basis of pDC conditioning to induce mucosal TI IgA production, which may lead to improvements in vaccination strategies and treatment for mucosal-related disorders. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Additional Saturday rehabilitation improves functional independence and quality of life and reduces length of stay: a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Many inpatients receive little or no rehabilitation on weekends. Our aim was to determine what effect providing additional Saturday rehabilitation during inpatient rehabilitation had on functional independence, quality of life and length of stay compared to 5 days per week of rehabilitation. Methods This was a multicenter, single-blind (assessors) randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation and 12-month follow-up conducted in two publically funded metropolitan inpatient rehabilitation facilities in Melbourne, Australia. Patients were eligible if they were adults (aged ≥18 years) admitted for rehabilitation for any orthopedic, neurological or other disabling conditions excluding those admitted for slow stream rehabilitation/geriatric evaluation and management. Participants were randomly allocated to usual care Monday to Friday rehabilitation (control) or to Monday to Saturday rehabilitation (intervention). The additional Saturday rehabilitation comprised physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The primary outcomes were functional independence (functional independence measure (FIM); measured on an 18 to 126 point scale), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D utility index; measured on a 0 to 1 scale, and EQ-5D visual analog scale; measured on a 0 to 100 scale), and patient length of stay. Outcome measures were assessed on admission, discharge (primary endpoint), and at 6 and 12 months post discharge. Results We randomly assigned 996 adults (mean (SD) age 74 (13) years) to Monday to Saturday rehabilitation (n = 496) or usual care Monday to Friday rehabilitation (n = 500). Relative to admission scores, intervention group participants had higher functional independence (mean difference (MD) 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5 to 4.1, P = 0.01) and health-related quality of life (MD 0.04, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.07, P = 0.009) on discharge and may have had a shorter length of stay by 2 days (95% CI 0 to 4, P = 0.1) when compared to control group participants. Intervention group participants were 17% more likely to have achieved a clinically significant change in functional independence of 22 FIM points or more (risk ratio (RR) 1.17, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.34) and 18% more likely to have achieved a clinically significant change in health-related quality of life (RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.34) on discharge compared to the control group. There was some maintenance of effect for functional independence and health-related quality of life at 6-month follow-up but not at 12-month follow-up. There was no difference in the number of adverse events between the groups (incidence rate ratio = 0.81, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.08). Conclusions Providing an additional day of rehabilitation improved functional independence and health-related quality of life at discharge and may have reduced length of stay for patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation. Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000973213 Please see related commentary: http://www.biomedcentral.com/10.1186/1741-7015-11-199. PMID:24228854

Feature inference with uncertain categorization: Re-assessing Anderson's rational model.

PubMed

Konovalova, Elizaveta; Le Mens, Gaël

2017-09-18

A key function of categories is to help predictions about unobserved features of objects. At the same time, humans are often in situations where the categories of the objects they perceive are uncertain. In an influential paper, Anderson (Psychological Review, 98(3), 409-429, 1991) proposed a rational model for feature inferences with uncertain categorization. A crucial feature of this model is the conditional independence assumption-it assumes that the within category feature correlation is zero. In prior research, this model has been found to provide a poor fit to participants' inferences. This evidence is restricted to task environments inconsistent with the conditional independence assumption. Currently available evidence thus provides little information about how this model would fit participants' inferences in a setting with conditional independence. In four experiments based on a novel paradigm and one experiment based on an existing paradigm, we assess the performance of Anderson's model under conditional independence. We find that this model predicts participants' inferences better than competing models. One model assumes that inferences are based on just the most likely category. The second model is insensitive to categories but sensitive to overall feature correlation. The performance of Anderson's model is evidence that inferences were influenced not only by the more likely category but also by the other candidate category. Our findings suggest that a version of Anderson's model which relaxes the conditional independence assumption will likely perform well in environments characterized by within-category feature correlation.

Gender Moderates the Influence of Self-Construal Priming on Fairness Considerations

PubMed Central

Flinkenflogel, Nic; Novin, Sheida; Huizinga, Mariette; Krabbendam, Lydia

2017-01-01

Research in social and cultural psychology has identified that self-construal, or the way the self is defined in relation to others, plays an important role in social decision-making processes. Yet it remains difficult to isolate the effect of self-construal in a comparative approach. Therefore, we used priming methodology in three studies to induce either an independent or interdependent mindset to test direct consequences on fairness considerations. Specifically, we asked whether participants would accept an unfair ultimatum game offer: a split of 10 euros, where the participant is allocated the marginal share of 3 and the proposer 7. If the participant refuses, neither gets paid. In the first study, we used the well-known similarities and differences prime. Here, activating an interdependent mindset decreased rejection of the unfair offer compared to the independent mindset and control condition, but only in females. The prime did not affect males. In the second and third study we modified our university's mission statement to instead include either independent or interdependent values. Females displayed a similar direction of effects; in males however, activating an interdependent mindset increased rejection. Taken together, the results show that whether participants accept or reject an unfair offer depends on both their gender and the self-construal prime. The results were interpreted using the distinction between relational independence that has been associated with females, and collective interdependence, that has been associated with males. Possible consequences for future studies are discussed. PMID:28421019

Gender Moderates the Influence of Self-Construal Priming on Fairness Considerations.

PubMed

Flinkenflogel, Nic; Novin, Sheida; Huizinga, Mariette; Krabbendam, Lydia

2017-01-01

Research in social and cultural psychology has identified that self-construal, or the way the self is defined in relation to others, plays an important role in social decision-making processes. Yet it remains difficult to isolate the effect of self-construal in a comparative approach. Therefore, we used priming methodology in three studies to induce either an independent or interdependent mindset to test direct consequences on fairness considerations. Specifically, we asked whether participants would accept an unfair ultimatum game offer: a split of 10 euros, where the participant is allocated the marginal share of 3 and the proposer 7. If the participant refuses, neither gets paid. In the first study, we used the well-known similarities and differences prime. Here, activating an interdependent mindset decreased rejection of the unfair offer compared to the independent mindset and control condition, but only in females. The prime did not affect males. In the second and third study we modified our university's mission statement to instead include either independent or interdependent values. Females displayed a similar direction of effects; in males however, activating an interdependent mindset increased rejection. Taken together, the results show that whether participants accept or reject an unfair offer depends on both their gender and the self-construal prime. The results were interpreted using the distinction between relational independence that has been associated with females, and collective interdependence, that has been associated with males. Possible consequences for future studies are discussed.

The assessment of knowledge and learning in competence spaces: The gain-loss model for dependent skills.

PubMed

Anselmi, Pasquale; Stefanutti, Luca; de Chiusole, Debora; Robusto, Egidio

2017-11-01

The gain-loss model (GaLoM) is a formal model for assessing knowledge and learning. In its original formulation, the GaLoM assumes independence among the skills. Such an assumption is not reasonable in several domains, in which some preliminary knowledge is the foundation for other knowledge. This paper presents an extension of the GaLoM to the case in which the skills are not independent, and the dependence relation among them is described by a well-graded competence space. The probability of mastering skill s at the pretest is conditional on the presence of all skills on which s depends. The probabilities of gaining or losing skill s when moving from pretest to posttest are conditional on the mastery of s at the pretest, and on the presence at the posttest of all skills on which s depends. Two formulations of the model are presented, in which the learning path is allowed to change from pretest to posttest or not. A simulation study shows that models based on the true competence space obtain a better fit than models based on false competence spaces, and are also characterized by a higher assessment accuracy. An empirical application shows that models based on pedagogically sound assumptions about the dependencies among the skills obtain a better fit than models assuming independence among the skills. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Quantitative verification of thin-film polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) transducer array performance up to 60 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakoda, Christopher; Ren, Baiyang; Lissenden, Cliff J.; Rose, Joseph L.

2017-02-01

Thin-film PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) transducers are appealing as low cost, light weight, durable, and flexible sensors for structural health monitoring applications in aircraft structures. However, due to the relatively low Curie temperature of PVDF, there is a concern that it's performance will drop below acceptable levels during elevated-temperature operating conditions. To verify acceptable performance in these environmental operating conditions, temperature history data were collected between 23-60 °C. The effect of temperature on the thin-film PVDF was investigated and a temperature-independent damage feature was assessed. The temperature dependence of the signal's peak amplitude was investigated in both the time domain and the spectral domain to get two damage features. It was found that the measurement of the incident guided wave by the thin-film PVDF transducer had a temperature dependence that varied with frequency. A third damage feature, the mode ratio, was also calculated in the spectral domain with the goal of defining a damage feature that is temperature independent. A comparison of how well these damage features performed when used to identify a notch in an aluminum plate was made using receiver operating characteristic curves and their respective area under the curve values. This result demonstrated that a temperature-independent damage feature can be calculated, to some degree, by using a mode ratio between two modes of similar temperature dependence.

Combinations of response-reinforcer relations in periodic and aperiodic schedules.

PubMed

Kuroda, Toshikazu; Cançado, Carlos R X; Lattal, Kennon A; Elcoro, Mirari; Dickson, Chata A; Cook, James E

2013-03-01

Key pecking of 4 pigeons was studied under a two-component multiple schedule in which food deliveries were arranged according to a fixed and a variable interfood interval. The percentage of response-dependent food in each component was varied, first in ascending (0, 10, 30, 70 and 100%) and then in descending orders, in successive conditions. The change in response rates was positively related to the percentage of response-dependent food in each schedule component. Across conditions, positively accelerated and linear patterns of responding occurred consistently in the fixed and variable components, respectively. These results suggest that the response-food dependency determines response rates in periodic and aperiodic schedules, and that the temporal distribution of food determines response patterns independently of the response-food dependency. Running rates, but not postfood pauses, also were positively related to the percentage of dependent food in each condition, in both fixed and variable components. Thus, the relation between overall response rate and the percentage of dependent food was mediated by responding that occurred after postfood pausing. The findings together extend previous studies wherein the dependency was either always present or absent, and increase the generality of the effects of variations in the response-food dependency from aperiodic to periodic schedules. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Do great tits (Parus major) starve to reproduce?

PubMed

Hõrak, Peeter; Jenni-Eiermann, Susanne; Ots, Indrek

1999-05-01

To test whether nest abandonment is associated with parental health state, reproductive parameters and parental condition indices were examined in relation to brood desertion in great tits. Before desertion, pairs that abandoned their broods in the second half of the nestling period had significantly higher nestling mortality as well as lower average weight of nestlings and entire broods. Independently of brood size, female great tits that deserted their broods on average weighed 1 g (>5%) more than non-deserters. Comparison of metabolic profiles revealed that deserting females were in better nutritional condition (inclined to fat deposition) than non-deserters, which showed symptoms of postresorptive catabolic state, as indicated by a lower level of plasma triglycerides, very low density lipoproteins, and a higher level of free fatty acids and β-hydroxy-butyrate. These results suggest that desertion can be regarded as a reproductive restraint and that non-deserting females invested at least some of their maintenance resources on brood rearing. We found no evidence that desertion or non-desertion was associated with age- or disease-related differences in residual reproductive values. Male condition was not related to brood abandonment, suggesting that desertions were primarily initiated by females.

Employment conditions and work-related stressors are associated with menopausal symptom reporting among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Bariola, Emily; Jack, Gavin; Pitts, Marian; Riach, Kathleen; Sarrel, Philip

2017-03-01

While many women undergo menopausal transition while they are in paid employment, the effect of poor working conditions on women's experience of the menopause has received scant empirical attention. We examined associations between employment conditions, work-related stressors, and menopausal symptom reporting among perimenopausal and postmenopausal working women. Data were drawn from an online survey conducted between 2013 and 2014 involving 476 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women working in the higher education sector in Australia. Survey questions assessed demographics; health-related variables; menopausal symptom reporting; employment status; presence of flexible working hours; presence of temperature control; job autonomy; and supervisor support. A forced entry multivariable regression analysis revealed that high supervisor support (β = -0.10, P = 0.04), being employed on a full-time basis (β = -0.11, P = 0.02), and having control over workplace temperature (β = -0.11, P = 0.02) were independently associated with lower menopausal symptom reporting. These findings may help inform the development of tailored occupational health policies and programs that cater for the needs of older women as they transition through menopause in the workplace.

Water quality and ecological condition of urban streams in Independence, Missouri, June 2005 through December 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christensen, D.; Harris, Thomas E.; Niesen, Shelley L.

2010-01-01

To identify the sources of selected constituents in urban streams and better understand processes affecting water quality and their effects on the ecological condition of urban streams and the Little Blue River in Independence, Missouri the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the City of Independence Water Pollution Control Department initiated a study in June 2005 to characterize water quality and evaluate the ecological condition of streams within Independence. Base-flow and stormflow samples collected from five sites within Independence, from June 2005 to December 2008, were used to characterize the physical, chemical, and biologic effects of storm runoff on the water quality in Independence streams and the Little Blue River. The streams draining Independence-Rock Creek, Sugar Creek, Mill Creek, Fire Prairie Creek, and the Little Blue River-drain to the north and the Missouri River. Two small predominantly urban streams, Crackerneck Creek [12.9-square kilometer (km2) basin] and Spring Branch Creek (25.4-km2 basin), were monitored that enter into the Little Blue River between upstream and downstream monitoring sites. The Little Blue River above the upstream site is regulated by several reservoirs, but streamflow is largely uncontrolled. The Little Blue River Basin encompasses 585 km2 with about 168 km2 or 29 percent of the basin lying within the city limits of Independence. Water-quality samples also were collected for Rock Creek (24.1-km2 basin) that drains the western part of Independence. Data collection included streamflow, physical properties, dissolved oxygen, chloride, metals, nutrients, common organic micro-constituents, and fecal indicator bacteria. Benthic macroinvertebrate community surveys and habitat assessments were conducted to establish a baseline for evaluating the ecological condition and health of streams within Independence. Additional dry-weather screenings during base flow of all streams draining Independence were conducted to identify point-source discharges and other sources of potential contamination. Regression models were used to estimate continuous and annual flow-weighted concentrations, loadings, and yields for chloride, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, suspended sediment, and Escherichia coli bacteria densities. Base-flow and stormflow water-quality samples were collected at five sites within Independence. Base-flow samples for Rock Creek and two tributary streams to the Little Blue River exceeded recommended U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for the protection of aquatic life for total nitrogen and total phosphorus in about 90 percent of samples, whereas samples collected at two Little Blue River sites exceeded both the total nitrogen and total phosphorus standards less often, about 30 percent of the time. Dry-weather screening identified a relatively small number (14.0 percent of all analyses) of potential point-source discharges for total chlorine, phenols, and anionic surfactants. Stormflow had larger median measured concentrations of total common organic micro-constituents than base flow. The four categories of common organic micro-constituents with the most total detections in stormflow were pesticides (100 percent), polyaromatic hydrocarbons and combustion by-products (99 percent), plastics (93 percent), and stimulants (91 percent). Most detections of common organic micro-constituents were less than 2 micrograms per liter. Median instantaneous Escherichia coli densities for stormflow samples showed a 21 percent increase measured at the downstream site on the Little Blue River from the sampled upstream site. Using microbial source-tracking methods, less than 30 percent of Escherichia coli bacteria in samples were identified as having human sources. Base-flow and stormflow data were used to develop regression equations with streamflow and continuous water-quality data to estimate daily concentrations, loads, and yields of various water-quality contaminants.

Serum Albumin Levels and Economic Status in Japanese Older Adults.

PubMed

Ota, Asami; Kondo, Naoki; Murayama, Nobuko; Tanabe, Naohito; Shobugawa, Yugo; Kondo, Katsunori

2016-01-01

Low serum albumin levels are associated with aging and medical conditions such as cancer, liver dysfunction, inflammation, and malnutrition and might be an independent predictor of long-term mortality in healthy older populations. We tested the hypothesis that economic status is associated with serum albumin levels and explained by nutritional and health status in Japanese older adults. We performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation study (JAGES). The study participants were 6528 functionally independent residents (3189 men and 3339 women) aged ≥65 years living in four municipalities in Aichi prefecture. We used household income as an indicator of economic status. Multiple linear regression was used to compare serum albumin levels in relation to household income, which was classified as low, middle, and high. Additionally, mediation by nutritional and health-related factors was analyzed in multivariable models. With the middle-income group as reference, participants with low incomes had a significantly lower serum albumin level, even after adjustment for sex, age, residential area, education, marital status, and household structure. The estimated mean difference was -0.17 g/L (95% confidence interval, -0.33 to -0.01 g/L). The relation between serum albumin level and low income became statistically insignificant when "body mass index", "consumption of meat or fish", "self-rated health", "presence of medical conditions", "hyperlipidemia", or "respiratory disease "was included in the model. Serum albumin levels were lower in Japanese older adults with low economic status. The decrease in albumin levels appears to be mediated by nutrition and health-related factors with low household incomes. Future studies are needed to reveal the existence of other pathways.

Not only in the temperate zone: independent gametophytes of two vittarioid ferns (Pteridaceae, Polypodiales) in East Asian subtropics.

PubMed

Kuo, Li-Yaung; Chen, Cheng-Wei; Shinohara, Wataru; Ebihara, Atsushi; Kudoh, Hiroshi; Sato, Hirotoshi; Huang, Yao-Moan; Chiou, Wen-Liang

2017-03-01

Independent gametophyte ferns are unique among vascular plants because they are sporophyteless and reproduce asexually to maintain their populations in the gametophyte generation. Such ferns had been primarily discovered in temperate zone, and usually hypothesized with (sub)tropical origins and subsequent extinction of sporophyte due to climate change during glaciations. Presumably, independent fern gametophytes are unlikely to be distributed in tropics and subtropics because of relatively stable climates which are less affected by glaciations. Nonetheless, the current study presents cases of two independent gametophyte fern species in subtropic East Asia. In this study, we applied plastid DNA sequences (trnL-L-F and matK + ndhF + chlL datasets) and comprehensive sampling (~80%) of congeneric species for molecular identification and divergence time estimation of these independent fern gametophytes. The two independent gametophyte ferns were found belonging to genus Haplopteris (vittarioids, Pteridaceae) and no genetic identical sporophyte species in East Asia. For one species, divergence times between its populations imply recent oversea dispersal(s) by spores occurred during Pleistocene. By examining their ex situ and in situ fertility, prezygotic sterility was found in these two Haplopteris, in which gametangia were not or very seldom observed, and this prezygotic sterility might attribute to their lacks of functional sporophytes. Our field observation and survey on their habitats suggest microhabitat conditions might attribute to this prezygotic sterility. These findings point to consideration of whether recent climate change during the Pleistocene glaciation resulted in ecophysiological maladaptation of non-temperate independent gametophyte ferns. In addition, we provided a new definition to classify fern gametophyte independences at the population level. We expect that continued investigations into tropical and subtropical fern gametophyte floras will further illustrate the biogeographic significance of non-temperate fern gametophyte independence.

Bt-transgenic oilseed rape hybridization with its weedy relative, Brassica rapa.

PubMed

Halfhill, Matthew D; Millwood, Reginald J; Raymer, Paul L; Stewart, C Neal

2002-10-01

The movement of transgenes from crops to weeds and the resulting consequences are concerns of modern agriculture. The possible generation of "superweeds" from the escape of fitness-enhancing transgenes into wild populations is a risk that is often discussed, but rarely studied. Oilseed rape, Brassica napus (L.), is a crop with sexually compatible weedy relatives, such as birdseed rape (Brassica rapa (L.)). Hybridization of this crop with weedy relatives is an extant risk and an excellent interspecific gene flow model system. In laboratory crosses, T3 lines of seven independent transformation events of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) oilseed rape were hybridized with two weedy accessions of B. rapa. Transgenic hybrids were generated from six of these oilseed rape lines, and the hybrids exhibited an intermediate morphology between the parental species. The Bt transgene was present in the hybrids, and the protein was synthesized at similar levels to the corresponding independent oilseed rape lines. Insect bioassays were performed and confirmed that the hybrid material was insecticidal. The hybrids were backcrossed with the weedy parent, and only half the oilseed rape lines were able to produce transgenic backcrosses. After two backcrosses, the ploidy level and morphology of the resultant plants were indistinguishable from B. rapa. Hybridization was monitored under field conditions (Tifton, GA, USA) with four independent lines of Bt oilseed rape with a crop to wild relative ratio of 1200:1. When B. rapa was used as the female parent, hybridization frequency varied among oilseed rape lines and ranged from 16.9% to 0.7%.

Gaussian noise and time-reversal symmetry in nonequilibrium Langevin models.

PubMed

Vainstein, M H; Rubí, J M

2007-03-01

We show that in driven systems the Gaussian nature of the fluctuating force and time reversibility are equivalent properties. This result together with the potential condition of the external force drastically restricts the form of the probability distribution function, which can be shown to satisfy time-independent relations. We have corroborated this feature by explicitly analyzing a model for the stretching of a polymer and a model for a suspension of noninteracting Brownian particles in steady flow.

Accessible cultural mind-set modulates default mode activity: evidence for the culturally situated brain.

PubMed

Wang, Chenbo; Oyserman, Daphna; Liu, Qiang; Li, Hong; Han, Shihui

2013-01-01

Self-construal priming modulates human behavior and associated neural activity. However, the neural activity associated with the self-construal priming procedure itself remains unknown. It is also unclear whether and how self-construal priming affects neural activity prior to engaging in a particular task. To address this gap, we scanned Chinese adults, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, during self-construal priming and a following resting state. We found that, relative to a calculation task, both interdependent and independent self-construal priming activated the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). The contrast of interdependent vs. independent self-construal priming also revealed increased activity in the dorsal MPFC and left middle frontal cortex. The regional homogeneity analysis of the resting-state activity revealed increased local synchronization of spontaneous activity in the dorsal MPFC but decreased local synchronization of spontaneous activity in the PCC when contrasting interdependent vs. independent self-construal priming. The functional connectivity analysis of the resting-state activity, however, did not show significant difference in synchronization of activities in remote brain regions between different priming conditions. Our findings suggest that accessible collectivistic/individualistic mind-set induced by self-construal priming is associated with modulations of both task-related and resting-state activity in the default mode network.

Biased three-intensity decoy-state scheme on the measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution using heralded single-photon sources.

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Hui; Zhang, Chun-Mei; Guo, Guang-Can; Wang, Qin

2018-02-19

At present, most of the measurement-device-independent quantum key distributions (MDI-QKD) are based on weak coherent sources and limited in the transmission distance under realistic experimental conditions, e.g., considering the finite-size-key effects. Hence in this paper, we propose a new biased decoy-state scheme using heralded single-photon sources for the three-intensity MDI-QKD, where we prepare the decoy pulses only in X basis and adopt both the collective constraints and joint parameter estimation techniques. Compared with former schemes with WCS or HSPS, after implementing full parameter optimizations, our scheme gives distinct reduced quantum bit error rate in the X basis and thus show excellent performance, especially when the data size is relatively small.

Health-related quality of life among Swedish children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: parent-child discrepancies, gender differences and comparison with a European cohort.

PubMed

Lundberg, Veronica; Eriksson, Catharina

2017-04-12

This study investigates gender differences in self-reports and between parent and child reports in Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL), measured with disease-specific and generic instruments for chronic disease. Comparison of HRQOL results in this Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) sample to a European cohort of children with JIA and one of children with other health conditions are also made. Fifty-three children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), aged 8-18 years, and their parents completed the condition-specific DISABKIDS for JIA, and the DISABKIDS generic instrument for chronic conditions (DCGM-37) in a cross-sectional study. European reference data were used for comparison of child and parental reports. Child self-reports in DCGM-37 and DISABKIDS for JIA showed no gender differences. Parental and child reports of the child's HRQOL differed only in DCGM-37; this was among girls who scored their independence (p = 0.03), physical limitation (p = 0.01), social exclusion (p = 0.03), emotions (p <0.01), and general transformed score (p <0.01) higher than did their parents. Our sample of children with JIA reported more physical limitation compared to samples of European children with JIA (p = 0.01), European children with chronic conditions (p < 0.01), and their parents (p = 0.01 and p < 0.01). The Swedish children reported more problem with understanding compared to the European JIA sample (p = 0.03). Swedish parents perceived their children's independence significantly lower than did the European parents of JIA children (p < 0.01), as well as European parents of children with chronic conditions (p = 0.03). The Swedish parents also perceived their children to have significantly lower social inclusion (p < 0.05) and general transformed score (p = 0.04), in comparison to European parents of children with chronic conditions. Parent-child differences in assessment of quality of life depend on the HRQOL instrument used, especially among girls. In comparison to European cohorts, our sample of children with JIA experienced more physical limitations and less understanding.

Differences in Social Decision-Making between Proposers and Responders during the Ultimatum Game: An EEG Study.

PubMed

Horat, Sibylle K; Prévot, Anne; Richiardi, Jonas; Herrmann, François R; Favre, Grégoire; Merlo, Marco C G; Missonnier, Pascal

2017-01-01

The Ultimatum Game (UG) is a typical paradigm to investigate social decision-making. Although the behavior of humans in this task is already well established, the underlying brain processes remain poorly understood. Previous investigations using event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed three major components related to cognitive processes in participants engaged in the responder condition, the early ERP component P2, the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and a late positive wave (late positive component, LPC). However, the comparison of the ERP waveforms between the responder and proposer conditions has never been studied. Therefore, to investigate condition-related electrophysiological changes, we applied the UG paradigm and compared parameters of the P2, LPC and FRN components in twenty healthy participants. For the responder condition, we found a significantly decreased amplitude and delayed latency for the P2 component, whereas the mean amplitudes of the LPC and FRN increased compared to the proposer condition. Additionally, the proposer condition elicited an early component consisting of a negative deflection around 190 ms, in the upward slope of the P2, probably as a result of early conflict-related processing. Using independent component analysis (ICA), we extracted one functional component time-locked to this deflection, and with source reconstruction (LAURA) we found the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as one of the underlying sources. Overall, our findings indicate that intensity and time-course of neuronal systems engaged in the decision-making processes diverge between both UG conditions, suggesting differential cognitive processes. Understanding the electrophysiological bases of decision-making and social interactions in controls could be useful to further detect which steps are impaired in psychiatric patients in their ability to attribute mental states (such as beliefs, intents, or desires) to oneself and others. This ability is called mentalizing (also known as theory of mind).

Counting ability in Down syndrome: The comprehension of the one-to-one correspondence principle and the role of receptive vocabulary.

PubMed

Abreu-Mendoza, Roberto A; Arias-Trejo, Natalia

2017-10-01

The authors investigated whether children with Down's syndrome (DS) who have not started to produce number words understand the one-to-one correspondence principle (Experiment 1), and they looked at the relationship between number word knowledge and receptive vocabulary (Experiment 2). Sixteen children with DS who did not recite the count list participated in Experiment 1, along with 2 comparison groups: 1 of 16 children with DS who recited up to 10, paired by chronological age, and another of 16 typically developing children paired by their ability to recite the list. The understanding of the principle was evaluated by a preferential looking task. Children saw 1 of 2 conditions. In the number condition, they heard number words and in the beep condition they heard computerized beeps. In both conditions, children saw videos depicting counting events that were principle-consistent or principle-inconsistent. Experiment 2 evaluated 25 children with DS using the Give-a-Number task and the Receptive Vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III. In Experiment 1, children in the number condition preferred principle-consistent videos, independent of their ability to recite the count list. Experiment 2 showed a strong correlation between number word knowledge and receptive vocabulary scores, independent of chronological age. The results suggest that the difficulty of children with DS in acquiring counting ability might not reflect a lack of understanding of the one-to-one correspondence principle, but might instead be related to vocabulary development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Upper limb motor function in young adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus

PubMed Central

Salman, M. S.; Jewell, D.; Hetherington, R.; Spiegler, B. J.; MacGregor, D. L.; Drake, J. M.; Humphreys, R. P.; Gentili, F.

2011-01-01

Objective The objective of the study was to measure upper limb motor function in young adults with spina bifida meningomyelocele (SBM) and typically developing age peers. Method Participants were 26 young adults with SBM, with a Verbal or Performance IQ score of at least 70 on the Wechsler scales, and 27 age- and gender-matched controls. Four upper limb motor function tasks were performed under four different visual and cognitive challenge conditions. Motor independence was assessed by questionnaire. Results Fewer SBM than control participants obtained perfect posture and rebound scores. The SBM group performed less accurately and was more disrupted by cognitive challenge than controls on limb dysmetria tasks. The SBM group was slower than controls on the diadochokinesis task. Adaptive motor independence was related to one upper limb motor task, arm posture, and upper rather than lower spinal lesions were associated with less motor independence. Conclusions Young adults with SBM have significant limitations in upper limb function and are more disrupted by some challenges while performing upper limb motor tasks. Within the group of young adults with SBM, upper spinal lesions compromise motor independence more than lower spinal lesions. PMID:19672605

The effect of panic disorder versus anxiety sensitivity on event-related potentials during anticipation of threat.

PubMed

Stevens, Elizabeth S; Weinberg, Anna; Nelson, Brady D; Meissel, Emily E E; Shankman, Stewart A

2018-03-01

Attention-related abnormalities are key components of the abnormal defensive responding observed in panic disorder (PD). Although behavioral studies have found aberrant attentional biases towards threat in PD, psychophysiological studies have been mixed. Predictability of threat, an important feature of threat processing, may have contributed to these mixed findings. Additionally, anxiety sensitivity, a dimensional trait associated with PD, may yield stronger associations with cognitive processes than categorical diagnoses of PD. In this study, 171 participants with PD and/or depression and healthy controls completed a task that differentiated anticipation of predictable vs. unpredictable shocks, while startle eyeblink and event-related potentials (ERPs [N100, P300]) were recorded. In all participants, relative to the control condition, probe N100 was enhanced to both predictable and unpredictable threat, whereas P300 suppression was unique to predictable threat. Probe N100, but not P300, was associated with startle eyeblink during both threatening conditions, and was strongest for unpredictable threat. PD was not associated with ERPs, but anxiety sensitivity (physical concerns) was positively associated with probe N100 (indicating reduced responding) in the unpredictable condition independent of PD diagnosis. Vulnerability to panic-related psychopathology may be characterized by aberrant early processing of threat, which may be especially evident during anticipation of unpredictable threats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Individual differences in strategic flight management and scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickens, Christopher D.; Raby, Mireille

1991-01-01

A group of 30 instrument-rated pilots was made to fly simulator approaches to three airports under conditions of low, medium, and high workload conditions. An analysis is presently conducted of the difference in discrete task scheduling between the group of 10 highest and 10 lowest performing pilots in the sample; this categorization was based on the mean of various flight-profile measures. The two groups were found to differ from each other only in terms of the time when specific events were conducted, and of the optimality of scheduling for certain high-priority tasks. These results are assessed in view of the relative independence of task-management skills from aircraft-control skills.

500-year Reconstructions of Circulation in the Northeastern Pacific and Western North America: Relation to Precipitation and Fire Conditions in California and Precipitation in Hawai'i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahl, E. R.; Zorita, E.; Trouet, V.; Diaz, H. F.

2015-12-01

A reconstruction of the position of the North Pacific Jet Stream (NPJ) over the past 500 years is evaluated in relation to dry and wet extremes in California and extremes of Sierra Nevada fire activity. This work represents a unique combination of independent annually-resolved paleoclimate and paleoecological reconstructions in the region. Results indicate that fire and precipitation extremes are both closely linked with NPJ winter position, with characteristic wet/low fire and dry/high fire NPJ spatial features in the Pacific adjacent to western North America. These features are in turn evaluated in 21st century climate model scenarios using transient integrations over the past millennium, the instrumental period, and the 21st century. The reconstruction of NPJ position is driven by an analog process that employs independent paleoclimate field reconstructions to select model states closest to the reconstructions; it is thus logically and scientifically most consistent to use comparable models to evaluate the future in relation to the past. Initial results indicate that relatively wet/low fire regional conditions are reasonably possible in the later 21st century under a high greenhouse gas forcing regime (RCP 8.5), even though temperatures rise significantly. Related hydroclimate research reconstructs a precipitation index for the Hawai'ian Islands (HI-precip) over the past 500 years. A northeastern Pacific sea level pressure index reconstructed using the analog process is employed as the driving variable in a calibration against HI-precip. Initial reconstruction results indicate significant bicentennial spectral power, which includes a long-term drying trend that began around 1850 and continues into the first decades of the 21st century. Related statistical downscaling of climate model output for HI-precip to the end of the 21st century suggests the possibility of continued drying under RCP 8.5.

Thermal hydraulic feasibility assessment of the hot conditioning system and process

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

Heard, F.J.

1996-10-10

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Project was established to develop engineered solutions for the expedited removal, stabilization, and storage of spent nuclear fuel from the K Basins at the U.S. Department of Energy`s Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. A series of analyses have been completed investigating the thermal-hydraulic performance and feasibility of the proposed Hot Conditioning System and process for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Project. The analyses were performed using a series of thermal-hydraulic models that could respond to all process and safety-related issues that may arise pertaining to the Hot Conditioning System. The subject efforts focus on independently investigating, quantifying,more » and establishing the governing heat production and removal mechanisms, flow distributions within the multi-canister overpack, and performing process simulations for various purge gases under consideration for the Hot Conditioning System, as well as obtaining preliminary results for comparison with and verification of other analyses, and providing technology- based recommendations for consideration and incorporation into the Hot Conditioning System design bases.« less

Independent Higher Education: Fifth Report on Financial and Educational Trends in the Independent Sector of American Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minter, W. John; Bowen, Howard R.

The fifth report in an annual series designed to provide timely and reliable information on the condition of the independent sector of American higher education is presented. Information was gathered from a sample of 127 institutions representative of all independent, nonprofit, accredited institutions, except free-standing professional schools…

Translational control of human acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 mRNA is mediated by an internal ribosome entry site in response to ER stress, serum deprivation or hypoxia mimetic CoCl2.

PubMed

Damiano, Fabrizio; Testini, Mariangela; Tocci, Romina; Gnoni, Gabriele V; Siculella, Luisa

2018-04-01

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) is a cytosolic enzyme catalyzing the rate limiting step in de novo fatty acid biosynthesis. There is mounting evidence showing that ACC1 is susceptible to dysregulation and that it is over-expressed in liver diseases associated with lipid accumulation and in several cancers. In the present study, ACC1 regulation at the translational level is reported. Using several experimental approaches, the presence of an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) has been established in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) of the ACC1 mRNA. Transfection experiments with the ACC1 5' UTR inserted in a dicistronic reporter vector show a remarkable increase in the downstream cistron translation, through a cap-independent mechanism. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress condition and the related unfolded protein response (UPR), triggered by treatment with thapsigargin and tunicamycin, cause an increase of the cap-independent translation of ACC1 mRNA in HepG2 cells, despite the overall reduction in global protein synthesis. Other stress conditions, such as serum starvation and incubation with hypoxia mimetic agent CoCl 2 , up-regulate ACC1 expression in HepG2 cells at the translational level. Overall, these findings indicate that the presence of an IRES in the ACC1 5' UTR allows ACC1 mRNA translation in conditions that are inhibitory to cap-dependent translation. A potential involvement of the cap-independent translation of ACC1 in several pathologies, such as obesity and cancer, has been discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving approximate-optimized effective potentials by imposing exact conditions: Theory and applications to electronic statics and dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurzweil, Yair; Head-Gordon, Martin

2009-07-01

We develop a method that can constrain any local exchange-correlation potential to preserve basic exact conditions. Using the method of Lagrange multipliers, we calculate for each set of given Kohn-Sham orbitals a constraint-preserving potential which is closest to the given exchange-correlation potential. The method is applicable to both the time-dependent (TD) and independent cases. The exact conditions that are enforced for the time-independent case are Galilean covariance, zero net force and torque, and Levy-Perdew virial theorem. For the time-dependent case we enforce translational covariance, zero net force, Levy-Perdew virial theorem, and energy balance. We test our method on the exchange (only) Krieger-Li-Iafrate (xKLI) approximate-optimized effective potential for both cases. For the time-independent case, we calculated the ground state properties of some hydrogen chains and small sodium clusters for some constrained xKLI potentials and Hartree-Fock (HF) exchange. The results (total energy, Kohn-Sham eigenvalues, polarizability, and hyperpolarizability) indicate that enforcing the exact conditions is not important for these cases. On the other hand, in the time-dependent case, constraining both energy balance and zero net force yields improved results relative to TDHF calculations. We explored the electron dynamics in small sodium clusters driven by cw laser pulses. For each laser pulse we compared calculations from TD constrained xKLI, TD partially constrained xKLI, and TDHF. We found that electron dynamics such as electron ionization and moment of inertia dynamics for the constrained xKLI are most similar to the TDHF results. Also, energy conservation is better by at least one order of magnitude with respect to the unconstrained xKLI. We also discuss the problems that arise in satisfying constraints in the TD case with a non-cw driving force.

Improving approximate-optimized effective potentials by imposing exact conditions: Theory and applications to electronic statics and dynamics

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

Kurzweil, Yair; Head-Gordon, Martin

2009-07-15

We develop a method that can constrain any local exchange-correlation potential to preserve basic exact conditions. Using the method of Lagrange multipliers, we calculate for each set of given Kohn-Sham orbitals a constraint-preserving potential which is closest to the given exchange-correlation potential. The method is applicable to both the time-dependent (TD) and independent cases. The exact conditions that are enforced for the time-independent case are Galilean covariance, zero net force and torque, and Levy-Perdew virial theorem. For the time-dependent case we enforce translational covariance, zero net force, Levy-Perdew virial theorem, and energy balance. We test our method on the exchangemore » (only) Krieger-Li-Iafrate (xKLI) approximate-optimized effective potential for both cases. For the time-independent case, we calculated the ground state properties of some hydrogen chains and small sodium clusters for some constrained xKLI potentials and Hartree-Fock (HF) exchange. The results (total energy, Kohn-Sham eigenvalues, polarizability, and hyperpolarizability) indicate that enforcing the exact conditions is not important for these cases. On the other hand, in the time-dependent case, constraining both energy balance and zero net force yields improved results relative to TDHF calculations. We explored the electron dynamics in small sodium clusters driven by cw laser pulses. For each laser pulse we compared calculations from TD constrained xKLI, TD partially constrained xKLI, and TDHF. We found that electron dynamics such as electron ionization and moment of inertia dynamics for the constrained xKLI are most similar to the TDHF results. Also, energy conservation is better by at least one order of magnitude with respect to the unconstrained xKLI. We also discuss the problems that arise in satisfying constraints in the TD case with a non-cw driving force.« less

Impact of relative humidity, inoculum carrier and size, and native microbiota on Salmonella ser. Typhimurium survival in baby lettuce.

PubMed

López-Gálvez, Francisco; Gil, Maria Isabel; Allende, Ana

2018-04-01

The effects of relative humidity (RH), fluctuating climate conditions, inoculum size and carrier on the survival of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium on baby lettuce in environmental test chambers were studied. Buffered peptone water (BPW), distilled water (DW), and irrigation water (IW) were compared as inoculum carriers. Additionally, survival of Salmonella in suspensions prepared using filtered and unfiltered IW was assessed. Salmonella Typhimurium survived better on baby lettuce plants at high RH independently of the inoculum size. When lettuce plants were grown under fluctuating environmental conditions, Salmonella survival was similar under both RH conditions. Regarding the inoculum carrier, the inoculated microorganism survived better on lettuce plants when BPW was used as carrier both at high and low RH. Survival rate of Salmonella in IW was affected by the presence of native microbiota. Native microbiota present in IW did not affect survival of Salmonella or the levels of mesophilic bacteria on the baby lettuce leaves. The information obtained in the present study contributes to the knowledge on the effect of environmental conditions on pathogenic bacteria survival on growing edible plants. These results are useful when selecting the methodology to carry out experimental studies on the survival of microbial pathogens under different pre-harvest conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defining neighborhood boundaries in studies of spatial dependence in child behavior problems.

PubMed

Caughy, Margaret O'Brien; Leonard, Tammy; Beron, Kurt; Murdoch, James

2013-05-03

The purpose of this study was to extend the analysis of neighborhood effects on child behavioral outcomes in two ways: (1) by examining the geographic extent of the relationship between child behavior and neighborhood physical conditions independent of standard administrative boundaries such as census tracts or block groups and (2) by examining the relationship and geographic extent of geographic peers' behavior and individual child behavior. The study neighborhood was a low income, ethnic minority neighborhood of approximately 20,000 residents in a large city in the southwestern United States. Observational data were collected for 11,552 parcels and 1,778 face blocks in the neighborhood over a five week period. Data on child behavior problems were collected from the parents of 261 school-age children (81% African American, 14% Latino) living in the neighborhood. Spatial analysis methods were used to examine the spatial dependence of child behavior problems in relation to physical conditions in the neighborhood for areas surrounding the child's home ranging from a radius of 50 meters to a radius of 1000 meters. Likewise, the spatial dependence of child behavior problems in relation to the behavior problems of neighborhood peers was examined for areas ranging from a radius 255 meters to a radius of 600 meters around the child's home. Finally, we examined the joint influence of neighborhood physical conditions and geographic peers. Poor conditions of the physical environment of the neighborhood were related to more behavioral problems, and the geographic extent of the physical environment that mattered was an area with a radius between 400 and 800 meters surrounding the child's home. In addition, the average level of behavior problems of neighborhood peers within 255 meters of the child's home was also positively associated with child behavior problems. Furthermore, these effects were independent of one another. These findings demonstrate that using flexible geographies in the study of neighborhood effects can provide important insights into spatial influences on health outcomes. With regards to child behavioral outcomes, specifically, these findings support the importance of addressing the physical and social environment when planning community-level interventions to reduce child behavior problems.

Defining neighborhood boundaries in studies of spatial dependence in child behavior problems

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to extend the analysis of neighborhood effects on child behavioral outcomes in two ways: (1) by examining the geographic extent of the relationship between child behavior and neighborhood physical conditions independent of standard administrative boundaries such as census tracts or block groups and (2) by examining the relationship and geographic extent of geographic peers’ behavior and individual child behavior. Methods The study neighborhood was a low income, ethnic minority neighborhood of approximately 20,000 residents in a large city in the southwestern United States. Observational data were collected for 11,552 parcels and 1,778 face blocks in the neighborhood over a five week period. Data on child behavior problems were collected from the parents of 261 school-age children (81% African American, 14% Latino) living in the neighborhood. Spatial analysis methods were used to examine the spatial dependence of child behavior problems in relation to physical conditions in the neighborhood for areas surrounding the child’s home ranging from a radius of 50 meters to a radius of 1000 meters. Likewise, the spatial dependence of child behavior problems in relation to the behavior problems of neighborhood peers was examined for areas ranging from a radius 255 meters to a radius of 600 meters around the child’s home. Finally, we examined the joint influence of neighborhood physical conditions and geographic peers. Results Poor conditions of the physical environment of the neighborhood were related to more behavioral problems, and the geographic extent of the physical environment that mattered was an area with a radius between 400 and 800 meters surrounding the child’s home. In addition, the average level of behavior problems of neighborhood peers within 255 meters of the child’s home was also positively associated with child behavior problems. Furthermore, these effects were independent of one another. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that using flexible geographies in the study of neighborhood effects can provide important insights into spatial influences on health outcomes. With regards to child behavioral outcomes, specifically, these findings support the importance of addressing the physical and social environment when planning community-level interventions to reduce child behavior problems. PMID:23642001

Experimental Analysis of the Vorticity and Turbulent Flow Dynamics of a Pitching Airfoil at Realistic Flight Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-31

Element type Hex, independent meshing, Linear 3D stress Hex, independent meshing, Linear 3D stress 1 English Units were used in ABAQUS The NACA...Flow Freestream Condition Instrumentation Test section conditions were measured using a Druck DPI 203 digital pressure gage and an Omega Model 199...temperature gage. The Druck pressure gage measures the set dynamic pressure within 0.08%± of full scale, and the Omega thermometer is accurate to

Panic anxiety, under the weather?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulbena, A.; Pailhez, G.; Aceña, R.; Cunillera, J.; Rius, A.; Garcia-Ribera, C.; Gutiérrez, J.; Rojo, C.

2005-03-01

The relationship between weather conditions and psychiatric disorders has been a continuous subject of speculation due to contradictory findings. This study attempts to further clarify this relationship by focussing on specific conditions such as panic attacks and non-panic anxiety in relation to specific meteorological variables. All psychiatric emergencies attended at a general hospital in Barcelona (Spain) during 2002 with anxiety as main complaint were classified as panic or non-panic anxiety according to strict independent and retrospective criteria. Both groups were assessed and compared with meteorological data (wind speed and direction, daily rainfall, temperature, humidity and solar radiation). Seasons and weekend days were also included as independent variables. Non-parametric statistics were used throughout since most variables do not follow a normal distribution. Logistic regression models were applied to predict days with and without the clinical condition. Episodes of panic were three times more common with the poniente wind (hot wind), twice less often with rainfall, and one and a half times more common in autumn than in other seasons. These three trends (hot wind, rainfall and autumn) were accumulative for panic episodes in a logistic regression formula. Significant reduction of episodes on weekends was found only for non-panic episodes. Panic attacks, unlike other anxiety episodes, in a psychiatric emergency department in Barcelona seem to show significant meteorotropism. Assessing specific disorders instead of overall emergencies or other variables of a more general quality could shed new light on the relationship between weather conditions and behaviour.

The asymptotic spectra of banded Toeplitz and quasi-Toeplitz matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beam, Richard M.; Warming, Robert F.

1991-01-01

Toeplitz matrices occur in many mathematical, as well as, scientific and engineering investigations. This paper considers the spectra of banded Toeplitz and quasi-Toeplitz matrices with emphasis on non-normal matrices of arbitrarily large order and relatively small bandwidth. These are the type of matrices that appear in the investigation of stability and convergence of difference approximations to partial differential equations. Quasi-Toeplitz matrices are the result of non-Dirichlet boundary conditions for the difference approximations. The eigenvalue problem for a banded Toeplitz or quasi-Toeplitz matrix of large order is, in general, analytically intractable and (for non-normal matrices) numerically unreliable. An asymptotic (matrix order approaches infinity) approach partitions the eigenvalue analysis of a quasi-Toeplitz matrix into two parts, namely the analysis for the boundary condition independent spectrum and the analysis for the boundary condition dependent spectrum. The boundary condition independent spectrum is the same as the pure Toeplitz matrix spectrum. Algorithms for computing both parts of the spectrum are presented. Examples are used to demonstrate the utility of the algorithms, to present some interesting spectra, and to point out some of the numerical difficulties encountered when conventional matrix eigenvalue routines are employed for non-normal matrices of large order. The analysis for the Toeplitz spectrum also leads to a diagonal similarity transformation that improves conventional numerical eigenvalue computations. Finally, the algorithm for the asymptotic spectrum is extended to the Toeplitz generalized eigenvalue problem which occurs, for example, in the stability of Pade type difference approximations to differential equations.

Comparing a number line and audio prompts in supporting price comparison by students with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Bouck, Emily C; Satsangi, Rajiv; Bartlett, Whitney

2016-01-01

Price comparison is an important and complex skill, but it lacks sufficient research attention in terms of educating secondary students with intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder. This alternating treatment design study compared the use of a paper-based number line and audio prompts delivered via an audio recorder to support three secondary students with intellectual disability to independently and accuracy compare the price of three separate grocery items. The study consisted of 22 sessions, spread across baseline, intervention, best treatment, and two different generalization phases. Data were collected on the percent of task analysis steps completed independently, the type of prompts needed, students' accuracy selecting the lowest priced item, and task completion time. With both intervention conditions, students were able to independently complete the task analysis steps as well as accurately select the lowest priced item and decrease their task completion time. For two of the students, the audio recorder condition resulted in the greatest independence and for one the number line. For only one student was the condition with the greatest independence also the condition for the highest rate of accuracy. The results suggest both tools can support students with price comparison. Yet, audio recorders offer students and teachers an age-appropriate and setting-appropriate option. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visually cued motor synchronization: modulation of fMRI activation patterns by baseline condition.

PubMed

Cerasa, Antonio; Hagberg, Gisela E; Bianciardi, Marta; Sabatini, Umberto

2005-01-03

A well-known issue in functional neuroimaging studies, regarding motor synchronization, is to design suitable control tasks able to discriminate between the brain structures involved in primary time-keeper functions and those related to other processes such as attentional effort. The aim of this work was to investigate how the predictability of stimulus onsets in the baseline condition modulates the activity in brain structures related to processes involved in time-keeper functions during the performance of a visually cued motor synchronization task (VM). The rational behind this choice derives from the notion that using different stimulus predictability can vary the subject's attention and the consequently neural activity. For this purpose, baseline levels of BOLD activity were obtained from 12 subjects during a conventional-baseline condition: maintained fixation of the visual rhythmic stimuli presented in the VM task, and a random-baseline condition: maintained fixation of visual stimuli occurring randomly. fMRI analysis demonstrated that while brain areas with a documented role in basic time processing are detected independent of the baseline condition (right cerebellum, bilateral putamen, left thalamus, left superior temporal gyrus, left sensorimotor cortex, left dorsal premotor cortex and supplementary motor area), the ventral premotor cortex, caudate nucleus, insula and inferior frontal gyrus exhibited a baseline-dependent activation. We conclude that maintained fixation of unpredictable visual stimuli can be employed in order to reduce or eliminate neural activity related to attentional components present in the synchronization task.

[The forensic expertise of cadavers of females suspected to be victims of sexually motivated homicide].

PubMed

Dmitrieva, O A

2004-01-01

According to the author's independent observations, the criminal, as a rule, strangles his victim in sex-related murders. In cases of suspected sex-related murders of women, the female urogenital system needs to be examined as an anatomically whole preparation. It was proven that the spermatozoid structure (in the cadaveric vagina, whose condition was optimal) began to change from week 2 with almost all their heads being destroyed by the end of week 6. When cadavers are found in 1.5-2 months after the event, there is no reason to give up examinations of the sperm from cadaver.

Symmetric tops in combined electric fields: Conditional quasisolvability via the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schatz, Konrad; Friedrich, Bretislav; Becker, Simon; Schmidt, Burkhard

2018-05-01

We make use of the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi (QHJ) theory to investigate conditional quasisolvability of the quantum symmetric top subject to combined electric fields (symmetric top pendulum). We derive the conditions of quasisolvability of the time-independent Schrödinger equation as well as the corresponding finite sets of exact analytic solutions. We do so for this prototypical trigonometric system as well as for its anti-isospectral hyperbolic counterpart. An examination of the algebraic and numerical spectra of these two systems reveals mutually closely related patterns. The QHJ approach allows us to retrieve the closed-form solutions for the spherical and planar pendula and the Razavy system that had been obtained in our earlier work via supersymmetric quantum mechanics as well as to find a cornucopia of additional exact analytic solutions.

Do observed or perceived characteristics of the neighborhood environment mediate associations between neighborhood poverty and cumulative biological risk?

PubMed Central

Schulz, Amy J.; Mentz, Graciela; Lachance, Laurie; Zenk, Shannon N.; Johnson, Jonetta; Stokes, Carmen; Mandell, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Objective To examine contributions of observed and perceived neighborhood characteristics in explaining associations between neighborhood poverty and cumulative biological risk (CBR) in an urban community. Methods Multilevel regression analyses were conducted using cross-sectional data from a probability sample survey (n=919), and observational and census data. Dependent variable: CBR. Independent variables: Neighborhood disorder, deterioration and characteristics; perceived neighborhood social environment, physical environment, and neighborhood environment. Covariates: Neighborhood and individual demographics, health-related behaviors. Results Observed and perceived indicators of neighborhood conditions were significantly associated with CBR, after accounting for both neighborhood and individual level socioeconomic indicators. Observed and perceived neighborhood environmental conditions mediated associations between neighborhood poverty and CBR. Conclusions Findings were consistent with the hypothesis that neighborhood conditions associated with economic divestment mediate associations between neighborhood poverty and CBR. PMID:24100238

Update Study of the Financial Condition of Independent Higher Education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission for Independent Colleges and Universities, Harrisburg, PA.

A study completed in Winter 1971 report on the financial condition of institutions affiliated with the Commission for Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU). Its analysis showed a steady deterioration of financial operating results from a positive $10 million to a negative $1 million. The purpose of the present study was to: (1) measure the…

Modulation of JB6 Mouse Epidermal Cell Transformation Response by the Prostaglandin F2 Alpha Receptor

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

Weber, Thomas J.; Markillie, Lye MENG.; Chrisler, William B.

2002-12-01

Prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a) has been associated with the modulation of clonal selection processes in the mouse skin model of carcinogenesis. We have investigated whether JB6 mouse epidermal cells express a functional PGF2a receptor (FP) coupled to the regulation of anchorage-dependent and -independent growth. Treatment of JB6 cells with a FP receptor ligand (fluprostenol) potently (pM-nM) increased anchorage-dependent and -independent growth, as determined by a battery of in vitro assays. Treatment of JB6 cells with PGF2a and fluprostenol increased inositol phospholipid accumulation and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) activity, consistent with FP receptor-related signaling. FP receptor mRNA was detected by reversemore » transcription-polymerase chain reaction and a radiolabel binding assay determined the average specific [3H]PGF2a binding to be 8.25 + 0.95 fmol/mg protein. Treatment of cells with fluprostenol as a single exposure resulted in a significant increase in anchorage-dependent and -independent growth in media containing low (0.1-0.5%), but not high (5%) concentrations of fetal bovine serum (FBS). In contrast, treatment of cells with fluprostenol at two day intervals resulted in a more robust growth response under anchorage-dependent conditions only in media containing low FBS concentrations; and under anchorage-independent conditions only in media containing high FBS concentrations. ERK activation and colony size were increased by cotreatment of JB6 cells with EGF and fluprostenol to a greater extent than either treatment alone, while the cotreatment effect on colony number appeared to be simply additive. In summary, FBS concentration and signal oscillation exert pronounced effects on the biological response to a FP receptor agonist. The data raise the possibility that the FP receptor may independently contribute to clonal selection processes, but may play a more important role as a response modifier.« less

Evaluative conditioning: A brief computer-delivered intervention to reduce college student drinking.

PubMed

Tello, Nina; Bocage-Barthélémy, Yvana; Dandaba, Meira; Jaafari, Nematollah; Chatard, Armand

2018-07-01

Recent research suggests that a brief computer-delivered intervention based on evaluative conditioning (EC) can change the implicit evaluation of alcohol and reduce drinking behaviors among college students. We tested whether we could obtain similar findings in a high-powered preregistered study and whether hazardous drinking moderates these effects. Before the intervention, 122 French college students were screened for hazardous drinking using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Implicit evaluation of alcohol was assessed before and immediately after the intervention using an Implicit Association Test (IAT). Drinking behavior was assessed before the intervention and approximately two weeks after using the TimeLine Follow Back (TLFB) method. The EC consisted of 120 trials of words (related to alcoholic beverages, soft drinks or neutral) paired with pictures (neutral, positive or negative). In the EC condition, alcohol-related words were systematically paired with negative pictures. In the control condition, alcohol-related words were systematically paired with neutral pictures. The EC did not change the implicit evaluation of alcohol, Cohen's d = 0.01, 95CI [-0.35, 0.35]. However, the EC reduced drinking behavior, Cohen's d = 0.37, 95CI [0.01, 0.72]. This effect was independent of hazardous drinking behavior, but it was especially pronounced among participants with the most positive implicit evaluation of alcohol before the intervention. This preregistered study suggests that evaluative conditioning can successfully reduce drinking behavior among college students by 31% (compared to 4% in the control condition) without causing an immediate change in the implicit evaluation of alcohol. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stimulus-related activity during conditional associations in monkey perirhinal cortex neurons depends on upcoming reward outcome.

PubMed

Ohyama, Kaoru; Sugase-Miyamoto, Yasuko; Matsumoto, Narihisa; Shidara, Munetaka; Sato, Chikara

2012-11-28

Acquiring the significance of events based on reward-related information is critical for animals to survive and to conduct social activities. The importance of the perirhinal cortex for reward-related information processing has been suggested. To examine whether or not neurons in this cortex represent reward information flexibly when a visual stimulus indicates either a rewarded or unrewarded outcome, neuronal activity in the macaque perirhinal cortex was examined using a conditional-association cued-reward task. The task design allowed us to study how the neuronal responses depended on the animal's prediction of whether it would or would not be rewarded. Two visual stimuli, a color stimulus as Cue1 followed by a pattern stimulus as Cue2, were sequentially presented. Each pattern stimulus was conditionally associated with both rewarded and unrewarded outcomes depending on the preceding color stimulus. We found an activity depending upon the two reward conditions during Cue2, i.e., pattern stimulus presentation. The response appeared after the response dependent upon the image identity of Cue2. The response delineating a specific cue sequence also appeared between the responses dependent upon the identity of Cue2 and reward conditions. Thus, when Cue1 sets the context for whether or not Cue2 indicates a reward, this region represents the meaning of Cue2, i.e., the reward conditions, independent of the identity of Cue2. These results suggest that neurons in the perirhinal cortex do more than associate a single stimulus with a reward to achieve flexible representations of reward information.

How to validate similarity in linear transform models of event-related potentials between experimental conditions?

PubMed

Cong, Fengyu; Lin, Qiu-Hua; Astikainen, Piia; Ristaniemi, Tapani

2014-10-30

It is well-known that data of event-related potentials (ERPs) conform to the linear transform model (LTM). For group-level ERP data processing using principal/independent component analysis (PCA/ICA), ERP data of different experimental conditions and different participants are often concatenated. It is theoretically assumed that different experimental conditions and different participants possess the same LTM. However, how to validate the assumption has been seldom reported in terms of signal processing methods. When ICA decomposition is globally optimized for ERP data of one stimulus, we gain the ratio between two coefficients mapping a source in brain to two points along the scalp. Based on such a ratio, we defined a relative mapping coefficient (RMC). If RMCs between two conditions for an ERP are not significantly different in practice, mapping coefficients of this ERP between the two conditions are statistically identical. We examined whether the same LTM of ERP data could be applied for two different stimulus types of fearful and happy facial expressions. They were used in an ignore oddball paradigm in adult human participants. We found no significant difference in LTMs (based on ICASSO) of N170 responses to the fearful and the happy faces in terms of RMCs of N170. We found no methods for straightforward comparison. The proposed RMC in light of ICA decomposition is an effective approach for validating the similarity of LTMs of ERPs between experimental conditions. This is very fundamental to apply group-level PCA/ICA to process ERP data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Associations Between Socioeconomic Status and Allostatic Load: Effects of Neighborhood Poverty and Tests of Mediating Pathways

PubMed Central

Mentz, Graciela; Lachance, Laurie; Johnson, Jonetta; Gaines, Causandra; Israel, Barbara A.

2012-01-01

Objectives. We examined relationships between neighborhood poverty and allostatic load in a low- to moderate-income multiracial urban community. We tested the hypothesis that neighborhood poverty is associated with allostatic load, controlling for household poverty. We also examined the hypotheses that this association was mediated by psychosocial stress and health-related behaviors. Methods. We conducted multilevel analyses using cross-sectional data from a probability sample survey in Detroit, Michigan (n = 919) and the 2000 US Census. The outcome measure was allostatic load. Independent variables included neighborhood and household poverty, psychosocial stress, and health-related behaviors. Covariates included neighborhood and individual demographic characteristics. Results. Neighborhood poverty was positively associated with allostatic load (P < .05), independent of household poverty and controlling for potential confounders. Relationships between neighborhood poverty were mediated by self-reported neighborhood environment stress but not by health-related behaviors. Conclusions. Neighborhood poverty is associated with wear and tear on physiological systems, and this relationship is mediated through psychosocial stress. These relationships are evident after accounting for household poverty levels. Efforts to promote health equity should focus on neighborhood poverty, associated stressful environmental conditions, and household poverty. PMID:22873478

Associations between socioeconomic status and allostatic load: effects of neighborhood poverty and tests of mediating pathways.

PubMed

Schulz, Amy J; Mentz, Graciela; Lachance, Laurie; Johnson, Jonetta; Gaines, Causandra; Israel, Barbara A

2012-09-01

We examined relationships between neighborhood poverty and allostatic load in a low- to moderate-income multiracial urban community. We tested the hypothesis that neighborhood poverty is associated with allostatic load, controlling for household poverty. We also examined the hypotheses that this association was mediated by psychosocial stress and health-related behaviors. We conducted multilevel analyses using cross-sectional data from a probability sample survey in Detroit, Michigan (n = 919) and the 2000 US Census. The outcome measure was allostatic load. Independent variables included neighborhood and household poverty, psychosocial stress, and health-related behaviors. Covariates included neighborhood and individual demographic characteristics. Neighborhood poverty was positively associated with allostatic load (P < .05), independent of household poverty and controlling for potential confounders. Relationships between neighborhood poverty were mediated by self-reported neighborhood environment stress but not by health-related behaviors. Neighborhood poverty is associated with wear and tear on physiological systems, and this relationship is mediated through psychosocial stress. These relationships are evident after accounting for household poverty levels. Efforts to promote health equity should focus on neighborhood poverty, associated stressful environmental conditions, and household poverty.

Inhibition of Return in the Visual Field

PubMed Central

Bao, Yan; Lei, Quan; Fang, Yuan; Tong, Yu; Schill, Kerstin; Pöppel, Ernst; Strasburger, Hans

2013-01-01

Inhibition of return (IOR) as an indicator of attentional control is characterized by an eccentricity effect, that is, the more peripheral visual field shows a stronger IOR magnitude relative to the perifoveal visual field. However, it could be argued that this eccentricity effect may not be an attention effect, but due to cortical magnification. To test this possibility, we examined this eccentricity effect in two conditions: the same-size condition in which identical stimuli were used at different eccentricities, and the size-scaling condition in which stimuli were scaled according to the cortical magnification factor (M-scaling), thus stimuli being larger at the more peripheral locations. The results showed that the magnitude of IOR was significantly stronger in the peripheral relative to the perifoveal visual field, and this eccentricity effect was independent of the manipulation of stimulus size (same-size or size-scaling). These results suggest a robust eccentricity effect of IOR which cannot be eliminated by M-scaling. Underlying neural mechanisms of the eccentricity effect of IOR are discussed with respect to both cortical and subcortical structures mediating attentional control in the perifoveal and peripheral visual field. PMID:23820946

Elucidating the functional relationship between working memory capacity and psychometric intelligence: a fixed-links modeling approach for experimental repeated-measures designs.

PubMed

Thomas, Philipp; Rammsayer, Thomas; Schweizer, Karl; Troche, Stefan

2015-01-01

Numerous studies reported a strong link between working memory capacity (WMC) and fluid intelligence (Gf), although views differ in respect to how close these two constructs are related to each other. In the present study, we used a WMC task with five levels of task demands to assess the relationship between WMC and Gf by means of a new methodological approach referred to as fixed-links modeling. Fixed-links models belong to the family of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and are of particular interest for experimental, repeated-measures designs. With this technique, processes systematically varying across task conditions can be disentangled from processes unaffected by the experimental manipulation. Proceeding from the assumption that experimental manipulation in a WMC task leads to increasing demands on WMC, the processes systematically varying across task conditions can be assumed to be WMC-specific. Processes not varying across task conditions, on the other hand, are probably independent of WMC. Fixed-links models allow for representing these two kinds of processes by two independent latent variables. In contrast to traditional CFA where a common latent variable is derived from the different task conditions, fixed-links models facilitate a more precise or purified representation of the WMC-related processes of interest. By using fixed-links modeling to analyze data of 200 participants, we identified a non-experimental latent variable, representing processes that remained constant irrespective of the WMC task conditions, and an experimental latent variable which reflected processes that varied as a function of experimental manipulation. This latter variable represents the increasing demands on WMC and, hence, was considered a purified measure of WMC controlled for the constant processes. Fixed-links modeling showed that both the purified measure of WMC (β = .48) as well as the constant processes involved in the task (β = .45) were related to Gf. Taken together, these two latent variables explained the same portion of variance of Gf as a single latent variable obtained by traditional CFA (β = .65) indicating that traditional CFA causes an overestimation of the effective relationship between WMC and Gf. Thus, fixed-links modeling provides a feasible method for a more valid investigation of the functional relationship between specific constructs.

The Allende multicompound chondrule (ACC)—Chondrule formation in a local super-dense region of the early solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischoff, Addi; Wurm, Gerhard; Chaussidon, Marc; Horstmann, Marian; Metzler, Knut; Weyrauch, Mona; Weinauer, Julia

2017-05-01

In Allende, a very complex compound chondrule (Allende compound chondrule; ACC) was found consisting of at least 16 subchondrules (14 siblings and 2 independents). Its overall texture can roughly be described as a barred olivine object (BO). The BO texture is similar in all siblings, but does not exist in the two independents, which appear as relatively compact olivine-rich units. Because of secondary alteration of pristine Allende components and the ACC in particular, only limited predictions can be made concerning the original compositions of the colliding melt droplets. Based on textural and mineralogical characteristics, the siblings must have been formed on a very short time scale in a dense, local environment. This is also supported by oxygen isotope systematics showing similar compositions for all 16 subchondrules. Furthermore, the ACC subchondrules are isotopically distinct from typical Allende chondrules, indicating formation in or reaction with a more 16O-poor reservoir. We modeled constraints on the particle density required at the ACC formation location, using textural, mineral-chemical, and isotopic observations on this multicompound chondrule to define melt droplet collision conditions. In this context, we discuss the possible relationship between the formation of complex chondrules and the formation of macrochondrules and cluster chondrites. While macrochondrules may have formed under similar or related conditions as complex chondrules, cluster chondrites certainly require different formation conditions. Cluster chondrites represent a mixture of viscously deformed, seemingly young chondrules of different chemical and textural types and a population of older chondrules. Concerning the formation of ACC calculations suggest the existence of very local, kilometer-sized, and super-dense chondrule-forming regions with extremely high solid-to-gas mass ratios of 1000 or more.

Molecular Phylogenetic Exploration of Bacterial Diversity in a Bakreshwar (India) Hot Spring and Culture of Shewanella-Related Thermophiles

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Dhritiman; Bal, Bijay; Kashyap, V. K.; Pal, Subrata

2003-01-01

The bacterial diversity of a hot spring in Bakreshwar, India, was investigated by a culture-independent approach. 16S ribosomal DNA clones derived from the sediment samples were found to be associated with gamma-Proteobacteria, cyanobacteria, and green nonsulfur and low-GC gram-positive bacteria. The first of the above phylotypes cobranches with Shewanella, a well-known iron reducer. This phylogenetic correlation has been exploited to develop culture conditions for thermophilic iron-reducing microorganisms. PMID:12839826

Biphonation in voice signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzel, Hanspeter; Reuter, Robert

1996-06-01

Irregularities in voiced speech are often observed as a consequence of vocal fold lesions, paralyses, and other pathological conditions. Many of these instabilities are related to the intrinsic nonlinearities in the vibrations of the vocal folds. In this paper, a specific nonlinear phenomenon is discussed: The appearance of two independent fundamental frequencies termed biphonation. Several narrow-band spectrograms are presented showing biphonation in signals from voice patients, a newborn cry, a singer, and excised larynx experiments. Finally, possible physiological mechanisms of instabilities of the voice source are discussed.

[Reproductive behavior after the demographic transition].

PubMed

Pavlik, Z

1991-01-01

"The article analyses [Bulgaria's] demographic revolution as a relatively independent process, yet at the same time as part and parcel of the global revolution.... The author considers the conditions influencing [reproductive] behaviour prior to the demographic revolution..., pointing out...the importance of social factors.... It is emphasised that the completion of the demographic revolution in the demographically advanced countries practically solves the problem of the population's size and growth...and paves the road for [improvements in health, education, qualifications, and cultural and living standards]." (SUMMARY IN ENG) excerpt

Isolating the incentive salience of reward-associated stimuli: value, choice, and persistence

PubMed Central

Chow, Jonathan J.

2015-01-01

Sign- and goal-tracking are differentially associated with drug abuse-related behavior. Recently, it has been hypothesized that sign- and goal-tracking behavior are mediated by different neurobehavioral valuation systems, including differential incentive salience attribution. Herein, we used different conditioned stimuli to preferentially elicit different response types to study the different incentive valuation characteristics of stimuli associated with sign- and goal-tracking within individuals. The results demonstrate that all stimuli used were equally effective conditioned stimuli; however, only a lever stimulus associated with sign-tracking behavior served as a robust conditioned reinforcer and was preferred over a tone associated with goal-tracking. Moreover, the incentive value attributed to the lever stimulus was capable of promoting suboptimal choice, leading to a significant reduction in reinforcers (food) earned. Furthermore, sign-tracking to a lever was more persistent than goal-tracking to a tone under omission and extinction contingencies. Finally, a conditional discrimination procedure demonstrated that sign-tracking to a lever and goal-tracking to a tone were dependent on learned stimulus–reinforcer relations. Collectively, these results suggest that the different neurobehavioral valuation processes proposed to govern sign- and goal-tracking behavior are independent but parallel processes within individuals. Examining these systems within individuals will provide a better understanding of how one system comes to dominate stimulus–reward learning, thus leading to the differential role these systems play in abuse-related behavior. PMID:25593298

Independent and inverse association of healthcare utilisation with physical activity in older adults with multiple chronic conditions.

PubMed

Liu-Ambrose, T Y L; Ashe, M C; Marra, C

2010-11-01

In this study, whether physical activity is independently associated with direct healthcare costs in community-dwelling older adults with multiple chronic conditions was examined. Cross-sectional analysis. Research laboratory. 299 community-dwelling men and women volunteers aged 65 years and older with chronic conditions. None. Primary dependent variable was direct healthcare costs incurred in the previous 3 months. Participants completed the Health Resource Utilisation (HRU) questionnaire. To estimate HRU, direct costs in the previous 3 months were calculated using the three-party payer perspective of the British Columbia Ministry of Health, deemed representative of the Canadian healthcare system costs. For medications, the Retail Pharmacy Dispensed prescription cost tables were used. Primary independent variables were (1) self-report current level of physical activity as assessed by the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASIPD) and (2) general balance and mobility as assessed by the National Institute on Aging Balance Scale. The mean number of chronic conditions per participant was six. Current level of physical activity was independently and inversely associated with HRU. Age, sex, number of chronic conditions, global cognitive function, body mass index, and general balance and mobility together accounted for 24.3% of the total variance. Adding the PASIPD score resulted in an R2 change of 3.3% and significantly improved the model. The total variance accounted by the final model was 27.6%. Physical activity promotion may reduce healthcare costs in older adults with chronic conditions.

Experimental Investigation of Soil and Atmospheric Conditions on the Momentum, Mass, and Thermal Boundary Layers Above the Land Atmosphere Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trautz, A.; Smits, K. M.; Illangasekare, T. H.; Schulte, P.

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of soil conditions (i.e. soil type, saturation) and atmospheric forcings (i.e. velocity, temperature, relative humidity) on the momentum, mass, and temperature boundary layers. The atmospheric conditions tested represent those typically found in semi-arid and arid climates and the soil conditions simulate the three stages of evaporation. The data generated will help identify the importance of different soil conditions and atmospheric forcings with respect to land-atmospheric interactions which will have direct implications on future numerical studies investigating the effects of turbulent air flow on evaporation. The experimental datasets generated for this study were performed using a unique climate controlled closed-circuit wind tunnel/porous media facility located at the Center for Experimental Study of Subsurface Environmental Processes (CESEP) at the Colorado School of Mines. The test apparatus consisting of a 7.3 m long porous media tank and wind tunnel, were outfitted with a sensor network to carefully measure wind velocity, air and soil temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, and soil air pressure. Boundary layer measurements were made between the heights of 2 and 500 mm above the soil tank under constant conditions (i.e. wind velocity, temperature, relative humidity). The soil conditions (e.g. soil type, soil moisture) were varied between datasets to analyze their impact on the boundary layers. Experimental results show that the momentum boundary layer is very sensitive to the applied atmospheric conditions and soil conditions to a much less extent. Increases in velocity above porous media leads to momentum boundary layer thinning and closely reflect classical flat plate theory. The mass and thermal boundary layers are directly dependent on both atmospheric and soil conditions. Air pressure within the soil is independent of atmospheric temperature and relative humidity - wind velocity and soil moisture effects were observed. This data provides important insight into future work of accurately modeling the exchange processes associated with evaporation under various turbulent atmospheric conditions.

Epizootic of sarcoptic mange in raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in relation to population density.

PubMed

Sugiura, Natsuko; Doi, Kandai; Kato, Takuya; Morita, Tatsushi; Hayama, Shin-Ichi

2018-03-30

To examine outbreaks of mange in raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) with respect to population density, we analyzed camera trap videos, and isolated mites from raccoon dog carcasses. In a camera trapping survey, we categorized the skin condition of raccoon dogs, and used a number of independent videos to calculate the relative abundance index (RAI). The RAI of raccoon dogs with alopecia increased following an increase in the RAI of those without alopecia. Among 27 raccoon dog carcasses, 12 showed mange-compatible skin lesions. Sarcoptes scabiei was isolated from 11 of these raccoon dogs, indicating that sarcoptic mange was endemic in our study area. Therefore, a high relative population density may be a factor underlying epizootics of sarcoptic mange in raccoon dogs.

The human insulin mRNA is partly translated via a cap- and eIF4A-independent mechanism

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

Fred, Rikard G., E-mail: Rikard.Fred@mcb.uu.se; Sandberg, Monica; Pelletier, Jerry

Highlights: {yields} The polypyrimidine tract binding protein binds to the 5'-UTR of the insulin mRNA. {yields} Insulin mRNA can be translated via a cap-independent mechanism. {yields} The fraction cap-independent insulin synthesis increases during conditions of stress. {yields} The {beta}-cell is able to uphold basal insulin biosynthesis under conditions of stress. -- Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether cap-independent insulin mRNA translation occurs in human pancreatic islets at basal conditions, during stimulation at a high glucose concentration and at conditions of nitrosative stress. We also aimed at correlating cap-independent insulin mRNA translation with binding of the IRESmore » trans-acting factor polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB) to the 5'-UTR of insulin mRNA. For this purpose, human islets were incubated for 2 h in the presence of low (1.67 mM) or high glucose (16.7 mM). Nitrosative stress was induced by addition of 1 mM DETA/NO and cap-dependent mRNA translation was inhibited with hippuristanol. Insulin biosynthesis rates were determined by radioactive labeling and immunoprecipitation. PTB affinity to insulin mRNA 5'-UTR was assessed by a magnetic micro bead pull-down procedure. We observed that in the presence of 1.67 mM glucose, approximately 70% of the insulin mRNA translation was inhibited by hippuristanol. Corresponding value from islets incubated at 16.7 mM glucose was 93%. DETA/NO treatment significantly decreased the translation of insulin by 85% in high glucose incubated islets, and by 50% at a low glucose concentration. The lowered insulin biosynthesis rates of DETA/NO-exposed islets were further suppressed by hippuristanol with 55% at 16.7 mM glucose but not at 1.67 mM glucose. Thus, hippuristanol-induced inhibition of insulin biosynthesis was less pronounced in DETA/NO-treated islets as compared to control islets. We observed also that PTB bound specifically to the insulin mRNA 5'-UTR in vitro, and that this binding corresponded well with rates of cap-independent insulin biosynthesis at the different conditions. In conclusion, our studies show that insulin biosynthesis is mainly cap-dependent at a high glucose concentration, but that the cap-independent biosynthesis of insulin can constitute as much as 40-100% of all insulin biosynthesis during conditions of nitrosative stress. These data suggest that the pancreatic {beta}-cell is able to uphold basal insulin synthesis at conditions of starvation and stress via a cap- and eIF4A-independent mechanism, possibly mediated by the binding of PTB to the 5'-UTR of the human insulin mRNA.« less

Mechanisms and assessment of IgG4-related disease: lessons for the rheumatologist.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Motohisa; Takahashi, Hiroki; Shinomura, Yasuhisa

2014-03-01

Recognition of IgG4-related disease as an independent chronic inflammatory disorder is a relatively new concept; previously, the condition was thought to represent a subtype of Sjögren's syndrome. IgG4-related disease is characterized by elevated serum levels of IgG4 and inflammation of various organs, with abundant infiltration of IgG4-bearing plasma cells, storiform fibrosis and obliterative phlebitis representing the major histopathological features of the swollen organs. The aetiology and pathogenesis of this disorder remain unclear, but inflammation and subsequent fibrosis occur due to excess production of type 2 T-helper-cell and regulatory T-cell cytokines. The disease can comprise various organ manifestations, such as dacryoadenitis and sialadenitis (also called Mikulicz disease), type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis, kidney dysfunction and lung disease. Early intervention using glucocorticoids can improve IgG4-related organ dysfunction; however, patients often relapse when doses of these agents are tapered. The disease has also been associated with an increased incidence of certain malignancies. Increased awareness of IgG4-related disease might lead to consultation with rheumatologists owing to its clinical, and potentially pathogenetic, similarities with certain rheumatic disorders. With this in mind, we describe the pathogenic mechanisms of IgG4-related disease, and outline considerations for diagnosis and treatment of the condition.

Cafeteria diet overfeeding in young male rats impairs the adaptive response to fed/fasted conditions and increases adiposity independent of body weight.

PubMed

Castro, H; Pomar, C A; Picó, C; Sánchez, J; Palou, A

2015-03-01

We analyzed the effects of a short exposure to a cafeteria diet during early infancy in rats on their metabolic response to fed/fasting conditions in key tissues involved in energy homeostasis. Ten-day-old male pups were fed a control or a cafeteria diet for 12 days and then killed under ad libitum feeding conditions or 12 h fasting. The expression of key genes related to energy metabolism in liver, retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (WAT) and hypothalamus were analyzed. Despite no differences in body weight, cafeteria-fed animals had almost double the fat mass of control rats. They also showed higher food intake, higher leptinemia and altered hypothalamic expression of Neuropetide Y, suggesting a dysfunction in the control of food intake. Unlike controls, cafeteria-fed animals did not decrease WAT expression of Pparg, sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 or Cidea under fasting conditions, and displayed lower Pnpla2 expression than controls. In liver, compared with controls, cafeteria animals presented: (i) lower expression of genes related with fatty acid uptake and lipogenesis under ad libitum-fed conditions; (ii) higher expression of fatty acid oxidation-related genes and glucokinase under fasting conditions; (iii) greater expression of leptin and insulin receptors; and higher protein levels of insulin receptor and the pAMPK/AMPK ratio. A short period of exposure to a cafeteria diet in early infancy in rat pups is enough to disturb the metabolic response to fed/fasting conditions in key tissues involved in energy homeostasis, particularly in WAT, and hence induces an exacerbated body fat accumulation and increased metabolic risk, with no apparent effects on body weight.

Intolerance of uncertainty and startle potentiation in relation to different threat reinforcement rates.

PubMed

Chin, Brian; Nelson, Brady D; Jackson, Felicia; Hajcak, Greg

2016-01-01

Fear conditioning research on threat predictability has primarily examined the impact of temporal (i.e., timing) predictability on the startle reflex. However, there are other key features of threat that can vary in predictability. For example, the reinforcement rate (i.e., frequency) of threat is a crucial factor underlying fear learning. The present study examined the impact of threat reinforcement rate on the startle reflex and self-reported anxiety during a fear conditioning paradigm. Forty-five participants completed a fear learning task in which the conditioned stimulus was reinforced with an electric shock to the forearm on 50% of trials in one block and 75% of trials in a second block, in counter-balanced order. The present study also examined whether intolerance of uncertainty (IU), the tendency to perceive or experience uncertainty as stressful or unpleasant, was associated with the startle reflex during conditions of low (50%) vs. high (75%) reinforcement. Results indicated that, across all participants, startle was greater during the 75% relative to the 50% reinforcement condition. IU was positively correlated with startle potentiation (i.e., increased startle response to the CS+ relative to the CS-) during the 50%, but not the 75%, reinforcement condition. Thus, despite receiving fewer electric shocks during the 50% reinforcement condition, individuals with high IU uniquely demonstrated greater defense system activation when impending threat was more uncertain. The association between IU and startle was independent of state anxiety. The present study adds to a growing literature on threat predictability and aversive responding, and suggests IU is associated with abnormal responding in the context of uncertain threat. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The value of a comprehensive geriatric assessment for patient care in acutely hospitalized older patients with cancer.

PubMed

Hamaker, Marije E; Buurman, Bianca M; van Munster, Barbara C; Kuper, Ingeborg M J A; Smorenburg, Carolien H; de Rooij, Sophia E

2011-01-01

A comprehensive geriatric assessment systematically collects information on geriatric conditions and is propagated in oncology as a useful tool when assessing older cancer patients. The objectives were: (a) to study the prevalence of geriatric conditions in cancer patients aged ≥ 65 years, acutely admitted to a general medicine ward; (b) to determine functional decline and mortality within 12 months after admission; and (c) to assess which geriatric conditions and cancer-related variables are associated with 12-month mortality. This was an observational cohort study of 292 cancer patients aged ≥ 65 years, acutely admitted to the general medicine and oncology wards of two university hospitals and one secondary teaching hospital. Baseline assessments included patient characteristics, reason for admission, comorbidity, and geriatric conditions. Follow-up at 3 and 12 months was aimed at functional decline (loss of one or more activities of daily living [ADL]) and mortality. The median patient age was 74.9 years, and 95% lived independently; 126 patients (43%) had metastatic disease. A high prevalence of geriatric conditions was found for instrumental ADL impairment (78%), depressive symptoms (65%), pain (65%), impaired mobility (48%), malnutrition (46%), and ADL impairment (38%). Functional decline was observed in 8% and 33% of patients at 3 and 12 months, respectively. Mortality rates were 38% at 3 months and 64% at 12 months. Mortality was associated with cancer-related factors only. In these acutely hospitalized older cancer patients, mortality was only associated with cancer-related factors. The prevalence of geriatric conditions in this population was high. Future research is needed to elucidate if addressing these conditions can improve quality of life.

The Value of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for Patient Care in Acutely Hospitalized Older Patients with Cancer

PubMed Central

Buurman, Bianca M.; van Munster, Barbara C.; Kuper, Ingeborg M.J.A.; Smorenburg, Carolien H.; de Rooij, Sophia E.

2011-01-01

Introduction. A comprehensive geriatric assessment systematically collects information on geriatric conditions and is propagated in oncology as a useful tool when assessing older cancer patients. Objectives. The objectives were: (a) to study the prevalence of geriatric conditions in cancer patients aged ≥65 years, acutely admitted to a general medicine ward; (b) to determine functional decline and mortality within 12 months after admission; and (c) to assess which geriatric conditions and cancer-related variables are associated with 12-month mortality. Methods. This was an observational cohort study of 292 cancer patients aged ≥65 years, acutely admitted to the general medicine and oncology wards of two university hospitals and one secondary teaching hospital. Baseline assessments included patient characteristics, reason for admission, comorbidity, and geriatric conditions. Follow-up at 3 and 12 months was aimed at functional decline (loss of one or more activities of daily living [ADL]) and mortality. Results. The median patient age was 74.9 years, and 95% lived independently; 126 patients (43%) had metastatic disease. A high prevalence of geriatric conditions was found for instrumental ADL impairment (78%), depressive symptoms (65%), pain (65%), impaired mobility (48%), malnutrition (46%), and ADL impairment (38%). Functional decline was observed in 8% and 33% of patients at 3 and 12 months, respectively. Mortality rates were 38% at 3 months and 64% at 12 months. Mortality was associated with cancer-related factors only. Conclusion. In these acutely hospitalized older cancer patients, mortality was only associated with cancer-related factors. The prevalence of geriatric conditions in this population was high. Future research is needed to elucidate if addressing these conditions can improve quality of life. PMID:21914699

Effects of Tai Chi on health related quality of life in patients with chronic conditions: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Li, Guichen; Yuan, Hua; Zhang, Wei

2014-08-01

To determine the effects of Tai Chi practice on health related quality of life in patients with various chronic medical conditions. One of the characters of chronic illness is life-long condition with the deterioration in health related quality of life. Tai Chi has become a popular mind-body exercise and self-management strategy for patients with chronic conditions regarding its various physical and psychological effects. Eight databases (the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, EBSCO, Web of science and three Chinese databases: CNKI, Wanfang data and VIP) were searched (up to December 2013) for relevant studies. Studies including participants with chronic conditions were selected. All studies were randomized controlled trials reporting the effects of Tai Chi on health related quality of life. Two independent reviewers extracted trial data and assessed risk of bias using the risk of bias tool recommended by the Cochrane Back Review Group. Of the 2021 papers which were screened, 21 studies including 1200 patients met the eligibility criteria. Most studies (18 of 21 studies) found significant improvements on health related quality of life for participants with chronic conditions in Tai Chi group. No evidence was observed to suggest that Tai Chi was more effective than other types of exercise. And objective measures were not always consistent with self-reported quality of life measures. Tai Chi appears to be safe and has positive effects on health related quality of life in patients with chronic conditions, especially for patients with disorders in Cardio-cerebrovascular and respiratory systems, and musculoskeletal system. However, as the delivery mood of Tai Chi provides multiply benefits, which part of the group provides the most benefit in improving quality of life is unclear. Due to the design limitations of previous studies, more larger and well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm the effects. And qualitative researches are warranted to explore how Tai Chi may work exactly from patients' own perspectives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early differential processing of material images: Evidence from ERP classification.

PubMed

Wiebel, Christiane B; Valsecchi, Matteo; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

2014-06-24

Investigating the temporal dynamics of natural image processing using event-related potentials (ERPs) has a long tradition in object recognition research. In a classical Go-NoGo task two characteristic effects have been emphasized: an early task independent category effect and a later task-dependent target effect. Here, we set out to use this well-established Go-NoGo paradigm to study the time course of material categorization. Material perception has gained more and more interest over the years as its importance in natural viewing conditions has been ignored for a long time. In addition to analyzing standard ERPs, we conducted a single trial ERP pattern analysis. To validate this procedure, we also measured ERPs in two object categories (people and animals). Our linear classification procedure was able to largely capture the overall pattern of results from the canonical analysis of the ERPs and even extend it. We replicate the known target effect (differential Go-NoGo potential at frontal sites) for the material images. Furthermore, we observe task-independent differential activity between the two material categories as early as 140 ms after stimulus onset. Using our linear classification approach, we show that material categories can be differentiated consistently based on the ERP pattern in single trials around 100 ms after stimulus onset, independent of the target-related status. This strengthens the idea of early differential visual processing of material categories independent of the task, probably due to differences in low-level image properties and suggests pattern classification of ERP topographies as a strong instrument for investigating electrophysiological brain activity. © 2014 ARVO.

Enhancing dopaminergic signaling and histone acetylation promotes long-term rescue of deficient fear extinction.

PubMed

Whittle, N; Maurer, V; Murphy, C; Rainer, J; Bindreither, D; Hauschild, M; Scharinger, A; Oberhauser, M; Keil, T; Brehm, C; Valovka, T; Striessnig, J; Singewald, N

2016-12-06

Extinction-based exposure therapy is used to treat anxiety- and trauma-related disorders; however, there is the need to improve its limited efficacy in individuals with impaired fear extinction learning and to promote greater protection against return-of-fear phenomena. Here, using 129S1/SvImJ mice, which display impaired fear extinction acquisition and extinction consolidation, we revealed that persistent and context-independent rescue of deficient fear extinction in these mice was associated with enhanced expression of dopamine-related genes, such as dopamine D1 (Drd1a) and -D2 (Drd2) receptor genes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala, but not hippocampus. Moreover, enhanced histone acetylation was observed in the promoter of the extinction-regulated Drd2 gene in the mPFC, revealing a potential gene-regulatory mechanism. Although enhancing histone acetylation, via administering the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor MS-275, does not induce fear reduction during extinction training, it promoted enduring and context-independent rescue of deficient fear extinction consolidation/retrieval once extinction learning was initiated as shown following a mild conditioning protocol. This was associated with enhanced histone acetylation in neurons of the mPFC and amygdala. Finally, as a proof-of-principle, mimicking enhanced dopaminergic signaling by L-dopa treatment rescued deficient fear extinction and co-administration of MS-275 rendered this effect enduring and context-independent. In summary, current data reveal that combining dopaminergic and epigenetic mechanisms is a promising strategy to improve exposure-based behavior therapy in extinction-impaired individuals by initiating the formation of an enduring and context-independent fear-inhibitory memory.

Nicotine Dependence, “Background” and Cue-Induced Craving and Smoking in the Laboratory

PubMed Central

Dunbar, Michael S.; Shiffman, Saul; Kirchner, Thomas; Tindle, Hilary; Scholl, Sarah

2014-01-01

Background Nicotine dependence has been associated with higher “background” craving and smoking, independent of situational cues. Due in part to conceptual and methodological differences across past studies, the relationship between dependence and cue-reactivity (CR; e.g., cue-induced craving and smoking) remains unclear. Methods 207 daily smokers completed six pictorial CR sessions (smoking, negative affect, positive affect, alcohol, smoking prohibitions, and neutral). Individuals rated craving before (background craving) and after cues, and could smoke following cue exposure. Session videos were coded to assess smoking. Participants completed four nicotine dependence measures. Regression models assessed the relationship of dependence to cue-independent (i.e., pre-cue) and cue-specific (i.e., pre-post cue change for each cue, relative to neutral) craving and smoking (likelihood of smoking, latency to smoke, puff count). Results Dependence was associated with background craving and smoking, but did not predict change in craving across the entire sample for any cue. Among alcohol drinkers, dependence was associated with greater increases in craving following the alcohol cue. Only one dependence measure (Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives) was consistently associated with smoking reactivity (higher likelihood of smoking, shorter latency to smoke, greater puff count) in response to cues. Conclusion While related to cue-independent background craving and smoking, dependence is not strongly associated with laboratory cue-induced craving under conditions of minimal deprivation. Dependence measures that incorporate situational influences on smoking correlate with greater cue-provoked smoking. This may suggest independent roles for CR and traditional dependence as determinants of smoking, and highlights the importance of assessing behavioral CR outcomes. PMID:25028339

Nicotine dependence, "background" and cue-induced craving and smoking in the laboratory.

PubMed

Dunbar, Michael S; Shiffman, Saul; Kirchner, Thomas R; Tindle, Hilary A; Scholl, Sarah M

2014-09-01

Nicotine dependence has been associated with higher "background" craving and smoking, independent of situational cues. Due in part to conceptual and methodological differences across past studies, the relationship between dependence and cue-reactivity (CR; e.g., cue-induced craving and smoking) remains unclear. 207 daily smokers completed six pictorial CR sessions (smoking, negative affect, positive affect, alcohol, smoking prohibitions, and neutral). Individuals rated craving before (background craving) and after cues, and could smoke following cue exposure. Session videos were coded to assess smoking. Participants completed four nicotine dependence measures. Regression models assessed the relationship of dependence to cue-independent (i.e., pre-cue) and cue-specific (i.e., pre-post cue change for each cue, relative to neutral) craving and smoking (likelihood of smoking, latency to smoke, puff count). Dependence was associated with background craving and smoking, but did not predict change in craving across the entire sample for any cue. Among alcohol drinkers, dependence was associated with greater increases in craving following the alcohol cue. Only one dependence measure (Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives) was consistently associated with smoking reactivity (higher likelihood of smoking, shorter latency to smoke, greater puff count) in response to cues. While related to cue-independent background craving and smoking, dependence is not strongly associated with laboratory cue-induced craving under conditions of minimal deprivation. Dependence measures that incorporate situational influences on smoking correlate with greater cue-provoked smoking. This may suggest independent roles for CR and traditional dependence as determinants of smoking, and highlights the importance of assessing behavioral CR outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 19340 - Exemptions From Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-30

... coordinator employed by BOUC, provided that the following conditions are satisfied: (a) An independent... ADS Rights by the Plan resulted from an independent act of Holdings, as a corporate entity, and all... ADS Rights made by the Plan were made by an independent, qualified fiduciary which: (a) Conducted a...

76 FR 34253 - Exemptions From Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-13

... Plan. (b) In the event that the same Independent Fiduciary is appointed to represent the interests of... preceding conditions are not exclusive, and that other circumstances may develop which cause the Independent... Interest as determined by a qualified, independent appraiser, in an updated appraisal on the date of Sale...

The Independent Living Behavior Checklist: Experimental Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walls, Richard T.; And Others

The document describes independent living skills, and provides information on how they can be measured. It is explained in an introductory chapter that the checklist is an extensive list of 343 independent living skill objectives specified in terms of conditions (antecedents or givens), behaviors, and standards. Objectives are classified and…

Comparing the context specificity of extinction and latent inhibition.

PubMed

Miller, Ralph R; Laborda, Mario A; Polack, Cody W; Miguez, Gonzalo

2015-12-01

Exposure to a cue alone either before (i.e., latent inhibition treatment) or after (i.e., extinction) the cue is paired with an unconditioned stimulus results in attenuated conditioned responding to the cue. Here we report two experiments in which potential parallels between the context specificity of the effects of extinction and latent inhibition treatments were directly compared in a lick suppression preparation with rats. The reversed ordering of conditioning and nonreinforcement in extinction and latent inhibition designs allowed us to examine the effect of training order on the context specificity of what is learned given phasic reinforcement and nonreinforcement of a target cue. Experiment 1 revealed that when conditioned-stimulus (CS) conditioning and CS nonreinforcement were administered in the same context, both extinction and latent inhibition treatments had reduced impacts on test performance, relative to excitatory conditioning when testing occurred outside the treatment context. Similarly, Experiment 2 showed that when conditioning was administered in one context and nonreinforcement was administered in a second context, the effects of both extinction and latent inhibition treatments were attenuated when testing occurred in a neutral context, relative to the context in which the CS was nonreinforced. The observed context specificity of extinction and latent inhibition treatments has been previously reported in both cases, but not in a single experiment under otherwise identical conditions. The results of the two experiments convergently suggest that memory of nonreinforcement becomes context dependent after a cue is both reinforced and nonreinforced, independent of the order of training.

Quantifying Wrinkle Features of Thin Membrane Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, Mindy B.; Iwasa, Takashi; Naton, M. C.

2004-01-01

For future micro-systems utilizing membrane based structures, quantified predictions of wrinkling behavior in terms of amplitude, angle and wavelength are needed to optimize the efficiency and integrity of such structures, as well as their associated control systems. For numerical analyses performed in the past, limitations on the accuracy of membrane distortion simulations have often been related to the assumptions made. This work demonstrates that critical assumptions include: effects of gravity, supposed initial or boundary conditions, and the type of element used to model the membrane. In this work, a 0.2 m x 02 m membrane is treated as a structural material with non-negligible bending stiffness. Finite element modeling is used to simulate wrinkling behavior due to a constant applied in-plane shear load. Membrane thickness, gravity effects, and initial imperfections with respect to flatness were varied in numerous nonlinear analysis cases. Significant findings include notable variations in wrinkle modes for thickness in the range of 50 microns to 1000 microns, which also depend on the presence of an applied gravity field. However, it is revealed that relationships between overall strain energy density and thickness for cases with differing initial conditions are independent of assumed initial conditions. In addition, analysis results indicate that the relationship between wrinkle amplitude scale (W/t) and structural scale (L/t) is independent of the nonlinear relationship between thickness and stiffness.

Weather factor impacts on commuting to work by bicycle.

PubMed

Flynn, Brian S; Dana, Greg S; Sears, Justine; Aultman-Hall, Lisa

2012-02-01

Quantify the impact of weather conditions on individual decisions to commute to work by bicycle among a diverse panel of adults who commute ≥2 miles each way. Working adults (n=163) in a northern U.S. state reported transportation mode for four seven-day periods in 2009-2010 that maximized seasonal weather variations. Personal characteristics, trip to work distances, and commuting mode data were linked to location- and time-specific weather data and daylight hours. Analyses focused on effect of weather conditions on reports of commuting by bicycle. Participants were diverse in age, gender and bicycle use, but were relatively well-educated; they traveled to work by bicycle on 34.5% of the logged commuting days. Modeling indicated that the likelihood of bicycle commuting increased in the absence of rain (odds ratio=1.91; 95% confidence interval 1.42, 2.57) and with higher temperatures (1.03; 1.02, 1.04), and decreased with snow (0.90; 0.84, 0.98) and wind (0.95; 0.92, 0.97). Independent effects also were found for bicycle commuting distance, gender, and age, but not for daylight hours. Precipitation, temperature, wind and snow conditions had significant and substantial independent effects on the odds of travel to work by bicycle among a diverse panel of adult bicycle commuters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Boosting medical diagnostics by pooling independent judgments

PubMed Central

Kurvers, Ralf H. J. M.; Herzog, Stefan M.; Hertwig, Ralph; Krause, Jens; Carney, Patricia A.; Bogart, Andy; Argenziano, Giuseppe; Zalaudek, Iris; Wolf, Max

2016-01-01

Collective intelligence refers to the ability of groups to outperform individual decision makers when solving complex cognitive problems. Despite its potential to revolutionize decision making in a wide range of domains, including medical, economic, and political decision making, at present, little is known about the conditions underlying collective intelligence in real-world contexts. We here focus on two key areas of medical diagnostics, breast and skin cancer detection. Using a simulation study that draws on large real-world datasets, involving more than 140 doctors making more than 20,000 diagnoses, we investigate when combining the independent judgments of multiple doctors outperforms the best doctor in a group. We find that similarity in diagnostic accuracy is a key condition for collective intelligence: Aggregating the independent judgments of doctors outperforms the best doctor in a group whenever the diagnostic accuracy of doctors is relatively similar, but not when doctors’ diagnostic accuracy differs too much. This intriguingly simple result is highly robust and holds across different group sizes, performance levels of the best doctor, and collective intelligence rules. The enabling role of similarity, in turn, is explained by its systematic effects on the number of correct and incorrect decisions of the best doctor that are overruled by the collective. By identifying a key factor underlying collective intelligence in two important real-world contexts, our findings pave the way for innovative and more effective approaches to complex real-world decision making, and to the scientific analyses of those approaches. PMID:27432950

Salicylic Acid–Independent ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 Signaling in Arabidopsis Immunity and Cell Death Is Regulated by the Monooxygenase FMO1 and the Nudix Hydrolase NUDT7[W

PubMed Central

Bartsch, Michael; Gobbato, Enrico; Bednarek, Pawel; Debey, Svenja; Schultze, Joachim L.; Bautor, Jaqueline; Parker, Jane E.

2006-01-01

Arabidopsis thaliana ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 (EDS1) controls defense activation and programmed cell death conditioned by intracellular Toll-related immune receptors that recognize specific pathogen effectors. EDS1 is also needed for basal resistance to invasive pathogens by restricting the progression of disease. In both responses, EDS1, assisted by its interacting partner, PHYTOALEXIN-DEFICIENT4 (PAD4), regulates accumulation of the phenolic defense molecule salicylic acid (SA) and other as yet unidentified signal intermediates. An Arabidopsis whole genome microarray experiment was designed to identify genes whose expression depends on EDS1 and PAD4, irrespective of local SA accumulation, and potential candidates of an SA-independent branch of EDS1 defense were found. We define two new immune regulators through analysis of corresponding Arabidopsis loss-of-function insertion mutants. FLAVIN-DEPENDENT MONOOXYGENASE1 (FMO1) positively regulates the EDS1 pathway, and one member (NUDT7) of a family of cytosolic Nudix hydrolases exerts negative control of EDS1 signaling. Analysis of fmo1 and nudt7 mutants alone or in combination with sid2-1, a mutation that severely depletes pathogen-induced SA production, points to SA-independent functions of FMO1 and NUDT7 in EDS1-conditioned disease resistance and cell death. We find instead that SA antagonizes initiation of cell death and stunting of growth in nudt7 mutants. PMID:16531493

Modeling hydrologic and geomorphic hazards across post-fire landscapes using a self-organizing map approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedel, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Few studies attempt to model the range of possible post-fire hydrologic and geomorphic hazards because of the sparseness of data and the coupled, nonlinear, spatial, and temporal relationships among landscape variables. In this study, a type of unsupervised artificial neural network, called a self-organized map (SOM), is trained using data from 540 burned basins in the western United States. The sparsely populated data set includes variables from independent numerical landscape categories (climate, land surface form, geologic texture, and post-fire condition), independent landscape classes (bedrock geology and state), and dependent initiation processes (runoff, landslide, and runoff and landslide combination) and responses (debris flows, floods, and no events). Pattern analysis of the SOM-based component planes is used to identify and interpret relations among the variables. Application of the Davies-Bouldin criteria following k-means clustering of the SOM neurons identified eight conceptual regional models for focusing future research and empirical model development. A split-sample validation on 60 independent basins (not included in the training) indicates that simultaneous predictions of initiation process and response types are at least 78% accurate. As climate shifts from wet to dry conditions, forecasts across the burned landscape reveal a decreasing trend in the total number of debris flow, flood, and runoff events with considerable variability among individual basins. These findings suggest the SOM may be useful in forecasting real-time post-fire hazards, and long-term post-recovery processes and effects of climate change scenarios.

Independent genetic control of maize (Zea mays L.) kernel weight determination and its phenotypic plasticity.

PubMed

Alvarez Prado, Santiago; Sadras, Víctor O; Borrás, Lucas

2014-08-01

Maize kernel weight (KW) is associated with the duration of the grain-filling period (GFD) and the rate of kernel biomass accumulation (KGR). It is also related to the dynamics of water and hence is physiologically linked to the maximum kernel water content (MWC), kernel desiccation rate (KDR), and moisture concentration at physiological maturity (MCPM). This work proposed that principles of phenotypic plasticity can help to consolidated the understanding of the environmental modulation and genetic control of these traits. For that purpose, a maize population of 245 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was grown under different environmental conditions. Trait plasticity was calculated as the ratio of the variance of each RIL to the overall phenotypic variance of the population of RILs. This work found a hierarchy of plasticities: KDR ≈ GFD > MCPM > KGR > KW > MWC. There was no phenotypic and genetic correlation between traits per se and trait plasticities. MWC, the trait with the lowest plasticity, was the exception because common quantitative trait loci were found for the trait and its plasticity. Independent genetic control of a trait per se and genetic control of its plasticity is a condition for the independent evolution of traits and their plasticities. This allows breeders potentially to select for high or low plasticity in combination with high or low values of economically relevant traits. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Automatic treatment of the variance estimation bias in TRIPOLI-4 criticality calculations

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

Dumonteil, E.; Malvagi, F.

2012-07-01

The central limit (CLT) theorem States conditions under which the mean of a sufficiently large number of independent random variables, each with finite mean and variance, will be approximately normally distributed. The use of Monte Carlo transport codes, such as Tripoli4, relies on those conditions. While these are verified in protection applications (the cycles provide independent measurements of fluxes and related quantities), the hypothesis of independent estimates/cycles is broken in criticality mode. Indeed the power iteration technique used in this mode couples a generation to its progeny. Often, after what is called 'source convergence' this coupling almost disappears (the solutionmore » is closed to equilibrium) but for loosely coupled systems, such as for PWR or large nuclear cores, the equilibrium is never found, or at least may take time to reach, and the variance estimation such as allowed by the CLT is under-evaluated. In this paper we first propose, by the mean of two different methods, to evaluate the typical correlation length, as measured in cycles number, and then use this information to diagnose correlation problems and to provide an improved variance estimation. Those two methods are based on Fourier spectral decomposition and on the lag k autocorrelation calculation. A theoretical modeling of the autocorrelation function, based on Gauss-Markov stochastic processes, will also be presented. Tests will be performed with Tripoli4 on a PWR pin cell. (authors)« less

The Relation between Thematic Role Computing and Semantic Relatedness Processing during On-Line Sentence Comprehension

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoqing; Zhao, Haiyan; Lu, Yong

2014-01-01

Sentence comprehension involves timely computing different types of relations between its verbs and noun arguments, such as morphosyntactic, semantic, and thematic relations. Here, we used EEG technique to investigate the potential differences in thematic role computing and lexical-semantic relatedness processing during on-line sentence comprehension, and the interaction between these two types of processes. Mandarin Chinese sentences were used as materials. The basic structure of those sentences is “Noun+Verb+‘le’+a two-character word”, with the Noun being the initial argument. The verb disambiguates the initial argument as an agent or a patient. Meanwhile, the initial argument and the verb are highly or lowly semantically related. The ERPs at the verbs revealed that: relative to the agent condition, the patient condition evoked a larger N400 only when the argument and verb were lowly semantically related; however, relative to the high-relatedness condition, the low-relatedness condition elicited a larger N400 regardless of the thematic relation; although both thematic role variation and semantic relatedness variation elicited N400 effects, the N400 effect elicited by the former was broadly distributed and reached maximum over the frontal electrodes, and the N400 effect elicited by the latter had a posterior distribution. In addition, the brain oscillations results showed that, although thematic role variation (patient vs. agent) induced power decreases around the beta frequency band (15–30 Hz), semantic relatedness variation (low-relatedness vs. high-relatedness) induced power increases in the theta frequency band (4–7 Hz). These results suggested that, in the sentence context, thematic role computing is modulated by the semantic relatedness between the verb and its argument; semantic relatedness processing, however, is in some degree independent from the thematic relations. Moreover, our results indicated that, during on-line sentence comprehension, thematic role computing and semantic relatedness processing are mediated by distinct neural systems. PMID:24755643

Gravitational instabilities of superspinars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pani, Paolo; Barausse, Enrico; Berti, Emanuele; Cardoso, Vitor

2010-08-01

Superspinars are ultracompact objects whose mass M and angular momentum J violate the Kerr bound (cJ/GM2>1). Recent studies analyzed the observable consequences of gravitational lensing and accretion around superspinars in astrophysical scenarios. In this paper we investigate the dynamical stability of superspinars to gravitational perturbations, considering either purely reflecting or perfectly absorbing boundary conditions at the “surface” of the superspinar. We find that these objects are unstable independently of the boundary conditions, and that the instability is strongest for relatively small values of the spin. Also, we give a physical interpretation of the various instabilities that we find. Our results (together with the well-known fact that accretion tends to spin superspinars down) imply that superspinars are very unlikely astrophysical alternatives to black holes.

Antisymmetric tensor generalizations of affine vector fields.

PubMed

Houri, Tsuyoshi; Morisawa, Yoshiyuki; Tomoda, Kentaro

2016-02-01

Tensor generalizations of affine vector fields called symmetric and antisymmetric affine tensor fields are discussed as symmetry of spacetimes. We review the properties of the symmetric ones, which have been studied in earlier works, and investigate the properties of the antisymmetric ones, which are the main theme in this paper. It is shown that antisymmetric affine tensor fields are closely related to one-lower-rank antisymmetric tensor fields which are parallelly transported along geodesics. It is also shown that the number of linear independent rank- p antisymmetric affine tensor fields in n -dimensions is bounded by ( n + 1)!/ p !( n - p )!. We also derive the integrability conditions for antisymmetric affine tensor fields. Using the integrability conditions, we discuss the existence of antisymmetric affine tensor fields on various spacetimes.

Free magnetic energy and relative magnetic helicity diagnostics for the quality of NLFF field extrapolations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moraitis, Kostas; Archontis, Vasilis; Tziotziou, Konstantinos; Georgoulis, Manolis K.

We calculate the instantaneous free magnetic energy and relative magnetic helicity of solar active regions using two independent approaches: a) a non-linear force-free (NLFF) method that requires only a single photospheric vector magnetogram, and b) well known semi-analytical formulas that require the full three-dimensional (3D) magnetic field structure. The 3D field is obtained either from MHD simulations, or from observed magnetograms via respective NLFF field extrapolations. We find qualitative agreement between the two methods and, quantitatively, a discrepancy not exceeding a factor of 4. The comparison of the two methods reveals, as a byproduct, two independent tests for the quality of a given force-free field extrapolation. We find that not all extrapolations manage to achieve the force-free condition in a valid, divergence-free, magnetic configuration. This research has been co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund - ESF) and Greek national funds through the Operational Program "Education and Lifelong Learning" of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) - Research Funding Program: Thales. Investing in knowledge society through the European Social Fund.

Language supports young children’s use of spatial relations to remember locations

PubMed Central

Miller, Hilary E.; Patterson, Rebecca; Simmering, Vanessa R.

2016-01-01

Two experiments investigated the role of language in children’s spatial recall performance. In particular, we assessed whether selecting an intrinsic reference frame could be improved through verbal encoding. Selecting an intrinsic reference frame requires remembering locations relative to nearby objects independent of one’s body (egocentric) or distal environmental (allocentric) cues, and does not reliably occur in children under 5 years of age (Nardini, Burgess, Breckenridge, & Atkinson, 2006). The current studies tested the relation between spatial language and 4-year-olds’ selection of an intrinsic reference frame in spatial recall. Experiment 1 showed that providing 4-year-olds with location-descriptive cues during (Exp. 1a) or before (Exp. 1b) the recall task improved performance both overall and specifically on trials relying most on an intrinsic reference frame. Additionally, children’s recall performance was predicted by their verbal descriptions of the task space (Exp. 1a control condition). Non-verbally highlighting relations among objects during the recall task (Exp. 2) supported children’s performance relative to the control condition, but significantly less than the location-descriptive cues. These results suggest that the ability to verbally represent relations is a potential mechanism that could account for developmental changes in the selection of an intrinsic reference frame during spatial recall. PMID:26896902

Language supports young children's use of spatial relations to remember locations.

PubMed

Miller, Hilary E; Patterson, Rebecca; Simmering, Vanessa R

2016-05-01

Two experiments investigated the role of language in children's spatial recall performance. In particular, we assessed whether selecting an intrinsic reference frame could be improved through verbal encoding. Selecting an intrinsic reference frame requires remembering locations relative to nearby objects independent of one's body (egocentric) or distal environmental (allocentric) cues, and does not reliably occur in children under 5 years of age (Nardini, Burgess, Breckenridge, & Atkinson, 2006). The current studies tested the relation between spatial language and 4-year-olds' selection of an intrinsic reference frame in spatial recall. Experiment 1 showed that providing 4-year-olds with location-descriptive cues during (Exp. 1a) or before (Exp. 1b) the recall task improved performance both overall and specifically on trials relying most on an intrinsic reference frame. Additionally, children's recall performance was predicted by their verbal descriptions of the task space (Exp. 1a control condition). Non-verbally highlighting relations among objects during the recall task (Exp. 2) supported children's performance relative to the control condition, but significantly less than the location-descriptive cues. These results suggest that the ability to verbally represent relations is a potential mechanism that could account for developmental changes in the selection of an intrinsic reference frame during spatial recall. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-injurious behavior among Greek male prisoners: prevalence and risk factors.

PubMed

Sakelliadis, E I; Papadodima, S A; Sergentanis, T N; Giotakos, O; Spiliopoulou, C A

2010-04-01

Self-harm among prisoners is a common phenomenon. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) among Greek male prisoners, record their motives and determine independent risk factors. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was administered to 173 male prisoners in the Chalkida prison, Greece. The questionnaire included items on self-harm/SIB, demographic parameters, childhood history, family history, physical and mental disease, lifestyle and smoking habits, alcohol dependence (CAGE questionnaire), illicit substance use, aggression (Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire [BPAQ] and Lifetime History of Aggression [LTHA]), impulsivity (Barrat Impulsivity Scale-11) and suicidal ideation (Spectrum of Suicidal Behavior Scale). Univariate nonparametric statistics and multivariate ordinal logistic regression were performed. Of all the participants, 49.4% (95% CI: 41.5-57.3%) disclosed self-harm (direct or indirect). The prevalence of SIB was equal to 34.8% (95% CI: 27.5-42.6%). Most frequently, SIB coexisted with indirect self-harm (80.7%). The most common underlying motives were to obtain emotional release (31.6%) and to release anger (21.1%). At the univariate analysis, SIB was positively associated with a host of closely related factors: low education, physical/sexual abuse in childhood, parental neglect, parental divorce, alcoholism in family, psychiatric condition in family, recidivism, age, sentence already served, impulsivity, aggression, alcohol dependence, self-reported diagnosed psychiatric condition and illicit substance use. Childhood variables were particularly associated with the presence of diagnosed psychiatric condition. At the multivariate analysis, however, only three parameters were proven independent risk factors: self-reported diagnosed psychiatric condition, illicit substance use and aggression (BPAQ scale). The prevalence of SIB is particularly high. Psychiatric condition, illicit substance use and aggression seem to be the most meaningful risk factors; childhood events seem only to act indirectly. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with pharmacists' perceptions of their working conditions and safety and effectiveness of patient care.

PubMed

Tsao, Nicole W; Lynd, Larry D; Gastonguay, Louise; Li, Kathy; Nakagawa, Bob; Marra, Carlo A

2016-01-01

In recent years, the role of pharmacists has changed, as have various provincial legislations, which now allow pharmacists to provide additional health services to patients. With these changes comes growing concern about how well the current pharmacy working environment is adapting and whether it may also be creating work-related stress that may contribute to potentially unsafe practices of patient care. To characterize the current working conditions of pharmacists in British Columbia, an online survey was developed and distributed to all College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC) registrants by email. The survey consisted of questions on pharmacists' demographics, practice setting and perceptions of workplace conditions. Responses were collected from October 1 to November 10, 2013. All data were summarized using descriptive statistics, and regression models were constructed to assess the association between various factors and pharmacists' self-reported working conditions. Twenty-three percent (1241/5300) of pharmacists registered with the CPBC responded, with 78% working in the community pharmacy setting (58% chain, 19% independent). Pharmacists mostly disagreed with the statements that they had enough time for breaks or lunches or to do their jobs, as well as enough staffing support. Pharmacists' perceptions of their workplace environment were negatively associated with workplace-imposed advanced service quotas (for medication reviews, immunizations and prescription adaptations); being employed at chain store pharmacies, compared to independent pharmacies or hospitals/long-term care settings; and higher prescription volume. Pharmacists working in chain community pharmacies who are required to meet monthly quotas for expanded services reported a substantial negative impact on their working conditions and perceived safety of patient care. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2016;149:xx-xx.

Risk for ACPA-positive rheumatoid arthritis is driven by shared HLA amino acid polymorphisms in Asian and European populations

PubMed Central

Okada, Yukinori; Kim, Kwangwoo; Han, Buhm; Pillai, Nisha E.; Ong, Rick T.-H.; Saw, Woei-Yuh; Luo, Ma; Jiang, Lei; Yin, Jian; Bang, So-Young; Lee, Hye-Soon; Brown, Matthew A.; Bae, Sang-Cheol; Xu, Huji; Teo, Yik-Ying; de Bakker, Paul I.W.; Raychaudhuri, Soumya

2014-01-01

Previous studies have emphasized ethnically heterogeneous human leukocyte antigen (HLA) classical allele associations to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk. We fine-mapped RA risk alleles within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in 2782 seropositive RA cases and 4315 controls of Asian descent. We applied imputation to determine genotypes for eight class I and II HLA genes to Asian populations for the first time using a newly constructed pan-Asian reference panel. First, we empirically measured high imputation accuracy in Asian samples. Then we observed the most significant association in HLA-DRβ1 at amino acid position 13, located outside the classical shared epitope (Pomnibus = 6.9 × 10−135). The individual residues at position 13 have relative effects that are consistent with published effects in European populations (His > Phe > Arg > Tyr ≅ Gly > Ser)—but the observed effects in Asians are generally smaller. Applying stepwise conditional analysis, we identified additional independent associations at positions 57 (conditional Pomnibus = 2.2 × 10−33) and 74 (conditional Pomnibus = 1.1 × 10−8). Outside of HLA-DRβ1, we observed independent effects for amino acid polymorphisms within HLA-B (Asp9, conditional P = 3.8 × 10−6) and HLA-DPβ1 (Phe9, conditional P = 3.0 × 10−5) concordant with European populations. Our trans-ethnic HLA fine-mapping study reveals that (i) a common set of amino acid residues confer shared effects in European and Asian populations and (ii) these same effects can explain ethnically heterogeneous classical allelic associations (e.g. HLA-DRB1*09:01) due to allele frequency differences between populations. Our study illustrates the value of high-resolution imputation for fine-mapping causal variants in the MHC. PMID:25070946

The psychological impact of facial changes in scleroderma.

PubMed

Amin, Kavit; Clarke, A; Sivakumar, B; Puri, A; Fox, Z; Brough, V; Denton, C P; Peter, E M; Butler, P; Butler, M D

2011-05-01

The physical disabilities associated with scleroderma are well known but the psychological impact of the condition has received less attention. Few studies have examined appearance related issues, most notably of the face. The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychological impact of facial, aesthetic and functional changes in scleroderma. One hundred seventy-one patients with a clinical diagnosis of scleroderma were recruited into the study. Digital photographs were objectively graded into groups based on severity of disfigurement as judged by an observer. Facial movement was recorded using a modified House-Brackmann Grading Scale. Psychological evaluation comprised the Derriford Appearance Scale short-form (DAS), the Noticeability and Worry score and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Severity of disfigurement predicted decreased mouth opening, the extent to which participants judged their appearance as noticeable to others, and the level of appearance-related concern as measured by the DAS24. There was an inverse relationship with age. Facial changes were ranked as the most worrying aspect of the condition. This study shows facial disfigurement impacts on patient with scleroderma independent of functional changes related to systemic disease. The major difficulty is with the perceived noticeably of the condition to other people and the resulting self-consciousness in social encounters. © 2011 Taylor & Francis

Sexual maturation and control issues among sexually abused and non-abused anorexia patients.

PubMed

Walsh, J; Burns, F

2000-09-01

To assess the relative salience of the maintenance of control and the avoidance of sexual maturation as sources of motivation for maintaining pathological eating behaviours among sexually abused anorexic patients. A two-factor mixed experimental design was employed. Three independent groups (sexually abused anorexics (N = 12); non-abused anorexics (N = 9); non-anorexic/non-abused controls (N = 12)) constituted the between-subjects factor. Allocation to abuse/non-abuse group was dependent upon replies to a questionnaire-based measure of unwanted sexual experience. The within-subjects factor comprised three conditions in which words of various colours were presented to participants for colour-naming (Stroop, 1935). The conditions were represented by lists of neutral words, sexual maturation words, and control-related words. Two trials were carried out in each condition and mean response times were measured. Within-group analyses revealed that interference was greater from sexual maturation words than from control-related words among the sexually-abused anorexics, but of equal magnitude among non-abused counterparts. Between-groups analyses found that abused patients experienced marginally greater cognitive interference from sexual maturation words than the non-abused patients. Theoretically, support is offered for elaborated schematic models of cognitive processing. Clinically, treatment interventions may need to pay particular attention to issues of sexual maturation among sexually abused anorexic patients.

EEG Mu (µ) rhythm spectra and oscillatory activity differentiate stuttering from non-stuttering adults.

PubMed

Saltuklaroglu, Tim; Harkrider, Ashley W; Thornton, David; Jenson, David; Kittilstved, Tiffani

2017-06-01

Stuttering is linked to sensorimotor deficits related to internal modeling mechanisms. This study compared spectral power and oscillatory activity of EEG mu (μ) rhythms between persons who stutter (PWS) and controls in listening and auditory discrimination tasks. EEG data were analyzed from passive listening in noise and accurate (same/different) discrimination of tones or syllables in quiet and noisy backgrounds. Independent component analysis identified left and/or right μ rhythms with characteristic alpha (α) and beta (β) peaks localized to premotor/motor regions in 23 of 27 people who stutter (PWS) and 24 of 27 controls. PWS produced μ spectra with reduced β amplitudes across conditions, suggesting reduced forward modeling capacity. Group time-frequency differences were associated with noisy conditions only. PWS showed increased μ-β desynchronization when listening to noise and early in discrimination events, suggesting evidence of heightened motor activity that might be related to forward modeling deficits. PWS also showed reduced μ-α synchronization in discrimination conditions, indicating reduced sensory gating. Together these findings indicate spectral and oscillatory analyses of μ rhythms are sensitive to stuttering. More specifically, they can reveal stuttering-related sensorimotor processing differences in listening and auditory discrimination that also may be influenced by basal ganglia deficits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Persistence and failure of mean-field approximations adapted to a class of systems of delay-coupled excitable units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franović, Igor; Todorović, Kristina; Vasović, Nebojša; Burić, Nikola

2014-02-01

We consider the approximations behind the typical mean-field model derived for a class of systems made up of type II excitable units influenced by noise and coupling delays. The formulation of the two approximations, referred to as the Gaussian and the quasi-independence approximation, as well as the fashion in which their validity is verified, are adapted to reflect the essential properties of the underlying system. It is demonstrated that the failure of the mean-field model associated with the breakdown of the quasi-independence approximation can be predicted by the noise-induced bistability in the dynamics of the mean-field system. As for the Gaussian approximation, its violation is related to the increase of noise intensity, but the actual condition for failure can be cast in qualitative, rather than quantitative terms. We also discuss how the fulfillment of the mean-field approximations affects the statistics of the first return times for the local and global variables, further exploring the link between the fulfillment of the quasi-independence approximation and certain forms of synchronization between the individual units.

Optimization of reaction parameters of radiation induced grafting of 1-vinylimidazole onto poly(ethylene-co-tetraflouroethene) using response surface method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasef, Mohamed Mahmoud; Aly, Amgad Ahmed; Saidi, Hamdani; Ahmad, Arshad

2011-11-01

Radiation induced grafting of 1-vinylimidazole (1-VIm) onto poly(ethylene-co-tetraflouroethene) (ETFE) was investigated. The grafting parameters such as absorbed dose, monomer concentration, grafting time and temperature were optimized using response surface method (RSM). The Box-Behnken module available in the design expert software was used to investigate the effect of reaction conditions (independent parameters) varied in four levels on the degree of grafting ( G%) (response parameter). The model yielded a polynomial equation that relates the linear, quadratic and interaction effects of the independent parameters to the response parameter. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the results of the model and detect the significant values for the independent parameters. The optimum parameters to achieve a maximum G% were found to be monomer concentration of 55 vol%, absorbed dose of 100 kGy, time in the range of 14-20 h and a temperature of 61 °C. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to investigate the properties of the obtained films and provide evidence for grafting.

Tau protein degradation is catalyzed by the ATP/ubiquitin-independent 20S proteasome under normal cell conditions

PubMed Central

Grune, Tilman; Botzen, Diana; Engels, Martina; Voss, Peter; Kaiser, Barbara; Jung, Tobias; Grimm, Stefanie; Ermak, Gennady; Davies, Kelvin J. A.

2010-01-01

Tau is the major protein exhibiting intracellular accumulation in Alzheimer disease. The mechanisms leading to its accumulation are not fully understood. It has been proposed that the proteasome is responsible for degrading tau but, since proteasomal inhibitors block both the ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasome and the ubiqutin-independent 20S proteasome pathways, it is not clear which of these pathways is involved in tau degradation. Some involvement of the ubiquitin ligase, CHIP in tau degradation has also been postulated during stress. In the current studies, we utilized HT22 cells and tau-transfected E36 cells in order to test the relative importance or possible requirement of the ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasomal system versus the ubiquitin-independent 20S proteasome, in tau degradation. By means of ATP-depletion, ubiquitinylation-deficient E36ts20 cells, a 19S proteasomal regulator subunit MSS1-siRNA approaches, and in vitro ubiquitinylation studies, we were able to demonstrate that ubiquitinylation is not required for normal tau degradation. PMID:20478262

42 CFR 441.720 - Independent assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... other information technology medium, if the following conditions are met: (A) The agent performing the... authorized under section 1115 or section 1915 of the Social Security Act. (b) Reassessments. The independent...

Physical activity and abdominal obesity in youth.

PubMed

Kim, YoonMyung; Lee, SoJung

2009-08-01

Childhood obesity continues to escalate despite considerable efforts to reverse the current trends. Childhood obesity is a leading public health concern because overweight-obese youth suffer from comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease, conditions once considered limited to adults. This increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions in youth closely parallels the dramatic increase in obesity, in particular abdominal adiposity, in youth. Although mounting evidence in adults demonstrates the benefits of regular physical activity as a treatment strategy for abdominal obesity, the independent role of regular physical activity alone (e.g., without calorie restriction) on abdominal obesity, and in particular visceral fat, is largely unclear in youth. There is some evidence to suggest that, independent of sedentary activity levels (e.g., television watching or playing video games), engaging in higher-intensity physical activity is associated with a lower waist circumference and less visceral fat. Several randomized controlled studies have shown that aerobic types of exercise are protective against age-related increases in visceral adiposity in growing children and adolescents. However, evidence regarding the effect of resistance training alone as a strategy for the treatment of abdominal obesity is lacking and warrants further investigation.

Physiological constraints and latitudinal breeding season in the Canidae.

PubMed

Valdespino, Carolina

2007-01-01

Physiological strategies that maximize reproductive success may be phylogenetically constrained or might have a plastic response to different environmental conditions. Among mammals, Canidae lend themselves to the study of these two influences on reproductive physiology because all the species studied to date have been characterized as monestrous (i.e., a single ovulatory event per breeding season), suggesting a phylogenetic effect. Greater flexibility could be associated with environments that are less seasonal, such as the tropics; however, little is known for many of the species from this region. To compensate for this lack of data, two regressions were done on the length of the reproductive season relative to the latitudinal distribution of a species: one with raw data and another with phylogenetically independent contrasts. There was a significant negative relationship, independent of phylogeny, with canids that have longer breeding seasons occurring at lower latitudes. In contrast, the pervasiveness of monestrus within Canidae appears to be phylogenetically constrained by their pairing/packing life and is most likely associated with monogamy. The persistence of the monestrous condition is supported by a captive study where a tropical canid, the fennec fox, Vulpes zerda, never exhibited polyestrous cycles despite a constant photoperiod (12L : 12D).

Dynamic Ureas with Fast and pH-Independent Hydrolytic Kinetics.

PubMed

Cai, Kaimin; Ying, Hanze; Cheng, Jianjun

2018-05-23

Low cost, high performance hydrolysable polymers are of great importance in biomedical applications and materials industries. While many applications require materials to have a degradation profile insensitive to external pH to achieve consistent release profiles under varying conditions, hydrolysable chemistry techniques developed so far have pH-dependent hydrolytic kinetics. This work reports the design and synthesis of a new type of hydrolysable polymer that has identical hydrolysis kinetics from pH 3 to 11. The unprecedented pH independent hydrolytic kinetics of the aryl ureas were shown to be related to the dynamic bond dissociation controlled hydrolysis mechanism; the resulting hindered poly(aryl urea) can be degraded with a hydrolysis half-life of 10 min in solution. More importantly, these fast degradable hindered aromatic polyureas can be easily prepared by addition polymerization from commercially available monomers and are resistant to hydrolysis in solid form for months under ambient storage conditions. The combined features of good stability in solid state and fast hydrolysis at various pH values is unprecedented in polyurea material, and will have implications for materials design and applications, such as sacrificial coatings and biomaterials. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Slope-velocity equilibrium and evolution of surface roughness on a stony hillslope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nearing, Mark A.; Polyakov, Viktor O.; Nichols, Mary H.; Hernandez, Mariano; Li, Li; Zhao, Ying; Armendariz, Gerardo

2017-06-01

Slope-velocity equilibrium is hypothesized as a state that evolves naturally over time due to the interaction between overland flow and surface morphology, wherein steeper areas develop a relative increase in physical and hydraulic roughness such that flow velocity is a unique function of overland flow rate independent of slope gradient. This study tests this hypothesis under controlled conditions. Artificial rainfall was applied to 2 m by 6 m plots at 5, 12, and 20 % slope gradients. A series of simulations were made with two replications for each treatment with measurements of runoff rate, velocity, rock cover, and surface roughness. Velocities measured at the end of each experiment were a unique function of discharge rates, independent of slope gradient or rainfall intensity. Physical surface roughness was greater at steeper slopes. The data clearly showed that there was no unique hydraulic coefficient for a given slope, surface condition, or rainfall rate, with hydraulic roughness greater at steeper slopes and lower intensities. This study supports the hypothesis of slope-velocity equilibrium, implying that use of hydraulic equations, such as Chezy and Manning, in hillslope-scale runoff models is problematic because the coefficients vary with both slope and rainfall intensity.

Genetic and maternal effect influences on viability of common frog tadpoles under different environmental conditions.

PubMed

Pakkasmaa, S; Merilä, J; O'Hara, R B

2003-08-01

The influence of environmental stress on the expression of genetic and maternal effects on the viability traits has seldom been assessed in wild vertebrates. We have estimated genetic and maternal effects on the viability (viz probability of survival, probability of being deformed, and body size and shape) of common frog, Rana temporaria, tadpoles under stressful (low pH) and nonstressful (neutral pH) environmental conditions. A Bayesian analysis using generalized linear mixed models was applied to data from a factorial laboratory experiment. The expression of additive genetic variance was independent of pH treatments, and all traits were significantly heritable (survival: h2 approximately 0.08; deformities: h2 approximately 0.26; body size: h2 approximately 0.12; body shape: h2 approximately 0.14). Likewise, nonadditive genetic contributions to variation in all traits were significant, independent of pH treatments and typically of magnitude similar to the additive genetic effects. Maternal effects were large for all traits, especially for viability itself, and their expression was partly dependent on the environment. In the case of body size, the maternal effects were mediated largely through egg size. In general, the results give little evidence for the conjecture that environmental stress created by low pH would impact strongly on the genetic architecture of fitness-related traits in frogs, and hamper adaptation to stress caused by acidification. The low heritabilities and high dominance contributions conform to the pattern typical for traits subject to relatively strong directional selection.

Two models for evaluating landslide hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, J.C.; Chung, C.-J.; Ohlmacher, G.C.

2006-01-01

Two alternative procedures for estimating landslide hazards were evaluated using data on topographic digital elevation models (DEMs) and bedrock lithologies in an area adjacent to the Missouri River in Atchison County, Kansas, USA. The two procedures are based on the likelihood ratio model but utilize different assumptions. The empirical likelihood ratio model is based on non-parametric empirical univariate frequency distribution functions under an assumption of conditional independence while the multivariate logistic discriminant model assumes that likelihood ratios can be expressed in terms of logistic functions. The relative hazards of occurrence of landslides were estimated by an empirical likelihood ratio model and by multivariate logistic discriminant analysis. Predictor variables consisted of grids containing topographic elevations, slope angles, and slope aspects calculated from a 30-m DEM. An integer grid of coded bedrock lithologies taken from digitized geologic maps was also used as a predictor variable. Both statistical models yield relative estimates in the form of the proportion of total map area predicted to already contain or to be the site of future landslides. The stabilities of estimates were checked by cross-validation of results from random subsamples, using each of the two procedures. Cell-by-cell comparisons of hazard maps made by the two models show that the two sets of estimates are virtually identical. This suggests that the empirical likelihood ratio and the logistic discriminant analysis models are robust with respect to the conditional independent assumption and the logistic function assumption, respectively, and that either model can be used successfully to evaluate landslide hazards. ?? 2006.

An evidential example of airborne bacteria in a crowded, underground public concourse in Tokyo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seino, Kaoruko; Takano, Takehito; Nakamura, Keiko; Watanabe, Masafumi

2005-01-01

We examined airborne bacteria in an underground concourse in Tokyo and investigated conditions that influenced bacterial counts. Airborne bacteria were collected by using an impactor sampler. Colonies on plate count agar (PCA) and Columbia colistin-nalidixic acid agar with 5% sheep blood (CNA agar) were enumerated. The range, geometric mean, and 95% CI of the bacterial counts (CFU m-3) on PCA and CNA agar were 150-1380, 456, 382-550 and 50-990, 237, 182-309, respectively. Bacterial counts on PCA significantly correlated with number of the pedestrians (r=0.89), relative humidity (r=0.70) and airborne dust (PM5.0) (r=0.73). Results of a multiple regression indicated independent positive association between the number of pedestrians and bacterial counts on PCA (p<0.01) after excluding the influence of relative humidity and airborne dust. Similar results were obtained with the statistical analysis for the counts of bacteria on CNA agar. Gram-positive cocci were dominant on PCA and CNA agar. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Micrococcus spp. were dominant among the 11 genera and 19 species identified in the present study. Considering the pattern of identified species and the significant independent association between number of pedestrians and bacterial counts, airborne bacteria in a crowded underground concourse were mostly originated from the pedestrians who were walking in the underground concourse. This study gave an evidential example of bacterial conditions in the air of an underground crowded public space in Tokyo.

The effects of laboratory housing and spatial enrichment on brain size and metabolic rate in the eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki

PubMed Central

Turschwell, Mischa P.; White, Craig R.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT It has long been hypothesised that there is a functional correlation between brain size and metabolic rate in vertebrates. The present study tested this hypothesis in wild-caught adult mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki by testing for an intra-specific association between resting metabolic rate (RMR) and brain size while controlling for variation in body size, and through the examination of the effects of spatial enrichment and laboratory housing on body mass-independent measures of brain size and RMR. Controlling for body mass, there was no relationship between brain size and RMR in wild-caught fish. Contrary to predictions, spatial enrichment caused a decrease in mass-independent brain size, highlighting phenotypic plasticity in the adult brain. As expected, after controlling for differences in body size, wild-caught fish had relatively larger brains than fish that had been maintained in the laboratory for a minimum of six weeks, but wild-caught fish also had significantly lower mass-independent RMR. This study demonstrates that an organisms' housing environment can cause significant plastic changes to fitness related traits including brain size and RMR. We therefore conclude that current standard laboratory housing conditions may cause captive animals to be non-representative of their wild counterparts, potentially undermining the transferability of previous laboratory-based studies of aquatic ectothermic vertebrates to wild populations. PMID:26794608

Early event-related brain potentials that reflect interest for content information in the media.

PubMed

Adachi, Shinobu; Morikawa, Koji; Nittono, Hiroshi

2012-03-28

This study investigated the relationship between event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to abridged content information in the media and the subsequent decisions to view the full content. Student volunteers participated in a task that simulated information selection on the basis of the content information. Screenshots of television clips and headlines of news articles on the Web were used as content information for the image condition and the headline condition, respectively. Following presentation of a stimulus containing content information, participants decided whether or not they would view the full content by pressing a select or a reject button. When the select button was pressed, participants were presented with a television clip or a news article. When the reject button was pressed, participants continued on to the next trial, without viewing further. In comparison with rejected stimuli, selected stimuli elicited a larger negative component, with a peak latency of ∼250 ms. The increase in the negative component was independent of the type of visual stimulus. These results suggest that interest toward content information is reflected in early-stage event-related brain potential responses.

Comparative analysis of the bacterial diversity in a lab-scale moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) applied to treat urban wastewater under different operational conditions.

PubMed

Calderón, Kadiya; Martín-Pascual, Jaime; Poyatos, José Manuel; Rodelas, Belén; González-Martínez, Alejandro; González-López, Jesús

2012-10-01

Different types of carriers were tested as support material in a lab-scale moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) used to treat urban wastewater under three different conditions of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and carrier filling ratios (FR). The bacterial diversity developed on the biofilms responsible of the treatment was studied using a cultivation-independent approach based on the polymerase chain reaction-temperature gradient gel electrophoresis technique (PCR-TGGE). Cluster analysis of TGGE fingerprints showed significant differences of community structure dependent upon the different operational conditions applied. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to determine the relationship between the operational conditions (type of carrier, HRT, FR) and bacterial biofilm diversity, demonstrating a significant effect of FR=50%. Phylogenetic analysis of PCR-reamplified and sequenced TGGE bands revealed that the prevalent Bacteria populations in the biofilm were related to Betaproteobacteria (46%), Firmicutes (34%),Alphaproteobacteria (14%) and Gammaproteobacteria (9%). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

General health and well-being among primary care patients aged 75+ years: Associations with living conditions, oral health and dependency.

PubMed

Brennan, David S; Keuskamp, Dominic; Balasubramanian, Madhan; Amarasena, Najith

2018-03-01

Our aim was to examine the associations between general health and well-being with living conditions, oral health and degree of dependency. We surveyed people from a primary care service and collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, general health, health utility, well-being, activities, living conditions and oral health impact. Overall, 459 participated (78% response rate). Poor general health was associated with decreased instrumental activities of daily living scores (18% of those with poor general health were independent vs 60% with good general health). Greater oral health impact was also related to poor general health. Health utility was lower for some dependency, for renting and oral health impact. Well-being was also lower for some dependency, for renting, not speaking English and oral health impact. In addition to the well-known association of poor general health with dependency, our results also illustrate the potential importance of living conditions and oral health. © 2017 AJA Inc.

Cultural differences in distraction processing: influence of context at retrieval.

PubMed

Ngo, Ka Wai Joan; Amer, Tarek; Man, Louisa; Hasher, Lynn

2018-06-04

Cultural differences in information processing affect perceptual judgment, attention, and memory. We investigated whether cultural differences in processing patterns, specifically East Asian participants' tendency to encode holistically, compared to Western tendencies to process analytically, affect performance on an implicit memory test. First, participants completed a 1-back task on pictures with superimposed distracting words. After a delay filled with a computerised Corsi block task, they performed a word fragment task in which some fragments could be completed with the distracting words from the 1-back task. Critically, fragments were presented with the same pictures as previously seen (matched condition), with no pictures (control condition), or with pictures from other trials on the 1-back task (mismatched condition). Non-Asian Canadian participants showed virtually no priming for distraction, independent of the reinstatement of encoding context. East Asian Canadian participants showed superior priming for fragments that had been paired with their original pictures. They did not show evidence of a detriment for the mismatched, relative to control, condition.

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

Cullen, David A; Koestner, Roland; Kukreja, Ratan

Improved conditions for imaging and spectroscopic mapping of thin perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer layers in fuel cell electrodes by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) have been investigated. These conditions are first identified on model systems of Nafion ionomer-coated nanostructured thin films and nanoporous Si. The optimized conditions are then applied in a quantitative study of the ionomer through-layer loading for two typical electrode catalyst coatings using electron energy loss and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in the transmission electron microscope. The e-beam induced damage to the perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer is quantified by following the fluorine mass loss with electron exposuremore » and is then mitigated by a few orders of magnitude using cryogenic specimen cooling and a higher incident electron voltage. Multivariate statistical analysis is also applied to the analysis of spectrum images for data denoising and unbiased separation of independent components related to the catalyst, ionomer, and support.« less

Convergence of the Graph Allen-Cahn Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Xiyang; Bertozzi, Andrea L.

2017-05-01

The graph Laplacian and the graph cut problem are closely related to Markov random fields, and have many applications in clustering and image segmentation. The diffuse interface model is widely used for modeling in material science, and can also be used as a proxy to total variation minimization. In Bertozzi and Flenner (Multiscale Model Simul 10(3):1090-1118, 2012), an algorithm was developed to generalize the diffuse interface model to graphs to solve the graph cut problem. This work analyzes the conditions for the graph diffuse interface algorithm to converge. Using techniques from numerical PDE and convex optimization, monotonicity in function value and convergence under an a posteriori condition are shown for a class of schemes under a graph-independent stepsize condition. We also generalize our results to incorporate spectral truncation, a common technique used to save computation cost, and also to the case of multiclass classification. Various numerical experiments are done to compare theoretical results with practical performance.

Controls on Cyclic Formation of Quaternary Early Diagenetic Dolomite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCormack, J.; Bontognali, T. R. R.; Immenhauser, A.; Kwiecien, O.

2018-04-01

The origin of sedimentary dolomite and the factors that control its formation within the geological record remain speculative. In most models, dolomite formation is linked to evaporative conditions, high water temperature, increasing Mg/Ca ratio, increasing alkalinity, and high amounts of biomass. Here we challenge these archetypal views, by documenting a case example of Quaternary dolomite which formed in Lake Van at constantly low temperature (<4°C) and without direct control of the latter conditions. Dolomite occurs within highstand sediments related to suborbital climate variability (Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles). We propose that dolomite precipitation is a product of a microbially influenced process, triggered by ecological stress, resulting from reventilation of the water-sediment interface. Independently from the validity of this hypothesis, our results call for a reevaluation of the paleoenvironmental conditions often invoked for early diagenetic dolomite-rich intervals within sedimentary sequences and for caution when interpreting time series of subrecent lacustrine carbonates.

Dynamics of liquid spreading on solid surfaces

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

Kalliadasis, S.; Chang, H.C.

1996-09-01

Using simple scaling arguments and a precursor film model, the authors show that the appropriate macroscopic contact angle {theta} during the slow spreading of a completely or partially wetting liquid under conditions of viscous flow and small slopes should be described by tan {theta} = [tan{sup 3} {theta}{sub e} {minus} 9 log {eta}Ca]{sup 1/3} where {theta}{sub e} is the static contact angle, Ca is the capillary number, and {eta} is a scaled Hamaker constant. Using this simple relation as a boundary condition, the authors are able to quantitatively model, without any empirical parameter, the spreading dynamics of several classical spreadingmore » phenomena (capillary rise, sessile, and pendant drop spreading) by simply equating the slope of the leading order static bulk region to the dynamic contact angle boundary condition without performing a matched asymptotic analysis for each case independently as is usually done in the literature.« less

On the Relative Relevance of Subject-Specific Geometries and Degeneration-Specific Mechanical Properties for the Study of Cell Death in Human Intervertebral Disk Models

PubMed Central

Malandrino, Andrea; Pozo, José M.; Castro-Mateos, Isaac; Frangi, Alejandro F.; van Rijsbergen, Marc M.; Ito, Keita; Wilke, Hans-Joachim; Dao, Tien Tuan; Ho Ba Tho, Marie-Christine; Noailly, Jérôme

2015-01-01

Capturing patient- or condition-specific intervertebral disk (IVD) properties in finite element models is outmost important in order to explore how biomechanical and biophysical processes may interact in spine diseases. However, disk degenerative changes are often modeled through equations similar to those employed for healthy organs, which might not be valid. As for the simulated effects of degenerative changes, they likely depend on specific disk geometries. Accordingly, we explored the ability of continuum tissue models to simulate disk degenerative changes. We further used the results in order to assess the interplay between these simulated changes and particular IVD morphologies, in relation to disk cell nutrition, a potentially important factor in disk tissue regulation. A protocol to derive patient-specific computational models from clinical images was applied to different spine specimens. In vitro, IVD creep tests were used to optimize poro-hyperelastic input material parameters in these models, in function of the IVD degeneration grade. The use of condition-specific tissue model parameters in the specimen-specific geometrical models was validated against independent kinematic measurements in vitro. Then, models were coupled to a transport-cell viability model in order to assess the respective effects of tissue degeneration and disk geometry on cell viability. While classic disk poro-mechanical models failed in representing known degenerative changes, additional simulation of tissue damage allowed model validation and gave degeneration-dependent material properties related to osmotic pressure and water loss, and to increased fibrosis. Surprisingly, nutrition-induced cell death was independent of the grade-dependent material properties, but was favored by increased diffusion distances in large IVDs. Our results suggest that in situ geometrical screening of IVD morphology might help to anticipate particular mechanisms of disk degeneration. PMID:25717471

Disability dilemmas and rehabilitation tensions: a twentieth century inheritance.

PubMed

Greenwood, J G

1985-01-01

Although disability has gradually become part of the social justice concept in Western nations since the seventeenth century, and is a current world-wide social concern, it is no way as readily definable or determinable as race, gender, age or even poverty, other issues of social justice. It remains a relative term despite efforts to contain it. The World Health Organization's definition for disability is a restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being, arising as a consequence of physiological, psychological or anatomical impairment. Under the impairment/disability paradigm, rehabilitation interventions aim for the restoration of maximum functional activity or independence. The consequences of impairment and disability can, but do not necessarily, lead to handicaps or conditions of disadvantage, the composite result of individual functional limitations and faults in physical, cultural, social, economic and political environments. Rehabilitation for handicapping conditions then implies not necessarily the restoration of maximum functional activity or independence, but the restoration of maximum social function, including work and family roles. Recent literature on disability and rehabilitation research and policy reflects the complex and expanding context, but the relativity of the concepts involved, particularly the slippage between disability and handicap, create problems of consistently determining and communicating need. For the literature, certain dilemmas are evident in determining and providing for the needs of disabled persons: self-perceived and self-defined need vs bureaucratic standards and statistical definition; resource compensation vs resource enhancement; urban vs rural needs. Closely related to these perplexing problems are tensions in rehabilitation approaches: institutional and community approaches; individual functional improvement and environmental improvement. This paper considers the dilemmas and tensions as reported, and on that basis certain policy issues are tabulated and presented.

Genome-Wide Temporal Expression Profiling in Caenorhabditis elegans Identifies a Core Gene Set Related to Long-Term Memory.

PubMed

Freytag, Virginie; Probst, Sabine; Hadziselimovic, Nils; Boglari, Csaba; Hauser, Yannick; Peter, Fabian; Gabor Fenyves, Bank; Milnik, Annette; Demougin, Philippe; Vukojevic, Vanja; de Quervain, Dominique J-F; Papassotiropoulos, Andreas; Stetak, Attila

2017-07-12

The identification of genes related to encoding, storage, and retrieval of memories is a major interest in neuroscience. In the current study, we analyzed the temporal gene expression changes in a neuronal mRNA pool during an olfactory long-term associative memory (LTAM) in Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites. Here, we identified a core set of 712 (538 upregulated and 174 downregulated) genes that follows three distinct temporal peaks demonstrating multiple gene regulation waves in LTAM. Compared with the previously published positive LTAM gene set (Lakhina et al., 2015), 50% of the identified upregulated genes here overlap with the previous dataset, possibly representing stimulus-independent memory-related genes. On the other hand, the remaining genes were not previously identified in positive associative memory and may specifically regulate aversive LTAM. Our results suggest a multistep gene activation process during the formation and retrieval of long-term memory and define general memory-implicated genes as well as conditioning-type-dependent gene sets. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The identification of genes regulating different steps of memory is of major interest in neuroscience. Identification of common memory genes across different learning paradigms and the temporal activation of the genes are poorly studied. Here, we investigated the temporal aspects of Caenorhabditis elegans gene expression changes using aversive olfactory associative long-term memory (LTAM) and identified three major gene activation waves. Like in previous studies, aversive LTAM is also CREB dependent, and CREB activity is necessary immediately after training. Finally, we define a list of memory paradigm-independent core gene sets as well as conditioning-dependent genes. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/376661-12$15.00/0.

75 FR 38837 - Amendment to Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 84-14 for Plan Asset Transactions Determined...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

... compliance with the conditions of the exemptions and have an independent auditor conduct an annual exemption... contingent upon an ``independent auditor'' conducting an annual ``exemption audit'' to determine whether the... written policies and procedures and a representative sample of plan transactions by an independent auditor...

The Formation of Students' Creative Independence at the English Language Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shangaraeva, Liya F.; Yarkhamova, Alfiya A.; Biktagirova, Zubayda A.; Agol, Dorice

2016-01-01

The article is devoted to the formation of students' creative independence. The aim of the article is to identify and test pedagogical conditions of formation students' creative independence studying the English language. The leading methods are analyses of scientific works and practice, empirical and experimental data, method of involved…

Adipocyte Triglyceride Turnover Is Independently Associated With Atherogenic Dyslipidemia

PubMed Central

Frayn, Keith; Bernard, Samuel; Spalding, Kirsty; Arner, Peter

2012-01-01

Background Inappropriate storage of fatty acids as triglycerides in adipocytes and their removal from adipocytes through lipolysis and subsequent oxidation may cause the atherogenic dyslipidemia phenotype of elevated apolipoprotein B levels and subsequent hypertriglyceridemia. We tested whether turnover of triglycerides in fat cells was related to dyslipidemia. Methods and Results The age of triglycerides (reflecting removal) and triglyceride storage in adipocytes was determined under free living conditions by measuring incorporation of atmospheric 14C into these lipids within the adipocytes in 47 women and 26 men with a large interindividual variability in body mass index. Because limited 14C data were available, triglyceride age was also determined in 97 men and 233 women by using an algorithm based on adipocyte lipolysis, body fat content, waist‐to‐hip ratio, and insulin sensitivity. This cohort consisted of nonobese subjects since obesity per se is related to all components in the algorithm. Triglyceride turnover (age and storage) was compared with plasma levels of apolipoproteins and lipids. Plasma levels of apolipoprotein B and triglycerides were positively related to triglyceride age in adipocytes, when measured directly using radiocarbon analyses (r=0.45 to 0.47; P<0.0001). This effect was independent of subject age, waist circumference measures, and insulin sensitivity (partial r=0.29 to 0.45; P from 0.03 to <0.0001). Triglyceride storage showed no independent correlation (partial r=0.02 to 0.11; P=0.42 to 0.91). Algorithm‐based values for adipocyte removal of triglycerides were positively associated with plasma triglycerides and apolipoprotein B (r=0.44 to 0.45; P<0.0001) and (also positively) with the inflammation status of adipose tissue (r=0.39 to 0.47; P<0.05). These correlations were statistically independent of subject age and observed in men and women as well as in lean and overweight subjects when subgroups were examined separately. Conclusions Decreased removal of adipocyte triglycerides (as indicated by a high triglyceride age in fat cells) is independently associated with circulating apolipoprotein B and triglycerides. This suggests a hitherto unknown role of triglyceride turnover in adipocytes for the development and/or maintenance of atherogenic dyslipidemia. PMID:23316323

A novel method for flow pattern identification in unstable operational conditions using gamma ray and radial basis function.

PubMed

Roshani, G H; Nazemi, E; Roshani, M M

2017-05-01

Changes of fluid properties (especially density) strongly affect the performance of radiation-based multiphase flow meter and could cause error in recognizing the flow pattern and determining void fraction. In this work, we proposed a methodology based on combination of multi-beam gamma ray attenuation and dual modality densitometry techniques using RBF neural network in order to recognize the flow regime and determine the void fraction in gas-liquid two phase flows independent of the liquid phase changes. The proposed system is consisted of one 137 Cs source, two transmission detectors and one scattering detector. The registered counts in two transmission detectors were used as the inputs of one primary Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network for recognizing the flow regime independent of liquid phase density. Then, after flow regime identification, three RBF neural networks were utilized for determining the void fraction independent of liquid phase density. Registered count in scattering detector and first transmission detector were used as the inputs of these three RBF neural networks. Using this simple methodology, all the flow patterns were correctly recognized and the void fraction was predicted independent of liquid phase density with mean relative error (MRE) of less than 3.28%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lower Prevalence of Celiac Disease and Gluten-Related Disorders in Persons Living in Southern vs Northern Latitudes of the United States.

PubMed

Unalp-Arida, Aynur; Ruhl, Constance E; Choung, Rok Seon; Brantner, Tricia L; Murray, Joseph A

2017-06-01

The association between prevalence of celiac disease and geographic region is incompletely understood, but the occurrence of several autoimmune disorders has been found to vary along a North-South gradient. We examined geographic, demographic, and clinical factors associated with prevalence of celiac disease and gluten-free diet in the United States. In a population-based study, we analyzed data on gluten-related conditions from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, from 2009 through 2014, on 22,277 participants 6 years and older. We identified persons with celiac disease based on results of serum tests for IgA against tissue transglutaminase and endomysium or on both a health care provider diagnosis and adherence to a gluten-free diet. Gluten avoidance without celiac disease was defined as adherence to a gluten-free diet without a diagnosis of celiac disease. We compared mean serum levels of biochemical and nutritional markers based on status of gluten-related conditions. We found 0.7% of participants to have celiac disease and 1.1% of participants to avoid gluten without celiac disease. Celiac disease was more common among individuals who lived at latitudes of 35°-39° North (odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-7.1) or at latitudes of 40° North or more (odds ratio, 5.4; 95% CI, 2.6-11.3) than individuals who lived at latitudes below 35° North, independent of race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and body mass index. Gluten avoidance without celiac disease was more common among individuals who lived at latitudes of 40° North or more, independent of demographic factors and body mass index. Participants with undiagnosed celiac disease (identified by positive results from serologic tests) had lower mean levels of vitamin B-12 and folate (data collected from 2009 through 2012) than persons without celiac disease. Participants with a health care provider diagnosis of celiac disease had a lower mean level of hemoglobin than persons without celiac disease. Mean levels of albumin, calcium, iron, ferritin, cholesterol, vitamin B-6, and vitamin D (data collected from 2009 through 2010) did not differ between participants with gluten-related conditions and those without. In the US population, a higher proportion of persons living at latitudes of 35° North or greater have celiac disease or avoid gluten than persons living south of this latitude, independent of race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or body mass index. Mean levels of vitamin B-12 and folate are lower in individuals with undiagnosed celiac disease, and levels of hemoglobin are lower in participants with a diagnosis of celiac disease, compared with individuals without celiac disease. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Egg size investment in superb fairy-wrens: helper effects are modulated by climate

PubMed Central

Heinsohn, R. G.; Russell, A. F.; Kilner, R. M.

2016-01-01

Natural populations might exhibit resilience to changing climatic conditions if they already show adaptive flexibility in their reproductive strategies. In cooperative breeders, theory predicts that mothers with helpers should provide less care when environmental conditions are favourable, but maintain high investment when conditions are challenging. Here, we test for evidence of climate-mediated flexibility in maternal investment in the cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus. We focus on egg size because in this species egg size influences offspring size, and females reduce egg investment when there are helpers at the nest. We report that females lay larger eggs during dry, hot conditions. However, the effect of temperature is modulated by the presence of helpers: the average egg size of females with helpers is reduced during cooler conditions but increased during hot conditions relative to females without helpers. This appears to reflect plasticity in egg investment rather than among female differences. Analysis of maternal survival suggests that helped females are better able to withstand the costs of breeding in hot conditions than females without helpers. Our study suggests that females can use multiple, independent cues to modulate egg investment flexibly in a variable environment. PMID:27903872

Egg size investment in superb fairy-wrens: helper effects are modulated by climate.

PubMed

Langmore, N E; Bailey, L D; Heinsohn, R G; Russell, A F; Kilner, R M

2016-11-30

Natural populations might exhibit resilience to changing climatic conditions if they already show adaptive flexibility in their reproductive strategies. In cooperative breeders, theory predicts that mothers with helpers should provide less care when environmental conditions are favourable, but maintain high investment when conditions are challenging. Here, we test for evidence of climate-mediated flexibility in maternal investment in the cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus We focus on egg size because in this species egg size influences offspring size, and females reduce egg investment when there are helpers at the nest. We report that females lay larger eggs during dry, hot conditions. However, the effect of temperature is modulated by the presence of helpers: the average egg size of females with helpers is reduced during cooler conditions but increased during hot conditions relative to females without helpers. This appears to reflect plasticity in egg investment rather than among female differences. Analysis of maternal survival suggests that helped females are better able to withstand the costs of breeding in hot conditions than females without helpers. Our study suggests that females can use multiple, independent cues to modulate egg investment flexibly in a variable environment. © 2016 The Author(s).

Antidepressant Use among Blacks and Whites in the United States

PubMed Central

González, Hector M.; Croghan, Thomas W.; West, Brady T.; Tarraf, Wassim; Williams, David R.; Nesse, Randolph; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Hinton, Ladson; Neighbors, Harold W.; Jackson, James S.

2008-01-01

Objective The study objective was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of antidepressant use by black and white Americans. Methods Data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES) were analyzed to calculate nationally representative estimates of antidepressant use by black and white Americans. Setting The 48 coterminous United States was the setting. Participants Household residents ages 18 years and older (N=9,723) participated in the study. Main Outcomes The primary outcome was past-year antidepressant use (n=1,004). Results Among individuals with 12-month depressive and anxiety disorders (n=516), blacks (14.6%) had significantly lower (p < 0.001) antidepressant use than whites (32.4%). Depression severity was significantly associated with higher antidepressant use for whites, but not blacks. Psychiatric disorders and vascular disease significantly increased the odds of past-year antidepressant use. The increased prevalence of antidepressant use associated with vascular disease was independent of diagnosable psychiatric disorders. Among respondents not meeting criteria for 12-month depressive and anxiety disorders, lifetime depressive and anxiety disorders and vascular disease significantly increased the odds of antidepressant use. Conclusions Few white and fewer black Americans with depressive and anxiety disorders receive antidepressant treatment. Higher depression severity was associated with more antidepressant use for whites, but not blacks. Antidepressant use was associated with medical conditions related to vascular disease, and these medical conditions were independent of coexisting psychiatric conditions. The results also indicate that many antidepressants are used for maintenance pharmacotherapy for depressive and anxiety disorders as well as common medical conditions associated with vascular disease. PMID:18832498

Robust audio-visual speech recognition under noisy audio-video conditions.

PubMed

Stewart, Darryl; Seymour, Rowan; Pass, Adrian; Ming, Ji

2014-02-01

This paper presents the maximum weighted stream posterior (MWSP) model as a robust and efficient stream integration method for audio-visual speech recognition in environments, where the audio or video streams may be subjected to unknown and time-varying corruption. A significant advantage of MWSP is that it does not require any specific measurements of the signal in either stream to calculate appropriate stream weights during recognition, and as such it is modality-independent. This also means that MWSP complements and can be used alongside many of the other approaches that have been proposed in the literature for this problem. For evaluation we used the large XM2VTS database for speaker-independent audio-visual speech recognition. The extensive tests include both clean and corrupted utterances with corruption added in either/both the video and audio streams using a variety of types (e.g., MPEG-4 video compression) and levels of noise. The experiments show that this approach gives excellent performance in comparison to another well-known dynamic stream weighting approach and also compared to any fixed-weighted integration approach in both clean conditions or when noise is added to either stream. Furthermore, our experiments show that the MWSP approach dynamically selects suitable integration weights on a frame-by-frame basis according to the level of noise in the streams and also according to the naturally fluctuating relative reliability of the modalities even in clean conditions. The MWSP approach is shown to maintain robust recognition performance in all tested conditions, while requiring no prior knowledge about the type or level of noise.

Childhood chronic conditions and health-related quality of life: Findings from a large population-based study

PubMed Central

Bai, Guannan; Herten, Marieke Houben–van; Landgraf, Jeanne M.; Korfage, Ida J.

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) across prevalent chronic conditions, individually and comorbid, in school-aged children in the Netherlands. 5301 children aged 4–11 years from the Dutch Health Interview Survey were included. Parents completed questionnaires regarding child and parental characteristics. HRQOL of children was measured using the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 28 (CHQ-PF28). Independent-t tests were used to assess differences in the mean scores of the CHQ-PF28 summary scales and profile scales between children with a prevalent chronic condition (excluding or including children with multiple chronic conditions) and children without a chronic condition. Cohen’s effect sizes (d) were calculated to assess the clinical significance of difference. The mean age of children was 7.55 (SD 2.30) years; 50.0% were boys. In children without any chronic condition, the mean score of physical summary scale (PhS) was 58.53 (SD 4.28) and mean score of the psychosocial summary scale (PsS) was 53.86 (SD 5.87). Generally, PhS and/or PsS scores in children with only one condition were lower (p<0.05) than for children without chronic conditions. When children with multiple conditions were included, mean scores of CHQ-PF28 summary and profile scales were generally lower than when they were excluded. The present study shows important information regarding the impact of prevalent chronic conditions on HRQOL in a representative population-based sample of school-aged children in the Netherlands. The information could be used for developing a more holistic approach to patient care and a surveillance framework for health promotion. PMID:28575026

Weather is not significantly correlated with destination-specific transport-related physical activity among adults: A large-scale temporally matched analysis.

PubMed

Durand, Casey P; Zhang, Kai; Salvo, Deborah

2017-08-01

Weather is an element of the natural environment that could have a significant effect on physical activity. Existing research, however, indicates only modest correlations between measures of weather and physical activity. This prior work has been limited by a failure to use time-matched weather and physical activity data, or has not adequately examined the different domains of physical activity (transport, leisure, occupational, etc.). Our objective was to identify the correlation between weather variables and destination-specific transport-related physical activity in adults. Data were sourced from the California Household Travel Survey, collected in 2012-3. Weather variables included: relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, and precipitation. Transport-related physical activity (walking) was sourced from participant-recorded travel diaries. Three-part hurdle models were used to analyze the data. Results indicate statistically or substantively insignificant correlations between the weather variables and transport-related physical activity for all destination types. These results provide the strongest evidence to date that transport-related physical activity may occur relatively independently of weather conditions. The knowledge that weather conditions do not seem to be a significant barrier to this domain of activity may potentially expand the universe of geographic locations that are amenable to environmental and programmatic interventions to increase transport-related walking. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can Changes in Eye Movement Scanning Alter the Age-Related Deficit in Recognition Memory?

PubMed Central

Chan, Jessica P. K.; Kamino, Daphne; Binns, Malcolm A.; Ryan, Jennifer D.

2011-01-01

Older adults typically exhibit poorer face recognition compared to younger adults. These recognition differences may be due to underlying age-related changes in eye movement scanning. We examined whether older adults’ recognition could be improved by yoking their eye movements to those of younger adults. Participants studied younger and older faces, under free viewing conditions (bases), through a gaze-contingent moving window (own), or a moving window which replayed the eye movements of a base participant (yoked). During the recognition test, participants freely viewed the faces with no viewing restrictions. Own-age recognition biases were observed for older adults in all viewing conditions, suggesting that this effect occurs independently of scanning. Participants in the bases condition had the highest recognition accuracy, and participants in the yoked condition were more accurate than participants in the own condition. Among yoked participants, recognition did not depend on age of the base participant. These results suggest that successful encoding for all participants requires the bottom-up contribution of peripheral information, regardless of the locus of control of the viewer. Although altering the pattern of eye movements did not increase recognition, the amount of sampling of the face during encoding predicted subsequent recognition accuracy for all participants. Increased sampling may confer some advantages for subsequent recognition, particularly for people who have declining memory abilities. PMID:21687460

Work-related hand injuries in Ontario: an historical perspective.

PubMed

Schofield, Michel M E

2005-10-01

Worker's compensation legislation was enacted in Ontario almost 90 years ago. Workers injured on the job gave up their right to sue employers and received no-fault compensation from an independent, employer-funded body called the Workmen's Compensation Board. Three academic health sciences centers in Ontario that are recognized for their commitment to patient care, research, and education compose part of the Specialty Program network with the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Statistical data from the WSIB database for workers with hand injuries from 1996 to 2003 show an increase in fractures from fall injuries in the group of women older than 60 that may be related to osteoporosis, a common condition in this group.

Fluid transport in partially filled porous sol-gel silica glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'orazio, Franco; Bhattacharja, Sankar; Halperin, William P.; Gerhardt, Rosario

1990-10-01

Measurements of low-frequency ac electrical conductivity of a porous glass filled with different amounts of a saline solution are compared with the self-diffusion coefficient of water measured in the same sample, reported previously [F. D'Orazio et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 43 (1989)]. The two transport parameters are consistently related through the Einstein relation under saturation conditions. A more complex picture is revealed for the unsaturated sample, since the presence of a vapor phase enhances the self-diffusion coefficient. Conductivity experiments allow an independent assessment of the contribution to self-diffusion from the liquid phase. However, a comparison between the two experiments indicates that the role of the vapor phase is not well understood.

Ecosystem classifications based on summer and winter conditions.

PubMed

Andrew, Margaret E; Nelson, Trisalyn A; Wulder, Michael A; Hobart, George W; Coops, Nicholas C; Farmer, Carson J Q

2013-04-01

Ecosystem classifications map an area into relatively homogenous units for environmental research, monitoring, and management. However, their effectiveness is rarely tested. Here, three classifications are (1) defined and characterized for Canada along summertime productivity (moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation) and wintertime snow conditions (special sensor microwave/imager snow water equivalent), independently and in combination, and (2) comparatively evaluated to determine the ability of each classification to represent the spatial and environmental patterns of alternative schemes, including the Canadian ecozone framework. All classifications depicted similar patterns across Canada, but detailed class distributions differed. Class spatial characteristics varied with environmental conditions within classifications, but were comparable between classifications. There was moderate correspondence between classifications. The strongest association was between productivity classes and ecozones. The classification along both productivity and snow balanced these two sets of variables, yielding intermediate levels of association in all pairwise comparisons. Despite relatively low spatial agreement between classifications, they successfully captured patterns of the environmental conditions underlying alternate schemes (e.g., snow classes explained variation in productivity and vice versa). The performance of ecosystem classifications and the relevance of their input variables depend on the environmental patterns and processes used for applications and evaluation. Productivity or snow regimes, as constructed here, may be desirable when summarizing patterns controlled by summer- or wintertime conditions, respectively, or of climate change responses. General purpose ecosystem classifications should include both sets of drivers. Classifications should be carefully, quantitatively, and comparatively evaluated relative to a particular application prior to their implementation as monitoring and assessment frameworks.

Event-related potentials reveal linguistic suppression effect but not enhancement effect on categorical perception of color.

PubMed

Lu, Aitao; Yang, Ling; Yu, Yanping; Zhang, Meichao; Shao, Yulan; Zhang, Honghong

2014-08-01

The present study used the event-related potential technique to investigate the nature of linguistic effect on color perception. Four types of stimuli based on hue differences between a target color and a preceding color were used: zero hue step within-category color (0-WC); one hue step within-category color (1-WC); one hue step between-category color (1-BC); and two hue step between-category color (2-BC). The ERP results showed no significant effect of stimulus type in the 100-200 ms time window. However, in the 200-350 ms time window, ERP responses to 1-WC target color overlapped with that to 0-WC target color for right visual field (RVF) but not left visual field (LVF) presentation. For the 1-BC condition, ERP amplitudes were comparable in the two visual fields, both being significantly different from the 0-WC condition. The 2-BC condition showed the same pattern as the 1-BC condition. These results suggest that the categorical perception of color in RVF is due to linguistic suppression on within-category color discrimination but not between-category color enhancement, and that the effect is independent of early perceptual processes. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stress and emotional valence effects on children's versus adolescents' true and false memory.

PubMed

Quas, Jodi A; Rush, Elizabeth B; Yim, Ilona S; Edelstein, Robin S; Otgaar, Henry; Smeets, Tom

2016-01-01

Despite considerable interest in understanding how stress influences memory accuracy and errors, particularly in children, methodological limitations have made it difficult to examine the effects of stress independent of the effects of the emotional valence of to-be-remembered information in developmental populations. In this study, we manipulated stress levels in 7-8- and 12-14-year-olds and then exposed them to negative, neutral, and positive word lists. Shortly afterward, we tested their recognition memory for the words and false memory for non-presented but related words. Adolescents in the high-stress condition were more accurate than those in the low-stress condition, while children's accuracy did not differ across stress conditions. Also, among adolescents, accuracy and errors were higher for the negative than positive words, while in children, word valence was unrelated to accuracy. Finally, increases in children's and adolescents' cortisol responses, especially in the high-stress condition, were related to greater accuracy but not false memories and only for positive emotional words. Findings suggest that stress at encoding, as well as the emotional content of to-be-remembered information, may influence memory in different ways across development, highlighting the need for greater complexity in existing models of true and false memory formation.

A Supramolecular Nanofiber-Based Passive Memory Device for Remembering Past Humidity.

PubMed

Mogera, Umesha; Gedda, Murali; George, Subi J; Kulkarni, Giridhar U

2017-09-20

Memorizing the magnitude of a physical parameter such as relative humidity in a consignment may be useful for maintaining recommended conditions over a period of time. In relation to cost and energy considerations, it is important that the memorizing device works in the unpowered passive state. In this article, we report the fabrication of a humidity-responsive device that can memorize the humidity condition it had experienced while being unpowered. The device makes use of supramolecular nanofibers obtained from the self-assembly of donor-acceptor (D-A) molecules, coronene tetracarboxylate salt (CS) and dodecyl methyl viologen (DMV), respectively, from aqueous medium. The fibers, while being highly sensitive to humidity, tend to develop electrically induced disorder under constant voltage, leading to increased resistance with time. The conducting state can be regained via self-assembly by exposing the device to humidity in the absence of applied voltage, the extent of recovery depending on the magnitude of the humidity applied under no bias. This nature of the fibers has been exploited in reading the humidity memory state, which interestingly is independent of the lapsed time since the humidity exposure as well as the duration of exposure. Importantly, the device is capable of differentiating the profiles of varying humidity conditions from its memory. The device finds use in applications requiring stringent condition monitoring.

Retrieving self-vocalized information: An event-related potential (ERP) study on the effect of retrieval orientation.

PubMed

Rosburg, Timm; Johansson, Mikael; Sprondel, Volker; Mecklinger, Axel

2014-11-18

Retrieval orientation refers to a pre-retrieval process and conceptualizes the specific form of processing that is applied to a retrieval cue. In the current event-related potential (ERP) study, we sought to find evidence for an involvement of the auditory cortex when subjects attempt to retrieve vocalized information, and hypothesized that adopting retrieval orientation would be beneficial for retrieval accuracy. During study, participants saw object words that they subsequently vocalized or visually imagined. At test, participants had to identify object names of one study condition as targets and to reject object names of the second condition together with new items. Target category switched after half of the test trials. Behaviorally, participants responded less accurately and more slowly to targets of the vocalize condition than to targets of the imagine condition. ERPs to new items varied at a single left electrode (T7) between 500 and 800ms, indicating a moderate retrieval orientation effect in the subject group as a whole. However, whereas the effect was strongly pronounced in participants with high retrieval accuracy, it was absent in participants with low retrieval accuracy. A current source density (CSD) mapping of the retrieval orientation effect indicated a source over left temporal regions. Independently from retrieval accuracy, the ERP retrieval orientation effect was surprisingly also modulated by test order. Findings are suggestive for an involvement of the auditory cortex in retrieval attempts of vocalized information and confirm that adopting retrieval orientation is potentially beneficial for retrieval accuracy. The effects of test order on retrieval-related processes might reflect a stronger focus on the newness of items in the more difficult test condition when participants started with this condition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How do Mediterranean shrub species cope with shade? Ecophysiological response to different light intensities.

PubMed

Díaz-Barradas, M C; Zunzunegui, M; Alvarez-Cansino, L; Esquivias, M P; Valera, J; Rodríguez, H

2018-03-01

Under natural conditions, light exposure for Mediterranean shrubs can be highly variable, especially during cloudy days or under a canopy, and can interfere with other environmental factors such as temperature and water availability. With the aim of decoupling the effect of radiation and temperature from water availability, we conducted an experiment where two perennial and three summer semi-deciduous shrub species were subjected to different levels of irradiation. In order to follow plant responses to light exposure, we measured gas exchange, photosystem II photochemical efficiency, photosynthetic pigments and leaf mass area in spring and summer. Results showed that all study species presented a plastic response to different light conditions, and that light-related traits varied in a coordinated manner. Summer semi-deciduous species exhibited a more opportunistic response, with higher photosynthesis rates in full sun, but under shade conditions, the two strategies presented similar assimilation rates. Stomatal conductance did not show such a drastic response as photosynthetsis, being related to changes in WUE. Daily cycles of F v /F m revealed a slight photoinhibitory response during summer, mainly in perennial species. In all cases photosynthetic pigments adjusted to the radiation level; leaves had lower chlorophyll content, higher pool of xanthophylls and higher proportion of the de-epoxydaded state of xanthophylls under sun conditions. Lutein content increased in relation to the xanthophyll pool under shade conditions. Our results evidenced that radiation is an important driving factor controlling morphological and physiological status of Mediterranean shrub species, independently of water availability. Summer semi-deciduous species exhibit a set of traits with higher response variability, maximising their photosynthetic assimilation under different sun conditions. © 2017 German Society for Plant Sciences and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Epizootic of sarcoptic mange in raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in relation to population density

PubMed Central

SUGIURA, Natsuko; DOI, Kandai; KATO, Takuya; MORITA, Tatsushi; HAYAMA, Shin-ichi

2018-01-01

To examine outbreaks of mange in raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) with respect to population density, we analyzed camera trap videos, and isolated mites from raccoon dog carcasses. In a camera trapping survey, we categorized the skin condition of raccoon dogs, and used a number of independent videos to calculate the relative abundance index (RAI). The RAI of raccoon dogs with alopecia increased following an increase in the RAI of those without alopecia. Among 27 raccoon dog carcasses, 12 showed mange-compatible skin lesions. Sarcoptes scabiei was isolated from 11 of these raccoon dogs, indicating that sarcoptic mange was endemic in our study area. Therefore, a high relative population density may be a factor underlying epizootics of sarcoptic mange in raccoon dogs. PMID:29353863

Affected pathways and transcriptional regulators in gene expression response to an ultra-marathon trail: Global and independent activity approaches

PubMed Central

Roca, Emma; Brotons, Daniel; Soria, Jose Manuel; Perera, Alexandre

2017-01-01

Gene expression (GE) analyses on blood samples from marathon and half-marathon runners have reported significant impacts on the immune and inflammatory systems. An ultra-marathon trail (UMT) represents a greater effort due to its more testing conditions. For the first time, we report the genome-wide GE profiling in a group of 16 runners participating in an 82 km UMT competition. We quantified their differential GE profile before and after the race using HuGene2.0st microarrays (Affymetrix Inc., California, US). The results obtained were decomposed by means of an independent component analysis (ICA) targeting independent expression modes. We observed significant differences in the expression levels of 5,084 protein coding genes resulting in an overrepresentation of 14% of the human biological pathways from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. These were mainly clustered on terms related with protein synthesis repression, altered immune system and infectious diseases related mechanisms. In a second analysis, 27 out of the 196 transcriptional regulators (TRs) included in the Open Regulatory Annotation database were overrepresented. Among these TRs, we identified transcription factors from the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF) family EPAS1 (p< 0.01) and HIF1A (p<0.001), and others jointly described in the gluconeogenesis program such as HNF4 (p< 0.001), EGR1 (p<0.001), CEBPA (p< 0.001) and a highly specific TR, YY1 (p<0.01). The five independent components, obtained from ICA, further revealed a down-regulation of 10 genes distributed in the complex I, III and V from the electron transport chain. This mitochondrial activity reduction is compatible with HIF-1 system activation. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, known to be regulated by HIF, also emerged (p<0.05). Additionally, and related to the brain rewarding circuit, the endocannabinoid signalling pathway was overrepresented (p<0.05). PMID:29028836

Comparing Context Specificity of Extinction and Latent Inhibition

PubMed Central

Miller, Ralph R.; Laborda, Mario A.; Polack, Cody W.; Miguez, Gonzalo

2015-01-01

Exposure to a cue alone either before (i.e., latent inhibition treatment) or after (i.e., extinction) the cue is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US) results in attenuated conditioned responding to the cue. Here we report two experiments in which potential parallels between the context specificity of the effects of extinction and latent inhibition treatments were directly compared in a lick suppression preparation with rats. The reversed ordering of conditioning and nonreinforcement in extinction and latent inhibition designs allowed us to examine the effect of training order on the context specificity of what is learned given phasic reinforcement and nonreinforcement of a target cue. Experiment 1 found that when CS conditioning and CS nonreinforcement were administered in the same context, both extinction and latent inhibition treatments had reduced impact on test performance relative to excitatory conditioning when testing occurred outside the treatment context. Similarly, Experiment 2 found that when conditioning was administered in one context and nonreinforcement was administered in a second context, the effects of both extinction and latent inhibition treatments were attenuated when testing occurred in a neutral context relative to the context in which the CS was nonreinforced. The observed context specificity of extinction and latent inhibition treatments have both been previously reported, but not in a single experiment under otherwise identical conditions. The results of the two experiments convergently suggest that memory of nonreinforcement becomes context dependent after a cue is both reinforced and nonreinforced independent of the order of training. PMID:26100525

Dissociable Learning Processes Underlie Human Pain Conditioning

PubMed Central

Zhang, Suyi; Mano, Hiroaki; Ganesh, Gowrishankar; Robbins, Trevor; Seymour, Ben

2016-01-01

Summary Pavlovian conditioning underlies many aspects of pain behavior, including fear and threat detection [1], escape and avoidance learning [2], and endogenous analgesia [3]. Although a central role for the amygdala is well established [4], both human and animal studies implicate other brain regions in learning, notably ventral striatum and cerebellum [5]. It remains unclear whether these regions make different contributions to a single aversive learning process or represent independent learning mechanisms that interact to generate the expression of pain-related behavior. We designed a human parallel aversive conditioning paradigm in which different Pavlovian visual cues probabilistically predicted thermal pain primarily to either the left or right arm and studied the acquisition of conditioned Pavlovian responses using combined physiological recordings and fMRI. Using computational modeling based on reinforcement learning theory, we found that conditioning involves two distinct types of learning process. First, a non-specific “preparatory” system learns aversive facial expressions and autonomic responses such as skin conductance. The associated learning signals—the learned associability and prediction error—were correlated with fMRI brain responses in amygdala-striatal regions, corresponding to the classic aversive (fear) learning circuit. Second, a specific lateralized system learns “consummatory” limb-withdrawal responses, detectable with electromyography of the arm to which pain is predicted. Its related learned associability was correlated with responses in ipsilateral cerebellar cortex, suggesting a novel computational role for the cerebellum in pain. In conclusion, our results show that the overall phenotype of conditioned pain behavior depends on two dissociable reinforcement learning circuits. PMID:26711494

Commissioning healthcare for people with long term conditions: the persistence of relational contracting in England's NHS quasi-market.

PubMed

Porter, Alison; Mays, Nicholas; Shaw, Sara E; Rosen, Rebecca; Smith, Judith

2013-01-01

Since 1991, there has been a series of reforms of the English National Health Service (NHS) entailing an increasing separation between the commissioners of services and a widening range of public and independent sector providers able to compete for contracts to provide services to NHS patients. We examine the extent to which local commissioners had adopted a market-oriented (transactional) model of commissioning of care for people with long term conditions several years into the latest period of market-oriented reform. The paper also considers the factors that may have inhibited or supported market-oriented behaviour, including the presence of conditions conducive to a health care quasi-market. We studied the commissioning of services for people with three long term conditions - diabetes, stroke and dementia - in three English primary care trust (PCT) areas over two years (2010-12). We took a broadly ethnographic approach to understanding the day-to-day practice of commissioning. Data were collected through interviews, observation of meetings and from documents. In contrast to a transactional, market-related approach organised around commissioner choice of provider and associated contracting, commissioning was largely relational, based on trust and collaboration with incumbent providers. There was limited sign of commissioners significantly challenging providers, changing providers, or decommissioning services.In none of the service areas were all the conditions for a well functioning quasi-market in health care in place. Choice of provider was generally absent or limited; information on demand and resource requirements was highly imperfect; motivations were complex; and transaction costs uncertain, but likely to be high. It was difficult to divide care into neat units for contracting purposes. As a result, it is scarcely surprising that commissioning practice in relation to all six commissioning developments was dominated by a relational approach. Our findings challenge the notion of a strict separation of commissioners and providers, and instead demonstrate the adaptive persistence of relational commissioning based on continuity of provision, trust and interdependence between commissioners and providers, at least for services for people with long-term conditions.

Commissioning healthcare for people with long term conditions: the persistence of relational contracting in England’s NHS quasi-market

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Since 1991, there has been a series of reforms of the English National Health Service (NHS) entailing an increasing separation between the commissioners of services and a widening range of public and independent sector providers able to compete for contracts to provide services to NHS patients. We examine the extent to which local commissioners had adopted a market-oriented (transactional) model of commissioning of care for people with long term conditions several years into the latest period of market-oriented reform. The paper also considers the factors that may have inhibited or supported market-oriented behaviour, including the presence of conditions conducive to a health care quasi-market. Methods We studied the commissioning of services for people with three long term conditions - diabetes, stroke and dementia - in three English primary care trust (PCT) areas over two years (2010-12). We took a broadly ethnographic approach to understanding the day-to-day practice of commissioning. Data were collected through interviews, observation of meetings and from documents. Results In contrast to a transactional, market-related approach organised around commissioner choice of provider and associated contracting, commissioning was largely relational, based on trust and collaboration with incumbent providers. There was limited sign of commissioners significantly challenging providers, changing providers, or decommissioning services. In none of the service areas were all the conditions for a well functioning quasi-market in health care in place. Choice of provider was generally absent or limited; information on demand and resource requirements was highly imperfect; motivations were complex; and transaction costs uncertain, but likely to be high. It was difficult to divide care into neat units for contracting purposes. As a result, it is scarcely surprising that commissioning practice in relation to all six commissioning developments was dominated by a relational approach. Conclusions Our findings challenge the notion of a strict separation of commissioners and providers, and instead demonstrate the adaptive persistence of relational commissioning based on continuity of provision, trust and interdependence between commissioners and providers, at least for services for people with long-term conditions. PMID:23735008

Relationship of demographic and health factors to cognition in older adults in the ACTIVE study.

PubMed

Rexroth, Daniel F; Tennstedt, Sharon L; Jones, Richard N; Guey, Lin T; Rebok, George W; Marsiske, Michael M; Xu, Yan; Unverzagt, Frederick W

2013-12-01

Examine the relationship of demographics and health conditions, alone and in combination, on objective measures of cognitive function in a large sample of community-dwelling older adults. Baseline data from 2,782 participants in the Advanced Cognitive Training in Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study were used to examine relationships of demographics and health conditions with composite scores of memory, reasoning, and speed of processing. Younger age, increased education, and White race were independently associated with better performance in each cognitive domain after adjusting for gender and health conditions. Male gender, diabetes, and suspected clinical depression were associated with poorer cognitive functioning; suspected clinical depression was associated with lower reasoning and diabetes and history of stroke with slower speed of processing. Age, education, and race are consistently associated with cognitive performance in this sample of older community-dwelling adults. Diabetes, stroke, and suspected clinical depression had independent but weaker effects on cognition.

Career Maturity and Familial Independence among College Freshmen.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomason, Sharon L.; Winer, Jane L.

1994-01-01

Data from 115 college freshmen under age 20 show that career maturity is not significantly related to independence from parents. Intelligence was significantly and positively related to most career maturity and independence scales for women but not for men. Men were both less career mature and more independent from their mothers than women were.…

[Daily living activities and oral condition among care facility residents with severe intellectual disabilities. Comparative analyses between residents receiving tooth-brushing assistance and those not receiving tooth-brushing assistance].

PubMed

Chiwata, Kaoru; Takeda, Fumi

2007-06-01

To clarify 1) differences in daily living activities and oral condition among care facility residents with severe intellectual disabilities and 2) chronological changes in daily living activities and oral condition for residents receiving tooth-brushing assistance and those never receiving tooth-brushing assistance. Subjects were 44 residents at a care facility for individuals with severe intellectual disabilities, who underwent dental screening in July 1994 and October 2003. At each time point, daily living activities, behavior during oral health guidance, behavior during dental health screening and oral condition were compared between residents receiving tooth-brushing assistance (assistance group) and those not receiving tooth-brushing assistance (independent group). Furthermore, chronological changes were analyzed for residents requiring assistance at both screenings, those requiring assistance only at the second screening, and those not requiring assistance at either screening. 1) In the assistance group, 100% and 36.4% of residents were unable to brush their teeth independently in 1994 and 2003, respectively. Significant differences between the assistance and independent groups were observed in all items of behavior during dental health screening in 1994, but not in 2003. No significant intergroup differences in oral condition were observed in 1994, but differences were seen in 2003; when compared to the assistance group, the number of lost teeth was significantly higher in the independent group, while the number of remaining teeth was lower. 2) Regarding changes over the nine-year period, a significantly greater proportion of residents not requiring assistance at either screening and those requiring assistance only at the second screening finally required assistance in bathing. As for oral condition, no significant changes in healthy teeth were observed in residents requiring assistance at both screening time points, while significant increases in dental caries and filled teeth and a significant decrease in the number of healthy teeth were observed in residents requiring assistance only at the second screening and those not requiring assistance at either screening. Over the nine-year period, the subjects of tooth-brushing assistance changed, and assistance was given to those able to brush their teeth independently in addition to those unable to brush their teeth independently. The number of healthy teeth did not change in residents receiving tooth-brushing assistance during this period, but in residents never receiving tooth-brushing assistance, decrease was noted. Therefore, even for individuals able to brush their teeth independently, some form of tooth-brushing assistance is needed to sufficiently prevent oral diseases.

Maternal influences on thiamine status of walleye Sander vitreus ova.

PubMed

Wiegand, M D; Johnston, T A; Brown, L R; Brown, S B; Casselman, J M; Leggett, W C

2011-03-01

Concentrations of the various forms of thiamine (vitamin B(1) ) were determined in walleye Sander vitreus ova from three central North American lakes. Total thiamine concentrations in ova from Lake Winnipeg S. vitreus were approximately three times greater (mean 12 nmol g(-1) ) than in those from Lakes Erie or Ontario. The percentage of thiamine in the active form (thiamine pyrophosphate, TPP) was highest in Lake Ontario ova (mean 88%) and lowest in those from Lake Winnipeg (mean 70%). Neither ova total thiamine concentration nor per cent ova thiamine as TPP showed any consistent relationships with maternal age, size, morphometric condition, somatic lipid concentrations or liver lipid concentrations. Ova total thiamine concentration, however, was negatively related to ovum size in some populations, as well as among populations, and was positively related to liver total thiamine concentration. Maternal transfer of thiamine to ova appears to be independent of female ontogenetic or conditional state in S. vitreus. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2011 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

The changing scene of allogeneic stem cell transplantation for chronic myeloid leukemia--a report from the German Registry covering the period from 1998 to 2004.

PubMed

Bacher, Ulrike; Klyuchnikov, Evgeny; Zabelina, Tatjana; Ottinger, Hellmut; Beelen, Dietrich W; Schrezenmeier, Hubert; Ehninger, Gerhard; Müller, Carlheinz; Berger, Jürgen; Suttorp, Meinolf; Kolb, Hans-Jochem; Kröger, Nicolaus; Zander, Axel R

2009-12-01

Due to the recent changes in the indication to allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), we retrospectively analyzed 1,716 patients with different CML stages who received an allograft from related (n = 767) or unrelated donors (n = 938) within the German Registry of Stem Cell Transplantation (DRST) from 1998 to 2004. Myeloablative conditioning was performed in 724/871 cases (83%), dose-reduced conditioning in 147/871 (17%). Annual transplantations were decreasing from 357 to 98 (28%) in the period of study, but the proportion of advanced cases was increasing from 32% (112/346) to 53% (50/94) of all SCTs. Stage of disease, intervals from diagnosis, and patients' age were independent prognostic parameters, while peripheral stem cells and unrelated transplantation seemed equal to bone marrow/related transplantation. This study demonstrates that allo-SCT still has an important role in advanced CML, which emphasizes the need for optimized transplantation strategies for these high-risk patients.

Conditional forebrain inactivation of nicastrin causes progressive memory impairment and age-related neurodegeneration.

PubMed

Tabuchi, Katsuhiko; Chen, Guiquan; Südhof, Thomas C; Shen, Jie

2009-06-03

Loss of presenilin function in adult mouse brains causes memory loss and age-related neurodegeneration. Since presenilin possesses gamma-secretase-dependent and -independent activities, it remains unknown which activity is required for presenilin-dependent memory formation and neuronal survival. To address this question, we generated postnatal forebrain-specific nicastrin conditional knock-out (cKO) mice, in which nicastrin, a subunit of gamma-secretase, is inactivated selectively in mature excitatory neurons of the cerebral cortex. nicastrin cKO mice display progressive impairment in learning and memory and exhibit age-dependent cortical neuronal loss, accompanied by astrocytosis, microgliosis, and hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein Tau. The neurodegeneration observed in nicastrin cKO mice likely occurs via apoptosis, as evidenced by increased numbers of apoptotic neurons. These findings demonstrate an essential role of nicastrin in the execution of learning and memory and the maintenance of neuronal survival in the brain and suggest that presenilin functions in memory and neuronal survival via its role as a gamma-secretase subunit.

Grain-size-independent plastic flow at ultrahigh pressures and strain rates.

PubMed

Park, H-S; Rudd, R E; Cavallo, R M; Barton, N R; Arsenlis, A; Belof, J L; Blobaum, K J M; El-dasher, B S; Florando, J N; Huntington, C M; Maddox, B R; May, M J; Plechaty, C; Prisbrey, S T; Remington, B A; Wallace, R J; Wehrenberg, C E; Wilson, M J; Comley, A J; Giraldez, E; Nikroo, A; Farrell, M; Randall, G; Gray, G T

2015-02-13

A basic tenet of material science is that the flow stress of a metal increases as its grain size decreases, an effect described by the Hall-Petch relation. This relation is used extensively in material design to optimize the hardness, durability, survivability, and ductility of structural metals. This Letter reports experimental results in a new regime of high pressures and strain rates that challenge this basic tenet of mechanical metallurgy. We report measurements of the plastic flow of the model body-centered-cubic metal tantalum made under conditions of high pressure (>100  GPa) and strain rate (∼10(7)  s(-1)) achieved by using the Omega laser. Under these unique plastic deformation ("flow") conditions, the effect of grain size is found to be negligible for grain sizes >0.25  μm sizes. A multiscale model of the plastic flow suggests that pressure and strain rate hardening dominate over the grain-size effects. Theoretical estimates, based on grain compatibility and geometrically necessary dislocations, corroborate this conclusion.

Environment-Level Strategies to Support Independent Control of Finances: A Response to the SSA Review of Financial Capability Determination Review.

PubMed

Harper, Annie; Rowe, Michael

2017-01-01

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently completed an evaluation of the process by which representative payees are assigned. The SSA report is welcome, particularly for its focus on developing more accurate, real-world assessments of a person's financial capability and its recognition of the need for more flexible options for people with disabilities. Crucially, the report discusses the impact of the broader environment-specifically, conditions related to living in poverty. However, it provides no guidance about environmental interventions that could enable more beneficiaries to manage their funds without a payee. Innovative financial products could be offered to beneficiaries, and the retail industry could develop processes to support responsible financial management by people with mental illness. Changes to SSA benefits systems, including raising benefits levels and asset limits, could enable more beneficiaries to manage their funds independently.

Analysis of the labor productivity of enterprises via quantile regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Türkan, Semra

2017-07-01

In this study, we have analyzed the factors that affect the performance of Turkey's Top 500 Industrial Enterprises using quantile regression. The variable about labor productivity of enterprises is considered as dependent variable, the variableabout assets is considered as independent variable. The distribution of labor productivity of enterprises is right-skewed. If the dependent distribution is skewed, linear regression could not catch important aspects of the relationships between the dependent variable and its predictors due to modeling only the conditional mean. Hence, the quantile regression, which allows modelingany quantilesof the dependent distribution, including the median,appears to be useful. It examines whether relationships between dependent and independent variables are different for low, medium, and high percentiles. As a result of analyzing data, the effect of total assets is relatively constant over the entire distribution, except the upper tail. It hasa moderately stronger effect in the upper tail.

Microbial diversity in sugarcane ethanol production in a Brazilian distillery using a culture-independent method.

PubMed

Costa, Ohana Yonara Assis; Souto, Betulia Morais; Tupinambá, Daiva Domenech; Bergmann, Jessica Carvalho; Kyaw, Cynthia Maria; Kruger, Ricardo Henrique; Barreto, Cristine Chaves; Quirino, Betania Ferraz

2015-01-01

Sugarcane ethanol production occurs in non-sterile conditions, and microbial contamination can decrease productivity. In this study, we assessed the microbial diversity of contaminants of ethanol production in an industrial facility in Brazil. Samples obtained at different stages were analyzed by pyrosequencing-based profiling of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes and the fungal internal transcribed spacer region. A total of 355 bacterial groups, 22 archaeal groups, and 203 fungal groups were identified, and community changes were related to temperature changes at certain stages. After fermentation, Lactobacillus and unclassified Lactobacillaceae accounted for nearly 100 % of the bacterial sequences. Predominant Fungi groups were "unclassified Fungi," Meyerozyma, and Candida. The predominant Archaea group was unclassified Thaumarchaeota. This is the first work to assess the diversity of Bacteria, and Archaea and Fungi associated with the industrial process of sugarcane-ethanol production using culture-independent techniques.

Economic and social distance: Perceived income inequality negatively predicts an interdependent self-construal.

PubMed

Sánchez-Rodríguez, Ángel; Willis, Guillermo B; Rodríguez-Bailón, Rosa

2017-07-03

Previous research has shown that economic inequality influences how people are related with others. In this article, we suggest that perceived economic inequality influences self-construal. Specifically, we propose that higher economic inequality leads to an independent self-construal, whereas lower economic inequality leads to an interdependent self-construal. Correlational data from Studies 1a and 1b revealed that people who perceive lower levels of economic inequality tend to show higher levels of interdependent self-construal, even after controlling for social class. In Study 2, using an experimental design, we found that perceived high economic inequality leads to a more independent and less interdependent self-construal compared to the low economic inequality condition. These results expand the literature bridging the gap between a macro-social factor, such as economic inequality, and a micro-social factor, such as self-construal. © 2017 International Union of Psychological Science.

Glycols modulate terminator stem stability and ligand-dependency of a glycine riboswitch.

PubMed

Hamachi, Kokoro; Hayashi, Hikari; Shimamura, Miyuki; Yamaji, Yuiha; Kaneko, Ai; Fujisawa, Aruma; Umehara, Takuya; Tamura, Koji

2013-08-01

The Bacillus subtilis glycine riboswitch comprises tandem glycine-binding aptamers and a putative terminator stem followed by the gcvT operon. Gene expression is regulated via the sensing of glycine. However, we found that the riboswitch behaves in a "glycine-independent" manner in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ethylene glycol. The effect is related to the formation of a terminator stem within the expression platform under such conditions. The results revealed that increasing PEG stabilized the structure of the terminator stem. By contrast, the addition of ethylene glycol destabilized the terminator stem. PEG and ethylene glycol have opposite effects on transcription as well as on stable terminator stem formation. The glycine-independency of the riboswitch and the effects of such glycols might shed light on the evolution of riboswitches. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Charged Polymer Brushes: Counterion Incorporation and Scaling Relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahrens, Heiko; Förster, Stephan; Helm, Christiane A.

1998-11-01

Amphiphilic block copolymers consisting of a fluid hydrophobic and a polyelectrolyte part form monolayers at the air/water interface. With x-ray reflectivity it is shown that the hydrophobic block is a nm-thick melt, while the polyelectrolyte forms an osmotically swollen brush of constant thickness, independent of grafting density and with stochiometric counter ion incorporation. Only at high salt conditions (above 0.1 M), the brush shrinks and the thickness scales with the molecular area and the salt concentration (corrected for excluded volume interactions) with an exponent -1/3.

Comet Halley - The orbital motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeomans, D. K.

1977-01-01

The orbital motion of Comet Halley is investigated over the interval from A.D. 837 to 2061. Using the observations from 1607 through 1911, least-squares differential orbit corrections were successfully computed using the existing model for the nongravitational forces. The nongravitational-force model was found to be consistent with the outgassing-rocket effect of a water-ice cometary nucleus and, prior to the 1910 return, these forces are time-independent for nearly a millennium. For the 1986 return, viewing conditions are outlined for the comet and the related Orionid and Eta Aquarid meteor showers.

What drives seasonal fluctuations of body condition in a semelparous income breeder octopus?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quetglas, Antoni; Ordines, Francesc; Valls, Maria

2011-09-01

The vast majority of modern cephalopods is single-season breeders, or semelparous in the strict sense, that die soon after the reproduction takes place. Individual body condition in these marine invertebrates is expected to be highly affected by reproduction because: 1) the gonad weight of females, which represents <1% of body weight when immature, increases up to 20-50% during maturation; and 2) octopus females reduce or even cease their food intake during breeding. Based on this expectation, we analysed the interrelationship between condition and reproduction in the temperate octopus Eledone cirrhosa. Results from a previous work using biochemical analyses showed that reproduction in this species is not fuelled by stored reserves (capital breeder), but by food intakes (income breeder). Since income breeders depend strongly on food resources, the effect of several environmental variables related to food availability such as primary production, sea temperature (ST) and river discharges were also analysed. Condition showed a marked intrannual cycle independently of the sex and, noteworthy, the maturity stage. Given that immature individuals are not expected to display seasonal fluctuations in body condition related to maturation, these results preclude reproduction as a driving factor for the observed circannual cycle. Condition was significantly correlated with all the environmental variables analysed, except with ST at the depths where the species lives. Although this last result also precludes concurrent ST as a driving factor of body condition, those correlations suggest that condition might display an intrinsic seasonal cycle, as many other life-history traits in most species such as reproduction, migration or moulting. Finally, there also remains the possibility that condition in this octopus species is determined genetically, as has been reported in recent studies across different taxonomical groups.

Enhancing dopaminergic signaling and histone acetylation promotes long-term rescue of deficient fear extinction

PubMed Central

Whittle, N; Maurer, V; Murphy, C; Rainer, J; Bindreither, D; Hauschild, M; Scharinger, A; Oberhauser, M; Keil, T; Brehm, C; Valovka, T; Striessnig, J; Singewald, N

2016-01-01

Extinction-based exposure therapy is used to treat anxiety- and trauma-related disorders; however, there is the need to improve its limited efficacy in individuals with impaired fear extinction learning and to promote greater protection against return-of-fear phenomena. Here, using 129S1/SvImJ mice, which display impaired fear extinction acquisition and extinction consolidation, we revealed that persistent and context-independent rescue of deficient fear extinction in these mice was associated with enhanced expression of dopamine-related genes, such as dopamine D1 (Drd1a) and -D2 (Drd2) receptor genes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala, but not hippocampus. Moreover, enhanced histone acetylation was observed in the promoter of the extinction-regulated Drd2 gene in the mPFC, revealing a potential gene-regulatory mechanism. Although enhancing histone acetylation, via administering the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor MS-275, does not induce fear reduction during extinction training, it promoted enduring and context-independent rescue of deficient fear extinction consolidation/retrieval once extinction learning was initiated as shown following a mild conditioning protocol. This was associated with enhanced histone acetylation in neurons of the mPFC and amygdala. Finally, as a proof-of-principle, mimicking enhanced dopaminergic signaling by L-dopa treatment rescued deficient fear extinction and co-administration of MS-275 rendered this effect enduring and context-independent. In summary, current data reveal that combining dopaminergic and epigenetic mechanisms is a promising strategy to improve exposure-based behavior therapy in extinction-impaired individuals by initiating the formation of an enduring and context-independent fear-inhibitory memory. PMID:27922638

Relationship between bone turnover and left ventricular function in primary hyperparathyroidism: The EPATH trial.

PubMed

Verheyen, Nicolas; Fahrleitner-Pammer, Astrid; Belyavskiy, Evgeny; Gruebler, Martin R; Dimai, Hans Peter; Amrein, Karin; Ablasser, Klemens; Martensen, Johann; Catena, Cristiana; Pieske-Kraigher, Elisabeth; Colantonio, Caterina; Voelkl, Jakob; Lang, Florian; Alesutan, Ioana; Meinitzer, Andreas; März, Winfried; Brussee, Helmut; Pieske, Burkert; Pilz, Stefan; Tomaschitz, Andreas

2017-01-01

Observational studies suggested a link between bone disease and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction that may be pronounced in hyperparathyroid conditions. We therefore aimed to test the hypothesis that circulating markers of bone turnover correlate with LV function in a cohort of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). Cross-sectional data of 155 subjects with pHPT were analyzed who participated in the "Eplerenone in Primary Hyperparathyroidism" (EPATH) Trial. Multivariate linear regression analyses with LV ejection fraction (LVEF, systolic function) or peak early transmitral filling velocity (e', diastolic function) as dependent variables and N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type 1 (P1NP), osteocalcin (OC), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), or beta-crosslaps (CTX) as the respective independent variable were performed. Analyses were additionally adjusted for plasma parathyroid hormone, plasma calcium, age, sex, HbA1c, body mass index, mean 24-hours systolic blood pressure, smoking status, estimated glomerular filtration rate, antihypertensive treatment, osteoporosis treatment, 25-hydroxy vitamin D and N-terminal pro-brain B-type natriuretic peptide. Independent relationships were observed between P1NP and LVEF (adjusted β-coefficient = 0.201, P = 0.035) and e' (β = 0.188, P = 0.042), respectively. OC (β = 0.192, P = 0.039) and BALP (β = 0.198, P = 0.030) were each independently related with e'. CTX showed no correlations with LVEF or e'. In conclusion, high bone formation markers were independently and paradoxically related with better LV diastolic and, partly, better systolic function, in the setting of pHPT. Potentially cardio-protective properties of stimulated bone formation in the context of hyperparathyroidism should be explored in future studies.

a Generic Probabilistic Model and a Hierarchical Solution for Sensor Localization in Noisy and Restricted Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, S.; Yuan, X.

2016-06-01

A generic probabilistic model, under fundamental Bayes' rule and Markov assumption, is introduced to integrate the process of mobile platform localization with optical sensors. And based on it, three relative independent solutions, bundle adjustment, Kalman filtering and particle filtering are deduced under different and additional restrictions. We want to prove that first, Kalman filtering, may be a better initial-value supplier for bundle adjustment than traditional relative orientation in irregular strips and networks or failed tie-point extraction. Second, in high noisy conditions, particle filtering can act as a bridge for gap binding when a large number of gross errors fail a Kalman filtering or a bundle adjustment. Third, both filtering methods, which help reduce the error propagation and eliminate gross errors, guarantee a global and static bundle adjustment, who requires the strictest initial values and control conditions. The main innovation is about the integrated processing of stochastic errors and gross errors in sensor observations, and the integration of the three most used solutions, bundle adjustment, Kalman filtering and particle filtering into a generic probabilistic localization model. The tests in noisy and restricted situations are designed and examined to prove them.

Contrasting the effects of duration and number of syllables on the perceptual normalization of lexical tones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciocca, Valter; Francis, Alexander L.; Yau, Teresa S.-K.

2004-05-01

In tonal languages, syllabic fundamental frequency (F0) patterns (``lexical tones'') convey lexical meaning. Listeners need to relate such pitch patterns to the pitch range of a speaker (``tone normalization'') to accurately identify lexical tones. This study investigated the amount of tonal information required to perform tone normalization. A target CV syllable, perceived as either a high level, a low level, or a mid level Cantonese tone, was preceded by a four-syllable carrier sentence whose F0 was shifted (1 semitone), or not shifted. Four conditions were obtained by gating one, two, three, or four syllables from the onset of the target. Presentation rate (normal versus fast) was set such that the duration of the one, two, and three syllable conditions (normal carrier) was equal to that of the two, three, and four syllable conditions (fast carrier). Results suggest that tone normalization is largely accomplished within 250 ms or so prior to target onset, independent of the number of syllables; additional tonal information produces a relatively small increase in tone normalization. Implications for models of lexical tone normalization will be discussed. [Work supported by the RGC of the Hong Kong SAR, Project No. HKU 7193/00H.

Experimental Study of the Relation Between Heat Transfer and Flow Behavior in a Single Microtube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shih-Che; Kawanami, Osamu; Kawakami, Kazunari; Honda, Itsuro; Kawashima, Yousuke; Ohta, Haruhiko

2008-09-01

The flow boiling heat transfer in microchannels have become important issue because it is extremely high-performance heat exchanger for electronic devices. For a detailed study on flow boiling heat transfer in a microtube, we have used a transparent heated microtube, which is coated with a thin gold film on its inner wall. The gold film is used as a resistance thermometer to directly evaluate the inner wall temperature averaged over the entire temperature measurement length. At the same time, the transparency of the film enables the observation of fluid behavior. Flow boiling experiments have been carried out using the microtube under the following conditions; mass velocity of 105 kg/m2 s, tube diameter of 1 mm, heat flux in the range of 10 380 kW/m2 s, and the test fluid used is ionized water. Under low heat flux conditions, the fluctuations in the inner wall temperature and mass velocity are closely related; the frequency of these fluctuations is the same. However, the fluctuations in the inner wall temperature and heat transfer coefficient are found to be independent of the fluctuation in the mass velocity under high heat flux conditions.

Recharge and groundwater models: An overview

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanford, W.

2002-01-01

Recharge is a fundamental component of groundwater systems, and in groundwater-modeling exercises recharge is either measured and specified or estimated during model calibration. The most appropriate way to represent recharge in a groundwater model depends upon both physical factors and study objectives. Where the water table is close to the land surface, as in humid climates or regions with low topographic relief, a constant-head boundary condition is used. Conversely, where the water table is relatively deep, as in drier climates or regions with high relief, a specified-flux boundary condition is used. In most modeling applications, mixed-type conditions are more effective, or a combination of the different types can be used. The relative distribution of recharge can be estimated from water-level data only, but flux observations must be incorporated in order to estimate rates of recharge. Flux measurements are based on either Darcian velocities (e.g., stream base-flow) or seepage velocities (e.g., groundwater age). In order to estimate the effective porosity independently, both types of flux measurements must be available. Recharge is often estimated more efficiently when automated inverse techniques are used. Other important applications are the delineation of areas contributing recharge to wells and the estimation of paleorecharge rates using carbon-14.

Birth weight and mortality: causality or confounding?

PubMed

Basso, Olga; Wilcox, Allen J; Weinberg, Clarice R

2006-08-15

The association between birth weight and mortality is among the strongest seen in epidemiology. While preterm delivery causes both small babies and high mortality, it does not explain this association. Fetal growth restriction has also been proposed, although its features are unclear because it lacks a definition independent of weight. If, as some postulate, birth weight is not itself on the causal path to mortality, its relation with mortality would have to be explained by confounding factors that decrease birth weight and increase mortality. In this paper, the authors explore the characteristics such confounders would require in order to achieve the observed association between birth weight and mortality. Through a simple simulation, they found that the observed steep gradient of risk for small babies at term can be produced by a rare condition or conditions (with a total prevalence of 0.5%) having profound effects on both fetal growth (-1.7 standard deviations) and mortality (relative risk = 160). Candidate conditions might include malformations, fetal or placental aneuploidy, infections, or imprinting disorders. If such rare factors underlie the association of birth weight with mortality, it would have broad implications for the study of fetal growth restriction and birth weight, and for the prevention of infant mortality.

Negotiated autonomy in diabetes self-management: the experiences of adults with intellectual disability and their support workers.

PubMed

Whitehead, L C; Trip, H T; Hale, L A; Conder, J

2016-02-02

The basic human right of autonomy is underpinned by the ability to practice decision-making. The rights of people with disabilities to engage in autonomous decision-making are promoted as best practice and includes decisions around health and self-care. Little is known about autonomy in the field of long-term condition management. This paper explores how people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and their support workers experience and practice autonomy in relation to the management of diabetes. Semi-structured interviews were completed in residential and independent living settings with people living with an ID and type 1 (N = 8) or type 2 (N = 6) diabetes and their support workers (N = 17). The participant with ID's support worker was present as requested; however, the interviews were run separately with each participant rather than jointly. Thematic analysis was undertaken, and a constructivist lens informed both data collection and analysis. The analysis revealed a strong process of negotiated autonomy between people with ID and their support workers in relation to the daily management of diabetes. During times of transition, roles in relation to diabetes management were renegotiated, and the promotion of autonomy was prefaced within the context of risk and client safety. Goals to increase independence were drivers for negotiating greater autonomy. The successful negotiation of autonomy in relation to diabetes illustrates the potential for people with ID to play a key role in the management of long-term health conditions. The study highlights the primacy of developing decision-making skills among people with ID. Promoting opportunities for decision-making and an ethos of supported decision-making through person-centred planning are all vital in working towards enhancing autonomy. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adverse weather conditions and fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States, 1994-2012.

PubMed

Saha, Shubhayu; Schramm, Paul; Nolan, Amanda; Hess, Jeremy

2016-11-08

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury mortality. Adverse weather and road conditions have the potential to affect the likelihood of motor vehicle fatalities through several pathways. However, there remains a dearth of assessments associating adverse weather conditions to fatal crashes in the United States. We assessed trends in motor vehicle fatalities associated with adverse weather and present spatial variation in fatality rates by state. We analyzed the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) datasets from 1994 to 2012 produced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that contains reported weather information for each fatal crash. For each year, we estimated the fatal crashes that were associated with adverse weather conditions. We stratified these fatalities by months to examine seasonal patterns. We calculated state-specific rates using annual vehicle miles traveled data for all fatalities and for those related to adverse weather to examine spatial variations in fatality rates. To investigate the role of adverse weather as an independent risk factor for fatal crashes, we calculated odds ratios for known risk factors (e.g., alcohol and drug use, no restraint use, poor driving records, poor light conditions, highway driving) to be reported along with adverse weather. Total and adverse weather-related fatalities decreased over 1994-2012. Adverse weather-related fatalities constituted about 16 % of total fatalities on average over the study period. On average, 65 % of adverse weather-related fatalities happened between November and April, with rain/wet conditions more frequently reported than snow/icy conditions. The spatial distribution of fatalities associated with adverse weather by state was different than the distribution of total fatalities. Involvement of alcohol or drugs, no restraint use, and speeding were less likely to co-occur with fatalities during adverse weather conditions. While adverse weather is reported for a large number of motor vehicle fatalities for the US, the type of adverse weather and the rate of associated fatality vary geographically. These fatalities may be addressed and potentially prevented by modifying speed limits during inclement weather, improving road surfacing, ice and snow removal, and providing transit alternatives, but the impact of potential interventions requires further research.

Common symptoms in middle aged women: their relation to employment status, psychosocial work conditions and social support in a Swedish setting.

PubMed

Krantz, G; Ostergren, P O

2000-03-01

Over the past few decades there has been a growing interest among researchers, in women's overall life circumstances and their relation to women's health status. For example, paid employment has been considered an important part of women's living conditions in Western societies as the number of women entering the labour market has grown constantly over the past decades. When comparing men's and women's health, one of the most consistent findings is a higher rate of symptoms among women. The most commonly reported symptoms in women are depressive symptoms, symptoms of bodily tension and chronic pain from muscles and joints. The aim of this study was to investigate whether socioeconomic factors, employment status, psychosocial work conditions and social network/support are associated with middle aged women's health status in terms of common symptoms. A mailed questionnaire was used in a cross sectional design assessing socioeconomic factors, employment status, psychosocial work conditions according to the demand/control model, social network/support and an index based on the 15 most frequent symptoms presented by middle aged women when seeking health care. A rural community with 13,200 inhabitants in the western part of Sweden. Women were randomly selected from the general population in the study area, 40 to 50 years of age. The response rate was 81.7 per cent. Women who were non-employed had a significantly increased odds of a high level of common symptoms (OR = 2.82; 95% confidence intervals 1.69, 4.70), as well as women exposed to job strain (OR = 3.27; 1.92, 5.57), independently of the level of social network/support. Furthermore, exposure to low social support, low social anchorage or low social participation independently showed significantly increased odds of a high level of common symptoms (OR = 2.75; 1.71, 4.42; OR = 2.91; 1.81, 4.69 and OR = 1.69; 1.10, 2.61, respectively). Work related factors, such as non-employment and job strain, and circumstances within the private sphere, such as social network/support, seem equally important for middle aged women's health status. These findings ought to have important policy implications and also to be of major importance in a primary health care setting when meeting women who seek health care because of common symptoms.

Correlation between air pollution and weather data in urban areas: Assessment of the city of Rome (Italy) as spatially and temporally independent regarding pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battista, Gabriele; de Lieto Vollaro, Roberto

2017-09-01

Air pollution represents the biggest environmental risk for health. It is so widespread and it represents one of the main problems of the worldwide, especially because it is emitted by so many different types of sources. The pollutants can originate directly by exhausted or they can be formed because of the reaction with the atmosphere. The first one includes particulate matter and gaseous pollutants such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and carbon oxides. The second one includes the ozone formed from nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, and particulate sulfate and nitrate aerosols created in the atmosphere from sulfur and nitrogen oxide gases. During the entire life course, people are exposed to the pollutants and suffer from different consequences depending on the age. The first nine month of life are generally recognized as more critical than latter time periods. The mortality associated to air pollutant exposure is main related to the concentrations of NOx , ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxides and particular matter. More than 92% of the world's population lives in places where air quality levels exceed the standards. In 2012, one out of every nine deaths was the result of air pollution-related conditions. In 2016 about 3 million deaths a year were linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. In the last few years many epidemiological studies have shown associations between air pollutant concentrations and human health. Apart from people, even monuments and artworks can be damaged by pollution, especially in city centres. Furthermore, urbanization modified microclimate conditions of the cities, and, together with traffic and domestic heating, led to a discomfort of living conditions. For these reasons, there is the necessity to improve the research on the impact of pollutant and microclimate conditions inside urban areas. In this work different kinds of pollutants in Rome from 2006 to 2015 were analysed, and different techniques of post elaboration were used. In particular, the attention was focused on statistic and cross statistic techniques in time and space. The results led to describe Rome as spatially and temporally independence regarding pollutant. Even weather changes were studied in relation with pollution. In particular, cross-correlation analysis were done with air temperature, solar radiation, wind direction and velocity, highlighting a strong coupling for the most of cases except for particular matter.

Comparison of Rehabilitation Outcomes for Long Term Neurological Conditions: A Cohort Analysis of the Australian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre Dataset for Adults of Working Age

PubMed Central

Turner-Stokes, Lynne; Vanderstay, Roxana; Stevermuer, Tara; Simmonds, Frances; Khan, Fary; Eagar, Kathy

2015-01-01

Objective To describe and compare outcomes from in-patient rehabilitation (IPR) in working-aged adults across different groups of long-term neurological conditions, as defined by the UK National Service Framework. Design Analysis of a large Australian prospectively collected dataset for completed IPR episodes (n = 28,596) from 2003-2012. Methods De-identified data for adults (16–65 years) with specified neurological impairment codes were extracted, cleaned and divided into ‘Sudden-onset’ conditions: (Stroke (n = 12527), brain injury (n = 7565), spinal cord injury (SCI) (n = 3753), Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) (n = 805)) and ‘Progressive/stable’ conditions (Progressive (n = 3750) and Cerebral palsy (n = 196)). Key outcomes included Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores, length of stay (LOS), and discharge destination. Results Mean LOS ranged from 21–57 days with significant group differences in gender, source of admission and discharge destination. All six groups showed significant change (p<0.001) between admission and discharge that was likely to be clinically important across a range of items. Significant between-group differences were observed for FIM Motor and Cognitive change scores (Kruskal-Wallis p<0.001), and item-by-item analysis confirmed distinct patterns for each of the six groups. SCI and GBS patients were generally at the ceiling of the cognitive subscale. The ‘Progressive/stable’ conditions made smaller improvements in FIM score than the ‘Sudden-onset conditions’, but also had shorter LOS. Conclusion All groups made gains in independence during admission, although pattern of change varied between conditions, and ceiling effects were observed in the FIM-cognitive subscale. Relative cost-efficiency between groups can only be indirectly inferred. Limitations of the current dataset are discussed, together with opportunities for expansion and further development. PMID:26167877

Tennis in hot and cool conditions decreases the rapid muscle torque production capacity of the knee extensors but not of the plantar flexors

PubMed Central

Girard, Olivier; Racinais, Sébastien; Périard, Julien D

2014-01-01

Objectives To assess the time course of changes in rapid muscle force/torque production capacity and neuromuscular activity of lower limb muscles in response to prolonged (∼2 h) match-play tennis under heat stress. Methods The rates of torque development (RTD) and electromyographic activity (EMG; ie, root mean square) rise were recorded from 0 to 30, –50, –100 and –200 ms during brief (3–5 s) explosive maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVC) of the knee extensors (KE) and plantar flexors (PF), along with the peak RTD within the entirety of the torque-time curve. These values were recorded in 12 male tennis players before (prematch) and after (postmatch, 24 and 48 h) match-play in HOT (∼37°C) and COOL (∼22°C) conditions. Results The postmatch core temperature was greater in the HOT (∼39.4°C) vs COOL (∼38.7°C) condition (p<0.05). Reductions in KE RTD occurred within the 0–200 ms epoch after contraction onset postmatch and at 24 h, compared with prematch, independent of environmental conditions (p<0.05). A similar reduction in the KE peak RTD was also observed postmatch relative to prematch (p<0.05). No differences in KE RTD values were observed after normalisation to MVC torque. Furthermore, the rate of KE EMG activity rise remained unchanged. Conversely, the PF contractile RTD and rate of EMG activity rise were unaffected by the exercise or environmental conditions. Conclusions In the KE, a reduction in maximal torque production capacity following prolonged match-play tennis appears to account for the decrease in the rate of torque development, independent of environmental conditions, while remaining unchanged in the PF. PMID:24668381

Gravitational instabilities of superspinars

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

Pani, Paolo; Barausse, Enrico; Berti, Emanuele

2010-08-15

Superspinars are ultracompact objects whose mass M and angular momentum J violate the Kerr bound (cJ/GM{sup 2}>1). Recent studies analyzed the observable consequences of gravitational lensing and accretion around superspinars in astrophysical scenarios. In this paper we investigate the dynamical stability of superspinars to gravitational perturbations, considering either purely reflecting or perfectly absorbing boundary conditions at the 'surface' of the superspinar. We find that these objects are unstable independently of the boundary conditions, and that the instability is strongest for relatively small values of the spin. Also, we give a physical interpretation of the various instabilities that we find. Ourmore » results (together with the well-known fact that accretion tends to spin superspinars down) imply that superspinars are very unlikely astrophysical alternatives to black holes.« less

I Think, Therefore Eyeblink

PubMed Central

Weidemann, Gabrielle; Satkunarajah, Michelle; Lovibond, Peter F.

2016-01-01

Can conditioning occur without conscious awareness of the contingency between the stimuli? We trained participants on two separate reaction time tasks that ensured attention to the experimental stimuli. The tasks were then interleaved to create a differential Pavlovian contingency between visual stimuli from one task and an airpuff stimulus from the other. Many participants were unaware of the contingency and failed to show differential eyeblink conditioning, despite attending to a salient stimulus that was contingently and contiguously related to the airpuff stimulus over many trials. Manipulation of awareness by verbal instruction dramatically increased awareness and differential eyeblink responding. These findings cast doubt on dual-system theories, which propose an automatic associative system independent of cognition, and provide strong evidence that cognitive processes associated with awareness play a causal role in learning. PMID:26905277

Hormonal status and test condition, but not sexual experience, modulate partner preference in female rats.

PubMed

Clark, Ann S; Kelton, Megan C; Guarraci, Fay A; Clyons, Erika Q

2004-05-01

A series of experiments was conducted to determine the contributions of hormonal status, test condition, and sexual experience to the display of partner preference by female rats. Preference for a sexually active male rat over a sexually receptive female rat was assessed in independent groups of female rats tested in a condition limiting physical contact (No Contact) and a condition allowing for sexual interaction (Contact). Although hormonal status and test condition influenced the preference for a sexually active male, repeated testing and sexual experience had no effect. Experiment 1 demonstrated that independent of test condition, preference for the male is stronger in estrogen- and progesterone-primed rats than in rats receiving the vehicle. Moreover, independent of hormone condition, rats tested in the No Contact condition exhibit a stronger preference for the male than rats tested in the Contact condition, reflecting in part the active pacing of mating stimulation by sexually receptive rats tested in the Contact condition. Experiment 2 showed that the overall pattern of partner preference in proestrous and diestrous rats was similar to that observed in ovariectomized, estrogen- and progesterone-primed, and oil-treated rats, respectively. In Experiment 3, rats primed with estrogen alone did not exhibit a preference for the male even though fully receptive. Experiments 4 and 5 demonstrated that sexual experience does not affect the expression of preference for the male in estrogen- and progesterone-primed rats. The present findings demonstrate that the female rat's preference for the male is stable across repeated tests and is not affected by sexual experience. Our results also confirm that gonadal hormones influence the expression of a preference for a sexually active male versus a sexually receptive female and demonstrate that the magnitude of preference is modulated by test conditions.

Statistical independence of the initial conditions in chaotic mixing.

PubMed

García de la Cruz, J M; Vassilicos, J C; Rossi, L

2017-11-01

Experimental evidence of the scalar convergence towards a global strange eigenmode independent of the scalar initial condition in chaotic mixing is provided. This convergence, underpinning the independent nature of chaotic mixing in any passive scalar, is presented by scalar fields with different initial conditions casting statistically similar shapes when advected by periodic unsteady flows. As the scalar patterns converge towards a global strange eigenmode, the scalar filaments, locally aligned with the direction of maximum stretching, as described by the Lagrangian stretching theory, stack together in an inhomogeneous pattern at distances smaller than their asymptotic minimum widths. The scalar variance decay becomes then exponential and independent of the scalar diffusivity or initial condition. In this work, mixing is achieved by advecting the scalar using a set of laminar flows with unsteady periodic topology. These flows, that resemble the tendril-whorl map, are obtained by morphing the forcing geometry in an electromagnetic free surface 2D mixing experiment. This forcing generates a velocity field which periodically switches between two concentric hyperbolic and elliptic stagnation points. In agreement with previous literature, the velocity fields obtained produce a chaotic mixer with two regions: a central mixing and an external extensional area. These two regions are interconnected through two pairs of fluid conduits which transfer clean and dyed fluid from the extensional area towards the mixing region and a homogenized mixture from the mixing area towards the extensional region.

Boundary Conditions for Infinite Conservation Laws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenhaus, V.; Bruzón, M. S.; Gandarias, M. L.

2016-12-01

Regular soliton equations (KdV, sine-Gordon, NLS) are known to possess infinite sets of local conservation laws. Some other classes of nonlinear PDE possess infinite-dimensional symmetries parametrized by arbitrary functions of independent or dependent variables; among them are Zabolotskaya-Khokhlov, Kadomtsev-Petviashvili, Davey-Stewartson equations and Born-Infeld equation. Boundary conditions were shown to play an important role for the existence of local conservation laws associated with infinite-dimensional symmetries. In this paper, we analyze boundary conditions for the infinite conserved densities of regular soliton equations: KdV, potential KdV, Sine-Gordon equation, and nonlinear Schrödinger equation, and compare them with boundary conditions for the conserved densities obtained from infinite-dimensional symmetries with arbitrary functions of independent and dependent variables.

Negative appraisals and fear extinction are independently related to PTSD symptoms.

PubMed

Zuj, Daniel V; Palmer, Matthew A; Gray, Kate E; Hsu, Chia-Ming K; Nicholson, Emma L; Malhi, Gin S; Bryant, Richard A; Felmingham, Kim L

2017-08-01

Considerable research has revealed impaired fear extinction to be a significant predictor of PTSD. Fear extinction is also considered the primary mechanism of exposure therapy, and a critical factor in PTSD recovery. The cognitive theory of PTSD proposes that symptoms persist due to excessive negative appraisals about the trauma and its sequelae. Research has not yet examined the relationship between fear extinction and negative appraisals in PTSD. A cross-sectional sample of participants with PTSD (n =21), and trauma-exposed controls (n =33) underwent a standardized differential fear conditioning and extinction paradigm, with skin conductance response (SCR) amplitude serving as the index of conditioned responses. The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) was used to index catastrophic negative appraisals. Participants with PTSD demonstrated a slower decrease in overall SCR responses during extinction and greater negative appraisals compared to the group. A moderation analysis revealed that both negative trauma-relevant appraisals and fear extinction learning were independently associated with PTSD symptoms, but there was no moderation interaction. The current study was limited by a modest sample size, leading to the inclusion of participants with subclinical PTSD symptoms. Further, the current study only assessed fear extinction learning; including a second day extinction recall task may show alternative effects. These findings indicate that negative appraisals and fear extinction did not interact, but had independent relationships with PTSD symptoms. Here we show for the first time in an experimental framework that negative appraisals and fear extinction play separate roles in PTSD symptoms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of physical activity, physical fitness, and chronic health conditions on the physical independence of community-dwelling older adults over a 5-year period.

PubMed

Pereira, Catarina; Baptista, Fátima; Cruz-Ferreira, Ana

2016-01-01

The variability in the individual characteristics and habits could help determine how older adults maintain independence. The impact of the variability in physical activity, physical fitness, body composition, and chronic health conditions (co-morbidities) on the independence of older adults, especially over time, is seldom examined. This study aims to analyze quantitatively the impact of baseline values and changes in physical activity, physical fitness, body composition, and co-morbidities on the physical independence of community-dwelling, older adults over a 5-year period. Data from 106 and 85 community-dwelling adults (≥60 years) were collected at baseline and after five years, respectively. Linear regression selected the main predictors of changes in physical independence as follows: the baseline physical independence (β=0.032, R(2)=9.9%) and co-morbidities (β=-0.191, R(2)=6.3%) and the changes in co-morbidities (β=-0.244, R(2)=10.8%), agility (β=-0.288, R(2)=6.7%), aerobic endurance (β=0.007, R(2)=3.2%), and walking expenditure (β=0.001, R(2)=5.1%) (p<0.05). In conclusion, baseline physical independence, baseline co-morbidities, and changes in co-morbidities, walking, agility, and aerobic endurance predicted physical independence over five years regardless of age and gender. Gains of up to 8.3% in physical independence were associated with improvements in these variables, which corresponds to regaining independence for performing one or two activities of daily living. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

[Roles of additives and surface control in slurry atomization]. Quarterly report, March 1992

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

Not Available

1992-08-01

Our experimental results clearly demonstrate that the shape of particles with aspect ratio close to unity dictates the relative suspension viscosity. Suspensions of irregularly shaped particles have higher relative viscosities than suspensions of spherical particles at same volume fractions, in agreement with the reported results at high shear conditions. The relative viscosity of a Newtonian suspension is in excellent agreement with that predicted by the Krieger/Dougherty rigid sphere model using the maximum packing fraction determined from sedimentation as the sole parameter. The relative viscosity of a pseudoplastic suspension is independent of the particle density. It correlates well with the particlemore » Peclet number. The extent of particle diffusion at high shear rates decreases considerably as the particle size increases, and less energy is dissipated as a result. The interparticle electrostatic repulsion plays no significant role in the rheology of pseudoplastic nonaqueous and aqueous glycerol suspensions of noncolloidal particles.« less

(Roles of additives and surface control in slurry atomization)

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

Not Available

1992-01-01

Our experimental results clearly demonstrate that the shape of particles with aspect ratio close to unity dictates the relative suspension viscosity. Suspensions of irregularly shaped particles have higher relative viscosities than suspensions of spherical particles at same volume fractions, in agreement with the reported results at high shear conditions. The relative viscosity of a Newtonian suspension is in excellent agreement with that predicted by the Krieger/Dougherty rigid sphere model using the maximum packing fraction determined from sedimentation as the sole parameter. The relative viscosity of a pseudoplastic suspension is independent of the particle density. It correlates well with the particlemore » Peclet number. The extent of particle diffusion at high shear rates decreases considerably as the particle size increases, and less energy is dissipated as a result. The interparticle electrostatic repulsion plays no significant role in the rheology of pseudoplastic nonaqueous and aqueous glycerol suspensions of noncolloidal particles.« less

Fully Quantum Fluctuation Theorems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Åberg, Johan

2018-02-01

Systems that are driven out of thermal equilibrium typically dissipate random quantities of energy on microscopic scales. Crooks fluctuation theorem relates the distribution of these random work costs to the corresponding distribution for the reverse process. By an analysis that explicitly incorporates the energy reservoir that donates the energy and the control system that implements the dynamic, we obtain a quantum generalization of Crooks theorem that not only includes the energy changes in the reservoir but also the full description of its evolution, including coherences. Moreover, this approach opens up the possibility for generalizations of the concept of fluctuation relations. Here, we introduce "conditional" fluctuation relations that are applicable to nonequilibrium systems, as well as approximate fluctuation relations that allow for the analysis of autonomous evolution generated by global time-independent Hamiltonians. We furthermore extend these notions to Markovian master equations, implicitly modeling the influence of the heat bath.

Psychophysiology of dissociated consciousness.

PubMed

Bob, Petr

2014-01-01

Recent study of consciousness provides an evidence that there is a limit of consciousness, which presents a barrier between conscious and unconscious processes. This barrier likely is specifically manifested as a disturbance of neural mechanisms of consciousness that through distributed brain processing, attentional mechanisms and memory processes enable to constitute integrative conscious experience. According to recent findings a level of conscious integration may change during certain conditions related to experimental cognitive manipulations, hypnosis, or stressful experiences that can lead to dissociation of consciousness. In psychopathological research the term dissociation was proposed by Pierre Janet for explanation of processes related to splitting of consciousness due to traumatic events or during hypnosis. According to several recent findings dissociation of consciousness likely is related to deficits in global distribution of information and may lead to heightened levels of "neural complexity" that reflects brain integration or differentiation based on numbers of independent neural processes in the brain that may be specifically related to various mental disorders.

Skill Activities for Independent Living (SAIL). A Curriculum for Developmentally Disabled Adolescents and Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ., Los Angeles. Center for Mental Retardation.

This curriculum for developmentally disabled adolescents and adults contains assessment conditions and performance criteria for evaluating client acquisition of a total of 646 independent living skills in five areas. While the content of the curriculum is in an area known as independent living, it is also prevocational in as much as it covers a…

Electrocortical activity distinguishes between uphill and level walking in humans.

PubMed

Bradford, J Cortney; Lukos, Jamie R; Ferris, Daniel P

2016-02-01

The objective of this study was to determine if electrocortical activity is different between walking on an incline compared with level surface. Subjects walked on a treadmill at 0% and 15% grades for 30 min while we recorded electroencephalography (EEG). We used independent component (IC) analysis to parse EEG signals into maximally independent sources and then computed dipole estimations for each IC. We clustered cortical source ICs and analyzed event-related spectral perturbations synchronized to gait events. Theta power fluctuated across the gait cycle for both conditions, but was greater during incline walking in the anterior cingulate, sensorimotor and posterior parietal clusters. We found greater gamma power during level walking in the left sensorimotor and anterior cingulate clusters. We also found distinct alpha and beta fluctuations, depending on the phase of the gait cycle for the left and right sensorimotor cortices, indicating cortical lateralization for both walking conditions. We validated the results by isolating movement artifact. We found that the frequency activation patterns of the artifact were different than the actual EEG data, providing evidence that the differences between walking conditions were cortically driven rather than a residual artifact of the experiment. These findings suggest that the locomotor pattern adjustments necessary to walk on an incline compared with level surface may require supraspinal input, especially from the left sensorimotor cortex, anterior cingulate, and posterior parietal areas. These results are a promising step toward the use of EEG as a feed-forward control signal for ambulatory brain-computer interface technologies.

Alpha power increases in right parietal cortex reflects focused internal attention

PubMed Central

Benedek, Mathias; Schickel, Rainer J.; Jauk, Emanuel; Fink, Andreas; Neubauer, Aljoscha C.

2014-01-01

This study investigated the functional significance of EEG alpha power increases, a finding that is consistently observed in various memory tasks and specifically during divergent thinking. It was previously shown that alpha power is increased when tasks are performed in mind—e.g., when bottom-up processing is prevented. This study aimed to examine the effect of task-immanent differences in bottom-up processing demands by comparing two divergent thinking tasks, one intrinsically relying on bottom-up processing (sensory-intake task) and one that is not (sensory-independence task). In both tasks, stimuli were masked in half of the trials to establish conditions of higher and lower internal processing demands. In line with the hypotheses, internal processing affected performance and led to increases in alpha power only in the sensory-intake task, whereas the sensory-independence task showed high levels of task-related alpha power in both conditions. Interestingly, conditions involving focused internal attention showed a clear lateralization with higher alpha power in parietal regions of the right hemisphere. Considering evidence from fMRI studies, right-parietal alpha power increases may correspond to a deactivation of the right temporoparietal junction, reflecting an inhibition of the ventral attention network. Inhibition of this region is thought to prevent reorienting to irrelevant stimulation during goal-driven, top-down behavior, which may serve the executive function of task shielding during demanding cognitive tasks such as idea generation and mental imagery. PMID:24561034

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) testing and prevention in the cruise industry.

PubMed

Dahl, Eilif

2011-01-01

There are no internationally recognized guidelines regarding HIV for employees on cruise ships. The aim of the study was to survey and compare current practices for crews in the cruise industry regarding HIV testing and prevention. Medical representatives from cruise companies were invited to complete a questionnaire on their company's practices regarding HIV-related issues. Fifteen of 18 invited representatives completed the questionnaire on behalf of 24 companies with a total of 155 ships. All 8 companies with a medical department had a written HIV policy, versus 4 of 16 companies that handled medical crew issues through independent medical consultant services. Thirteen companies required pre-sea HIV testing, 12 had a written HIV policy regarding HIV testing and prevention, and 18 had free condoms for the crew. A positive HIV test would result in revocation of the employment offer from 5 companies and in another 6 companies establish HIV as a pre-existing condition. Eight companies required HIV+ seafarers to demonstrate stability at regular intervals as a condition for sailing. Cruise companies have different practices regarding HIV in crew. Large cruise lines with medical departments are more likely to have a written HIV policy than companies using independent medical consultants. About half the companies required pre-sea HIV testing; some to avoid hiring HIV+ seafarers, others to establish HIV as a pre-existing condition or to ensure proper follow-up of their HIV+ seafarers. This report may provide input for company discussions about present or future HIV policies.

Living alone, obesity, and smoking increase risk for suicide independently of depressive mood findings from the population-based MONICA/KORA Augsburg cohort study.

PubMed

Schneider, Barbara; Lukaschek, Karoline; Baumert, Jens; Meisinger, Christa; Erazo, Natalia; Ladwig, Karl-Heinz

2014-01-01

Suicide is strongly associated with mental disorders, particularly with depression. There is insufficient knowledge to what extent sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics contribute to suicide risk. A population-based cohort study on three independent cross-sectional MONICA/KORA Augsburg surveys with 12,888 subjects (6456 men, 6432 women) was followed up on average for 12.0 years. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, chronic disease conditions, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, depressive symptoms, personality type, and other psychodiagnostic parameters was assessed by standardized interviews. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) as estimates of relative risks for suicide mortality. Additionally, population-attributable risks were calculated. Within the follow-up period, a total of 1449 persons had died, 38 of them by suicide. Although several variables were associated with increased risk in the basic analyses, only obesity (HR=2.73), smoking (HR=2.23), and living alone (HR=2.19) remained significantly associated with suicide additionally to male sex (HR=3.57) and depressed mood (HR=2.01) in a multivariate analysis. The generalization of our findings to countries with different social, economic or cultural conditions may be questioned. Our findings extend the knowledge about sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors for suicide in the general population: Suicide prevention measures should not consider only subjects with mental disorders but also address other adverse conditions. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Universal I-Love-Q and Multipole-Love Relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagi, Kent; Yunes, Nicolas

2014-03-01

One of largest uncertainties in nuclear physics is the equation of state (EoS) in nuclear and supra-nuclear densities. Neutron-star (NS) and quark-star (QS) observables such as the mass and radius depend strongly on the EoS. We find universal relations among the moment-of-inertia, quadrupole moment and various tidal deformabilities of a slowly-rotating NS and QS that are almost EoS-independent. Such unexpected relations have several interesting applications. On an observational astrophysical front, independent measurement of any two quantities automatically determines the others that are not easily accessible. On a gravitational-wave front, such relations allow us to break the degeneracy between the spins and quadrupole moment, or between various tidal deformabilities. On a fundamental physics front, any two independent measurements of the quantities allow for a model-independent and EoS-independent test of general relativity.

Independent extended and supplementary nurse prescribing practice in the UK: a national questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Courtenay, Molly; Carey, Nicola; Burke, Joanna

2007-09-01

Nurses are able to prescribe independently from a list of nearly 250 prescription only medicines for a range of over 100 medical conditions or, from the whole British National Formulary as a supplementary prescriber. There is some evidence available on the prescribing practices of district nurses and health visitors and early independent extended prescribers. Little or no attention has focussed on supplementary nurse prescribing. To provide an overview of the prescribing practices of independent extended/supplementary nurse prescribers and the factors that facilitate or inhibit prescribing. National questionnaire survey. United Kingdom. A convenience sample of 868 qualified independent extended/supplementary nurse prescribers self-completed a written questionnaire. A total of 756 (87%) used independent extended prescribing; 304 (35%) used supplementary prescribing to treat a range of chronic conditions (including asthma, diabetes and hypertension); 710 (82%) nurses worked in primary care. Nurses in general practice reported the largest number of reasons preventing prescribing. Reasons included the inability to computer generate prescriptions and to implement the Clinical Management Plan. Nurses in primary care reported more continuing professional development needs. These needs included update on prescribing policy and the treatment management of conditions. A total of 277 (32%) nurses were unable to access continuing professional development. Independent extended/supplementary nurse prescribers work predominantly in primary care and do prescribe medicines. These nurses are highly qualified and have many years clinical experience. Supplementary prescribing is used by a minority of nurses. Implementing the Clinical Management Plan is a barrier preventing the use of this mode of prescribing. The continuing professional development needs of independent extended/supplementary nurse prescribers are frequently unmet. It will become increasingly important that these needs are met once nurses are able to prescribe the full range of medicines included in the British National Formulary, limited only by their area of competence.

Health-related quality of life and working conditions on public transport workers in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 2012.

PubMed

Silva, Luiz Sérgio; Assunção, Ada Ávila

2015-01-01

Drivers and conductors working in public transport are frequently exposed to inadequate working conditions and consequently to health problems relating to their work activities. This study investigates the relationship between the working conditions of drivers and conductors in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte and their perception of health-related quality of life. Health-related quality of life was measured in a sample of 1,607 public transport workers in the city of Belo Horizonte using the SF-12 (Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey). The presence and magnitude of independent associations between the SF-12 domains and the exposure variables were determined by means of odds ratios obtained through logistic regression. After adjustments, the PCS (Physical Component Score) was found to be negatively associated with the existence of breaks during the working day and positively associated with unavailability of technical resources for meeting needs. The MCS (Mental Component Score) was positively associated with being female, having two or more medical diagnoses of illnesses, absenteeism and recent episodes of aggression or threats, and feeling vibration in the whole body. The MCS was negatively associated with the practice of physical exercise. Both components were negatively associated with older age and positively associated with having a poor self-assessment of health. Exposure to a variety of risk factors while performing work worsened health-related quality of life. The results obtained may provide support for rethinking and guiding public policies directed towards metropolitan populations.

Working Conditions and Workplace Barriers to Vocal Health in Primary School Teachers.

PubMed

Munier, Caitriona; Farrell, Rory

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the working conditions and workplace barriers to vocal health in primary school teachers. The relationship between working conditions and voice is analyzed. This is a survey study in 42 randomized schools from a restricted geographical area. An 85-item questionnaire was administered to 550 primary school teachers in 42 schools in Dublin. It was designed to obtain information on demographics, vocal use patterns, vocal health, work organization, working conditions, and teacher's perceptions of the conditions in teaching that might cause a voice problem. The relationship between voice and overstretched work demands, and voice and class size, was examined. A chi-squared test was run to test the null hypothesis that the variables overstretched work demands and voice and class size and voice are independent. Subjects were given the opportunity to give their opinion on their working conditions and on the availability of advice and support within the workplace. A final question sought their opinion on what should be included in a voice care program. A 55% response rate was obtained (n = 304). It was found with 96.52% confidence that the variables overstretched work demands and voice are related. Likewise, it was found that the variables class size and voice are related with 99.97% confidence. There are workplace barriers to vocal health. The working conditions of primary school teachers need to be fully adapted to promote vocal health. Changes by education and health policy makers are needed to achieve this goal. There is a need for future research which focuses on the working conditions of teachers. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Did I see your hand moving? The effect of movement-related information on the Corsi block tapping task.

PubMed

Brunetti, Riccardo; Del Gatto, Claudia; Cavallina, Clarissa; Farina, Benedetto; Delogu, Franco

2018-05-01

The Corsi Block Tapping Task is a widespread test used to assess spatial working memory. Previous research hypothesized that the discrepancy found in some cases between the traditional and the digital (touchscreen) version of the Corsi block tapping task may be due to a direct motor resonance between the experimenter's and the participant's hand movements. However, we hypothesize that this discrepancy might be due to extra movement-related information included in the traditional version, lacking in the digital one. We investigated the effects of such task-irrelevant information using eCorsi, a touchscreen version of the task. In Experiment 1, we manipulate timing in sequence presentation, creating three conditions. In the Congruent condition, the inter-stimulus intervals reflected the physical distance in which the stimuli were spatially placed: The longer the spatial distance, the longer the temporal interval. In the Incongruent condition the timing changed randomly. Finally, in the Isochronous condition every stimulus appeared after a fixed interval, independently from its spatial position. The results showed a performance enhancement in the Congruent condition, suggesting an incidental spatio-temporal binding. In Experiment 2, we added straight lines between each location in the sequences: In the Trajectories condition participants saw trajectories from one spatial position to the other during sequence presentation, while a condition without such trajectories served as control. Results showed better performances in the Trajectories condition. We suggest that the timing and trajectories information play a significant role in the discrepancies found between the traditional and the touchscreen version of the Corsi Block Tapping Task, without the necessity of explanations involving direct motor resonance (e.g. seeing an actual hand moving) as a causal factor.

More than meets the eye: social, economic, and emotional impacts of work-related injury and illness.

PubMed

Lax, Michael B; Klein, Rosemary

2008-01-01

The impact of an occupational illness or injury on an injured worker can be severe. This study assessed several dimensions of the impact on a group of 50 injured workers, all patients at an Occupational Health Center. The dimensions assessed included aspects of access to health care, support from treating physicians in obtaining Workers' Compensation benefits, financial impacts, the role of attorneys and "Independent Medical Examiners," and the impact on mental health. Many reported that their treating physician did not want to become involved in Workers' Compensation, despite indicating a belief that the health condition was work-related. The financial impacts of a work-related diagnosis were particularly striking, with respondents reporting that they were burdened both with costs directly related to the medical care of their condition, and with coping with ongoing general expenses on a reduced income. Many respondents reported depleting savings, borrowing money, taking out retirement funds, and declaring bankruptcy in efforts to cope. Emotionally, respondents almost universally reported their diagnosis and related issues were associated with depression, anxiety, and loss of identity and self-worth. This study demonstrates how a work-related injury or illness can extend far beyond the physical impact for injured workers. Existing systems fail to adequately compensate or rehabilitate injured workers, leaving them to their own devices to deal with their losses, medical or otherwise.

24 CFR 401.451 - PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... PROGRAM (MARK-TO-MARKET) Restructuring Plan § 401.451 PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA). (a) Review and certification of owner evaluation. (1) The PAE must independently evaluate the physical condition... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false PAE Physical Condition Analysis...

24 CFR 401.451 - PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false PAE Physical Condition Analysis... PROGRAM (MARK-TO-MARKET) Restructuring Plan § 401.451 PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA). (a) Review and certification of owner evaluation. (1) The PAE must independently evaluate the physical condition...

24 CFR 401.451 - PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false PAE Physical Condition Analysis... PROGRAM (MARK-TO-MARKET) Restructuring Plan § 401.451 PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA). (a) Review and certification of owner evaluation. (1) The PAE must independently evaluate the physical condition...

24 CFR 401.451 - PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false PAE Physical Condition Analysis... PROGRAM (MARK-TO-MARKET) Restructuring Plan § 401.451 PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA). (a) Review and certification of owner evaluation. (1) The PAE must independently evaluate the physical condition...

24 CFR 401.451 - PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false PAE Physical Condition Analysis... PROGRAM (MARK-TO-MARKET) Restructuring Plan § 401.451 PAE Physical Condition Analysis (PCA). (a) Review and certification of owner evaluation. (1) The PAE must independently evaluate the physical condition...

Verbal collision avoidance messages during simulated driving: perceived urgency, alerting effectiveness and annoyance.

PubMed

Baldwin, Carryl L

2011-04-01

Matching the perceived urgency of an alert with the relative hazard level of the situation is critical for effective alarm response. Two experiments describe the impact of acoustic and semantic parameters on ratings of perceived urgency, annoyance and alerting effectiveness and on alarm response speed. Within a simulated driving context, participants rated and responded to collision avoidance system (CAS) messages spoken by a female or male voice (experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Results indicated greater perceived urgency and faster alarm response times as intensity increased from -2 dB signal to noise (S/N) ratio to +10 dB S/N, although annoyance ratings increased as well. CAS semantic content interacted with alarm intensity, indicating that at lower intensity levels participants paid more attention to the semantic content. Results indicate that both acoustic and semantic parameters independently and interactively impact CAS alert perceptions in divided attention conditions and this work can inform auditory alarm design for effective hazard matching. Matching the perceived urgency of an alert with the relative hazard level of the situation is critical for effective alarm response. Here, both acoustic and semantic parameters independently and interactively impacted CAS alert perceptions in divided attention conditions. This work can inform auditory alarm design for effective hazard matching. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Results indicate that both acoustic parameters and semantic content can be used to design collision warnings with a range of urgency levels. Further, these results indicate that verbal warnings tailored to a specific hazard situation may improve hazard-matching capabilities without substantial trade-offs in perceived annoyance.

Participation in leisure activities and tourism among older people with and without disabilities in Poland.

PubMed

Rowiński, Rafał; Morgulec-Adamowicz, Natalia; Ogonowska-Slodownik, Anna; Dąbrowski, Andrzej; Geigle, Paula Richley

2017-11-01

Health conditions associated with aging might be related to disability and lead to decreased independence. Physical activity assists in maintaining independence throughout life as well as improves quality of life. Individuals with disabilities demonstrate overall less activity than sedentary persons without disabilities. Efforts to reduce age-related functional autonomy decline and to increase physical activity may require separate approaches for older adults with and without disabilities. The aim of the study was to compare physical activity and participation in leisure activities and tourism among older people with and without disabilities in Poland. A cross-sectional, multicenter study (PolSenior) randomly recruited participants aged 65 years and over, in a stratified, proportional draw performed in three stages from all 16 Polish provinces. 3743 people, 2653 (70.9%) without disabilities, and 1090 (29.1%) with disabilities responded providing general sociodemographic characteristics and various health behaviors including subjective physical activity level, leisure time activities, tourism and activity limitations. Older males without disability reported more physical activity than women with disability, while no differences were observed for females with and without disability. Polish older people with and without disability were more involved in gardening and staying in a garden allotment or a holiday home rather than participating in organized forms of sport, physical activity, and tourism. Health conditions arose as the most frequently indicated barrier toward participation in sport physical activity and tourism. In conclusion, strategies and programs to increase physical activity among older Polish people, with and without disability, should focus on preserving health and physical function. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deterministic mechanisms define the long-term anaerobic digestion microbiome and its functionality regardless of the initial microbial community.

PubMed

Peces, M; Astals, S; Jensen, P D; Clarke, W P

2018-05-17

The impact of the starting inoculum on long-term anaerobic digestion performance, process functionality and microbial community composition remains unclear. To understand the impact of starting inoculum, active microbial communities from four different full-scale anaerobic digesters were each used to inoculate four continuous lab-scale anaerobic digesters, which were operated identically for 295 days. Digesters were operated at 15 days solid retention time, an organic loading rate of 1 g COD L r -1 d -1 (75:25 - cellulose:casein) and 37 °C. Results showed that long-term process performance, metabolic rates (hydrolytic, acetogenic, and methanogenic) and microbial community are independent of the inoculum source. Digesters process performance converged after 80 days, while metabolic rates and microbial communities converged after 120-145 days. The convergence of the different microbial communities towards a core-community proves that the deterministic factors (process operational conditions) were a stronger driver than the initial microbial community composition. Indeed, the core-community represented 72% of the relative abundance among the four digesters. Moreover, a number of positive correlations were observed between higher metabolic rates and the relative abundance of specific microbial groups. These correlations showed that both substrate consumers and suppliers trigger higher metabolic rates, expanding the knowledge of the nexus between microorganisms and functionality. Overall, these results support that deterministic factors control microbial communities in bioreactors independently of the inoculum source. Hence, it seems plausible that a desired microbial composition and functionality can be achieved by tuning process operational conditions. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Comparative levels of excessive daytime sleepiness in common medical disorders.

PubMed

Stroe, Alice F; Roth, Thomas; Jefferson, Catherine; Hudgel, David W; Roehrs, Timothy; Moss, Kenneth; Drake, Christopher L

2010-10-01

Sleep restriction and sleep disorders are common causes of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Medical disorders (MD) can also cause EDS, but previous studies have used non-standardized measures, selected samples, or have examined EDS in singular disorders. This study describes the relative degree of EDS associated with medical disorders to provide comparative data across a range of common medical conditions in a large unselected community-based sample. Responses of 2612 individuals (aged 18-65) were assessed after excluding those with suspected sleep disordered breathing, narcolepsy, and shift workers. Participants across a range of medical disorders were evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and patient reports of nocturnal sleep. Sixty-seven percent of the sample reported a MD. The prevalence of EDS (ESS>or=10) was 31.4% in individuals with MD and increased as a function of a number of MD (0 MD=29.4%, 1 MD=28.4%, 2 MD=31.0%, 3 MD=35.3%, 4 MD=38.4%). Disorders which were independent predictors of EDS were ulcers OR=2.21 (95% CI=1.35-3.61), migraines OR=1.36 (95% CI=1.08-1.72), and depression OR=1.46 (95% CI=1.16-1.83) after controlling for other conditions, age, gender, time in bed, caffeine, smoking and alcohol use. Participants with ulcers had the highest prevalence of sleepiness, 50.0%, as well as the highest level of problems falling asleep (40.8%) and awakenings during the night (62.5%). Individuals with ulcers, migraines, and depression have independent and clinically significant levels of EDS relative to other common MD.

Motivational changes that develop in a mouse model of inflammation-induced depression are independent of indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase.

PubMed

Vichaya, Elisabeth G; Laumet, Geoffroy; Christian, Diana L; Grossberg, Aaron J; Estrada, Darlene J; Heijnen, Cobi J; Kavelaars, Annemieke; Robert Dantzer

2018-04-27

Despite years of research, our understanding of the mechanisms by which inflammation induces depression is still limited. As clinical data points to a strong association between depression and motivational alterations, we sought to (1) characterize the motivational changes that are associated with inflammation in mice, and (2) determine if they depend on inflammation-induced activation of indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase-1 (IDO1). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated or spared nerve injured (SNI) wild type (WT) and Ido1 -/- mice underwent behavioral tests of antidepressant activity (e.g., forced swim test) and motivated behavior, including assessment of (1) reward expectancy using a food-related anticipatory activity task, (2) willingness to work for reward using a progressive ratio schedule of food reinforcement, (3) effort allocation using a concurrent choice task, and (4) ability to associate environmental cues with reward using conditioned place preference. LPS- and SNI-induced deficits in behavioral tests of antidepressant activity in WT but not Ido1 -/- mice. Further, LPS decreased food related-anticipatory activity, reduced performance in the progressive ratio task, and shifted effort toward the preferred reward in the concurrent choice task. These effects were observed in both WT and Ido1 -/- mice. Finally, SNI mice developed a conditioned place preference based on relief from pain in an IDO1-independent manner. These findings demonstrate that the motivational effects of inflammation do not require IDO1. Further, they indicate that the motivational component of inflammation-induced depression is mechanistically distinct from that measured by behavioral tests of antidepressant activity.

Dopamine Depletion Reduces Food-Related Reward Activity Independent of BMI

PubMed Central

Frank, Sabine; Veit, Ralf; Sauer, Helene; Enck, Paul; Friederich, Hans-Christoph; Unholzer, Theresa; Bauer, Ute-Maria; Linder, Katarzyna; Heni, Martin; Fritsche, Andreas; Preissl, Hubert

2016-01-01

Reward sensitivity and possible alterations in the dopaminergic-reward system are associated with obesity. We therefore aimed to investigate the influence of dopamine depletion on food-reward processing. We investigated 34 female subjects in a randomized placebo-controlled, within-subject design (body mass index (BMI)=27.0 kg/m2 ±4.79 SD; age=28 years ±4.97 SD) using an acute phenylalanine/tyrosine depletion drink representing dopamine depletion and a balanced amino acid drink as the control condition. Brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a ‘wanting' and ‘liking' rating of food items. Eating behavior-related traits and states were assessed on the basis of questionnaires. Dopamine depletion resulted in reduced activation in the striatum and higher activation in the superior frontal gyrus independent of BMI. Brain activity during the wanting task activated a more distributed network than during the liking task. This network included gustatory, memory, visual, reward, and frontal regions. An interaction effect of dopamine depletion and the wanting/liking task was observed in the hippocampus. The interaction with the covariate BMI was significant in motor and control regions but not in the striatum. Our results support the notion of altered brain activity in the reward and prefrontal network with blunted dopaminergic action during food-reward processing. This effect is, however, independent of BMI, which contradicts the reward-deficiency hypothesis. This hints to the hypothesis suggesting a different or more complex mechanism underlying the dopaminergic reward function in obesity. PMID:26450814

Adherence to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medication During the Transition to College.

PubMed

Schaefer, Megan R; Rawlinson, Alana Resmini; Wagoner, Scott T; Shapiro, Steven K; Kavookjian, Jan; Gray, Wendy N

2017-06-01

The present study explores the medication self-management experiences of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during their transition to young adulthood in college. Participants were college freshmen with ADHD prescribed daily medication for their condition. Ten individual interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview script. Measures related to ADHD medication management were also completed. Qualitative data were analyzed via directed content analysis and quantitative data via descriptive statistics. Five themes emerged from interviews: (1) transitions to independence are often abrupt, and many adolescents lack critical self-management skills; (2) volitional nonadherence is high due to inaccurate disease beliefs, perceived academic demands, and medication side effects; (3) poor self-management negatively impacts school performance; (4) peer pressure to share medication affects social functioning and adherence; and (5) social support is greatly needed. Common barriers to adherence included "don't feel like taking medication" (90%) and "difficulties in sticking to a fixed medication schedule" (80%). Participants with ADHD were not prepared to manage their chronic illness independently in context of increased demands and newfound freedom, resulting in negative academic consequences. Social factors also play an influential role in ADHD self-management, particularly related to the isolation associated with sharing the medication and its side effects. Intervention programs targeting medication self-management during the transition to independence are greatly needed for young adults with ADHD as high academic performance in college is critical for future success. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A case-control study of rheumatoid arthritis revealed abdominal obesity and environmental risk factor interactions in northern China.

PubMed

Fu, Lingyu; Zhang, Jianming; Jin, Lei; Zhang, Yao; Cui, Saisai; Chen, Meng

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate new and previously hypothesized environmental risk factors and their interaction with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Four hundred patients recently diagnosed with RA and 400 controls frequency-matched by gender and birth year using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) were selected from northern China. Investigation was performed using self-reported data from interviewer-administered surveys. Associations between exposure variables and risk of RA were evaluated using multifactor non-conditional logistic regression. It showed that damp localities, draft indoor, abdominal obesity (AO), and family history of RA among first-degree relatives were independent risk factors and drinking of milk was independent protective factors for RA. Besides these risk factors, in women, infrequent delivery times, early age at menopause, and late age at menarche were also independent risk factors for RA. Both the additive model and the multiplication model suggested that there was an interaction relationship between AO and damp localities (p < .001), and only the additive model suggested that there was interaction relationship between AO and no milk drinking (p < .001) in our study population. In women, there was interaction relationship between AO and damp localities (p < .001) and between AO and age at menopause (p < .001). In northern China, damp localities, draft indoor, AO, family history of RA among first-degree relatives, and no milk drinking may be important risk factors of RA patients.

EFFECTS OF HOMEWORK COMPLIANCE ON COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY WITH D-CYCLOSERINE AUGMENTATION FOR CHILDREN WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER.

PubMed

Olatunji, Bunmi O; Rosenfield, David; Monzani, Benedetta; Krebs, Georgina; Heyman, Isobel; Turner, Cynthia; Isomura, Kayoko; Mataix-Cols, David

2015-12-01

The present study examined the effects of homework compliance on outcome from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the extent to which these effects differ as a function of augmentation of CBT with D-cycloserine (DCS). Twenty-seven youth with OCD were randomized to either 50 mg DCS or placebo (PBO) administered immediately after each of 10 CBT sessions, primarily consisting of exposure and ritual prevention (ERP). Independent evaluators assessed OCD severity using the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) at the start of each session. Compliance with between-session ERP assignments was also assessed at the start of each session using the Patient ERP Adherence Scale (PEAS). Greater homework compliance between the previous session and the current session was related to lower CY-BOCS at the current session. However, the relation between homework compliance and CY-BOCS varied by treatment condition. Higher homework compliance was related to lower CY-BOCS for participants in the DCS condition, but not for participants in the PBO condition. Furthermore, participants receiving DCS were estimated to have significantly lower CY-BOCS than those given PBO among those with the highest levels of homework compliance. DCS may more effectively facilitate the effects of CBT for youth with OCD when patients are compliant with prescribed homework. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhancing the learning of sport skills through external-focus feedback.

PubMed

Wulf, Gabriele; McConnel, Nathan; Gärtner, Matthias; Schwarz, Andreas

2002-06-01

The authors examined how the effectiveness of feedback for the learning of complex motor skills is affected by the focus of attention it induces. The feedback referred specifically either to body movements (internal focus) or to movement effects (external focus). In Experiment 1, groups of novices and advanced volleyball players (N = 48) practiced "tennis" serves under internal-focus or external-focus feedback conditions in a 2 (expertise) x 2 (feedback type) design. Type of feedback did not differentially affect movement quality, but external-focus feedback resulted in greater accuracy of the serves than internal-focus feedback during both practice and retention, independent of the level of expertise. In Experiment 2, the effects of relative feedback frequency as a function of attentional focus were examined. A 2 (feedback frequency: 100% vs. 33%) x 2 (feedback type) design was used. Experienced soccer players (N = 52) were required to shoot lofted passes at a target. External-focus feedback resulted in greater accuracy than internal-focus feedback did. In addition, reduced feedback frequency was beneficial under internal-focus feedback conditions, whereas 100% and 33% feedback were equally effective under external-focus conditions. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of effect-related, as opposed to movement-related, feedback and also suggest that there is a need to revise current views regarding the role of feedback for motor learning.

Mandatory Physician Reporting of At-Risk Drivers: The Older Driver Example.

PubMed

Agimi, Yll; Albert, Steven M; Youk, Ada O; Documet, Patricia I; Steiner, Claudia A

2018-05-08

In a number of states, physicians are mandated by state law to report at-risk drivers to licensing authorities. Often these patients are older adult drivers who may exhibit unsafe driving behaviors, have functional/cognitive impairments, or are diagnosed with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and/or seizure disorders. The hypothesis that mandatory physician reporting laws reduce the rate of crash-related hospitalizations among older adult drivers was tested. Using retrospective data (2004-2009), this study identified 176,066 older driver crash-related hospitalizations, from the State Inpatient Databases. Three age-specific negative binomial generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate the effect of physician reporting laws on state's incidence rate of crash-related hospitalizations among older drivers. No evidence was found for an independent association between mandatory physician reporting laws and a lower crash hospitalization rate among any of the age groups examined. The main predictor of interest, mandatory physician reporting, failed to explain any significant variation in crash hospitalization rates, when adjusting for other state-specific laws and characteristics. Vision testing at in-person license renewal was a significant predictor of lower crash hospitalization rate, ranging from incidence rate ratio of 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.62-0.94) among 60- to 64-year olds to 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.67-0.97) among 80- to 84-year olds. Physician reporting laws and age-based licensing requirements are often at odds with older driver's need to maintain independence. This study examines this balance and finds no evidence of the benefits of mandatory physician reporting requirements on driver crash hospitalizations, suggesting that physician mandates do not yet yield significant older driver safety benefits, possibly to the detriment of older driver's well-being and independence.

Military and mental health correlates of unemployment in a national sample of women veterans.

PubMed

Hamilton, Alison B; Williams, Lindsay; Washington, Donna L

2015-04-01

The unemployment rate is currently higher among women Veterans than among male Veterans and civilian women. Employment is a key social determinant of health, with unemployment being strongly associated with adverse health. To identify military-related and health-related characteristics associated with unemployment in women Veterans. Secondary analysis of workforce participants (n=1605) in the National Survey of Women Veterans telephone survey. Demographics, mental health conditions, health care utilization, and military experiences and effects. Unemployment was defined as being in the labor force but unemployed and looking for work. The χ analyses to identify characteristics of unemployed women Veterans; logistic regression to identify independent factors associated with unemployment. Ten percent of women Veterans were unemployed. Independent correlates of unemployment were screening positive for depression [odds ratio (OR)=4.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-12.4], military service during wartime (OR=2.9; 95%, CI 1.1-7.3), and service in the regular military (vs. in the National Guards/Reserves only) (OR=6.8; 95% CI, 2.2-20.5). Two postactive duty perceptions related to not being respected and understood as a Veteran were each independently associated with unemployment. Whether depression underlies unemployment, is exacerbated by unemployment, or both, it is critical to identify and treat depression among women Veterans, and also to investigate women Veterans' experiences and identities in civilian life. Community-based employers may need education regarding women Veterans' unique histories and strengths. Women who served in the regular military and during wartime may benefit from job assistance before and after they leave the military. Gender-specific adaptation of employment services may be warranted.

Handler beliefs affect scent detection dog outcomes.

PubMed

Lit, Lisa; Schweitzer, Julie B; Oberbauer, Anita M

2011-05-01

Our aim was to evaluate how human beliefs affect working dog outcomes in an applied environment. We asked whether beliefs of scent detection dog handlers affect team performance and evaluated relative importance of human versus dog influences on handlers' beliefs. Eighteen drug and/or explosive detection dog/handler teams each completed two sets of four brief search scenarios (conditions). Handlers were falsely told that two conditions contained a paper marking scent location (human influence). Two conditions contained decoy scents (food/toy) to encourage dog interest in a false location (dog influence). Conditions were (1) control; (2) paper marker; (3) decoy scent; and (4) paper marker at decoy scent. No conditions contained drug or explosive scent; any alerting response was incorrect. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used with search condition as the independent variable and number of alerts as the dependent variable. Additional nonparametric tests compared human and dog influence. There were 225 incorrect responses, with no differences in mean responses across conditions. Response patterns differed by condition. There were more correct (no alert responses) searches in conditions without markers. Within marked conditions, handlers reported that dogs alerted more at marked locations than other locations. Handlers' beliefs that scent was present potentiated handler identification of detection dog alerts. Human more than dog influences affected alert locations. This confirms that handler beliefs affect outcomes of scent detection dog deployments.

Rigid shells enhance survival of gekkotan eggs.

PubMed

Andrews, Robin M

2015-11-01

The majority of lizards and snakes produce permeable parchment-shelled eggs that require high moisture conditions for successful embryonic development. One clade of gekkotan lizards is an exception; females produce relatively impermeable rigid-shelled eggs that normally incubate successfully under low moisture conditions. I tested the hypothesis that the rigid-shell increases egg survival during incubation, but only under low moisture conditions. To test this hypothesis, I incubated rigid-shelled eggs of Chondrodactylus turneri under low and under high moisture conditions. Eggs were incubated with parchment-shelled eggs of Eublepharis macularius to insure that incubation conditions were suitable for parchment-shelled eggs. Chondrodactylus turneri eggs had very high survival (>90%) when they were incubated under low moisture conditions. In contrast, eggs incubated under high moisture conditions had low survival overall, and lower survival than those of the parchment-shelled eggs of E. macularius. Mortality of C. turneri and E. macularius eggs incubated under high moisture conditions was the result of fungal infection, a common source of egg mortality for squamates under laboratory and field conditions. These observations document high survival of rigid-shelled eggs under low moisture conditions because eggs escape from fungal infection. Highly mineralized rigid shells also make egg survival independent of moisture availability and may also provide protection from small invertebrates in nature. Enhanced egg survival could thus compensate for the low reproductive output of gekkotans that produce rigid-shelled eggs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The earliest fossil evidence for sexual dimorphism in primates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishtalka, Leonard; Stucky, Richard K.; Beard, K. C.

1990-01-01

Recently obtained material of the early Eocene primate Notharctus venticolus, including two partial skulls from a single stratigraphic horizon, provides the geologically earliest evidence of sexual dimorphism in canine size and shape in primates and the only unequivocal evidence for such dimorphism in strepsirhines. By analogy with living platyrrhines, these data suggest that Notharctus venticolus may have lived in polygynous social groups characterized by a relatively high level of intermale competition for mates and other limited resources. The anatomy of the upper incisors and related evidence imply that Notharctus is not as closely related to extant lemuriform primates as has been recently proposed. The early Eocene evidence for canine sexual dimorphism reported here, and its occurrence in a nonanthropoid, indicates that in the order Primates such a condition is either primitive or evolved independently more than once.

Traumatic Stress Interacts With Bipolar Disorder Genetic Risk to Increase Risk for Suicide Attempts

PubMed Central

Wilcox, Holly C.; Fullerton, Janice M.; Glowinski, Anne L.; Benke, Kelly; Kamali, Masoud; Hulvershorn, Leslie A.; Stapp, Emma K.; Edenberg, Howard J.; Roberts, Gloria M.P.; Ghaziuddin, Neera; Fisher, Carrie; Brucksch, Christine; Frankland, Andrew; Toma, Claudio; Shaw, Alex D.; Kastelic, Elizabeth; Miller, Leslie; McInnis, Melvin G.; Mitchell, Philip B.; Nurnberger, John I.

2018-01-01

Objective Bipolar disorder (BD) is one of the most heritable psychiatric conditions and is associated with high suicide risk. To explore the reasons for this link, this study examined the interaction between traumatic stress and BD polygenic risk score in relation to suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescent and young adult offspring and relatives of persons with BD (BD-relatives) compared with adolescent and young adult offspring of individuals without psychiatric disorders (controls). Method Data were collected from 4 sites in the United States and 1 site in Australia from 2006 through 2012. Generalized estimating equation models were used to compare rates of ideation, attempts, and NSSI between BD-relatives (n = 307) and controls (n = 166) and to determine the contribution of demographic factors, traumatic stress exposure, lifetime mood or substance (alcohol/drug) use disorders, and BD polygenic risk score. Results After adjusting for demographic characteristics and mood and substance use disorders, BD-relatives were at increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts but not for NSSI. Independent of BD-relative versus control status, demographic factors, or mood and substance use disorders, exposure to trauma within the past year (including bullying, sexual abuse, and domestic violence) was associated with suicide attempts (p = .014), and BD polygenic risk score was marginally associated with attempts (p = .061). Importantly, the interaction between BD polygenic risk score and traumatic event exposures was significantly associated with attempts, independent of demographics, relative versus control status, and mood and substance use disorders (p = .041). Conclusion BD-relatives are at increased risk for suicide attempts and ideation, especially if they are exposed to trauma and have evidence of increased genetic vulnerability. PMID:29173741

Metabolomics reveals distinct, antibody-independent, molecular signatures of MS, AQP4-antibody and MOG-antibody disease.

PubMed

Jurynczyk, Maciej; Probert, Fay; Yeo, Tianrong; Tackley, George; Claridge, Tim D W; Cavey, Ana; Woodhall, Mark R; Arora, Siddharth; Winkler, Torsten; Schiffer, Eric; Vincent, Angela; DeLuca, Gabriele; Sibson, Nicola R; Isabel Leite, M; Waters, Patrick; Anthony, Daniel C; Palace, Jacqueline

2017-12-06

The overlapping clinical features of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-antibody (Ab) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-Ab disease mean that detection of disease specific serum antibodies is the gold standard in diagnostics. However, antibody levels are not prognostic and may become undetectable after treatment or during remission. Therefore, there is still a need to discover antibody-independent biomarkers. We sought to discover whether plasma metabolic profiling could provide biomarkers of these three diseases and explore if the metabolic differences are independent of antibody titre. Plasma samples from 108 patients (34 RRMS, 54 AQP4-Ab NMOSD, and 20 MOG-Ab disease) were analysed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy followed by lipoprotein profiling. Orthogonal partial-least squares discriminatory analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to identify significant differences in the plasma metabolite concentrations and produce models (mathematical algorithms) capable of identifying these diseases. In all instances, the models were highly discriminatory, with a distinct metabolite pattern identified for each disease. In addition, OPLS-DA identified AQP4-Ab NMOSD patient samples with low/undetectable antibody levels with an accuracy of 92%. The AQP4-Ab NMOSD metabolic profile was characterised by decreased levels of scyllo-inositol and small high density lipoprotein particles along with an increase in large low density lipoprotein particles relative to both RRMS and MOG-Ab disease. RRMS plasma exhibited increased histidine and glucose, along with decreased lactate, alanine, and large high density lipoproteins while MOG-Ab disease plasma was defined by increases in formate and leucine coupled with decreased myo-inositol. Despite overlap in clinical measures in these three diseases, the distinct plasma metabolic patterns support their distinct serological profiles and confirm that these conditions are indeed different at a molecular level. The metabolites identified provide a molecular signature of each condition which is independent of antibody titre and EDSS, with potential use for disease monitoring and diagnosis.

The effects of verbal information and approach-avoidance training on children's fear-related responses

PubMed Central

Lester, Kathryn J.; Lisk, Stephen C.; Mikita, Nina; Mitchell, Sophie; Huijding, Jorg; Rinck, Mike; Field, Andy P.

2015-01-01

Background and objectives This study examined the effects of verbal information and approach-avoidance training on fear-related cognitive and behavioural responses about novel animals. Methods One hundred and sixty children (7–11 years) were randomly allocated to receive: a) positive verbal information about one novel animal and threat information about a second novel animal (verbal information condition); b) approach-avoidance training in which they repeatedly pushed away (avoid) or pulled closer (approach) pictures of the animals (approach-avoidance training), c) a combined condition in which verbal information was given prior to approach-avoidance training (verbal information + approach-avoidance training) and d) a combined condition in which approach-avoidance training was given prior to verbal information (approach-avoidance training + verbal information). Results Threat and positive information significantly increased and decreased fear beliefs and avoidance behaviour respectively. Approach-avoidance training was successful in training the desired behavioural responses but had limited effects on fear-related responses. Verbal information and both combined conditions resulted in significantly larger effects than approach-avoidance training. We found no evidence for an additive effect of these pathways. Limitations This study used a non-clinical sample and focused on novel animals rather than animals about which children already had experience or established fears. The study also compared positive information/approach with threat information/avoid training, limiting specific conclusions regarding the independent effects of these conditions. Conclusions The present study finds little evidence in support of a possible causal role for behavioural response training in the aetiology of childhood fear. However, the provision of verbal information appears to be an important pathway involved in the aetiology of childhood fear. PMID:25698069

The effects of verbal information and approach-avoidance training on children's fear-related responses.

PubMed

Lester, Kathryn J; Lisk, Stephen C; Mikita, Nina; Mitchell, Sophie; Huijding, Jorg; Rinck, Mike; Field, Andy P

2015-09-01

This study examined the effects of verbal information and approach-avoidance training on fear-related cognitive and behavioural responses about novel animals. One hundred and sixty children (7-11 years) were randomly allocated to receive: a) positive verbal information about one novel animal and threat information about a second novel animal (verbal information condition); b) approach-avoidance training in which they repeatedly pushed away (avoid) or pulled closer (approach) pictures of the animals (approach-avoidance training), c) a combined condition in which verbal information was given prior to approach-avoidance training (verbal information + approach-avoidance training) and d) a combined condition in which approach-avoidance training was given prior to verbal information (approach-avoidance training + verbal information). Threat and positive information significantly increased and decreased fear beliefs and avoidance behaviour respectively. Approach-avoidance training was successful in training the desired behavioural responses but had limited effects on fear-related responses. Verbal information and both combined conditions resulted in significantly larger effects than approach-avoidance training. We found no evidence for an additive effect of these pathways. This study used a non-clinical sample and focused on novel animals rather than animals about which children already had experience or established fears. The study also compared positive information/approach with threat information/avoid training, limiting specific conclusions regarding the independent effects of these conditions. The present study finds little evidence in support of a possible causal role for behavioural response training in the aetiology of childhood fear. However, the provision of verbal information appears to be an important pathway involved in the aetiology of childhood fear. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Impact of age-related macular degeneration in patients with glaucoma: understanding the patients' perspective.

PubMed

Skalicky, Simon E; Fenwick, Eva; Martin, Keith R; Crowston, Jonathan; Goldberg, Ivan; McCluskey, Peter

2016-07-01

The aim of the study is to measure the impact of age-related macular degeneration on vision-related activity limitation and preference-based status for glaucoma patients. This was a cross-sectional study. Two-hundred glaucoma patients of whom 73 had age-related macular degeneration were included in the research. Sociodemographic information, visual field parameters and visual acuity were collected. Age-related macular degeneration was scored using the Age-Related Eye Disease Study system. The Rasch-analysed Glaucoma Activity Limitation-9 and the Visual Function Questionnaire Utility Index measured vision-related activity limitation and preference-based status, respectively. Regression models determined factors predictive of vision-related activity limitation and preference-based status. Differential item functioning compared Glaucoma Activity Limitation-9 item difficulty for those with and without age-related macular degeneration. Mean age was 73.7 (±10.1) years. Lower better eye mean deviation (β: 1.42, 95% confidence interval: 1.24-1.63, P < 0.001) and age-related macular degeneration (β: 1.26 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.44, P = 0.001) were independently associated with worse vision-related activity limitation. Worse eye visual acuity (β: 0.978, 95% confidence interval: 0.961-0.996, P = 0.018), high risk age-related macular degeneration (β: 0.981, 95% confidence interval: 0.965-0.998, P = 0.028) and severe glaucoma (β: 0.982, 95% confidence interval: 0.966-0.998, P = 0.032) were independently associated with worse preference-based status. Glaucoma patients with age-related macular degeneration found using stairs, walking on uneven ground and judging distances of foot to step/curb significantly more difficult than those without age-related macular degeneration. Vision-related activity limitation and preference-based status are negatively impacted by severe glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Patients with both conditions perceive increased difficulty walking safely compared with patients with glaucoma alone. © 2015 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Eosinophil count, allergies, and rejection in pediatric heart transplant recipients.

PubMed

Arbon, Kate S; Albers, Erin; Kemna, Mariska; Law, Sabrina; Law, Yuk

2015-08-01

Allograft rejection and long-term immunosuppression remain significant challenges in pediatric heart transplantation. Pediatric recipients are known to have fewer rejection episodes and to develop more allergic conditions than adults. A T-helper 2 cell dominant phenotype, manifested clinically by allergies and an elevated eosinophil count, may be associated with immunologic quiescence in transplant recipients. This study assessed whether the longitudinal eosinophil count and an allergic phenotype were associated with freedom from rejection. This single-center, longitudinal, observational study included 86 heart transplant patients monitored from 1994 to 2011. Post-transplant biannual complete blood counts, allergic conditions, and clinical characteristics related to rejection risk were examined. At least 1 episode of acute cellular rejection (ACR) occurred in 38 patients (44%), antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) occurred in 11 (13%), and 49 patients (57%) were diagnosed with an allergic condition. Patients with ACR or AMR had a lower eosinophil count compared with non-rejectors (p = 0.011 and p = 0.022, respectively). In the multivariable regression analysis, the presence of panel reactive antibodies to human leukocyte antigen I (p = 0.014) and the median eosinophil count (p = 0.011) were the only independent covariates associated with AMR. Eosinophil count (p = 0.010) and female sex (p = 0.009) were independent risk factors for ACR. Allergic conditions or young age at transplant were not protective from rejection. This study demonstrates a novel association between a high eosinophil count and freedom from rejection. Identifying a biomarker for low rejection risk may allow a reduction in immunosuppression. Further investigation into the role of the T-helper 2 cell phenotype and eosinophils in rejection quiescence is warranted. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multigenic Delineation of Lower Jaw Deformity in Triploid Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.)

PubMed Central

Amoroso, Gianluca; Ventura, Tomer; Elizur, Abigail; Carter, Chris G.

2016-01-01

Lower jaw deformity (LJD) is a skeletal anomaly affecting farmed triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) which leads to considerable economic losses for industry and has animal welfare implications. The present study employed transcriptome analysis in parallel with real-time qPCR techniques to characterise for the first time the LJD condition in triploid Atlantic salmon juveniles using two independent sample sets: experimentally-sourced salmon (60 g) and commercially produced salmon (100 g). A total of eleven genes, some detected/identified through the transcriptome analysis (fbn2, gal and gphb5) and others previously determined to be related to skeletal physiology (alp, bmp4, col1a1, col2a1, fgf23, igf1, mmp13, ocn), were tested in the two independent sample sets. Gphb5, a recently discovered hormone, was significantly (P < 0.05) down-regulated in LJD affected fish in both sample sets, suggesting a possible hormonal involvement. In-situ hybridization detected gphb5 expression in oral epithelium, teeth and skin of the lower jaw. Col2a1 showed the same consistent significant (P < 0.05) down-regulation in LJD suggesting a possible cartilaginous impairment as a distinctive feature of the condition. Significant (P < 0.05) differential expression of other genes found in either one or the other sample set highlighted the possible effect of stage of development or condition progression on transcription and showed that anomalous bone development, likely driven by cartilage impairment, is more evident at larger fish sizes. The present study improved our understanding of LJD suggesting that a cartilage impairment likely underlies the condition and col2a1 may be a marker. In addition, the involvement of gphb5 urges further investigation of a hormonal role in LJD and skeletal physiology in general. PMID:27977809

Multigenic Delineation of Lower Jaw Deformity in Triploid Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.).

PubMed

Amoroso, Gianluca; Ventura, Tomer; Cobcroft, Jennifer M; Adams, Mark B; Elizur, Abigail; Carter, Chris G

2016-01-01

Lower jaw deformity (LJD) is a skeletal anomaly affecting farmed triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) which leads to considerable economic losses for industry and has animal welfare implications. The present study employed transcriptome analysis in parallel with real-time qPCR techniques to characterise for the first time the LJD condition in triploid Atlantic salmon juveniles using two independent sample sets: experimentally-sourced salmon (60 g) and commercially produced salmon (100 g). A total of eleven genes, some detected/identified through the transcriptome analysis (fbn2, gal and gphb5) and others previously determined to be related to skeletal physiology (alp, bmp4, col1a1, col2a1, fgf23, igf1, mmp13, ocn), were tested in the two independent sample sets. Gphb5, a recently discovered hormone, was significantly (P < 0.05) down-regulated in LJD affected fish in both sample sets, suggesting a possible hormonal involvement. In-situ hybridization detected gphb5 expression in oral epithelium, teeth and skin of the lower jaw. Col2a1 showed the same consistent significant (P < 0.05) down-regulation in LJD suggesting a possible cartilaginous impairment as a distinctive feature of the condition. Significant (P < 0.05) differential expression of other genes found in either one or the other sample set highlighted the possible effect of stage of development or condition progression on transcription and showed that anomalous bone development, likely driven by cartilage impairment, is more evident at larger fish sizes. The present study improved our understanding of LJD suggesting that a cartilage impairment likely underlies the condition and col2a1 may be a marker. In addition, the involvement of gphb5 urges further investigation of a hormonal role in LJD and skeletal physiology in general.

Algebraic independence results for reciprocal sums of Fibonacci and Lucas numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Martin

2011-09-01

Let Fn and Ln denote the Fibonacci and Lucas numbers, respectively. D. Duverney, Ke. Nishioka, Ku. Nishioka and I. Shiokawa proved that the values of the Fibonacci zeta function ζF(2s) = Σn = 1∞Fn-2s are transcendental for any s∈N using Nesterenko's theorem on Ramanujan functions P(q), Q(q), and R(q). They obtained similar results for the Lucas zeta function ζL(2s) = Σn = 1∞Ln-2s and some related series. Later, C. Elsner, S. Shimomura and I. Shiokawa found conditions for the algebraic independence of these series. In my PhD thesis I generalized their approach and treated the following problem: We investigate all subsets of { ∑ n = 1∞1/Fn2s1, ∑ n = 1∞(-1)n+1/Fn2s2, ∑ n = 1∞1/Ln2s3, ∑ n = 1∞(-1)n+1/Ln2s4:s1,s2,s3,s4∈N} and decide on their algebraic independence over Q. Actually this is a special case of a more general theorem for reciprocal sums of binary recurrent sequences.

Life support subsystem monitoring instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, J. D.; Kostell, G. D.

1974-01-01

The recognition of the need for instrumentation in manned spacecraft life-support subsystems has increased significantly over the past several years. Of the required control and monitoring instrumentation, this paper will focus on the monitoring instrumentation as applied to life-support subsystems. The initial approach used independent sensors, independent sensor signal conditioning circuitry, and independent logic circuitry to provide shutdown protection only. This monitoring system was replaced with a coordinated series of printed circuit cards, each of which contains all the electronics to service one sensor and provide performance trend information, fault detection and isolation information, and shutdown protection. Finally, a review of sensor and instrumentation problems is presented, and the requirement for sensors with built-in signal conditioning and provisions for in situ calibration is discussed.

Experimental determination of the key heat transfer mechanisms in pharmaceutical freeze-drying.

PubMed

Ganguly, Arnab; Nail, Steven L; Alexeenko, Alina

2013-05-01

The study is aimed at quantifying the relative contribution of key heat transfer modes in lyophilization. Measurements of vial heat transfer rates in a laboratory-scale freeze-dryer were performed using pure water, which was partially sublimed under various conditions. The separation distance between the shelf and the vial was systematically varied, and sublimation rates were determined gravimetrically. The heat transfer rates were observed to be independent of separation distance between the vial and the shelf and linearly dependent on pressure in the free molecular flow limit, realized at low pressures (<50 mTorr). However, under higher pressures (>120 mTorr), heat transfer rates were independent of pressure and inversely proportional to separation distance. Previous heat transfer studies in conventional freeze-drying cycles have attributed a dominant portion of the total heat transfer to radiation, the rest to conduction, whereas convection has been found to be insignificant. Although the measurements reported here confirm the significance of the radiative and gas conduction components, the convective component has been found to be comparable to the gas conduction contribution at pressures greater than 100 mTorr. The current investigation supports the conclusion that the convective component of the heat transfer cannot be ignored in typical laboratory-scale freeze-drying conditions. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Audio-visual speech perception in adult readers with dyslexia: an fMRI study.

PubMed

Rüsseler, Jascha; Ye, Zheng; Gerth, Ivonne; Szycik, Gregor R; Münte, Thomas F

2018-04-01

Developmental dyslexia is a specific deficit in reading and spelling that often persists into adulthood. In the present study, we used slow event-related fMRI and independent component analysis to identify brain networks involved in perception of audio-visual speech in a group of adult readers with dyslexia (RD) and a group of fluent readers (FR). Participants saw a video of a female speaker saying a disyllabic word. In the congruent condition, audio and video input were identical whereas in the incongruent condition, the two inputs differed. Participants had to respond to occasionally occurring animal names. The independent components analysis (ICA) identified several components that were differently modulated in FR and RD. Two of these components including fusiform gyrus and occipital gyrus showed less activation in RD compared to FR possibly indicating a deficit to extract face information that is needed to integrate auditory and visual information in natural speech perception. A further component centered on the superior temporal sulcus (STS) also exhibited less activation in RD compared to FR. This finding is corroborated in the univariate analysis that shows less activation in STS for RD compared to FR. These findings suggest a general impairment in recruitment of audiovisual processing areas in dyslexia during the perception of natural speech.

Aggressive desert goby males also court more, independent of the physiological demands of salinity.

PubMed

Lehtonen, Topi K; Svensson, P Andreas; Wong, Bob B M

2018-06-19

Both between- and within-individual variation in behaviour can be important in determining mating opportunities and reproductive outcomes. Such behavioural variability can be induced by environmental conditions, especially if individuals vary in their tolerance levels or resource allocation patterns. We tested the effects of exposure to different salinity levels on male investment into two important components of mating success-intrasexual aggression and intersexual courtship-in a fish with a resource defence mating system, the desert goby, Chlamydogobius eremius. We found that males that were more aggressive to rivals also exhibited higher rates of courtship displays towards females. Contrary to predictions, this positive relationship, and the consistency of the two behaviours, were not affected by the salinity treatment, despite the physiological costs that high salinity imposes on the species. Moreover, over the entire data-set, there was only a marginally non-significant tendency for males to show higher levels of aggression and courtship in low, than high, salinity. The positive correlation between male aggression and courtship, independent of the physiological demands of the environment, suggests that males are not inclined to make contrasting resource investments into these two key reproductive behaviours. Instead, in this relatively euryhaline freshwater species, typical investment into current reproductive behaviours can occur under a range of different salinity conditions.

Influence of step length and landing pattern on patellofemoral joint kinetics during running.

PubMed

Willson, J D; Ratcliff, O M; Meardon, S A; Willy, R W

2015-12-01

Elevated patellofemoral joint kinetics during running may contribute to patellofemoral joint symptoms. The purpose of this study was to test for independent effects of foot strike pattern and step length on patellofemoral joint kinetics while running. Effects were tested relative to individual steps and also taking into account the number of steps required to run a kilometer with each step length. Patellofemoral joint reaction force and stress were estimated in 20 participants running at their preferred speed. Participants ran using a forefoot strike and rearfoot strike pattern during three different step length conditions: preferred step length, long (+10%) step length, and short (-10%) step length. Patellofemoral kinetics was estimated using a biomechanical model of the patellofemoral joint that accounted for cocontraction of the knee flexors and extensors. We observed independent effects of foot strike pattern and step length. Patellofemoral joint kinetics per step was 10-13% less during forefoot strike conditions and 15-20% less with a shortened step length. Patellofemoral joint kinetics per kilometer decreased 12-13% using a forefoot strike pattern and 9-12% with a shortened step length. To the extent that patellofemoral joint kinetics contribute to symptoms among runners, these running modifications may be advisable for runners with patellofemoral pain. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modeling Mass and Thermal Transport in Thin Porous Media of PEM Fuel Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konduru, Vinaykumar

Water transport in the Porous Transport Layer (PTL) plays an important role in the efficient operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Excessive water content as well as dry operating conditions are unfavorable for efficient and reliable operation of the fuel cell. The effect of thermal conductivity and porosity on water management are investigated by simulating two-phase flow in the PTL of the fuel cell using a network model. In the model, the PTL consists of a pore-phase and a solid-phase. Different models of the PTLs are generated using independent Weibull distributions for the pore-phase and the solid-phase. The specific arrangement of the pores and solid elements is varied to obtain different PTL realizations for the same Weibull parameters. The properties of PTL are varied by changing the porosity and thermal conductivity. The parameters affecting operating conditions include the temperature, relative humidity in the flow channel and voltage and current density. In addition, a novel high-speed capable Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) microscope was built based on Kretschmann's configuration utilizing a collimated Kohler illumination. The SPR allows thin film characterization in a thickness of approximately 0-200nm by measuring the changes in the refractive index. Various independent experiments were run to measure film thickness during droplet coalescence during condensation.

Causal discovery and inference: concepts and recent methodological advances.

PubMed

Spirtes, Peter; Zhang, Kun

This paper aims to give a broad coverage of central concepts and principles involved in automated causal inference and emerging approaches to causal discovery from i.i.d data and from time series. After reviewing concepts including manipulations, causal models, sample predictive modeling, causal predictive modeling, and structural equation models, we present the constraint-based approach to causal discovery, which relies on the conditional independence relationships in the data, and discuss the assumptions underlying its validity. We then focus on causal discovery based on structural equations models, in which a key issue is the identifiability of the causal structure implied by appropriately defined structural equation models: in the two-variable case, under what conditions (and why) is the causal direction between the two variables identifiable? We show that the independence between the error term and causes, together with appropriate structural constraints on the structural equation, makes it possible. Next, we report some recent advances in causal discovery from time series. Assuming that the causal relations are linear with nonGaussian noise, we mention two problems which are traditionally difficult to solve, namely causal discovery from subsampled data and that in the presence of confounding time series. Finally, we list a number of open questions in the field of causal discovery and inference.

Understanding parents' concerns about their children with autism taking public school transportation in Los Angeles County.

PubMed

Angell, Amber M; Solomon, Olga

2018-05-01

There are a number of recent US news media reports of children and youth with autism becoming lost, injured, or even dying while taking public school transportation, yet research on this problem is scarce. This ethnographic study examines the experiences of 14 parents whose children with autism take public school transportation in Los Angeles County. We present two case studies of children with autism being "lost" while in transit from school to home on the bus to (1) describe how the situation was experienced, responded to, and managed by the parents; (2) consider three interrelated themes that emerged from interviews with 14 parents, related to children's safety, independence, and participation, across multiple contexts and analytic levels; and (3) discuss the findings in relation to US news media reports of incidents involving children with autism on school buses to identify specific weaknesses in school transportation infrastructure, particularly in the context of privatization, that create conditions in which children with autism can "fall through the cracks" in potentially life-threatening ways. We argue that there is a critical need to address transportation accessibility for individuals on the autism spectrum to ensure their safety and support their independence and community participation.

Failure to pop out: Feature singletons do not capture attention under low signal-to-noise ratio conditions.

PubMed

Rangelov, Dragan; Müller, Hermann J; Zehetleitner, Michael

2017-05-01

Pop-out search implies that the target is always the first item selected, no matter how many distractors are presented. However, increasing evidence indicates that search is not entirely independent of display density even for pop-out targets: search is slower with sparse (few distractors) than with dense displays (many distractors). Despite its significance, the cause of this anomaly remains unclear. We investigated several mechanisms that could slow down search for pop-out targets. Consistent with the assumption that pop-out targets frequently fail to pop out in sparse displays, we observed greater variability of search duration for sparse displays relative to dense. Computational modeling of the response time distributions also supported the view that pop-out targets fail to pop out in sparse displays. Our findings strongly question the classical assumption that early processing of pop-out targets is independent of the distractors. Rather, the density of distractors critically influences whether or not a stimulus pops out. These results call for new, more reliable measures of pop-out search and potentially a reinterpretation of studies that used relatively sparse displays. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychometric evaluation of a coping questionnaire in two independent samples of people with diabetes.

PubMed

Persson, Lars-Olof; Erichsen, Magdalena; Wändell, Per; Gåfvels, Catharina

2013-10-01

The study examines internal item/scale structure and concurrent validity of a newly developed 48-item questionnaire [General Coping Questionnaire (GCQ)] that measures 10 aspects of coping with chronic illness (self-trust, problem-reducing actions, change of values, social trust, minimization, fatalism, resignation, protest, isolation and intrusion). The tests were performed in two independent samples of persons with diabetes mellitus. The first sample consisted of 119 subjects with type I diabetes and the second sample of 184 subjects with type II diabetes. Concurrent validity was examined by comparisons with measures of health-related quality of life (SF-36), a measure of metabolic control (HbA1c) and incidence of diabetic complications. The item/scale structure was found to be similar and very good in both samples. The 10 dimensions correlated as expected with the measure of mental health, although the 'negative' dimensions of the GCQ correlated higher compared with the 'positive' dimensions. Weaker relations with metabolic control were also found in one of the samples. These tests provide further evidence that GCQ is a well-structured, relevant and reliable instrument for assessing coping reactions in chronic somatic conditions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Divided attention and mental effort after severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Azouvi, Philippe; Couillet, Josette; Leclercq, Michel; Martin, Yves; Asloun, Sybille; Rousseaux, Marc

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess dual-task performance in TBI patients, under different experimental conditions, with or without explicit emphasis on one of two tasks. Results were compared with measurement of the subjective mental effort required to perform each task. Forty-three severe TBI patients at the subacute or chronic phase performed two tasks under single- and dual-task conditions: (a) random generation; (b) visual go-no go reaction time task. Three dual-task conditions were given, requiring either to consider both tasks as equally important or to focus preferentially on one of them. Patients were compared to matched controls. Subjective mental effort was rated on a visual analogic scale. TBI patients showed a disproportionate increase in reaction time in the go-no go task under the dual-task condition. However, they were just as able as controls to adapt performance to the specific instructions about the task to be emphasised. Patients reported significantly higher subjective mental effort, but the variation of mental effort according to task condition was similar to that of controls. These results suggest that the divided attention deficit of TBI patients is related to a reduction in available processing resources rather than an impairment of strategic processes responsible for attentional allocation and switching. The higher level of subjective mental effort may explain why TBI patients frequently complain of mental fatigue, although this subjective complaint seems to be relatively independent of cognitive impairment.

Evaluative conditioning increases with temporal contiguity. The influence of stimulus order and stimulus interval on evaluative conditioning.

PubMed

Gast, Anne; Langer, Sebastian; Sengewald, Marie-Ann

2016-10-01

Evaluative conditioning (EC) is a change in valence that is due to pairing a conditioned stimulus (CS) with another, typically valent, unconditioned stimulus (US). This paper investigates how basic presentation parameters moderate EC effects. In two studies we tested the effectiveness of different temporal relations of the CS and the US, that is, the order in which the stimuli were presented and the temporal distance between them. Both studies showed that the size of EC effects was independent of the presentation order of CS and US within a stimulus pair. Contrary to classical conditioning effects, EC effects are thus not most pronounced after CS-first presentations. Furthermore, as shown in Experiment 2, EC effects increased in magnitude as the temporal interval between CS and US presentations decreased. Experiment 1 showed largest EC effects in the condition with simultaneous presentations - which can be seen as the condition with the temporally closest presentation. In this Experiment stimuli were presented in two different modalities, which might have facilitated simultaneous processing. In Experiment 2, in which all stimuli were presented visually, this advantage of simultaneous presentation was not found. We discuss practical and theoretical implications of our findings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Maternal education, anthropometric markers of malnutrition and cognitive function (ELSA-Brasil).

PubMed

Araújo, Larissa Fortunato; Giatti, Luana; Chor, Dora; Passos, Valéria Maria Azeredo; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

2014-07-02

The early exposure to poor social and nutritional conditions may influence cognitive function during adult age. However, the relative impact of these factors has not yet been established and they can vary during the course of life. Analysis of data from 12,997 participants (35-64 years) of the baseline exams (2008-2010) of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), a cohort of Brazilian civil servants. Four cognitive tests were applied: learning, recall and word recognition; semantic and phonemic verbal fluency; trail-making test version B. The markers of early nutritional and social conditions were maternal educational level, birth weight, and length of trunk and leg. The presence of independent association between every early marker and the poor performance in each cognitive test was investigated by multiple logistic regression, after mutual adjustment and considering the effects of gender, age and participant's schooling level. The cut off for poor performance was the worst age-specific percentile of the final score distribution for each test. After full adjustments, lower maternal education increased the chances of poor performance in all cognitive tests, with a dose-response gradient; low birth-weight was related to poor performance in the trail-making test B (OR = 1.63, 95% IC = 1.29-2.06); and greater trunk length decreased the chances of poor performance in the semantic and phonemic verbal fluency (OR = 0.96, 95% IC = 0.94-0.97) and in the trail-making test B (OR = 0.94, 95% IC = 0.92-0.95). Leg length was not associated with any of the tests examined. The associations found were not modified by the educational attainment of the participants. Early exposure to adverse social and nutritional conditions appear detrimental to semantic memory, learning, concentration, executive control and language among adults, independent of adulthood educational achievement.

Einstein’s quadrupole formula from the kinetic-conformal Hořava theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellorín, Jorge; Restuccia, Alvaro

We analyze the radiative and nonradiative linearized variables in a gravity theory within the family of the nonprojectable Hořava theories, the Hořava theory at the kinetic-conformal point. There is no extra mode in this formulation, the theory shares the same number of degrees of freedom with general relativity. The large-distance effective action, which is the one we consider, can be given in a generally-covariant form under asymptotically flat boundary conditions, the Einstein-aether theory under the condition of hypersurface orthogonality on the aether vector. In the linearized theory, we find that only the transverse-traceless tensorial modes obey a sourced wave equation, as in general relativity. The rest of variables are nonradiative. The result is gauge-independent at the level of the linearized theory. For the case of a weak source, we find that the leading mode in the far zone is exactly Einstein’s quadrupole formula of general relativity, if some coupling constants are properly identified. There are no monopoles nor dipoles in this formulation, in distinction to the nonprojectable Horava theory outside the kinetic-conformal point. We also discuss some constraints on the theory arising from the observational bounds on Lorentz-violating theories.

Hierarchical coefficient of a multifractal based network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreira, Darlan A.; Lucena, Liacir dos Santos; Corso, Gilberto

2014-02-01

The hierarchical property for a general class of networks stands for a power-law relation between clustering coefficient, CC and connectivity k: CC∝kβ. This relation is empirically verified in several biologic and social networks, as well as in random and deterministic network models, in special for hierarchical networks. In this work we show that the hierarchical property is also present in a Lucena network. To create a Lucena network we use the dual of a multifractal lattice ML, the vertices are the sites of the ML and links are established between neighbouring lattices, therefore this network is space filling and planar. Besides a Lucena network shows a scale-free distribution of connectivity. We deduce a relation for the maximal local clustering coefficient CCimax of a vertex i in a planar graph. This condition expresses that the number of links among neighbour, N△, of a vertex i is equal to its connectivity ki, that means: N△=ki. The Lucena network fulfils the condition N△≃ki independent of ki and the anisotropy of ML. In addition, CCmax implies the threshold β=1 for the hierarchical property for any scale-free planar network.

Foliar sorption of emerging and priority contaminants under controlled conditions.

PubMed

Calderón-Preciado, Diana; Matamoros, Víctor; Biel, Carmen; Save, Robert; Bayona, Josep M

2013-09-15

Agricultural irrigation water contains a variety of contaminants that can be introduced into the food chain through intake by irrigated crops. This paper describes an experiment under controlled conditions designed to simulate sprinkle irrigation with polluted water at two different relative humidities (40 and 90%). Specifically, shed lettuce-heart leaves were spiked with an aqueous solution containing organic microcontaminants, including pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen, diclofenac, clofibric acid, and carbamazepine), fragrances (tonalide), biocides (triclosan), insecticides (lindane), herbicides (atrazine), phenolic estrogen (bisphenol A), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (phenanthrene and pyrene). Following an incubation period (48 h), the treated leaves were rinsed with water, and both the solution used to rinse them and the leaves themselves were independently analyzed to investigate the foliar sorption and uptake of the spiked organic contaminants through cuticle. The results showed that the foliar sorption of emerging and priority microcontaminants in leaves wetted by irrigation practices is related to their polarity (logD(ow)) and volatility (logk(H)), regardless of their compound class and the relative humidity. The results thus underscore the need to improve the quality of reclaimed water in crop irrigation, particularly when sprinkle irrigation is used. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does McNemar's test compare the sensitivities and specificities of two diagnostic tests?

PubMed

Kim, Soeun; Lee, Woojoo

2017-02-01

McNemar's test is often used in practice to compare the sensitivities and specificities for the evaluation of two diagnostic tests. For correct evaluation of accuracy, an intuitive recommendation is to test the diseased and the non-diseased groups separately so that the sensitivities can be compared among the diseased, and specificities can be compared among the healthy group of people. This paper provides a rigorous theoretical framework for this argument and study the validity of McNemar's test regardless of the conditional independence assumption. We derive McNemar's test statistic under the null hypothesis considering both assumptions of conditional independence and conditional dependence. We then perform power analyses to show how the result is affected by the amount of the conditional dependence under alternative hypothesis.

Dissociable Learning Processes Underlie Human Pain Conditioning.

PubMed

Zhang, Suyi; Mano, Hiroaki; Ganesh, Gowrishankar; Robbins, Trevor; Seymour, Ben

2016-01-11

Pavlovian conditioning underlies many aspects of pain behavior, including fear and threat detection [1], escape and avoidance learning [2], and endogenous analgesia [3]. Although a central role for the amygdala is well established [4], both human and animal studies implicate other brain regions in learning, notably ventral striatum and cerebellum [5]. It remains unclear whether these regions make different contributions to a single aversive learning process or represent independent learning mechanisms that interact to generate the expression of pain-related behavior. We designed a human parallel aversive conditioning paradigm in which different Pavlovian visual cues probabilistically predicted thermal pain primarily to either the left or right arm and studied the acquisition of conditioned Pavlovian responses using combined physiological recordings and fMRI. Using computational modeling based on reinforcement learning theory, we found that conditioning involves two distinct types of learning process. First, a non-specific "preparatory" system learns aversive facial expressions and autonomic responses such as skin conductance. The associated learning signals-the learned associability and prediction error-were correlated with fMRI brain responses in amygdala-striatal regions, corresponding to the classic aversive (fear) learning circuit. Second, a specific lateralized system learns "consummatory" limb-withdrawal responses, detectable with electromyography of the arm to which pain is predicted. Its related learned associability was correlated with responses in ipsilateral cerebellar cortex, suggesting a novel computational role for the cerebellum in pain. In conclusion, our results show that the overall phenotype of conditioned pain behavior depends on two dissociable reinforcement learning circuits. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Two-phase model for prediction of cell-free layer width in blood flow

PubMed Central

Namgung, Bumseok; Ju, Meongkeun; Cabrales, Pedro; Kim, Sangho

2014-01-01

This study aimed to develop a numerical model capable of predicting changes in the cell-free layer (CFL) width in narrow tubes with consideration of red blood cell aggregation effects. The model development integrates to empirical relations for relative viscosity (ratio of apparent viscosity to medium viscosity) and core viscosity measured on independent blood samples to create a continuum model that includes these two regions. The constitutive relations were derived from in vitro experiments performed with three different glass-capillary tubes (inner diameter = 30, 50 and 100 μm) over a wide range of pseudoshear rates (5-300 s−1). The aggregation tendency of the blood samples was also varied by adding Dextran 500 kDa. Our model predicted that the CFL width was strongly modulated by the relative viscosity function. Aggregation increased the width of CFL, and this effect became more pronounced at low shear rates. The CFL widths predicted in the present study at high shear conditions were in agreement with those reported in previous studies. However, unlike previous multi-particle models, our model did not require a high computing cost, and it was capable of reproducing results for a thicker CFL width at low shear conditions, depending on aggregating tendency of the blood. PMID:23116701

Productive extension of semantic memory in school-aged children: Relations with reading comprehension and deployment of cognitive resources.

PubMed

Bauer, Patricia J; Blue, Shala N; Xu, Aoxiang; Esposito, Alena G

2016-07-01

We investigated 7- to 10-year-old children's productive extension of semantic memory through self-generation of new factual knowledge derived through integration of separate yet related facts learned through instruction or through reading. In Experiment 1, an experimenter read the to-be-integrated facts. Children successfully learned and integrated the information and used it to further extend their semantic knowledge, as evidenced by high levels of correct responses in open-ended and forced-choice testing. In Experiment 2, on half of the trials, the to-be-integrated facts were read by an experimenter (as in Experiment 1) and on half of the trials, children read the facts themselves. Self-generation performance was high in both conditions (experimenter- and self-read); in both conditions, self-generation of new semantic knowledge was related to an independent measure of children's reading comprehension. In Experiment 3, the way children deployed cognitive resources during reading was predictive of their subsequent recall of newly learned information derived through integration. These findings indicate self-generation of new semantic knowledge through integration in school-age children as well as relations between this productive means of extension of semantic memory and cognitive processes engaged during reading. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Productive Extension of Semantic Memory in School-aged Children: Relations with Reading Comprehension and Deployment of Cognitive Resources

PubMed Central

Bauer, Patricia J.; Blue, Shala N.; Xu, Aoxiang; Esposito, Alena G.

2016-01-01

We investigated 7- to 10-year-old children’s productive extension of semantic memory through self-generation of new factual knowledge derived through integration of separate yet related facts learned through instruction or through reading. In Experiment 1, an experimenter read the to-be-integrated facts. Children successfully learned and integrated the information and used it to further extend their semantic knowledge, as evidenced by high levels of correct responses in open-ended and forced-choice testing. In Experiment 2, on half of the trials, the to-be-integrated facts were read by an experimenter (as in Experiment 1) and on half of the trials, children read the facts themselves. Self-generation performance was high in both conditions (experimenter- and self-read); in both conditions, self-generation of new semantic knowledge was related to an independent measure of children’s reading comprehension. In Experiment 3, the way children deployed cognitive resources during reading was predictive of their subsequent recall of newly learned information derived through integration. These findings indicate self-generation of new semantic knowledge through integration in school-age children as well as relations between this productive means of extension of semantic memory and cognitive processes engaged during reading. PMID:27253263

An exploratory study of future plans and extracurricular activities of transition-age youth and young adults.

PubMed

Betz, Cecily L; Redcay, Gay

2005-01-01

A descriptive profile of the health related concerns, school-related and extracurricular activities, employment-related activities, social relationships and future plans of 25 transition-aged youth and young adults (ages 14 to 21 years) were conducted. The findings of this exploratory study provide insight on the impact their chronic condition had upon all aspects of their lives. Sixty percent of respondents indicated they had missed school due to their condition and a third of the respondents had not completed high school. Health care professionals usually were not identified as participatory in youth transition planning. The majority of these transition-aged youth and young adults had positive feelings towards their school experience, although most of the respondents were not involved in school projects or clubs, which suggests their participation in school-related extra-curricular activities was limited. Nearly all of the respondents had some form of employment experience. Most of their work experiences were nonpaying jobs such as serving as a volunteer and participating in school-based employment training. Nearly all of the respondents expressed desires for sustainable employment and fiscal and social independence. Most of the respondents reported having social relationships with just less than half reporting seeing friends outside of school.

Adverse psychosocial working conditions and poor quality of life among financial service employees in Brazil.

PubMed

Silva, Luiz Sergio; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

2012-01-01

Workers in the financial services sector are exposed to great stress at work. This study investigates whether exposure to adverse psychosocial work conditions is independently associated with poor health-related physical and mental quality of life among financial services workers. We studied a nationwide representative sample of 2,054 workers of a large Brazilian state bank in 2008. Adverse psychosocial work conditions were investigated by the Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) scale and the Job content questionnaire (JCQ). Health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-12). Poor mental and physical HRQL was defined by the lowest quartiles of the SF-12 final score distributions. Associations were investigated using multiple logistic regression analysis. In the multivariate analysis, exposures to low control and lack of social support at work (JCQ) were associated with poor HRQL in the physical domain. Increasing effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment (ERI), on the other hand, were associated with poor HRQL in the mental domain, with a significant statistical trend. Overcommitment was also associated with poor physical HRQL. The results suggest that exposure to adverse psychosocial work conditions has a negative impact on both domains of HRQL among financial service workers. They also indicate that ERI and DC models capture different aspects of job strain.