40 CFR 799.5075 - Drinking water contaminants subject to testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... conclusion of the test, all animals, except the satellite group, are necropsied and histopathological... produce test groups with a range of toxic effects. The data should be sufficient to produce a dose...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED) IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE AND MIXTURE...

40 CFR 799.5075 - Drinking water contaminants subject to testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... conclusion of the test, all animals, except the satellite group, are necropsied and histopathological... produce test groups with a range of toxic effects. The data should be sufficient to produce a dose...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED) IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE AND MIXTURE...

40 CFR 799.5075 - Drinking water contaminants subject to testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... conclusion of the test, all animals, except the satellite group, are necropsied and histopathological... produce test groups with a range of toxic effects. The data should be sufficient to produce a dose...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED) IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE AND MIXTURE...

40 CFR 799.5075 - Drinking water contaminants subject to testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... conclusion of the test, all animals, except the satellite group, are necropsied and histopathological... produce test groups with a range of toxic effects. The data should be sufficient to produce a dose...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED) IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE AND MIXTURE...

40 CFR 79.64 - In vivo micronucleus assay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... number and sex. At least five female and five male animals per experimental/sample and control group... control group. A single concentration of a compound known to produce micronuclei in vivo is adequate as a... in bone marrow from treated animals compared to that of control animals. The visualization of...

40 CFR 79.64 - In vivo micronucleus assay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... number and sex. At least five female and five male animals per experimental/sample and control group... control group. A single concentration of a compound known to produce micronuclei in vivo is adequate as a... in bone marrow from treated animals compared to that of control animals. The visualization of...

40 CFR 79.64 - In vivo micronucleus assay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... number and sex. At least five female and five male animals per experimental/sample and control group... control group. A single concentration of a compound known to produce micronuclei in vivo is adequate as a... in bone marrow from treated animals compared to that of control animals. The visualization of...

40 CFR 79.64 - In vivo micronucleus assay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... number and sex. At least five female and five male animals per experimental/sample and control group... control group. A single concentration of a compound known to produce micronuclei in vivo is adequate as a... in bone marrow from treated animals compared to that of control animals. The visualization of...

40 CFR 79.64 - In vivo micronucleus assay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... number and sex. At least five female and five male animals per experimental/sample and control group... control group. A single concentration of a compound known to produce micronuclei in vivo is adequate as a... in bone marrow from treated animals compared to that of control animals. The visualization of...

The role and importance of veterinary laboratories in the prevention and control of infectious diseases of animals.

PubMed

Truszczyński, M J

1998-08-01

Veterinary laboratories which deal with infectious diseases form three groups according to the tasks for which they are responsible. The first group includes central or national veterinary laboratories, national or international reference laboratories, high-security laboratories, district regional or state veterinary diagnostic laboratories. The major role of these laboratories is to assist national Veterinary Services in diagnosing infectious animal diseases. The second group comprises laboratories that produce veterinary diagnostic kits and those that produce veterinary vaccines. The third group is composed of veterinary research laboratories, which generally concentrate on basic research and do not contribute directly to the diagnosis and control of infectious animal diseases. The author describes the objectives of each of the three groups of laboratories.

Usefulness of food chain information provided by Dutch finishing pig producers to control antibiotic residues in pork.

PubMed

van Wagenberg, Coen P A; Backus, Gé B C; van der Vorst, Jack G A J; Urlings, Bert A P

2012-11-01

The EU prescribes that food business operators must use food chain information to assist in food safety control. This study analyses usefulness of food chain information about antibiotic usage covering the 60-day period prior to delivery of pigs to slaughter in the control of antibiotic residues in pork. A dataset with 479 test results for antibiotic residues in tissue samples of finishing pigs delivered to a Dutch slaughter company was linked to information provided by pig producers about antibiotic usage in these finishing pigs. Results show that twice as many producers reported using antibiotics in the group of 82 producers with antibiotic residues (11.0%) compared to the group without antibiotic residues (5.5%) (p=0.0686). For 89% of consignments with a finishing pig with antibiotic residues, the producer reported 'did not use antibiotics'. Food chain information about antibiotic usage provided by Dutch pig producers was no guarantee for absence of antibiotic residues in delivered finishing pigs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sirolimus and tacrolimus rather than cyclosporine A cause bone loss in healthy adult male rats.

PubMed

Rubert, Mercedes; Montero, Mercedes; Guede, David; Caeiro, Jose-Ramón; Martín-Fernández, Marta; Díaz-Curiel, Manuel; de la Piedra, Concepción

2015-06-01

The aim of this work was to study the effects of cyclosporine (CsA), tacrolimus (FK-506), and rapamycin (RAPA) on bone mass, femoral microstructure, femoral biomechanical properties, and bone remodeling in healthy adult male rats. Forty-eight 5-month-old male Wistar rats were used. CsA (2 mg/kg/day), FK-506 (3 mg/kg/day), RAPA (1.25 mg/kg/day), or water (0.5 ml/rat/day, control group) were administered orally for 3 months. After sacrifice, mean values of immunosuppressants in blood were: CsA (670.4 ng/ml), FK-506 (19.2 ng/ml), and RAPA (4.8 ng/ml). Levels of biochemical parameters were normal in all groups. Femoral BMD was decreased in FK-506 and RAPA groups and lumbar BMD in FK-506 group. Trabecular volume fraction (BV/TV) decreased only in FK-506 group. RAPA and CsA affected femoral cortical structure, but FK-506 did not. FK-506 produced an increase in bone remodeling, and CsA a decrease. FK-506 group showed a decrease in biomechanical parameters relative to all groups. RAPA group showed a decrease in ultimate stress vs control group, and CsA group presented an increase in biomechanical parameters versus control group. We found that administration of both RAPA and FK-506 as monotherapy for healthy rats produced osteopenia. CsA treatment only produces slight damages in the cortical zone of the femur.

Outcomes in controlled and comparative studies on non-healing wounds: recommendations to improve the quality of evidence in wound management.

PubMed

Gottrup, F; Apelqvist, J; Price, P

2010-06-01

While there is a consensus that clinical practice should be evidence based, this can be difficult to achieve due to confusion about the value of the various approaches to wound management. To address this, the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) set up a Patient Outcome Group whose remit was to produce recommendations on clinical data collection in wound care. This document, produced by the group and disseminated by JWC, identifies criteria for producing rigorous outcomes in both randomised controlled trials and clinical studies, and describes how to ensure studies are consistent and reproducible.

Effects of beta-glucuronidase-deficient and lycopene-producing Escherichia coli strains on formation of azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci in the rat colon.

PubMed

Arimochi, H; Kataoka, K; Kuwahara, T; Nakayama, H; Misawa, N; Ohnishi, Y

1999-08-27

We tried to inhibit the formation of azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the rat intestine by feeding a culture of a beta-glucuronidase-deficient Escherichia coli strain or a cell suspension of a lycopene-producing E. coli strain. Feeding of the former culture to F344 rats did not decrease fecal beta-glucuronidase activity or the number of ACF compared with the control beta-glucuronidase-proficient groups. However, a significant positive correlation between the fecal beta-glucuronidase activity and the ACF number was observed among groups treated with cultures of beta-glucuronidase-proficient and -deficient strains. In the group treated with lycopene-producing cells, the number of ACF was significantly lower than that in the control group. A vegetable juice containing a larger amount of lycopene than a cell suspension of the lycopene-producing E. coli also decreased the number of ACF to the same extent as a cell suspension of the lycopene-producing bacteria. These results suggest that feeding of the beta-glucuronidase-deficient E. coli is not very effective in preventing colon carcinogenesis, although activity of the fecal beta-glucuronidase is associated with AOM-induced ACF formation, and that lycopene-producing intestinal bacteria can effectively prevent colon carcinogenesis. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Comparison of clinical parameters and environmental noise levels between regular surgery and piezosurgery for extraction of impacted third molars.

PubMed

Chang, Hao-Hueng; Lee, Ming-Shu; Hsu, You-Chyun; Tsai, Shang-Jye; Lin, Chun-Pin

2015-10-01

Impacted third molars can be extracted by regular surgery or piezosurgery. The aim of this study was to compare clinical parameters and device-produced noise levels between regular surgery and piezosurgery for the extraction of impacted third molars. Twenty patients (18 women and 2 men, 17-29 years of age) with bilateral symmetrical impacted mandibular or maxillary third molars of the same level were included in this randomized crossover clinical trial. The 40 impacted third molars were divided into a control group (n = 20), in which the third molar was extracted by regular surgery using a high-speed handpiece and an elevator, and an experimental group (n = 20), in which the third molar was extracted by piezosurgery using a high-speed handpiece and a piezotome. The clinical parameters were evaluated by a self-reported questionnaire. The noise levels produced by the high-speed handpiece and piezotome were measured and compared between the experimental and control groups. Patients in the experimental group had a better feeling about tooth extraction and force delivery during extraction and less facial swelling than patients in the control group. However, there were no significant differences in noise-related disturbance, extraction period, degree of facial swelling, pain score, pain duration, any noise levels produced by the devices under different circumstances during tooth extraction between the control and experimental groups. The piezosurgery device produced noise levels similar to or lower than those of the high-speed drilling device. However, piezosurgery provides advantages of increased patient comfort during extraction of impacted third molars. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The use of control groups in artificial grammar learning.

PubMed

Reber, Rolf; Perruchet, Pierre

2003-01-01

Experimenters assume that participants of an experimental group have learned an artificial grammar if they classify test items with significantly higher accuracy than does a control group without training. The validity of such a comparison, however, depends on an additivity assumption: Learning is superimposed on the action of non-specific variables-for example, repetitions of letters, which modulate the performance of the experimental group and the control group to the same extent. In two experiments we were able to show that this additivity assumption does not hold. Grammaticality classifications in control groups without training (Experiments 1 and 2) depended on non-specific features. There were no such biases in the experimental groups. Control groups with training on randomized strings (Experiment 2) showed fewer biases than did control groups without training. Furthermore, we reanalysed published research and demonstrated that earlier experiments using control groups without training had produced similar biases in control group performances, bolstering the finding that using control groups without training is methodologically unsound.

Effectiveness of peer-led dissonance-based eating disorder prevention groups: results from two randomized pilot trials.

PubMed

Stice, Eric; Rohde, Paul; Durant, Shelley; Shaw, Heather; Wade, Emily

2013-05-01

The present preliminary trials tested whether undergraduate peer leaders can effectively deliver a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program, which could facilitate broad dissemination of this efficacious intervention. In Study 1, female undergraduates (N=171) were randomized to peer-led groups, clinician-led groups, or an educational brochure control condition. In Study 2, which improved a design limitation of Study 1 by using completely parallel outcome measures across conditions, female undergraduates (N=148) were randomized to either immediate peer-led groups or a waitlist control condition. In Study 1, participants in peer- and clinician-led groups showed significantly greater pre-post reductions in risk factors and eating disorder symptoms than controls (M d=.64 and .98 respectively), though clinician- versus peer-led groups had higher attendance and competence ratings, and produced stronger effects at posttest (M d=.32) and at 1-year follow-up (M d=.26). In Study 2, participants in peer-led groups showed greater pre-post reductions in all outcomes than waitlist controls (M d=.75). Results provide novel evidence that dissonance-based eating disorder prevention groups led by undergraduate peers are feasible and produce greater reductions in eating disorder risk factors and symptoms than minimal-intervention control conditions, but indicate that effects are smaller for peer- versus clinician-led groups. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Semen collection and fertility in naturally fertile sandhill cranes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, G.; Gee, G.F.; Nicolich, Jane M.; Taylor, J.A.; Urbanek, R.P.; Stahlecker, D.W.

1997-01-01

Aviculturists often ask if semen collection will interfere with fertility in naturally fertile pairs of cranes. We used 12 naturally fertile Florida sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pratensis) pairs for this study, 6 control and 6 experimental. All pairs had produced fertile eggs in previous years and were in out-of-doors pens scattered throughout different pen complexes, within auditory range but physically isolated. Semen was collected on Tuesday mornings and Friday afternoons from 26 February 1993 to 4 June 1993. We used standard artificial insemination methods to collect and to evaluate the semen and spermatozoa. Semen collection did not affect semen quality or quantity. Semen volume, sperm density, sperm motility, sperm morphology, sperm live, sperm number per collection, and male response to semen collection exhibited significant daily variation (P < 0.05). Although semen collection began 13 days before the first egg in the experimental group, we observed no differences in the date of first egg laid or in fertility between experimental and control groups. Also, we observed no differences in the interval between clutches or in the percentage of broken eggs between experimental and control groups. Sires consistently producing better semen samples produced fewer fertile eggs than sires producing poorer semen samples (r = 0.60).

40 CFR 82.3 - Definitions for class I and class II controlled substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... sell one (1) kilogram of class I, Group VI controlled substances from inventory produced or imported... for pre-plant uses means the privilege granted by this subpart to produce or import one (1) kilogram... substance at a destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater, using one of the destruction technologies...

40 CFR 82.3 - Definitions for class I and class II controlled substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... sell one (1) kilogram of class I, Group VI controlled substances from inventory produced or imported... for pre-plant uses means the privilege granted by this subpart to produce or import one (1) kilogram... substance at a destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater, using one of the destruction technologies...

40 CFR 82.3 - Definitions for class I and class II controlled substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... sell one (1) kilogram of class I, Group VI controlled substances from inventory produced or imported... for pre-plant uses means the privilege granted by this subpart to produce or import one (1) kilogram... substance at a destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater, using one of the destruction technologies...

40 CFR 82.3 - Definitions for class I and class II controlled substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... sell one (1) kilogram of class I, Group VI controlled substances from inventory produced or imported... for pre-plant uses means the privilege granted by this subpart to produce or import one (1) kilogram... substance at a destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater, using one of the destruction technologies...

40 CFR 82.3 - Definitions for class I and class II controlled substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... sell one (1) kilogram of class I, Group VI controlled substances from inventory produced or imported... for pre-plant uses means the privilege granted by this subpart to produce or import one (1) kilogram... substance at a destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater, using one of the destruction technologies...

A controlled trial of glutamine effects on bone healing.

PubMed

Polat, Onur; Kilicoglu, Sibel Serin; Erdemli, Esra

2007-01-01

Glutamine is considered a nonessential amino acid, but it may be conditionally essential in patients with catabolic conditions. For centuries, researchers have looked for ways to promote and accelerate fracture healing. This controlled animal study examines the effects of glutamine on fracture healing. The left tibias of 10 standardized albino rats were broken at the distal third to produce a closed fracture. L-glutamine/L-alanyl solution (2.0 mL/kg) was administered through the tail veins of half the rats for the first 7 d, and physiologic serum alone was given to the control group. On the 21st day, all rats were euthanized and their left legs removed; after histologic observation, the tibias were examined under light microscopy. In the glutamine-injected group, development of primary callus was quicker and more regular than in the control group. The control group produced insufficient fibrous callus, and the glutamine group attained formed cartilaginous callus. Glutamine was noted to have positive effects on healing of traumatically fractured bone through attainment of positive nitrogen balance. This effect was minimal in enhancing the quality of fracture healing under conditions of stress, but some effect was noted on the speed of healing. Further research is needed in this area.

The effects of family involvement and practitioner home visits on the control of hypertension.

PubMed Central

Earp, J A; Ory, M G; Strogatz, D S

1982-01-01

The effectiveness of two social support strategies designed to lower hypertensive patients' blood pressure were compared to each other and to a control group (N = 63) receiving routine care in a randomized clinical trial extending over a period of two years. Group 1 (N = 99) received visits and had family members actively participate in their care through home blood pressure monitoring; Group 2 (N = 56) received home visits from nurses and pharmacists. All groups were predominantly Black. After the first year of the trial, the proportion of patients with uncontrolled diastolic blood pressure (greater than or equal to 95mm Hg) had declined significantly for all three groups; no group showed a statistically significant advantage. However, during the last six months of the second year (after visiting had ended), both Groups 1 and 2 demonstrated clear superiority in DBP control over Group 3, achieving borderline statistical significance (p = .07) when multivariable analysis was performed to control for potential confounders. Supplementing routine care with periodic home visits produced an additional 21 per cent of patients with well-controlled DBP, while involving family members plus visits produced a 17 per cent improvement in the percentage of patients with DBP less than 95mm Hg. However, neither support strategy was clearly more effective than the other over time. The efficacy of the interventions is discussed with respect to cost and feasibility of implementation. PMID:7114339

Outcome of urinary tract infections caused by extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in children.

PubMed

Tratselas, Athanasios; Iosifidis, Elias; Ioannidou, Maria; Saoulidis, Stamatis; Kollios, Konstantinos; Antachopoulos, Charalampos; Sofianou, Danai; Roilides, Emmanuel J

2011-08-01

The outcome of patients with urinary tract infections caused by extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing bacteria (cases) was compared with that of matched controls with urinary tract infections caused by non-extended spectrum β-lactamases-producing isolates. Significantly, more case patients received inappropriate empiric therapy than controls. Nevertheless, clinical and microbiologic outcomes as well as formation of renal scars did not differ between the 2 groups.

The effectiveness of multimedia visual perceptual training groups for the preschool children with developmental delay.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-Nan; Lin, Chin-Kai; Wei, Ta-Sen; Liu, Chi-Hsin; Wuang, Yee-Pay

2013-12-01

This study compared the effectiveness of three approaches to improving visual perception among preschool children 4-6 years old with developmental delays: multimedia visual perceptual group training, multimedia visual perceptual individual training, and paper visual perceptual group training. A control group received no special training. This study employed a pretest-posttest control group of true experimental design. A total of 64 children 4-6 years old with developmental delays were randomized into four groups: (1) multimedia visual perceptual group training (15 subjects); (2) multimedia visual perceptual individual training group (15 subjects); paper visual perceptual group training (19 subjects); and (4) a control group (15 subjects) with no visual perceptual training. Forty minute training sessions were conducted once a week for 14 weeks. The Test of Visual Perception Skills, third edition, was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Paired-samples t-test showed significant differences pre- and post-test among the three groups, but no significant difference was found between the pre-test and post-test scores among the control group. ANOVA results showed significant differences in improvement levels among the four study groups. Scheffe post hoc test results showed significant differences between: group 1 and group 2; group 1 and group 3; group 1 and the control group; and group 2 and the control group. No significant differences were reported between group 2 and group 3, and group 3 and the control group. The results showed all three therapeutic programs produced significant differences between pretest and posttest scores. The training effect on the multimedia visual perceptual group program and the individual program was greater than the developmental effect Both the multimedia visual perceptual group training program and the multimedia visual perceptual individual training program produced significant effects on visual perception. The multimedia visual perceptual group training program was more effective for improving visual perception than was multimedia visual perceptual individual training program. The multimedia visual perceptual group training program was more effective than was the paper visual perceptual group training program. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Training production of lexical stress in typically developing children using orthographically biased stimuli and principles of motor learning.

PubMed

van Rees, Lauren J; Ballard, Kirrie J; McCabe, Patricia; Macdonald-D'Silva, Anita G; Arciuli, Joanne

2012-08-01

Impaired lexical stress production characterizes multiple pediatric speech disorders. Effective remediation strategies are not available, and little is known about the normal process of learning to assign and produce lexical stress. This study examined whether typically developing (TD) children can be trained to produce lexical stress on bisyllabic pseudowords that are orthographically biased to a strong-weak or weak-strong pattern (e.g., MAMbey or beDOON), in combination with the principles of motor learning (PML). Fourteen TD children ages 5;0 (years;months) to 13;0 were randomly assigned to a training or control group using concealed allocation within blocks. A pre- to posttraining group design was used to examine the acquisition, retention, and generalization of lexical stress production. The training group learned to produce appropriate lexical stress for the pseudowords with strong maintenance and generalization to related untrained stimuli. Accuracy of stress production did not change in the control group. TD children can learn to produce lexical stress patterns for orthographically biased pseudowords via explicit training methods. Findings have relevance for the study of languages other than English and for a range of prosodic disorders.

Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Bilateral Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Patients Undergoing Midline Colorectal Surgeries Using Ropivacaine: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.

PubMed

Qazi, Nahida; Bhat, Wasim Mohammad; Iqbal, Malik Zaffar; Wani, Anisur Rehman; Gurcoo, Showkat A; Rasool, Sahir

2017-01-01

Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is done as a part of multimodal analgesia for pain relief after abdominal surgeries. This prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the postoperative analgesic efficacy of bilateral TAP block in patients undergoing midline colorectal surgeries using ropivacaine. Eighty patients scheduled for elective colorectal surgeries involving midline abdominal wall incision under general anesthesia were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Group A received TAP block with 20 ml of 0.2% ropivacaine on either side of the abdominal wall, and Group B received 20 ml of normal saline. The time to request for rescue analgesia, total analgesic consumption in 24 h, and satisfaction with the anesthetic technique were assessed. The mean visual analog scale scores at rest and on coughing were higher in control group ( P > 0.05). Time (min) to request for the first rescue analgesia was prolonged in study group compared to control group ( P < 0.001). The total tramadol consumption in 24 h postoperatively was significantly high in control group ( P < 0.001). Nausea/vomiting was more common in control group ( P > 0.05). The level of satisfaction concerning postoperative pain control/anesthetic technique was higher in study group ( P < 0.001). TAP block produces effective and prolonged postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing midline colorectal surgery. It is a technically simple block to perform with a high margin of safety. It produces a considerable reduction in mean intravenous postoperative tramadol requirements, reduction in postoperative pain scores, and increased time to first request for further analgesia, both at rest and on movement.

Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Bilateral Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Patients Undergoing Midline Colorectal Surgeries Using Ropivacaine: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Qazi, Nahida; Bhat, Wasim Mohammad; Iqbal, Malik Zaffar; Wani, Anisur Rehman; Gurcoo, Showkat A.; Rasool, Sahir

2017-01-01

Background: Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is done as a part of multimodal analgesia for pain relief after abdominal surgeries. This prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the postoperative analgesic efficacy of bilateral TAP block in patients undergoing midline colorectal surgeries using ropivacaine. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients scheduled for elective colorectal surgeries involving midline abdominal wall incision under general anesthesia were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Group A received TAP block with 20 ml of 0.2% ropivacaine on either side of the abdominal wall, and Group B received 20 ml of normal saline. The time to request for rescue analgesia, total analgesic consumption in 24 h, and satisfaction with the anesthetic technique were assessed. Results: The mean visual analog scale scores at rest and on coughing were higher in control group (P > 0.05). Time (min) to request for the first rescue analgesia was prolonged in study group compared to control group (P < 0.001). The total tramadol consumption in 24 h postoperatively was significantly high in control group (P < 0.001). Nausea/vomiting was more common in control group (P > 0.05). The level of satisfaction concerning postoperative pain control/anesthetic technique was higher in study group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: TAP block produces effective and prolonged postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing midline colorectal surgery. It is a technically simple block to perform with a high margin of safety. It produces a considerable reduction in mean intravenous postoperative tramadol requirements, reduction in postoperative pain scores, and increased time to first request for further analgesia, both at rest and on movement. PMID:28928585

Failure to produce taste-aversion learning in rats exposed to static electric fields and air ions.

PubMed

Creim, J A; Lovely, R H; Weigel, R J; Forsythe, W C; Anderson, L E

1995-01-01

Taste-aversion (TA) learning was measured to determine whether exposure to high-voltage direct current (HVdc) static electric fields can produce TA learning in male Long Evans rats. Fifty-six rats were randomly distributed into four groups of 14 rats each. All rats were placed on a 20 min/day drinking schedule for 12 consecutive days prior to receiving five conditioning trials. During the conditioning trials, access to 0.1% sodium saccharin-flavored water was given for 20 min, followed 30 min later by one of four treatments. Two groups of 14 rats each were individually exposed to static electric fields and air ions, one group to +75 kV/m (+2 x 10(5) air ions/cm3) and the other group to -75 kV/m (-2 x 10(5) air ions/cm3). Two other groups of 14 rats each served as sham-exposed controls, with the following variation in one of the sham-exposed groups: This group was subdivided into two subsets of seven rats each, so that a positive control group could be included to validate the experimental design. The positive control group (n = 7) was injected with cyclophosphamide 25 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min after access to saccharin-flavored water on conditioning days, whereas the other subset of seven rats was similarly injected with an equivalent volume of saline. Access to saccharin-flavored water on conditioning days was followed by the treatments described above and was alternated daily with water "recovery" sessions in which the rats received access to water for 20 min in the home cage without further treatment. Following the last water-recovery session, a 20 min, two-bottle preference test (between water and saccharin-flavored water) was administered to each group. The positive control group did show TA learning, thus validating the experimental protocol. No saccharin-flavored water was consumed in the two-bottle preference test by the cyclophosphamide-injected, sham-exposed group compared to 74% consumed by the saline-injected sham-exposed controls (P < .0001). Saccharin-preference data for the static field-exposed groups showed no TA learning compared to data for sham-exposed controls. In summary, exposure to intense static electric fields and air ions did not produce TA learning as assessed by this particular design.

The effect of root canal preparation on the development of dentin cracks.

PubMed

Milani, Amin Salem; Froughreyhani, Mohammad; Rahimi, Saeed; Jafarabadi, Mohammad Asghari; Paksefat, Sara

2012-01-01

Root fracture is not an instant phenomenon but a result of gradual development of tiny craze lines in tooth structure. Recent studies have shown that canal instrumentation has the potential to cause dentinal cracks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the formation of dentinal cracks caused by ProTaper rotary system to hand instrumentation. This in vitro study was carried out using 57 mandible incisor teeth. The teeth were decoronated. The roots were then examined to exclude cracked samples. A standard model for PDL simulation was used. The teeth were randomly divided into two experimental and one control group (n=19). The teeth in the experimental groups were prepared using hand or ProTaper Universal rotary instrumentation. The teeth in the control group were left unprepared. The teeth were then sectioned horizontally 3 and 6 mm from the apex, and the number of various dentinal defects was recorded using a dental operating microscope. The differences between groups were analyzed with Fisher's exact test. The hand group demonstrated significantly more defects than the control group (P=0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the rotary compared to the control and hand groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference between groups with regards to fracture (P>0.05). Other defects including internal, external and surface cracks were more frequent in the hand than in the control or rotary groups (P=0.02), but the difference was not significant between the rotary and control groups (P>0.05). Canal preparation, whether hand or rotary, produces structural defects in dentin. The ProTaper rotary system when used according to the manufacturer's instructions, tends to produce fewer cracks and can be considered a safe preparation technique.

The effect of GABAmimetics on the duration of immobility in the forced swim test in albino mice.

PubMed

El Zahaf, Najwa Ahmed; Salem Elhwuegi, Abdalla

2014-01-01

Studies regarding the role of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in depression are conflicting. Therefore, it was decided to examine the effect of different drugs that enhance the GABA system on the time of immobility induced by the forced swim test (FST). Adult albino mice were divided into several groups of six animals. Each group received an intraperitoneal injection of either imipramine (10, 20, or 30 mg/kg), diazepam (0.5, 1, or 2 mg/kg), vigabatrin (100, 200, or 300 mg/kg), zolpidem (2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg), or alprazolam (1, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg). Control groups received the appropriate vehicle. One hour after injection, the duration of immobility was measured for 5 min in the FST. The percentage change in the duration of immobility from the control was calculated for each group. The statistical test of the difference between the treated and the control groups was calculated using unpaired Student's t-test. Imipramine produced a significant dose-dependent decrease in the duration of immobility (78, 74, and 56%, respectively). Different doses of diazepam, vigabatrin, and zolpidem produced a significant increase in the duration of immobility (119, 126, and 128%), (116, 124, and 128%), and (108, 109, and 119%), respectively. The two low doses of alprazolam produced a significant increase (115 and 120%), while the high dose produced a significant decrease in the duration of immobility (74%). Increasing central GABAergic activity by different mechanisms has resulted in a depressant-like activity measured as an increase in the duration of immobility in the FST model of depression.

Index of tobacco control sustainability (ITCS): a tool to measure the sustainability of national tobacco control programmes.

PubMed

Jackson-Morris, Angela; Latif, Ehsan

2017-03-01

To produce a tool to assess and guide sustainability of national tobacco control programmes. A two-stage process adapting the Delphi and Nominal group techniques. A series of indicators of tobacco control sustainability were identified in grantee/country advisor reports to The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease under the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Control (2007-2015). Focus groups and key informant interviews in seven low and middle-income countries (52 government and civil society participants) provided consensus ratings of the indicators' relative importance. Data were reviewed and the indicators were accorded relative weightings to produce the 'Index of Tobacco Control Sustainability' (ITCS). All 31 indicators were considered 'Critical' or 'Important' by the great majority of participants. There was consensus that a tool to measure progress towards tobacco control sustainability was important. The most critical indicators related to financial policies and allocations, a national law, a dedicated national tobacco control unit and civil society tobacco control network, a national policy against tobacco industry 'Corporate Social Responsibility' (CSR), national mortality and morbidity data, and national policy evaluation mechanisms. The 31 indicators were agreed to be 'critical' or 'important' factors for tobacco control sustainability. The Index comprises the weighted indicators as a tool to identify aspects of national tobacco control programmes requiring further development to augment their sustainability and to measure and compare progress over time. The next step is to apply the ITCS and produce tobacco control sustainability assessments. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Air Force Deployment Transition Center: Assessment of Program Structure, Process, and Outcomes

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

treatment and control group across a much broader range of factors. The use of the TWANG algorithm to produce the weights allows researchers to...employing a difference-in- difference design to assess for confounding history effects) and a synchronous control group , while the PRSAG report used...Synchronous Controls . . . . . . . . 55 B. Investigating the Differences Between the RAND and the Psychology Research Service Analytic Group’s Analyses

[Combination of acupuncture, cupping and medicine for treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome: a multi-central randomized controlled trial].

PubMed

Jang, Zhen-Ya; Li, Chang-Du; Qiu, Ling; Guo, Jun-Hua; He, Ling-Na; Yue, Yang; Li, Fang-Ze; Qin, Wen-Yi

2010-04-01

To evaluate the clinical effect of combination of acupuncture, cupping and medicine for treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome. By using multi-central randomized controlled method, 186 cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture combined with cupping and western medicine group (group A), an acupuncture combined with cupping group (group B) and a western medicine group (group C) and treated continuously for 4 weeks. The treatment of acupuncture combined with cupping was produced by acupuncture at five mental points and moving cupping on the Hechelu of the back, once evrey other day, thrice each week, and the western medicine therapy by oral administration of Amitriptyline, once each day. The scores of McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), the amount of tenderness point and the time of producing effect were compared and the therapeutic effects were assessed with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). The cured and markedly effective rate was 65.0% (39/60) in the group A, which was superior to 15.9% (10/63) in the group B and 16.1% (9/56) in the group C (both P < 0.001). After treatment, the scores of MPQ and HAMD and the amount of tenderness point all decreased in the three groups, group A being significantly better than group B and group C, and the time of producing effect in the group A was more earlier than those in the group B and the group C. The therapeutic effect of combination of acupuncture, cupping and medicine on fibromyalgia syndrome is superior to that of the simple acupuncture combined with cupping or the simple medicine.

Soy proteins and isoflavones reduce interleukin-6 but not serum lipids in older women: a randomized controlled trial☆,☆☆

PubMed Central

Mangano, Kelsey M.; Hutchins-Wiese, Heather L.; Kenny, Anne M.; Walsh, Stephen J.; Abourizk, Robin H.; Bruno, Richard S.; Lipcius, Rosanne; Fall, Pamela; Kleppinger, Alison; Kenyon-Pesce, Lisa; Prestwood, Karen M.; Kerstetter, Jane E.

2015-01-01

Soy foods contain several components, notably, isoflavones and amino acids, that may improve cardiovascular health. We evaluated the long-term effect of soy protein and/or soy isoflavones supplementation on serum lipids and inflammatory markers using a 1-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-control, clinical trial in 131 healthy ambulatory women older than 60 years. We hypothesized that soy protein, in combination with isoflavones, would have the largest positive effect on coronary heart disease risk factors (serum lipids and inflammatory markers) compared with either intervention alone and that, within groups receiving isoflavones, equol producers would have more positive effects on coronary heart disease risk factors than nonequol producers. After a 1-month baseline period, participants were randomized into 1 of 4 intervention groups: soy protein (18 g/d) and isoflavone tablets (105 mg/d isoflavone aglycone equivalents), soy protein and placebo tablets, control protein and isoflavone tablets, or control protein and placebo tablets. T Tests were used to assess differences between equol and nonequol producers. Ninety-seven women completed the trial. Consumption of protein powder and isoflavone tablets did not differ among groups, and compliance with study powder and tablets was 79% and 90%, respectively. After 1 year, in the entire population, there were either no or little effects on serum lipids and inflammatory markers, regardless of treatment group. Equol producers, when analyzed separately, had significant improvements in total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratios (−5.9%, P = .02; −7.2%, P = .04 respectively). Soy protein and isoflavone (either alone or together) did not impact serum lipids or inflammatory markers. Therefore, they should not be considered an effective intervention to prevent cardiovascular disease because of lipid modification in healthy late postmenopausal women lacking the ability to produce equol. PMID:24267042

Treatment effects produced by the Twin-block appliance vs the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device in growing Class II patients.

PubMed

Giuntini, Veronica; Vangelisti, Andrea; Masucci, Caterina; Defraia, Efisio; McNamara, James A; Franchi, Lorenzo

2015-09-01

To compare the dentoskeletal changes produced by the Twin-block appliance (TB) followed by fixed appliances vs the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device (FRD) in combination with fixed appliances in growing patients having Class II division 1 malocclusion. Twenty-eight Class II patients (19 females and 9 males; mean age, 12.4 years) treated consecutively with the TB followed by fixed appliances were compared with a group of 36 patients (16 females and 20 males; mean age, 12.3 years) treated consecutively with the FRD in combination with fixed appliances and with a sample of 27 subjects having untreated Class II malocclusion (13 females and 14 males; mean age, 12.2 years). Mean observation interval was 2.3 years in all groups. Cephalometric changes were compared among the three groups by means of ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests. The FRD produced a significant restraint of the maxilla compared with the TB and control samples (SNA, -1.1° and -1.8°, respectively). The TB sample exhibited significantly greater mandibular advancement and greater increments in total mandibular length than either the FRD or control groups (SNB, 1.9° and 1.5°, respectively; and Co-Gn, 2.0 mm and 3.4 mm, respectively). The FRD produced a significantly greater amount of proclination of the mandibular incisors than what occurred with the TB or the control samples (2.9° and 5.6°, respectively). The TB appliance produced greater skeletal effects in terms of mandibular advancement and growth stimulation while the Forsus caused significant proclination of the mandibular incisors.

Fixed Differences in the paralytic Gene Define Two Lineages within the Lutzomyia longipalpis Complex Producing Different Types of Courtship Songs

PubMed Central

Lins, Rachel M. M. A.; Souza, Nataly A.; Brazil, Reginaldo P.; Maingon, Rhayza D. C.; Peixoto, Alexandre A.

2012-01-01

The sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), the most important vector of American visceral leishmaniasis, is widely distributed in Latin America. There is currently a consensus that it represents a species complex, however, the number and distribution of the different siblings is still uncertain. Previous analyses have indicated that Brazilian populations of this vector can be divided into two main groups according to the type of courtship song (Burst vs. Pulse) males produce during copulation. Nevertheless, no diagnostic differences have been observed between these two groups with most molecular markers used to date. We analyzed the molecular divergence in a fragment of the paralytic (para) gene, a locus involved in the control of courtship songs in Drosophila, among a number of Lu. longipalpis populations from Brazil producing Burst and Pulse-type songs. Our results revealed a very high level of divergence and fixed differences between populations producing the two types of songs. We also compared Lu. longipalpis with a very closely related species, Lutzomyia cruzi, which produces Burst-type songs. The results indicated a higher number of fixed differences between Lu. cruzi and the Pulse-type populations of Lu. longipalpis than with those producing Burst-type songs. The data confirmed our previous assumptions that the presence of different sibling species of the Lu. longipalpis complex in Brazil can be divided into two main groups, one representing a single species and a second more heterogeneous group that probably represents a number of incipient species. We hypothesize that para might be one of the genes directly involved in the control of the courtship song differences between these two groups or that it is linked to other loci associated with reproductive isolation of the Brazilian species. PMID:22970200

Negative transfer of heart rate control following biofeedback training: a partial replication.

PubMed

Steptoe, A; Macready, D

1985-09-01

Ability to raise and lower heart rate (HR) on instruction was tested before and after unidirectional biofeedback training in two groups of 10 male volunteers. Instructional control was assessed in 2-min trials before training, and after 5 and 10 biofeedback trials of increasing (Group I) and decreasing (Group D) HR. The magnitude of HR elevations produced by Group D diminished following training, while modifications in Group I were unchanged. This negative transfer effect is discussed in relation to whether voluntary speeding and slowing HR reflect distinct capacities.

Effect of mycoprotein on blood lipids.

PubMed

Turnbull, W H; Leeds, A R; Edwards, G D

1990-10-01

This metabolic study was designed to investigate the effects of mycoprotein on blood lipids. Mycoprotein is a food produced by continuous fermentation of Fusarium graminearum (Schwabe) on a carbohydrate substrate. Two groups of subjects with slightly raised cholesterol concentrations took part in the 3-wk study. The experimental group was fed mycoprotein in place of meat and the control diet contained meat. There was no change in plasma cholesterol in the control group but there was a 13% reduction in the mycoprotein group. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) increased in the control group by 12% and decreased by 9% in the mycoprotein group. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) decreased by 11% in the control group but increased by 12% in the mycoprotein group. In each case the group ANOVA differences between variables were statistically significant. It is clear from these results that lipid variables are advantageously altered by mycoprotein consumption.

Polymer containing functional end groups is base for new polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirshfield, S. M.

1971-01-01

Butadiene is polymerized with lithium-p-lithiophenoxide to produce linear polymer containing oxy-lithium group at one end and active carbon-lithium group at other end. Living polymers represent new approach to preparation of difunctional polymers in which structural features, molecular weight, type and number of end groups are controlled.

The effect of GABAmimetics on the duration of immobility in the forced swim test in albino mice.

PubMed

El Zahaf, Najwa Ahmed; Elhwuegi, Abdalla Salem

2014-01-01

Objectives Studies regarding the role of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in depression are conflicting. Therefore, it was decided to examine the effect of different drugs that enhance the GABA system on the time of immobility induced by the forced swim test (FST). Materials and methods Adult albino mice were divided into several groups of six animals. Each group received an intraperitoneal injection of either imipramine (10, 20, or 30 mg/kg), diazepam (0.5, 1, or 2 mg/kg), vigabatrin (100, 200, or 300 mg/kg), zolpidem (2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg), or alprazolam (1, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg). Control groups received the appropriate vehicle. One hour after injection, the duration of immobility was measured for 5 min in the FST. The percentage change in the duration of immobility from the control was calculated for each group. The statistical test of the difference between the treated and the control groups was calculated using unpaired Student's t-test. Results Imipramine produced a significant dose-dependent decrease in the duration of immobility (78, 74, and 56%, respectively). Different doses of diazepam, vigabatrin, and zolpidem produced a significant increase in the duration of immobility (119, 126, and 128%), (116, 124, and 128%), and (108, 109, and 119%), respectively. The two low doses of alprazolam produced a significant increase (115 and 120%), while the high dose produced a significant decrease in the duration of immobility (74%). Conclusion Increasing central GABAergic activity by different mechanisms has resulted in a depressant-like activity measured as an increase in the duration of immobility in the FST model of depression.

Effects of an equol-producing bacterium isolated from human faeces on isoflavone and lignan metabolism in mice.

PubMed

Tamura, Motoi; Hori, Sachiko; Nakagawa, Hiroyuki; Yamauchi, Satoshi; Sugahara, Takuya

2016-07-01

Equol is a metabolite of daidzein that is produced by intestinal microbiota. The oestrogenic activity of equol is stronger than daidzein. Equol-producing bacteria are believed to play an important role in the gut. The rod-shaped and Gram-positive anaerobic equol-producing intestinal bacterium Slackia TM-30 was isolated from healthy human faeces and its effects on urinary phyto-oestrogen, plasma and faecal lipids were assessed in adult mice. The urinary amounts of equol in urine were significantly higher in mice receiving the equol-producing bacterium TM-30 (BAC) group than in the control (CO) group (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed between the urinary amounts of daidzein, dihydrodaidzein, enterodiol, and enterolactone between the BAC and CO groups. No significant differences in the plasma lipids were observed between the two groups. The lipid content (% dry weight) in the faeces sampled on the final day of the experiment tended to be higher in the BAC group than in the CO group (P = 0.07). Administration of equol-producing bacterium TM-30 affected the urinary amounts of phyto-oestrogens and the faecal lipid contents of mice. The equol-producing bacterium TM-30 likely influences the metabolism of phyto-oestrogen via changes in the gastrointestinal environment. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparison of effects of albendazole sulfoxide on in vitro produced bovine embryos and rat embryos.

PubMed

Piscopo, S E; Smoak, I W

1997-09-01

To evaluate and compare effects of albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO) on rat embryos and bovine embryos produced in vitro. In vitro produced bovine embryos. Rat embryos recovered from naturally bred Sprague-Dawley rats. 4- and 8-cell bovine embryos were randomly allocated to ABZSO or vehicle control groups. After 48 hours, embryos were evaluated for cell number and blastomere morphology. Rat embryos of similar stages, flushed from the uterine tube on gestational day 2-5, were randomly allocated to treatment or control groups. After 24 hours, embryos were evaluated as described previously. 44% of control bovine embryos divided in culture (> or = 16-cell stage). Fifteen percent of the controls had morphologic abnormalities, including disparity in blastomere size and cytoplasmic vacuoles and stippling. Treated (> or = 1 microgram of ABZSO/ml) bovine embryos differed (P < 0.0001) from controls, with 4% development and 93% abnormal morphology. Forty-five percent of control rat embryos divided in culture. Treated (> or = 500 ng of ABZSO/ml) rat embryos differed (P < 0.0003) from controls with regard to ability to divide. There were no consistent morphologic abnormalities in rat embryos. In vitro produced bovine embryos were susceptible to ABZSO at a concentration > or = 1 microgram/ ml, resulting in decreased ability to divide and presence of gross morphologic abnormalities. Rat embryos produced in vivo and exposed in vitro to ABZSO at a concentration > or = 500 ng/ml had decreased ability to divide in culture. Despite severe effects of ABZSO (> or = 1 microgram/ml) on bovine embryo development in vitro, it is beyond the scope of this study to speculate whether a therapeutic dosage of albendazole (10 mg/kg of body weight) would result in necessary concentrations of ABZSO in vivo to disrupt embryogenesis.

Audio Motor Training at the Foot Level Improves Space Representation.

PubMed

Aggius-Vella, Elena; Campus, Claudio; Finocchietti, Sara; Gori, Monica

2017-01-01

Spatial representation is developed thanks to the integration of visual signals with the other senses. It has been shown that the lack of vision compromises the development of some spatial representations. In this study we tested the effect of a new rehabilitation device called ABBI (Audio Bracelet for Blind Interaction) to improve space representation. ABBI produces an audio feedback linked to body movement. Previous studies from our group showed that this device improves the spatial representation of space in early blind adults around the upper part of the body. Here we evaluate whether the audio motor feedback produced by ABBI can also improve audio spatial representation of sighted individuals in the space around the legs. Forty five blindfolded sighted subjects participated in the study, subdivided into three experimental groups. An audio space localization (front-back discrimination) task was performed twice by all groups of subjects before and after different kind of training conditions. A group (experimental) performed an audio-motor training with the ABBI device placed on their foot. Another group (control) performed a free motor activity without audio feedback associated with body movement. The other group (control) passively listened to the ABBI sound moved at foot level by the experimenter without producing any body movement. Results showed that only the experimental group, which performed the training with the audio-motor feedback, showed an improvement in accuracy for sound discrimination. No improvement was observed for the two control groups. These findings suggest that the audio-motor training with ABBI improves audio space perception also in the space around the legs in sighted individuals. This result provides important inputs for the rehabilitation of the space representations in the lower part of the body.

Audio Motor Training at the Foot Level Improves Space Representation

PubMed Central

Aggius-Vella, Elena; Campus, Claudio; Finocchietti, Sara; Gori, Monica

2017-01-01

Spatial representation is developed thanks to the integration of visual signals with the other senses. It has been shown that the lack of vision compromises the development of some spatial representations. In this study we tested the effect of a new rehabilitation device called ABBI (Audio Bracelet for Blind Interaction) to improve space representation. ABBI produces an audio feedback linked to body movement. Previous studies from our group showed that this device improves the spatial representation of space in early blind adults around the upper part of the body. Here we evaluate whether the audio motor feedback produced by ABBI can also improve audio spatial representation of sighted individuals in the space around the legs. Forty five blindfolded sighted subjects participated in the study, subdivided into three experimental groups. An audio space localization (front-back discrimination) task was performed twice by all groups of subjects before and after different kind of training conditions. A group (experimental) performed an audio-motor training with the ABBI device placed on their foot. Another group (control) performed a free motor activity without audio feedback associated with body movement. The other group (control) passively listened to the ABBI sound moved at foot level by the experimenter without producing any body movement. Results showed that only the experimental group, which performed the training with the audio-motor feedback, showed an improvement in accuracy for sound discrimination. No improvement was observed for the two control groups. These findings suggest that the audio-motor training with ABBI improves audio space perception also in the space around the legs in sighted individuals. This result provides important inputs for the rehabilitation of the space representations in the lower part of the body. PMID:29326564

Assessment of the effectiveness of the PPD-mallein produced in Brazil for diagnosing glanders in mules.

PubMed

da Silva, Karla Patrícia Chaves; de Campos Takaki, Galba Maria; da Silva, Leonildo Bento Galiza; Saukas, Tomoe Noda; Santos, André Souza; Mota, Rinaldo Aparecido

2013-01-01

To assess the potency of the PPD-mallein produced in Brazil, five animals were from a property identified as a focus of glanders. These animals had suggestive clinical signs of the disease and the other five, from a property free from glanders, showed no clinical signs and were serology negative (control group). PPD-mallein from Burkholderia mallei was obtained by precipitation with trichloroacetic acid and ammonium sulfate. The animals were inoculated according to the criteria established by Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) for the diagnosis of glanders. After 48 h of application of PPD-mallein, there was swelling in the area of application, presence of ocular secretion and tears in sick animals. The control group showed no inflammatory reaction at the site of inoculation of PPD-mallein. This immunogen produced in Brazil and still being tested was effective for identifying the infection in true positive animals and excluding the truly negative ones, being a new possibility for diagnosis and control of glanders.

Development of a modified straw method for vitrification of in vitro-produced bovine blastocysts and various genes expression in between the methods.

PubMed

Ha, A-Na; Lee, Sang-Ryeul; Jeon, Jeong-Seon; Park, Han-Seul; Lee, Sang-Ho; Jin, Jong-In; Sessions, Benjamin R; Wang, Zhongde; White, Kenneth L; Kong, Il-Keun

2014-02-01

This study evaluated a modified plastic straw loading method for vitrification of in vitro-produced bovine blastocysts. A modified straw was used with a depressed area on its inner surface to which embryos attach. In vitro-produced blastocysts were randomly assigned into three groups: (i) blastocysts attached to the inner surface of a plastic straw (aV), (ii) blastocysts attached to the inner surface of a modified plastic straw (maV), and (iii) non-vitrified blastocysts (control). The recovery rates were not significantly different between aV and maV groups (95.8% vs. 94.3%). The post-thaw survival rate did not significantly differ between aV and maV groups (86.4% vs. 88.2%). The total cell numbers of blastocyst was higher in control than in aV and maV groups (142 ± 21.8 vs. 117 ± 29.7 and 120 ± 25.2; P < 0.05), but not significantly differ between aV and maV groups. The mRNA levels of pro-apoptosis related genes Bax and Caspase-3 were higher in aV and maV than in control (P < 0.05). By contrast, the mRNA levels of anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 and of antioxidant-related genes MnSOD and Prdx5 were lower in aV and maV than in control (P < 0.05). Confocal microscopy analysis of Golgi apparatus and mitochondria showed that the fluorescence intensity of Golgi apparatus and mitochondria was higher in control than in aV and maV groups. In conclusion, both aV and maV methods can be used to successfully vitrify IVP blastocysts, with maV method to be preferable because of its easiness in embryo loading. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning About Love: A Meta-Analytic Study of Individually-Oriented Relationship Education Programs for Adolescents and Emerging Adults.

PubMed

Simpson, David M; Leonhardt, Nathan D; Hawkins, Alan J

2018-03-01

Despite recent policy initiatives and substantial federal funding of individually oriented relationship education programs for youth, there have been no meta-analytic reviews of this growing field. This meta-analytic study draws on 17 control-group studies and 13 one-group/pre-post studies to evaluate the effectiveness of relationship education programs on adolescents' and emerging adults' relationship knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Overall, control-group studies produced a medium effect (d = .36); one-group/pre-post studies also produced a medium effect (d = .47). However, the lack of studies with long-term follow-ups of relationship behaviors in the young adult years is a serious weakness in the field, limiting what we can say about the value of these programs for helping youth achieve their aspirations for healthy romantic relationships and stable marriages.

Effect of Taurine on Glycemic Control in Type I and Type II Diabetic Patients

ClinicalTrials.gov

2012-11-07

it is a Group of Metabolic Diseases in; Which a Person Has High Blood Sugar, Either; Because the Body Does Not Produce Enough Insulin,; or Because Cells do Not Respond to the Insulin That; is Produced.

Is semantic verbal fluency impairment explained by executive function deficits in schizophrenia?

PubMed

Berberian, Arthur A; Moraes, Giovanna V; Gadelha, Ary; Brietzke, Elisa; Fonseca, Ana O; Scarpato, Bruno S; Vicente, Marcella O; Seabra, Alessandra G; Bressan, Rodrigo A; Lacerda, Acioly L

2016-04-19

To investigate if verbal fluency impairment in schizophrenia reflects executive function deficits or results from degraded semantic store or inefficient search and retrieval strategies. Two groups were compared: 141 individuals with schizophrenia and 119 healthy age and education-matched controls. Both groups performed semantic and phonetic verbal fluency tasks. Performance was evaluated using three scores, based on 1) number of words generated; 2) number of clustered/related words; and 3) switching score. A fourth performance score based on the number of clusters was also measured. SZ individuals produced fewer words than controls. After controlling for the total number of words produced, a difference was observed between the groups in the number of cluster-related words generated in the semantic task. In both groups, the number of words generated in the semantic task was higher than that generated in the phonemic task, although a significant group vs. fluency type interaction showed that subjects with schizophrenia had disproportionate semantic fluency impairment. Working memory was positively associated with increased production of words within clusters and inversely correlated with switching. Semantic fluency impairment may be attributed to an inability (resulting from reduced cognitive control) to distinguish target signal from competing noise and to maintain cues for production of memory probes.

Retinoids, 585-nm laser, and carbon dioxide laser: a numeric comparison of neocollagen formation in photoaged hairless mouse skin.

PubMed

Lee, C J; Park, J H; Ciesielski, T E; Thomson, J G; Persing, J A

2008-11-01

A variety of new methods for treating photoaging have been recently introduced. There has been increasing interest in comparing the relative efficacy of multiple methods for photoaging. However, the efficacy of a single method is difficult to assess from the data reported in the literature. Photoaged hairless mice were randomly divided into seven treatment groups: control, retinoids (tretinoin and adapalene), lasers (585 nm and CO(2)), and combination groups (585 nm + adapalene and CO(2 )+ adapalene). Biopsies were taken from the treated regions, and the results were analyzed based on the repair zone. The repair zones of the various methods for photoaging were compared. Retinoids produced a wider repair zone than the control condition. The 585-nm and CO(2) laser resurfacing produced a result equivalent to that of the control condition. A combination of these lasers with adapalene produced a wider repair zone than the lasers alone, but the combination produced a result equivalent to that of adapalene alone. Retinoids are potent stimuli for neocollagen formation. The 585-nm or CO(2) laser alone did not induce more neocollagen than the control condition. In addition, no synergistic effect was observed with the combination treatments. The repair zone of the combination treatment is mainly attributable to adapalene.

A comparison of the application of fibrin glue and adhesive film for repair of anastomotic leaks in the rat.

PubMed

Ayhan, Baris; Erikoglu, Mehmet; Tavli, Süleyman S; Toy, Hatice

2012-08-04

Anastomotic leaks constitute one of the most serious intraoperative complications and although many studies have been devoted to finding a solution for this problem, none of them has yet been able offer a decisive, successful method. In this study, the ability of fibrin glue and adhesive film to repair anastomotic leaks in an experimental model was compared. The sample comprised four groups of seven rats: Group 1 (Control): the distal colon was transected and anastomosis was performed. Group 2 (Primary repair): incomplete anastomosis produced a leak that was closed by primary repair on day 3. Group 3 (Fibrin glue): incomplete anastomosis produced a leak that was closed by primary repair and fibrin glue applied on day 3. Group 4 (Adhesive film): incomplete anastomosis produced a leak that was closed by primary repair and adhesive film was applied on day 3. The rats were sacrificed on day 6 following anastomosis. Anastomotic blast compressions were measured and fibroblast activation, inflammation, neovascularization and levels of collagen were evaluated. The results from Group 4 showed that blast compression values were high and statistically significantly increased over control values (p < 0.05). Inflammation in Group 2 was significantly higher than the other groups (p < 0.05). No significant differences were detected in the comparison of the groups regarding the other scoring criteria (p > 0.05). Adhesive film is more effective in reducing anastomotic leakage than fibrin glue.

On-farm quality assurance programs: a survey of producer and industry leader opinions.

PubMed

Payne, M; Bruhn, C M; Reed, B; Scearce, A; O'Donnell, J

1999-10-01

To assess interest in implementing a California dairy quality assurance program, practices and opinions of dairy producers and industry leaders were surveyed by a mailed questionnaire and by focus groups. The majority of the 55 participants in the focus group were dairy producers; processor marketing executives, extension dairy advisors, packinghouse executives, and dairy veterinarians were represented. The consensus among the focus groups was that a quality assurance program should be voluntary, be managed by creameries, and confer an economic advantage to participants. Focus group members listed chemical and microbial food safety (in both meat and milk), environmental health, and animal welfare as issues that should be addressed. Of the 1440 questionnaires mailed with producers' milk checks, 413 were returned. Information was collected regarding opinions and practices pertaining to administration of drugs to animals, medical records and animal identification, culling practices, manure management, cow welfare, and feeding of animal protein. An overwhelming 99% of producers believed they were responsible for the safety of meat and milk leaving the farm. Sixty percent of producers said that they would consider joining a California-specific quality assurance program, whereas 9% indicated that they would not. Producers would be more likely to join if their processor believed it would impart a market advantage and if the program standards were controlled by producers.

Physiological and psychological effects of delivering medical news using a simulated physician-patient scenario.

PubMed

Cohen, Lorenzo; Baile, Walter F; Henninger, Evelyn; Agarwal, Sandeep K; Kudelka, Andrzej P; Lenzi, Renato; Sterner, Janet; Marshall, Gailen D

2003-10-01

We examined the acute stress response associated with having to deliver either bad or good medical news using a simulated physician-patient scenario. Twenty-five healthy medical students were randomly assigned to a bad medical news (BN), a good medical news (GN), or a control group that read magazines during the session. Self-report measures were obtained before and after the task. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured throughout the task period. Four blood samples were obtained across the task period. The BN and GN tasks produced significant increases in self-reported distress and cardiovascular responses compared with the control group. There was also a significant increase in natural killer cell function 10 min into the task in the BN group compared with the control group. The BN task was also somewhat more stressful than the GN task, as shown by the self-report and cardiovascular data. These findings suggest that a simulated physician-patient scenario produces an acute stress response in the "physician," with the delivery of bad medical news more stressful than the delivery of good medical news.

Inhibitor-resistant TEM- and OXA-1-producing Escherichia coli isolates resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanate are more clonal and possess lower virulence gene content than susceptible clinical isolates.

PubMed

Oteo, Jesús; González-López, Juan José; Ortega, Adriana; Quintero-Zárate, J Natalia; Bou, Germán; Cercenado, Emilia; Conejo, María Carmen; Martínez-Martínez, Luis; Navarro, Ferran; Oliver, Antonio; Bartolomé, Rosa M; Campos, José

2014-07-01

In a previous prospective multicenter study in Spain, we found that OXA-1 and inhibitor-resistant TEM (IRT) β-lactamases constitute the most common plasmid-borne mechanisms of genuine amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMC) resistance in Escherichia coli. In the present study, we investigated the population structure and virulence traits of clinical AMC-resistant E. coli strains expressing OXA-1 or IRT and compared these traits to those in a control group of clinical AMC-susceptible E. coli isolates. All OXA-1-producing (n = 67) and IRT-producing (n = 45) isolates were matched by geographical and temporal origin to the AMC-susceptible control set (n = 56). We performed multilocus sequence typing and phylogenetic group characterization for each isolate and then studied the isolates for the presence of 49 virulence factors (VFs) by PCR and sequencing. The most prevalent clone detected was distinct for each group: group C isolates of sequence type (ST) 88 (C/ST88) were the most common in OXA-1 producers, B2/ST131 isolates were the most common in IRT producers, and B2/ST73 isolates were the most common in AMC-susceptible isolates. The median numbers of isolates per ST were 3.72 in OXA-1 producers, 2.04 in IRT producers, and 1.69 in AMC-susceptible isolates; the proportions of STs represented by one unique isolate in each group were 19.4%, 31.1%, and 48.2%, respectively. The sum of all VFs detected, calculated as a virulence score, was significantly higher in AMC-susceptible isolates than OXA-1 and IRT producers (means, 12.5 versus 8.3 and 8.2, respectively). Our findings suggest that IRT- and OXA-1-producing E. coli isolates resistant to AMC have a different and less diverse population structure than AMC-susceptible clinical E. coli isolates. The AMC-susceptible population also contains more VFs than AMC-resistant isolates. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

40 CFR Appendix V to Part 264 - Examples of Potentially Incompatible Waste

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... harmful consequences which result from mixing materials in one group with materials in another group. The...., a strong acid mixed with a strong base), or that controls substances produced (e.g., by generating... -incinerator). In the lists below, the mixing of a Group A material with a Group B material may have the...

Adjusting for treatment switching in randomised controlled trials - A simulation study and a simplified two-stage method.

PubMed

Latimer, Nicholas R; Abrams, K R; Lambert, P C; Crowther, M J; Wailoo, A J; Morden, J P; Akehurst, R L; Campbell, M J

2017-04-01

Estimates of the overall survival benefit of new cancer treatments are often confounded by treatment switching in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) - whereby patients randomised to the control group are permitted to switch onto the experimental treatment upon disease progression. In health technology assessment, estimates of the unconfounded overall survival benefit associated with the new treatment are needed. Several switching adjustment methods have been advocated in the literature, some of which have been used in health technology assessment. However, it is unclear which methods are likely to produce least bias in realistic RCT-based scenarios. We simulated RCTs in which switching, associated with patient prognosis, was permitted. Treatment effect size and time dependency, switching proportions and disease severity were varied across scenarios. We assessed the performance of alternative adjustment methods based upon bias, coverage and mean squared error, related to the estimation of true restricted mean survival in the absence of switching in the control group. We found that when the treatment effect was not time-dependent, rank preserving structural failure time models (RPSFTM) and iterative parameter estimation methods produced low levels of bias. However, in the presence of a time-dependent treatment effect, these methods produced higher levels of bias, similar to those produced by an inverse probability of censoring weights method. The inverse probability of censoring weights and structural nested models produced high levels of bias when switching proportions exceeded 85%. A simplified two-stage Weibull method produced low bias across all scenarios and provided the treatment switching mechanism is suitable, represents an appropriate adjustment method.

Effects of electromagnetic radiation produced by 3G mobile phones on rat brains: magnetic resonance spectroscopy, biochemical, and histopathological evaluation.

PubMed

Dogan, M; Turtay, M G; Oguzturk, H; Samdanci, E; Turkoz, Y; Tasdemir, S; Alkan, A; Bakir, S

2012-06-01

The effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) produced by a third-generation (3G) mobile phone (MP) on rat brain tissues were investigated in terms of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), biochemistry, and histopathological evaluations. The rats were randomly assigned to two groups: Group 1 is composed of 3G-EMR-exposed rats (n = 9) and Group 2 is the control group (n = 9). The first group was subjected to EMR for 20 days. The control group was not exposed to EMR. Choline (Cho), creatinin (Cr), and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels were evaluated by MRS. Catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activities were measured by spectrophotometric method. Histopathological analyses were carried out to evaluate apoptosis in the brain tissues of both groups. In MRS, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, and NAA/Cho ratios were not significantly different between Groups 1 and 2. Neither the oxidative stress parameters, CAT and GSH-Px, nor the number of apoptotic cells were significantly different between Groups 1 and 2. Usage of short-term 3G MP does not seem to have a harmful effect on rat brain tissue.

[Effects of acrylonitrile in drinking water on monoamine neurotransmitters and its metabolites in male rat brains].

PubMed

Lu, Rong-zhu; Chen, Zi-qiang; Jin, Fu-sheng

2005-03-01

To elucidate the possible involvement of monoamine neurotransmitters in the development of neurobehavioral damage produced by acrylonitrile in drinking water in male rat brains. Totally 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups, the control group (n = 10), low dosage group (n = 10), and high dosage group (n = 10), which were respectively administered 0 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 200 mg/L acrylonitrile (AN) in drinking water. The treatment was lasted for 12 weeks. Seven animals were randomly selected from each group for determination of monoamine neurotransmitters in striatum and cerebellum by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detector and activities of monoamine oxidase in cortex. The contents of dopamine in the striatum of low and high dosage groups were decreased to (2.2 +/- 0.7) and (3.2 +/- 2.0) microg/g wet tissue, respectively, and compared with that of control group (9.0 +/- 4.2) microg/g wet tissue, the differences were statistically significant. There were no statistical differences among the contents of dopamine in the cerebellum of all rats, and the levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), the major metabolite of dopamine in the cerebellum were (186 +/- 41), (245 +/- 90) and (115 +/- 65) ng/g wet tissue in the control, low and high dosage groups, respectively and in low-dosage group they were significantly higher than those in other groups. There was dosage-dependently decreasing of the contents of serotonin of striatum in the control (249 +/- 34) ng/g wet tissue, low dosage (155 +/- 95) ng/g wet tissue and high dosage groups (128 +/- 101) ng/g wet tissue. This study underlines the importance of alterations in the monoamine neurotransmitters system as a possible causative mechanism behind the behavioural and functional changes produced by acrylonitrile.

Influence of disinfection with peracetic acid and hypochlorite in dimensional alterations of casts obtained from addition silicone and polyether impressions.

PubMed

Queiroz, Daher Antonio; Peçanha, Marcelo Massaroni; Neves, Ana Christina Claro; Frizzera, Fausto; Tonetto, Mateus Rodrigues; Silva-Concílio, Laís Regiane

2013-11-01

Dental impressions disinfection is important to reduce the risk of cross contamination but this process may produce dimensional distortions. Peracetic acid is a disinfectant agent with several favorable characteristics yet underutilized in Dentistry. The aim of this paper is to compare the dimensional stability of casts obtained from addition silicone and polyether impressions that were immersed for 10 minutes in a solution of 0.2% peracetic acid or 1% sodium hypochlorite. Sixty samples in type IV gypsum were produced after a master cast that simulated a full crown preparation of a maxillary premolar. Samples were divided in 6 groups (n = 10) according to the impression material and disinfection agent: Group AC--addition silicone control (without disinfectant); Group APA--addition silicone + 0.2% peracetic acid; Group AH--addition silicone + 1% sodium hypochlorite; Group PC--polyether control (without disinfectant); Group PPA--polyether + 0.2% peracetic acid; Group PH--polyether + 1% sodium hypochlorite. Cast height, base and top diameter were measured and a mean value was obtained for each sample and group all data was statistically analyzed (ANOVA, p < 0.05). There was not a significant statistical difference between addition silicone and polyether impressions regardless of the disinfectant materials. It can be concluded that disinfection with the proposed agents did not produce significant alterations of the impressions and the peracetic acid could be considered a reliable material to disinfect dental molds.

Gender, Authoritarianism, and Attitudes toward Feminism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarup, Gian

1976-01-01

Alternative ways of categorizing persons are investigated by a pretest-posttest control group design with ten subjects. Inconsistency in trait combinations during treatment produces more discrimination of others but the effect is limited to constructs directly involved in inconsistency. Alternative ways of categorizing others are also produced by…

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, World Economy & International Relations, No. 10, October 1987

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-17

finance-monopoly groups corporations own one another’s shares and their managers in fact delegate to one another right of control without interfer- ence... research . The individual will be encouraged within the framework of some group . The results of his research , profit and the income which it produces will...has been able to take under its wing by means of strict control or, on the other hand, flexible tutelage and "tender treatment" the groups of the

Core vocabulary in the narratives of bilingual children with and without language impairment.

PubMed

Shivabasappa, Prarthana; Peña, Elizabeth D; Bedore, Lisa M

2017-09-22

Children with primary language impairment (PLI) demonstrate deficits in morphosyntax and vocabulary. We studied how these deficits may manifest in the core vocabulary use of bilingual children with PLI. Thirty bilingual children with and without PLI who were matched pairwise (experimental group) narrated two Spanish and two English stories in kindergarten and first grade. Core vocabulary was derived from the 30 most frequently used words in the stories of 65 and 37 typically developing (TD) first graders (normative group) for Spanish and English, respectively. The number of words each child in the experimental group produced out of the 30 identified core vocabulary words and frequency of each of the core words produced each year were analysed. Children with PLI produced fewer core vocabulary words compared to their TD peers after controlling for total words produced. This difference was more pronounced in first grade. They produced core vocabulary words less frequently in kindergarten than their TD peers. Both groups produced core vocabulary words more frequently in English than Spanish. Bilingual children with PLI demonstrate a less productive core vocabulary use compared to their TD peers in both their languages illustrating the nature of their grammatical and lexical-semantic deficits.

Biomass of Spirulina maxima enriched by biosorption process as a new feed supplement for swine.

PubMed

Saeid, A; Chojnacka, K; Korczyński, M; Korniewicz, D; Dobrzański, Z

2013-04-01

This paper deals with the new mineral feed additives with Cu produced in a biosorption process from a semi-technical scale. The natural biomass of edible microalga Spirulina sp. was enriched with Cu(II) and then used as a mineral supplement in feeding experiments on swine to assess its nutrition properties. A total of 24 piglets divided into two groups (control and experimental) were used to determine the bioavailability of a new generation of mineral feed additives based on Spirulina maxima . The control group was feed using traditional inorganic supplements of microelements, while the experimental group was fed with the feed containing the biomass of S. maxima enriched with Cu by biosorption. The apparent absorption was 30 % ( P  < 0.05) higher in the experimental group. No effect on the production results (average daily feed intake, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio) was detected. It was found that copper concentration in feces in the experimental group was 60 % ( P  < 0.05) lower than in the control group. The new preparation-a dietary supplement with microelements produced by biosorption based on biomass of microalgae S. maxima -is a promising alternative to currently used inorganic salts as the source of nutritionally important microelements.

77 FR 73 - Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative and Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-03

... WREP. Arkansas Lower White-Bayou Des 08020301 CCPI and/or WREP. Arc. Arkansas Lower Arkansas... partners will help producers to voluntarily implement conservation practices that avoid, control, and trap... there groups of producers who may submit joint applications to address resource issues of common...

Effects of southern flying squirrels Glaucomys volans on red-cockaded woodpecker Picoides borealis reproductive success

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laves, K.S.; Loeb, S.C.

1999-01-01

Anecdotal data gathered from many populations suggest that southern flying squirrel (SFS, Glaucomys volans) use of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker's (RCW, Picoides borealis) nest and roost cavities may negatively affect RCW populations. We conducted a controlled experiment to determine the effects of SFSs on RCW reproductive success. During the 1994 and 1995 breeding seasons, SFSs were removed from 30 RCW clusters and 32 clusters served as controls. SFSs were the most frequently encountered occupants of RCW cavities and used 20-33% of RCW cavities in control and treatment clusters over both years. Treatment groups produced significantly more successful nests (??? 1 fledgling) than control groups in 1994. In 1995 however, there was no difference in the number of successful nests. In both years, RCW groups nesting in treatment clusters produced significantly more fledglings than groups in control clusters in each of four experimental areas, averaging approximately 0.7 additional fledglings per nesting group. Loss of entire clutches or broods, possibly as a result of predation or abandonment, was a major factor limiting reproduction in control groups in 1994. In contrast, differences in partial brood loss appeared to be the cause of differential fledging success in 1995 Usurpation of RCW roost cavities by SFSs may have placed greater energetic demands on RCWs for cavity defence or thermoregulation, thus reducing energy available for reproduction. Our results show that SFS use of RCW cavities during the breeding season has a significant impact on RCWs and that management of RCW populations should include activities that either minimize SFS populations in RCW clusters or limit access of SFSs to RCW cavities.

Randomized controlled study of a cosmetic treatment for mild acne.

PubMed

Capitanio, B; Sinagra, J L; Weller, R B; Brown, C; Berardesca, E

2012-06-01

Cosmetic products are not tested with the same rigour as medical treatments, but recent high-quality studies have shown significant reductions in changes of skin ageing with use of cosmetic antiageing products. To test whether a cosmetic 'anti-spot' two-step treatment containing a complex of seaweed-derived oligosaccharide and zinc would produce a significant improvement in mild acne. A double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial of this treatment was performed for 8 weeks on 60 age-matched participants with mild acne. They were divided into two groups: 30 participants were treated with vehicle control and 30 with the active treatment containing a seaweed-derived oligosaccharide complexed with 0.1% zinc pyrrolidone. After 8 weeks, both groups had a reduction in comedones, papules and pustules, and this was significantly greater in the active than control group at 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Cosmetic products may offer some benefit for mild acne and still meet the requirements of the European Cosmetic Directive. In particular, the seaweed-derived oligosaccharide complexed with 0.1% zinc pyrrolidone used in this study produced a significant reduction in acne vs. a control treatment. Cosmetic companies should conduct blinded controlled trials of their product's efficacy and publish the results. © The Author(s). CED © 2012 British Association of Dermatologists.

Histological evaluation of the influence of magnetic field application in autogenous bone grafts in rats.

PubMed

Puricelli, Edela; Dutra, Nardier B; Ponzoni, Deise

2009-01-11

Bone grafts are widely used in oral and maxillofacial reconstruction. The influence of electromagnetic fields and magnets on the endogenous stimulation of target tissues has been investigated. This work aimed to assess the quality of bone healing in surgical cavities filled with autogenous bone grafts, under the influence of a permanent magnetic field produced by in vivo buried devices. Metal devices consisting of commercially pure martensitic stainless steel washers and titanium screws were employed. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into 3 experimental and 3 control groups. A surgical bone cavity was produced on the right femur, and a bone graft was collected and placed in each hole. Two metallic washers, magnetized in the experimental group but not in the control group, were attached on the borders of the cavity. The animals were sacrificed on postoperative days 15, 45 and 60. The histological analysis of control and experimental samples showed adequate integration of the bone grafts, with intense bone neoformation. On days 45 and 60, a continued influence of the magnetic field on the surgical cavity and on the bone graft was observed in samples from the experimental group. The results showed intense bone neoformation in the experimental group as compared to control animals. The intense extra-cortical bone neoformation observed suggests that the osteoconductor condition of the graft may be more susceptible to stimulation, when submitted to a magnetic field.

False Memory in Adults With ADHD: A Comparison Between Subtypes and Normal Controls.

PubMed

Soliman, Abdrabo Moghazy; Elfar, Rania Mohamed

2017-10-01

To examine the performance on the Deese-Roediger-McDermott task of adults divided into ADHD subtypes and compares their performance to that of healthy controls to examine whether adults with ADHD are more susceptible to the production of false memories under experimental conditions. A total of 128 adults with ADHD (50% females), classified into three Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV-TR) subtypes, were compared with 48 controls. The results indicated that the ADHD participants recalled and recognized fewer studied words than the controls, the ADHD groups produced more false memories than the control group, no differences in either the false positives or the false negatives. The ADHD-combined (ADHD-CT) group recognized significantly more critical words than the control, ADHD-predominantly inattentive (ADHD-IA), and ADHD-predominantly hyperactive-impulsive (ADHD-HI) groups. The ADHD groups recalled and recognized more false positives, were more confident in their false responses, and displayed more knowledge corruption than the controls. The ADHD-CT group recalled and recognized more false positives than the other ADHD groups. The adults with ADHD have more false memories than the controls and that false memory formation varied with the ADHD subtypes.

Oral vaccination through voluntary consumption of the convict grouper Epinephelus septemfasciatus with yeast producing the capsid protein of red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus.

PubMed

Cho, Seo Young; Kim, Hyoung Jin; Lan, Nguyen Thi; Han, Hyun-Ja; Lee, Deok-Chan; Hwang, Jee Youn; Kwon, Mun-Gyeong; Kang, Bo Kyu; Han, Sang Yoon; Moon, Hyoungjoon; Kang, Hyun Ah; Kim, Hong-Jin

2017-05-01

Nervous necrosis viruses (NNV) cause serious economic losses in marine fish cultivation. The red-spotted grouper NNV (RGNNV) is the most common species of NNV worldwide. There have been many efforts to develop prophylactic NNV vaccines, and various types of vaccine candidate have been suggested. However, most were designed as injectable vaccines, which are not suitable for large-scale vaccination and cause too much stress to the fish. Oral vaccination through voluntary feeding is an ideal way to provide protective immunity to fish. In the present study, recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae producing RGNNV capsid protein was used as oral vaccine. The recombinant yeast was prepared in freeze-dried form after disruption. Convict groupers were divided into three groups, control, and oral and parenteral vaccination groups, each consisting of 700 fishes. The control group received no treatment, the parenteral group received one intraperitoneal injection of RGNNV virus-like particles, and the oral vaccination group consumed feed containing the lysed recombinant yeast; voluntary intake was allowed four times at one-week intervals. Both vaccination groups produced serum RGNNV neutralizing antibody titers of >10 3 (log 2, 9.96), sustained for at least 95days post-immunization. In addition, in response to challenge with RGNNV both groups suffered significantly reduced mortality and had reduced brain RGNNV titers. These results indicate that recombinant yeast-based oral fish vaccines have great potential for large-scale vaccination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the effect of Focus Farms on Ontario dairy producers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward control of Johne's disease.

PubMed

Roche, S M; Jones-Bitton, A; Meehan, M; Von Massow, M; Kelton, D F

2015-08-01

This study evaluated a participatory-based, experiential learning program, Ontario Focus Farms (FF), which aimed to change dairy producer behavior to control Johne's disease (JD) in Ontario, Canada. The goals were to (1) assess the effect of FF on participating dairy producers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with regard to JD control; (2) compare changes in these factors among FF participants to changes among a group of nonparticipating dairy producers; and (3) describe the characteristics of producers who made at least one on-farm management change. Pre- and post-FF intervention questionnaires collected data on respondents' knowledge, attitudes, behavior, herd production, and demographic information; before and after JD-risk assessments were used to assess respondents' on-farm risk of JD transmission. Overall, 176 dairy producers participated in the FF process; 39.8% (70/176) of FF and 14.6% (52/357) of control participants responded to both the pre- and postintervention questionnaires. Upon comparison, FF respondents were more likely to be younger, have larger herds, and have higher management scores. The proportion of FF participants who reported making at least one on-farm change (81%) was significantly higher than that of control respondents (38%). Overall, FF respondents significantly changed their risk score in 4 out of 5 risk areas and had an average reduction of 13 points in their overall risk score between before and after risk assessments. Control respondents' risk assessment scores did not significantly change during the study period. In a JD knowledge assessment, FF and control respondents exhibited a moderate knowledge score before the intervention period, with median scores of 75.9% (22/29) in each group. The FF respondents significantly increased their score at the postintervention assessment, with a median of 82.8% (24/29); control-respondent scores did not significantly change. Both FF and control respondents held strong positive attitudes toward JD control and felt a moderate amount of social pressure from veterinarians and industry organizations to make on-farm changes. However, they questioned their ability to effectively control JD on the farm. Last, participating in FF, having a moderate herd management score, having a positive perception about the practicality of on-farm recommendations, and having a singular learning preference were associated with increased odds of making an on-farm change. Overall, the FF process appears to be effective at influencing producer behavior toward implementing on-farm management practices for JD control. Future JD control programs should consider implementing peer-learning extension processes, such as FF, in combination with other extension approaches, to influence producer behavior. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of argon plasma coagulation on human stomach tissue: An ex vivo study.

PubMed

Gong, Eun Jeong; Ahn, Ji Yong; Jung, Hwoon-Yong; Park, Young Soo; Na, Hee Kyong; Jung, Kee Wook; Kim, Do Hoon; Lee, Jeong Hoon; Choi, Kee Don; Song, Ho June; Lee, Gin Hyug; Kim, Jin-Ho

2017-05-01

Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a safe alternative treatment for gastrointestinal neoplasms and precancerous lesions. However, the extent of thermal damage after APC is difficult to predict. We investigated the effects of APC on human stomach tissue. Argon plasma coagulation was performed on 10 freshly resected human stomachs that were obtained after total gastrectomy. The effects on tissue were compared across power settings (40, 60, and 80 W), durations (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 s), and between injection (submucosal injection of normal saline) and control (without injection) groups. Success was defined as complete mucosal necrosis without damaging the muscularis propria. Without submucosal injection, the incidence of damaging the muscularis propria increased as the power and duration increased. Tissue damage in the injection group was mostly confined to the submucosa, even when using the high-power setting. In the injection group, ablations at 40 W for 20 s, 60 W for 15 s, and 80 W for 15 or 20 s produced success rates ≥80%. In the control group, ablations at 60 W for 10 s, and 80 W for 5, or 10 s produced success rates ≥80%. The optimal energy levels to achieve complete mucosal and submucosal necrosis without damaging the muscularis propria were 800-1600 and 600-800 J in the injection and control groups, respectively. Application of APC produces good results with a low risk of perforation. © 2016 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Increased integrity of white matter pathways after dual n-back training.

PubMed

Salminen, Tiina; Mårtensson, Johan; Schubert, Torsten; Kühn, Simone

2016-06-01

Dual n-back WM training has been shown to produce broad transfer effects to different untrained cognitive functions. The task is demanding to the cognitive system because it includes a bi-modal (auditory and visual) dual-task component. A previous WM training study showed increased white matter integrity in the parietal lobe as well as the anterior part of the corpus callosum after visual n-back training. We investigated dual n-back training-related changes in white matter pathways. We anticipated dual n-back training to increase white matter integrity in pathways that connect brain regions related to WM processes. Additionally, we hypothesized that dual n-back training would produce more brain-wide white matter changes than single n-back training because of the involvement of two modalities and the additional dual-task coordination component of the task. The dual n-back training group showed increased white matter integrity (reflected as increased fractional anisotropy, FA) after training. The effects were mostly left lateralized as compared with changes from pretest to posttest in the passive and active control groups. Additionally, significant effects were observed in the anterior part of the corpus callosum, when the training group was compared with the passive control group. There were no changes in pretest to posttest FA changes between the passive and active control groups. The results therefore show that dual n-back training produces increased integrity in white matter pathways connecting different brain regions. The results are discussed in reference to the bi-modal dual-task component of the training task. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attitudes towards the Canadian quality milk program and use of good production practices among Canadian dairy producers.

PubMed

Young, I; Rajić, A; Hendrick, S; Parker, S; Sanchez, J; McClure, J T; McEwen, S A

2010-04-01

To harmonize good production practices (GPP) for dairy producers in Canada, the Canadian dairy industry has developed and is implementing a program called Canadian Quality Milk (CQM). A postal questionnaire was administered to all Canadian dairy producers enrolled in dairy herd-improvement organizations in 2008 (n=10,474) to investigate their attitudes towards the program and to establish baseline information on their use of GPP. The response percentage was 20.9% (2185/10,474). Two-thirds of producers (67.6%) reported participation in CQM and 61.4% of these indicated that the requirements were easy to implement. Most producers (85.0%) reported the use of cats as a pest-control method in their barns. For dead-livestock disposal, 65.0% and 38.0% indicated use of a collection service and burial, respectively. Nearly 40.0% of respondents indicated that they purchase replacement cattle, and somatic cell-count score was the main health indicator considered before purchase. Over 70% of producers reported that they clean and disinfect maternity, calf and weaned-calf pens, while only 34.1% and 53.1% reported that they provide visitors and employees, respectively, with clean clothes and boots. Through latent-class analysis, five groups (classes) of producers with distinctive patterns of reported use of GPP were identified. These were labelled as "minimal", "sanitation-only", "employee-visitor hygiene", "typical" and "ideal" user groups, with 11.1%, 23.8%, 20.2%, 37.1% and 7.7% of respondents, respectively. Respondents in the "ideal users" group had a higher probability of reporting the use of each GPP and were more likely to have completed an educational course in food safety compared to respondents in each other group. They were also more likely to have a herd size in the uppermost quartile (>65 cows) and report participation in CQM compared to each other group except the "employee-visitor hygiene users". The greatest differences were observed when compared to the "minimal users" group for completion of a food-safety course (OR=2.81), participation in CQM (OR=2.39) and having a herd size of >65 vs. <36 cows (OR=3.04). Targeted education of dairy producers on the importance of various GPP (e.g. detailed health assessments of replacement cattle before purchase) for infection control is warranted.

Semantic Knowledge for Famous Names in Mild Cognitive Impairment

PubMed Central

Seidenberg, Michael; Guidotti, Leslie; Nielson, Kristy A.; Woodard, John L.; Durgerian, Sally; Zhang, Qi; Gander, Amelia; Antuono, Piero; Rao, Stephen M.

2008-01-01

Person identification represents a unique category of semantic knowledge that is commonly impaired in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), but has received relatively little investigation in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The current study examined the retrieval of semantic knowledge for famous names from three time epochs (recent, remote, and enduring) in two participant groups; 23 aMCI patients and 23 healthy elderly controls. The aMCI group was less accurate and produced less semantic knowledge than controls for famous names. Names from the enduring period were recognized faster than both recent and remote names in both groups, and remote names were recognized more quickly than recent names. Episodic memory performance was correlated with greater semantic knowledge particularly for recent names. We suggest that the anterograde memory deficits in the aMCI group interferes with learning of recent famous names and as a result produces difficulties with updating and integrating new semantic information with previously stored information. The implications of these findings for characterizing semantic memory deficits in MCI are discussed. PMID:19128524

Improved differentiation of umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells into insulin-producing cells by PDX-1 mRNA transfection.

PubMed

Van Pham, Phuc; Thi-My Nguyen, Phuoc; Thai-Quynh Nguyen, Anh; Minh Pham, Vuong; Nguyen-Tu Bui, Anh; Thi-Tung Dang, Loan; Gia Nguyen, Khue; Kim Phan, Ngoc

2014-06-01

Numerous studies have sought to identify diabetes mellitus treatment strategies with fewer side effects. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy was previously considered as a promising therapy; however, it requires the cells to be trans-differentiated into cells of the pancreatic-endocrine lineage before transplantation. Previous studies have shown that PDX-1 expression can facilitate MSC differentiation into insulin-producing cells (IPCs), but the methods employed to date use viral or DNA-based tools to express PDX-1, with the associated risks of insertional mutation and immunogenicity. Thus, this study aimed to establish a new method to induce PDX-1 expression in MSCs by mRNA transfection. MSCs were isolated from human umbilical cord blood and expanded in vitro, with stemness confirmed by surface markers and multipotentiality. MSCs were transfected with PDX-1 mRNA by nucleofection and chemically induced to differentiate into IPCs (combinatorial group). This IPC differentiation was then compared with that of untransfected chemically induced cells (inducer group) and uninduced cells (control group). We found that PDX-1 mRNA transfection significantly improved the differentiation of MSCs into IPCs, with 8.3±2.5% IPCs in the combinatorial group, 3.21±2.11% in the inducer group and 0% in the control. Cells in the combinatorial group also strongly expressed several genes related to beta cells (Pdx-1, Ngn3, Nkx6.1 and insulin) and could produce C-peptide in the cytoplasm and insulin in the supernatant, which was dependent on the extracellular glucose concentration. These results indicate that PDX-1 mRNA may offer a promising approach to produce safe IPCs for clinical diabetes mellitus treatment. Copyright © 2014 International Society of Differentiation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atrial and ventricular septal changes in ethanol vapour exposed chick embryos.

PubMed

Kamran, Kiran; Khan, Muhammad Yunus; Minhas, Liaqat Ali

2015-03-01

To study the effects of ethanol vapour exposure on development of atrial and ventricular septa of chick embryo. The experimental study was conducted at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Islamabad, from 2006 to 2007. The experimental and control groups were further divided into three subgroups based on the day of sacrifice. The experimental group was exposed to ethanol vapours produced in a specially-designed vapour chamber and then compared with age-matched controls. There were 90 eggs in each of the two groups. The development of inter-ventricular septum completed at day 7 of development in chick embryo. Ethanol vapour exposure produced a small discontinuity at day 10 of development in a chick embryo which may be labelled as ventricular septal defect since ventricular development is completed by day 7. Interatrial septum formed till day 7 with small perforations which persisted till hatching. Ethanol vapour exposure may lead to ventricular septal defect.

Videotape educational program for people with asthma.

PubMed Central

Moldofsky, H.; Broder, I.; Davies, G.; Leznoff, A.

1979-01-01

A videotape educational program was produced for use in adults with asthma. The program provided an overview of lung function, the physiologic abnormalities and treatment of asthma, and the approach to common problems encountered by the patients. Its benefits were examined in a randomized controlled study. The efficacy of the program in 62 patients whose mean duration of illness was 17 years was assessed by comparing the level of knowledge of the experimental group immediately after viewing the tape with that of the controls, who had not seen it; the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group. Retention of knowledge attributed to the program was assessed after a mean interval of 16 months. The knowledge test score of the experimental group was found to have decreased to the level of the control group. The main areas in which the experimental group lost knowledge were self-care and drug therapy for asthma. The medical status of the two groups did not change appreciably over the period of the study. PMID:436049

The use of controlled microbial cenoses in producers' link to increase steady functioning of artificial ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somova, Lydia; Mikheeva, Galina; Somova, Lydia

The life support systems (LSS) for long-term missions are to use cycling-recycling systems, including biological recycling. Simple ecosystems include 3 links: producers (plants), consumers (man, animals) and reducers (microorganisms). Microorganisms are substantial component of every link of LSS. Higher plants are the traditional regenerator of air and producer of food. They should be used in many successive generations of their reproduction in LSS. Controlled microbiocenoses can increase productivity of producer's link and protect plants from infections. The goal of this work was development of methodological bases of formation of stable, controlled microbiocenoses, intended for increase of productivity of plants and for obtaining ecologically pure production of plants. Main results of our investigations: 1. Experimental microbiocenoses, has been produced in view of the developed methodology on the basis of natural association of microorganisms by long cultivation on specially developed medium. Dominating groups are bacteria of genera: Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, Bifidobacterium, Rhodopseudomonas and yeast of genera: Kluyveromyces, Saccharomyces, Torulopsis. 2. Optimal parameters of microbiocenosis cultivation (t, pH, light exposure, biogenic elements concentrations) were experimentally established. Conditions of cultivation on which domination of different groups of microbiocenosis have been found. 3. It was shown, that processing of seeds of wheat, oats, bulbs and plants Allium cepa L. (an onions) with microbial association raised energy of germination of seeds and bulbs and promoted the increase (on 20-30 %) of growth green biomass and root system of plants in comparison with the control. This work is supported by grant, Yenissey , 07-04-96806

Rats socially-reared and full fed learned an autoshaping task, showing less levels of fear-like behaviour than fasted or singly-reared rats.

PubMed

Molina-Hernández, Miguel; Téllez-Alcántara, N Patricia

2004-07-01

During the learning of instrumental tasks, rats are usually fasted to increase reinforced learning. However, fasting produces several undesirable side effects. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that control rats, i.e. full-fed and group-reared rats, will learn an autoshaping task to the same level as fasted or singly-reared rats. The interaction between fasting and single-rearing of rats was also tested. Results showed that control rats and fasted rats acquired the autoshaping task similarly, independently of rearing condition or gender. However, fasted or singly-reared rats produced fear-like behaviour, since male rats group-reared and fasted (85% body/wt, P <0.05), male rats singly-reared (full fed, P <0.05; 12 h fasted, P <0.05; 85% body/wt, P <0.05), female rats group-reared (12 h fasted, P <0.05; 85% body/wt, P <0.05) and female rats singly reared (full fed, P <0.05; 12 h fasted, P <0.05; 85% body/wt, P <0.05) displayed reduced amounts of time exploring the open arms of the elevated plus-maze. In conclusion, control rats learned the autoshaping task to the same level as fasted or singly-reared rats. However, fasting or single-rearing produced fear-like behaviour. Thus, the training of control rats in autoshaping tasks may be an option that improves animal welfare.

Daily supplementation with ghrelin improves in vitro bovine blastocysts formation rate and alters gene expression related to embryo quality.

PubMed

Dovolou, Eleni; Periquesta, Eva; Messinis, Ioannis E; Tsiligianni, Theodora; Dafopoulos, Konstantinos; Gutierrez-Adan, Alfonso; Amiridis, Georgios S

2014-03-01

Ghrelin is a gastric peptide having regulatory role in the reproductive system functionality, acting mainly at central level. Because the expression of ghrelin system (ghrelin and its receptor) has been detected in the bovine ovary, the objectives of the present study were to investigate whether ghrelin can affect the developmental potential of in vitro-produced embryos, and to test their quality in terms of relative abundance of various genes related to metabolism, apoptosis and oxidation. In the first experiment, in vitro-produced zygotes were cultured in the absence (control [C]) and in the presence of three concentrations of acylated ghrelin (200 pg/mL [Ghr200], 800 pg/mL [Ghr800]; and 2000 pg/mL [Ghr2000]); blastocyst formation rates were examined on Days 7, 8, and 9. In the second experiment, only the 800 pg/mL dose of ghrelin was used. Zygotes were produced as in experiment 1 and 24 hours post insemination they were divided into 4 groups; in two groups (C; without ghrelin; Ghr800 with ghrelin), embryos were cultured without medium replacement; in the remaining two groups (Control N and GhrN), the culture medium was daily renewed. A pool of Day-7 blastocysts were snap frozen for relative mRNA abundance of various genes related to metabolism, oxidation, implantation, and apoptosis. In experiment 3, embryos were produced as in experiment 2, but in the absence of serum (semi-defined culture medium). In experiment 1, no differences were detected between C, Ghr200, and Ghr2000, although fewer blastocysts were produced in group Ghr800 compared with C. In experiment 2, the lowest blastocysts yield was found in Ghr800, whereas daily renewal of ghrelin (Ghr800N) resulted to increased blastocysts formation rate, which on Day 7 was the highest among groups (P < 0.05). In experiment 3, ghrelin significantly suppressed blastocysts yield. Significant differences were detected in various relative mRNA abundance, giving an overall final notion that embryos produced in the presence of ghrelin were of better quality than controls. Our results imply a specific role of ghrelin in early embryonic development; however, the specific mode of its action needs further investigation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Sympathetic Antagonists on the Antidepressant Action of Alprazolam

PubMed Central

Al-Tubuly, RA; Aburawi, SM; Alghzewi, EA; Gorash, ZM; Errwami, S

2008-01-01

Alprazolam is an anti-anxiety drug shown to be effective in the treatment of depression. In this study, the effect of sympathetic receptor antagonists on alprazolam–induced antidepressant action was studied using a mouse model of forced swimming behavioral despair. The interaction of three sympathetic receptor antagonists with benzodiazepines, which may impact the clinical use of alprazolam, was also studied. Behavioral despair was examined in six groups of albino mice. Drugs were administered intraperitoneally. The control group received only a single dose of 1% Tween 80. The second group received a single dose of alprazolam, and the third group received an antagonist followed by alprazolam. The fourth group was treated with imipramine, and the fifth group received an antagonist followed by imipramine. The sixth group was treated with a single dose of an antagonist alone (atenolol, a β1-selective adrenoceptor antagonist; propranolol, a non selective β-adrenoceptor antagonist; and prazocin, an α1-adrenoceptor antagonist). Results confirmed the antidepressant action of alprazolam and imipramine. Prazocin treatment alone produced depression, but it significantly potentiated the antidepressant actions of imipramine and alprazolam. Atenolol alone produced an antidepressant effect and potentiated the antidepressant action of alprazolam. Propranolol treatment alone produced depression, and antagonized the effects of alprazolam and imipramine, even producing depression in combined treatments.In conclusion, our results reveal that alprazolam may produce antidepressant effects through the release of noradrenaline, which stimulates β2 receptors to produce an antidepressant action. Imipramine may act by activating β2 receptors by blocking or down-regulating β1 receptors. PMID:21499463

Acquired Downregulation of Donor-Specific Antibody Production After ABO-Incompatible Kidney Transplantation.

PubMed

Tasaki, M; Saito, K; Nakagawa, Y; Imai, N; Ito, Y; Aoki, T; Kamimura, M; Narita, I; Tomita, Y; Takahashi, K

2017-01-01

The mechanism of long-term B cell immunity against donor blood group antigens in recipients who undergo ABO-incompatible (ABOi) living-donor kidney transplantation (LKTx) is unknown. To address this question, we evaluated serial anti-A and anti-B antibody titers in 50 adult recipients. Donor-specific antibody titers remained low (≤1:4) in 42 recipients (84%). However, antibodies against nondonor blood group antigens were continuously produced in recipients with blood type O. We stimulated recipients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro to investigate whether B cells produced antibodies against donor blood group antigens in the absence of graft adsorption in vivo. Antibodies in cell culture supernatant were measured using specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Thirty-five healthy volunteers and 57 recipients who underwent ABO-compatible LKTx served as controls. Antibody production in vitro against donor blood group antigens by cells from ABOi LKTx patients was lower than in the control groups. Immunoglobulin deposits were undetectable in biopsies of grafts of eight recipients with low antibody titers (≤1:4) after ABOi LKTx. One patient with blood type A1 who received a second ABOi LKTx from a type B donor did not produce B-specific antibodies. These findings suggest diminished donor-specific antibody production function in the setting of adult ABOi LKTx. © Copyright 2016 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Long-term studies on the economic impact of ticks on Sanga cattle in Zambia.

PubMed

de Castro, J J; James, A D; Minjauw, B; Di Giulio, G U; Permin, A; Pegram, R G; Chizyuka, H G; Sinyangwe, P

1997-01-01

Three different tick control policies were tested in groups of traditionally managed Sanga cattle in the Central Province of Zambia over a period of 3 years. One group was given strategic tick control using 12 pyrethroid acaricide spray applications between the onset and the end of the wet season (October to March). The productivity of this herd was compared with that of a group with no tick control and a group under an intensive tick control regimen of spraying every week in the wet season and every 2 weeks in the dry season (36 applications per year). The highest output was associated with intensive tick control, followed by strategic control and then no tick control policies. However, when the costs of tick control were taken into account, the strategic tick control policy produced the best economic result, followed by the intensive and then the no tick control policies. Neither the strategic nor the intensive tick control policy was sufficient to prevent the transmission of East Coast fever (ECF) infection when this disease was introduced to the area.

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Does Not Substitute for Asthma Steroid Controller Medication.

PubMed

Lehrer, Paul M; Irvin, Charles G; Lu, Shou-En; Scardella, Anthony; Roehmheld-Hamm, Beatrix; Aviles-Velez, Milisyaris; Graves, Jessica; Vaschillo, Evgeny G; Vaschillo, Bronya; Hoyte, Flavia; Nelson, Harold; Wamboldt, Frederick S

2018-03-01

Despite previous findings of therapeutic effects for heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) on asthma, it is not known whether HRVB can substitute either for controller or rescue medication, or whether it affects airway inflammation. Sixty-eight paid volunteer steroid naïve study participants with mild or moderate asthma were given 3 months of HRVB or a comparison condition consisting of EEG alpha biofeedback with relaxing music and relaxed paced breathing (EEG+), in a two-center trial. All participants received a month of intensive asthma education prior to randomization. Both treatment conditions produced similar significant improvements on the methacholine challenge test (MCT), asthma symptoms, and asthma quality of life (AQOL). MCT effects were of similar size to those of enhanced placebo procedures reported elsewhere, and were 65% of those of a course of a high-potency inhaled steroid budesonide given to a sub-group of participants following biofeedback training. Exhaled nitric oxide decreased significantly only in the HRVB group, 81% of the budesonide effect, but with no significant differences between groups. Participants reported becoming more relaxed during practice of both techniques. Administration of albuterol after biofeedback sessions produced a large improvement in pulmonary function test results, indicating that neither treatment normalized pulmonary function as a potent controller medication would have done. Impulse oscillometry showed increased upper airway (vocal cord) resistance during biofeedback periods in both groups. These data suggest that HRVB should not be considered an alternative to asthma controller medications (e.g., inhaled steroids), although both biofeedback conditions produced some beneficial effects, warranting further research, and suggesting potential complementary effects. Various hypotheses are presented to explain why HRVB effects on asthma appeared smaller in this study than in earlier studies. Clinical Trial Registration NCT02766374.

Naivete and need for affection among pedophiles.

PubMed

Johnston, S A; French, A P; Schouweiler, W F; Johnston, F A

1992-09-01

MMPI scores for items on the Harris and Lingoes (1955, 1968) subscales HY2 (need for affection) and PA2 (naivete) were compared among pedophiles (n = 50), non-sexually deviant psychiatric patients (n = 25), and a general control group (n = 50). Results indicated that pedophiles did not demonstrate a "naive need for affection," but, rather, a cynical need for affection. Scores on the Pedophelia (PE) Scale (Toobert, Bartelme, & Jones, 1959) also were compared, and no significant differences were found between the pedophiles and either control group, although a difference was found between the scores of the psychiatric control group and those of the general sample. Selected items from scale 4 (Psychopathic Deviate) and scale 9 (Hypomania) also produced no significant differences among groups.

Chondromalacia patellae treated by warming needle and rehabilitation training.

PubMed

Qiu, Ling; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Ji; Gao, Le-Nv; Chen, Da-wei; Liu, Jun; She, Jia-yi; Wang, Ling; Yu, Jin-yan; Huang, Le-ping; Bai, Yang

2009-06-01

To observe the effect of warming needle combined with rehabilitation training on chondromalacia patellae in a randomized controlled trial. The 92 cases were randomly divided into a treatment group treated by warming needle plus rehabilitation training (47 cases) and a control group treated by medication plus rehabilitation training (45 cases), and the therapeutic effect was compared after 20 sessions. The pain was relieved more obviously in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05), and the total effective rate was 91.8% and 71.1% respectively (P < 0.01). Warming needle plus rehabilitation training was superior in the therapeutic effect and duration of producing relief of pain to medication plus rehabilitation training in treating chondromalacia patellae.

Effect of dietary fermented mushroom bed on egg production in laying hens.

PubMed

Yoshida, Shu; Mitani, Hiroaki; Kamata, Masato; Ohtsuka, Akira; Otomaru, Konosuke; Obi, Takeshi; Kanouchi, Hiroaki

2017-11-01

Egg productivity is declined by stress. It has been reported that some food supplements can improve the egg productivity due to a reduction of environmental stress. We evaluated the effect of fermented waste mushroom bed (FWMB) as a dietary additive on egg productivity. Hens were fed control food (control group, n = 100) or 3% FWMB-added food (FWMB group, n = 100) for 16 months. The number of eggs, soft-shelled eggs, and broken eggs were recorded for 15 months. We also evaluated stress-related markers (ovotransferrin, lipid peroxide, and the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio). The FWMB group had slightly increased egg production compared with control hens. The FWMB group produced significantly less broken and soft-shelled eggs than the control group. All stress-related markers were significantly lower in the FWMB group than in the control group. Gut flora was also affected by FWMB feeding. The increased egg production and decreased proportion of broken and soft-shelled eggs might be related to the prevention of stressful conditions by FWMB.

The Use of Phytochemicals to Effectively Produce Biofuel from Rhizophora mangle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singhal, M.; Brinker, R.

2015-12-01

After successfully determining the presence of phytochemicals in both the Common Crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum), and North American Dandelion (Taxacum officinale) , my research focused on the effects of specific phytochemicals, Luteolin from crabgrass and Taxasterol from dandelion, on electrical energy yield from a hydrogen fuel cell. Improvements in hydrogen fuel cell efficiency and cost are sought. By use of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) propagules as an oxygen source the effects of Luteolin and Taxasterol could be tested as a means to optimize hydrogen fuel cells. The methodology began with physical chemical extraction, then proceeded with separation by column chromatography, and ended with fuel cell testing of the isolated phytochemicals. Published retention factor values were used to isolate Luteolin (.66) and Taxasterol (.30). In order to test electrical energy yield, the amount of current produced by the fuel cell was measured in microamperes (μA[RB1] ) over five minutes for both the three control and three experimental group trials for both experimental groups each. The largest ampere value collected from Luteolin group was 4.3 μA, while the largest value collected from Taxasterol group was 2.5 μA. Out of both experimental groups, taraxsterol had the smallest range, showing more consistency between the control and corresponding experimental groups tested. My hypothesis was not supported. Luteolin treated fuel cell produced a larger electrical energy yield than did fuel cells treated with Taxasterol. [RB1]I found μ by selecting "insert symbol", then looking at Greek symbols.

Exposure control strategies in the carbonaceous nanomaterial industry.

PubMed

Dahm, Matthew M; Yencken, Marianne S; Schubauer-Berigan, Mary K

2011-06-01

Little is known about exposure control strategies currently being implemented to minimize exposures during the production or use of nanomaterials in the United States. Our goal was to estimate types and quantities of materials used and factors related to workplace exposure reductions among companies manufacturing or using engineered carbonaceous nanomaterials (ECNs). Information was collected through phone surveys on work practices and exposure control strategies from 30 participating producers and users of ECN. The participants were classified into three groups for further examination. We report here the use of exposure control strategies. Observed patterns suggest that large-scale manufacturers report greater use of nanospecific exposure control strategies particularly for respiratory protection. Workplaces producing or using ECN generally report using engineering and administrative controls as well as personal protective equipment to control workplace employee exposure.

Effect of heat treatment on stainless steel lingual arch appliances.

PubMed

Nagatani, S S; Fisher, J G; Hondrum, S O

1996-01-01

This study evaluated the effect of heat treatment on 0.036" diameter stainless steel wire. Forty wires were bent into arch forms (20 experimental and 20 control). The arch width changes were measured and the forces generated were determined over an eight week period. Heat treatment resulted in immediate and significant expansion (p < 0.001) followed by stabilization of arch width. The control wires continued to expand throughout the study. The force generated by the control group and experimental group expansion was capable of producing tooth movement.

75 FR 4408 - Notice of Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-27

..., pharmaceutical companies, health care delivery organizations, agricultural producers, consumer groups, and other...: January 20, 2010. Tanja Popovic, Chief Science Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR...

Computer as a Tool in SAT Preparation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coffin, Gregory C.

Two experimental programs, designed to increase Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of inner city, low achieving students by using computer-assisted SAT preparation, produced differing results. Forty volunteers from a nearby high school were assigned to two groups of 20 each--one experimental and one control group. The first program provided six…

Trait Anxiety Reductions in a Substance Abuse Population Trained in Stress Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charlesworth, Edward A.; Dempsey, George

1982-01-01

Investigated a stress management training program for 11 hospitalized drug-abusing patients, compared to a control group in different psychotherapy programs. Results indicated that the stress management treatment group produced significant decreases in trait anxiety. Subjects used the stress management techniques to overcome insomnia, anger, and…

HUMAN RESPONDING ON RANDOM-INTERVAL SCHEDULES OF RESPONSE-COST PUNISHMENT: THE ROLE OF REDUCED REINFORCEMENT DENSITY

PubMed Central

Pietras, Cynthia J; Brandt, Andrew E; Searcy, Gabriel D

2010-01-01

An experiment with adult humans investigated the effects of response-contingent money loss (response-cost punishment) on monetary-reinforced responding. A yoked-control procedure was used to separate the effects on responding of the response-cost contingency from the effects of reduced reinforcement density. Eight adults pressed buttons for money on a three-component multiple reinforcement schedule. During baseline, responding in all components produced money gains according to a random-interval 20-s schedule. During punishment conditions, responding during the punishment component conjointly produced money losses according to a random-interval schedule. The value of the response-cost schedule was manipulated across conditions to systematically evaluate the effects on responding of response-cost frequency. Participants were assigned to one of two yoked-control conditions. For participants in the Yoked Punishment group, during punishment conditions money losses were delivered in the yoked component response independently at the same intervals that money losses were produced in the punishment component. For participants in the Yoked Reinforcement group, responding in the yoked component produced the same net earnings as produced in the punishment component. In 6 of 8 participants, contingent response cost selectively decreased response rates in the punishment component and the magnitude of the decrease was directly related to the punishment schedule value. Under punishment conditions, for participants in the Yoked Punishment group response rates in the yoked component also decreased, but the decrease was less than that observed in the punishment component, whereas for participants in the Yoked Reinforcement group response rates in the yoked component remained similar to rates in the no-punishment component. These results provide further evidence that contingent response cost functions similarly to noxious punishers in that it appears to suppress responding apart from its effects on reinforcement density. PMID:20676265

Functional Probiotic Characterization and In Vivo Cholesterol-Lowering Activity of Lactobacillus helveticus Isolated from Fermented Cow Milk.

PubMed

Damodharan, Karthiyaini; Palaniyandi, Sasikumar Arunachalam; Yang, Seung Hwan; Suh, Joo-Won

2016-10-28

We characterized the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus helveticus strains KII13 and KHI1 isolated from fermented cow milk by in vitro and in vivo studies. The strains exhibited tolerance to simulated orogastrointestinal condition, adherence to Caco-2 cells, and antimicrobial activity. Both L. helveticus strains produced bioactive tripeptides, isoleucylprolyl-proline and valyl-prolyl-proline, during fermentation of milk. KII13 showed higher in vitro cholesterol-lowering activity (47%) compared with KHI1 (28%) and L. helveticus ATCC 15009 (22%), and hence, it was selected for in vivo study of cholesterol-lowering activity in atherogenic diet-fed hypercholesterolemic mice. For the study, mice were divided into four groups ( viz ., normal diet control group, atherogenic diet control group (HCD), KII13- atherogenic diet group (HCD-KII13), and Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 43121-atherogenic diet group (HCD- L.ac ) as positive control). The serum total cholesterol level was significantly decreased by 8.6% and 7.78% in the HCD-KII13 and HCD- L.ac groups ( p < 0.05), respectively, compared with the HCD group. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in both HCD-KII13 and HCD- L.ac groups were decreased by 13% and 11%, respectively, compared with the HCD group (both, p < 0.05). Analysis of cholesterol metabolism-related gene expression in mice liver showed increased expression of LDLR and SREBF2 genes in mice fed with KII13. By comparing all the results, we conclude that L. helveticus KII13 could be used as a potential probiotic strain to produce antihypertensive peptides and reduce serum cholesterol.

Sirolimus in kidney transplant donors and clinical and histologic improvement in recipients: rat model.

PubMed

Cicora, F; Lausada, N; Vasquez, D N; Cicora, P; Zalazar, G; Gonzalez, P; Palti, G; Raimondi, C

2010-01-01

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is one of the risk factors for delayed graft function, acute rejection episodes, and impaired long-term allograft survival after kidney transplantation. This antigen-independent inflammatory process produces tissue damage. Isogeneic transplantation in a rat model is a useful method for study of nonimmunologic risk factors for kidney damage. To study the effect of sirolimus on I/R injury using only 1 dose of the drug in the donor. Eighteen rats were allocated to 3 groups of 6 rats each: sham group, control group, and rapamycin group. Improved renal function and systemic inflammatory response were observed in the rapamycin group compared with the control group (Deltaurea, Deltacreatinine, and DeltaC3, all P < .01). The number of apoptotic nuclei in the renal medulla in the control group was higher than in the rapamycin group (P < .01). Tubular damage was less severe in the rapamycin group compared with the control group (P < .01). Complement 3 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression in the kidney samples were significantly decreased when rapamycin was given to the donor rats (P > .01). Bcl-2 protein was upregulated in the rapamycin group compared with the control group (P < .01). Administration of rapamycin in donors attenuates the I/R injury process after kidney transplantation in a rat model.

Histological evaluation of the influence of magnetic field application in autogenous bone grafts in rats

PubMed Central

Puricelli, Edela; Dutra, Nardier B; Ponzoni, Deise

2009-01-01

Background Bone grafts are widely used in oral and maxillofacial reconstruction. The influence of electromagnetic fields and magnets on the endogenous stimulation of target tissues has been investigated. This work aimed to assess the quality of bone healing in surgical cavities filled with autogenous bone grafts, under the influence of a permanent magnetic field produced by in vivo buried devices. Methods Metal devices consisting of commercially pure martensitic stainless steel washers and titanium screws were employed. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into 3 experimental and 3 control groups. A surgical bone cavity was produced on the right femur, and a bone graft was collected and placed in each hole. Two metallic washers, magnetized in the experimental group but not in the control group, were attached on the borders of the cavity. Results The animals were sacrificed on postoperative days 15, 45 and 60. The histological analysis of control and experimental samples showed adequate integration of the bone grafts, with intense bone neoformation. On days 45 and 60, a continued influence of the magnetic field on the surgical cavity and on the bone graft was observed in samples from the experimental group. Conclusion The results showed intense bone neoformation in the experimental group as compared to control animals. The intense extra-cortical bone neoformation observed suggests that the osteoconductor condition of the graft may be more susceptible to stimulation, when submitted to a magnetic field. PMID:19134221

Resveratrol-cyclodextrin complex affects the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism in bovine in vitro produced embryos.

PubMed

Torres, V; Hamdi, M; Millán de la Blanca, M G; Urrego, R; Echeverri, J; López-Herrera, A; Rizos, D; Gutiérrez-Adán, A; Sánchez-Calabuig, M J

2018-03-26

Antioxidants have been widely used during in vitro production to decrease the negative effect of reactive oxygen species. It was reported that the complex resveratrol-methyl β-cyclodextrin (RV-CD) improves resveratrol's stability and bioavailability and increases its antioxidant activity. This study evaluates the effect of RV-CD during in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) or in vitro embryo culture (IVC) on developmental competence and quantitative changes in gene expression of developmental important genes. In experiment 1, RV-CD was added to IVM media and maturation level, embryo development and oocytes, cumulus cells, and blastocysts gene expression by RT-qPCR were examined. In experiment 2, presumptive zygotes were cultured in SOF supplemented with RV-CD and embryo development and blastocysts gene expression by RT-qPCR were studied. A group without RV-CD (control - ) and a group with cyclodextrin (control + ) were included. No differences were found in cleavage rate or blastocyst yield between groups. However, the expression of LIPE was higher in blastocysts derived from oocytes treated with resveratrol compared with control groups (p < .05). Blastocysts produced by IVC with resveratrol showed that RV-CD could modify the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism (CYP51A1, PNPLA2 and MTORC1) compared with control groups (p < .05). RV-CD in the IVM and IVC media could reduce accumulated fat by increasing lipolysis and suppressing lipogenesis of blastocysts. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The effects of an auditory subliminal message upon the production of images and dreams.

PubMed

Kaser, V A

1986-07-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate what effect an auditory subliminal message, produced by speeding up the rate at which it was recorded, would have upon the imagery and dreams of a group of normal subjects. The auditory subliminal message was produced by speeding up a message that was sung until it could not be consciously understood. This message was mixed with a normal music recording and played to nine subjects in the experimental group. Nine subjects in the control group heard the normal music recording without the subliminal message. Both groups were asked to produce a pretest drawing before the tapes were played, an imagery drawing immediately after the tapes were played, and a dream drawing of any dreams they might have that night. A statistical analysis was performed from data collected on blind ratings given to all the drawings by two art therapists. The results indicated a significant difference between the dream drawings and the imagery drawings of the experimental group and the control group. When the drawings were examined, the effect of the subliminal message could be seen. Based on the statistical data and certain drawings collected in this study, it would appear that the auditory subliminal message did have an effect upon the imagery and dreams of the subjects in the experimental group. The results of this study appear to indicate that the unconscious/preconscious mind is able to perceive a recorded verbal message that cannot be consciously understood at the high rate of speed at which it was recorded.

Effects of different musical stimuli in vital signs and facial expressions in patients with cerebral damage: a pilot study.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Ana Sofia Fernandes; Ramos, Antonio; Bermejo, Emilia; Casero, Mónica; Corrales, José Manuel; Grantham, Sarah

2014-04-01

Along history, music has been used in a variety of ways for therapeutic purposes and has long been recognized for its physiological and psychological effects. Music listening can be an effective nursing intervention, to enhance relaxation, provide distraction, and reduce pain. The aims of this study were to identify changes produced by different musical stimuli in blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and oxygen saturations (SpO2) and to verify the influence of music listening on patients' facial expressions with severe cerebral damage. A quasiexperimental study was performed in 26 patients with severe cerebral damage, divided into control and case groups. Patients belonging to the case group were exposed to musical stimuli, radio, classical relaxing music (CRM), and relaxing music with nature sounds (RMNS). Patients were evaluated by measuring vital signs before and after exposure to each musical stimulus, as were the patients within the control group. Patients in the control group were exempt from any musical stimulus. Facial expressions were observed in each patient within the case group during the intervention. The results show that radio produced a slight increase in systolic BP, HR, RR, and SpO2. The CRM induced a decrease of RR and an increase of SpO2 and also produced alterations of the facial expression. When RMNS was played, a decrease was displayed in BP, HR, and RR and an increase was displayed in SpO2. Alterations in facial expression were displayed in each patient. The results of the study suggest that the application of musical stimuli such as CRM and RMNS can be used to provide a state of relaxation in patients with severe cerebral damage.

Effect of whole soy and purified daidzein on ambulatory blood pressure and endothelial function--a 6-month double-blind, randomized controlled trial among Chinese postmenopausal women with prehypertension.

PubMed

Liu, Z-M; Ho, S C; Chen, Y-M; Tomlinson, B; Ho, S; To, K; Woo, J

2015-10-01

Although observational studies suggest that soy foods or isoflavones are cardio-protective, clinical trials on whole soy or isoflavone daidzein (one major isoflavone and the precursor of equol) on blood pressure (BP) and endothelial function (EF) are few and have not been specifically conducted among equol producers, a population most likely to benefit from soy treatment. We performed a 6-month double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to examine the effect of whole soy (soy flour) or purified daidzein on BP and EF in prehypertensive or untreated hypertensive postmenopausal women verified to be equol producers. A total of 270 eligible women were recruited and randomized to either one of the three treatment groups, 40 g soy flour (whole soy group), 40 g low-fat milk powder+63 mg daidzein (daidzein group) or 40 g low-fat milk powder (active control group) daily, each given as a solid beverage powder for 6 months. The primary outcome measures were 24 h ambulatory BP (ABP) and EF assessed by flow-mediated dilation using brachial artery ultrasound. A total of 253 subjects completed the study according to protocol. Urinary isoflavones indicated good compliance with the interventions. Intention to treat and per-protocol analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the 6-month changes or % changes in parameters of ABP and brachial flow-mediated dilation among the three treatment groups. A further subgroup analysis among hypertensive women (n=138) did not alter the conclusions. Whole soy and purified daidzein had no significant effect on BP and vascular function among equol-producing postmenopausal women with prehypertension or untreated hypertension.

[Verruca planae Chinese medicine treatment].

PubMed

Chen, Hai-Ming

2008-08-01

Flat wart on the effectiveness of TCM treatment. Outpatients will be by the "People's Republic of China Chinese medicine industry standards, TCM diagnosis of dermatological diseases efficacy standards, Chen Hou State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1994-06-28 approved, 1995-01-01 implementation". Randomly divided into two groups. Treatment and control groups. Treatment groups treated with Chinese herbs. The control group were treated with WM. Since the preparation of the unification formula ointment, cuboiling method. Chinese herbal medicine preparation by my hospital room Producer. 5 g pre pack, after treatment for 30 days, clinical observation. The group of Chinese medicine is better than western medicine (86.7% vs 71.7% , P < 0.05). Chinese medicine has some effect flat wart.

COMPARATIVE MACROSCOPIC STUDY OF OSTEOCHONDRAL DEFECTS PRODUCED IN FEMURS OF RABBITS REPAIRED WITH BIOPOLYMER GEL CANE SUGAR.

PubMed

de Albuquerque, Paulo Cezar Vidal Carneiro; Dos Santos, Saulo Monteiro; de Andrade Aguiar, José Lamartine; Filho, Nicodemus Pontes; de Mello, Roberto José Vieira; Costa, Mariana Lúcia Correia Ramos; de Albuquerque Olbertz, Clarissa Miranda Carneiro; de Souza Almeida, Tarciana Mendonça; da Silva Santos, Alessandro Henrique; da Silva, Joacil Carlos

2011-01-01

To study the surface, coloring, consistency, continuity and healing of osteochondral defects produced in the femoral condyles of rabbits and filled with sugar cane biopolymer gel (SCBG), after 90, 120 and 180 days, and in comparison with a control group. Sixteen adult New Zealand white rabbits aged 6 to 7 months, weighing between 2 and 2.5 kg and without locomotor system abnormalities were studied. In all the animals, a defect was made in the femoral condyles of the right and left knees, measuring 3.2 mm in diameter and 4 mm in depth, using a trephine. The animals were divided into two groups: study group formed by the right knees, in which the medial and lateral condyles received implants of SCBG; and control group formed by the left knees, in which the medial and lateral condyles were allowed to heal naturally. The knees were assessed 90, 120 and 180 days after the operation. After the animals had been sacrificed, the anatomical specimens were resected and placed in Bouin's solution. They were then photographed with a Nikon Coolpix 5400(®) coupled to a Nikon SM2800(®) stereoscopic loupe, to analyze the surface, coloring, consistency, continuity and healing. The results were evaluated using the chi-square test. There were no significant differences in the macroscopic assessments of healing between the study and control groups. With regard to the surface, coloring, consistency, continuity and healing of the defects, the macroscopic appearance of the tissue repaired with SCBG was similar to that of the control group.

SPEECH PERCEPTION AS A TALKER-CONTINGENT PROCESS

PubMed Central

Nygaard, Lynne C.; Sommers, Mitchell S.; Pisoni, David B.

2011-01-01

To determine how familiarity with a talker’s voice affects perception of spoken words, we trained two groups of subjects to recognize a set of voices over a 9-day period. One group then identified novel words produced by the same set of talkers at four signal-to-noise ratios. Control subjects identified the same words produced by a different set of talkers. The results showed that the ability to identify a talker’s voice improved intelligibility of novel words produced by that talker. The results suggest that speech perception may involve talker-contingent processes whereby perceptual learning of aspects of the vocal source facilitates the subsequent phonetic analysis of the acoustic signal. PMID:21526138

Changes to Articulatory Kinematics in Response to Loudness Cues in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Darling, Meghan; Huber, Jessica E.

2012-01-01

Purpose Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) exhibit differences in displacement and velocity of the articulators as compared to older adults. The purpose of the current study was to examine effects of three loudness cues on articulatory movement patterns in individuals with PD. Methods Nine individuals diagnosed with idiopathic PD and 9 age- and sex- matched healthy controls produced sentences in four conditions: 1) comfortable loudness, 2) targeting 10dB above comfortable, 3) twice as loud as comfortable, and 4) in background noise. Lip and jaw kinematics and acoustic measurements were obtained. Results Both groups significantly increased sound pressure level (SPL) in the loud conditions as compared to comfortable. For the loud conditions, both groups had the highest SPL in background noise and 10dB and the lowest in twice as loud. Control participants produced the largest opening displacement in background noise and the smallest in twice as loud. Conversely, individuals with PD produced the largest opening displacement in twice as loud and the smallest in background noise. Conclusions Control participants and individuals with PD responded to cues to increase loudness in different ways. Changes in SPL may explain differences in kinematics for the control participants, but do not for individuals with PD. PMID:21386044

Molecular markers for identifying a new selected variety of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yang; Zhang, Xiaojun; Liu, Jingwen; Li, Fuhua; Huang, Hao; Li, Yijun; Liu, Xiaolin; Xiang, Jianhai

2015-01-01

Selective breeding of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei during the last decade has produced new varieties exhibiting high growth rates and disease resistance. However, the identification of new varieties of shrimps from their phenotypic characters is difficult. This study introduces a new approach for identifying varieties of shrimps using molecular markers of microsatellites and mitochondrial control region sequences. The method was employed to identify a new selected variety, Kehai No. 1 (KH-1), from three representative stocks (control group): Zhengda; Tongwei; and a stock collected from Fujian Province, which is now cultured in mainland China. By pooled genotyping of KH-1 and the control group, five microsatellites showing differences between KH-1 and the control group were screened out. Individual genotyping data confirmed the results from pooled genotyping. The genotyping data for the five microsatellites were applied to the assignment analysis of the KH-1 group and the control group using the partial Bayesian assignment method in GENECLASS2. By sequencing the mitochondrial control regions of individuals from the KH-1 and control group, four haplotypes were observed in the KH-1 group, whereas 14 haplotypes were obtained in the control group. By combining the microsatellite assignment analysis with mitochondrial control region analysis, the average accuracy of identification of individuals in the KH-1 group and control group reached 89%. The five selected microsatellite loci and mitochondrial control region sequences were highly polymorphic and could be used to distinguish new selected varieties of L. vannamei from other populations cultured in China.

Changes in Metallothionein Level in Rat Hepatic Tissue after Administration of Natural Mouldy Wheat

PubMed Central

Vasatkova, Anna; Krizova, Sarka; Adam, Vojtech; Zeman, Ladislav; Kizek, Rene

2009-01-01

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by microfungi that are capable of causing disease and death in humans and other animals. This work was aimed at investigation of influence of mouldy wheat contaminated by pathogenic fungi producing mycotoxins on metallothionein levels in hepatic tissue of rats. The rats were administrating feed mixtures with different contents of vitamins or naturally mouldy wheat for 28 days. It was found that the wheat contained deoxynivalenol (80 ± 5 μg per kg of mouldy wheat), zearalenone (56 ± 3 μg/kg), T2-toxin (20 ± 2 μg/kg) and aflatoxins as a sum of B1, B2, G1 and G2 (3.9 ± 0.2 μg/kg). Rats were fed diets containing 0, 33, 66 and 100% naturally moulded wheat. Control group 0, 33, 66 and 100% contained vitamins according to Nutrient Requirements of Rats (NRC). Other four groups (control group with vitamins, vit33, vit66 and vit100%) were fed on the same levels of mouldy wheat, also vitamins at levels 100% higher than the previous mixtures. We determined weight, feed conversion and performed dissection to observe pathological processes. Changes between control group and experimental groups exposed to influence of mouldy wheat and experimental groups supplemented by higher concentration of vitamins and mouldy wheat were not observed. Livers were sampled and did not demonstrate significant changes in morphology compared to control either. In the following experiments the levels of metallothionein as a marker of oxidative stress was determined. We observed a quite surprising trend in metallothionein levels in animals supplemented with increased concentration of vitamins. Its level enhanced with increasing content of mouldy wheat. It was possible to determine a statistically significant decline (p<0.05) between control group and groups of animals fed with 33, 66 and 100% mouldy wheat. It is likely that some mycotoxins presented in mouldy wheat are able to block the mechanism of metallothionein synthesis. PMID:19399242

An Ex-vivo Shear and tensile bond strengths of orthodontic molar tubes bonded using different techniques.

PubMed

Abu-Alhaija, Elham; Jaradat, Mohammad; Alwahadni, Ahed

2017-03-01

Molar bonding procedures need continuous improvement to be widely accepted clinically and eventually replace molar bands. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of enamel micro-abrasion and silane coating of the base of molar tubes on shear and tensile bond strengths of orthodontic molar tubes. A total of 200 third molars were randomly allocated into five groups of 40 teeth as follows: group 1: molar tubes bonded to etched teeth (37% phosphoric acid gel; control group); group 2: molar tubes bonded to etched teeth (37% phosphoric acid) with the addition of silane to the base of molar tubes; group 3: molar tubes bonded to teeth pre-treated with 18% hydrochloric acid and pumice (micro-abrasion); group 4: molar tubes bonded to teeth pre-treated with microabrasion with the addition of silane to the base of molar tubes; group 5: molar tubes bonded to teeth pre-treated with microabrasion before conventional acid etching combined with the addition of silane to the base of molar tubes. The bond strength testing was performed using a computer control electromechanical universal testing machine. The highest mean shear and tensile bond strengths were recorded in group 5 (13.81±2.54MPa and 13.97±2.29 MPa, respectively). Micro-abrasion alone (group 3) and the combination of enamel micro-abrasion and the addition of silane (group 4) produced bond strength values comparable to the control. Enamel surface pre-treatment (micro abrasion) before conventional acid etching combined with the addition of silane to the base of the molar tube produced the highest bond strengths among all tested groups. Key words: Molar, shear strength, tensile strength, orthodontic appliances.

An Ex-vivo Shear and tensile bond strengths of orthodontic molar tubes bonded using different techniques

PubMed Central

Alwahadni, Ahed

2017-01-01

Background Molar bonding procedures need continuous improvement to be widely accepted clinically and eventually replace molar bands. Material and Methods The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of enamel micro-abrasion and silane coating of the base of molar tubes on shear and tensile bond strengths of orthodontic molar tubes. A total of 200 third molars were randomly allocated into five groups of 40 teeth as follows: group 1: molar tubes bonded to etched teeth (37% phosphoric acid gel; control group); group 2: molar tubes bonded to etched teeth (37% phosphoric acid) with the addition of silane to the base of molar tubes; group 3: molar tubes bonded to teeth pre-treated with 18% hydrochloric acid and pumice (micro-abrasion); group 4: molar tubes bonded to teeth pre-treated with microabrasion with the addition of silane to the base of molar tubes; group 5: molar tubes bonded to teeth pre-treated with microabrasion before conventional acid etching combined with the addition of silane to the base of molar tubes. The bond strength testing was performed using a computer control electromechanical universal testing machine. Results The highest mean shear and tensile bond strengths were recorded in group 5 (13.81±2.54MPa and 13.97±2.29 MPa, respectively). Micro-abrasion alone (group 3) and the combination of enamel micro-abrasion and the addition of silane (group 4) produced bond strength values comparable to the control. Conclusions Enamel surface pre-treatment (micro abrasion) before conventional acid etching combined with the addition of silane to the base of the molar tube produced the highest bond strengths among all tested groups. Key words:Molar, shear strength, tensile strength, orthodontic appliances. PMID:28298990

Bacteriocins synthesized by Bacillus thuringiensis: generalities and potential applications.

PubMed

Salazar-Marroquín, Elma Laura; Galán-Wong, Luis J; Moreno-Medina, Víctor Ricardo; Reyes-López, Miguel Ángel; Pereyra-Alférez, Benito

2016-07-01

The members of the Bacillus thuringiensis group, commonly known as Bt, produce a huge number of metabolites, which show biocidal and antagonistic activity. B. thuringiensis is widely known for synthesizing Cry, Vip and Cyt proteins, active against insects and other parasporins with biocidal activity against certain types of cancerous cells. Nevertheless, B. thuringiensis also synthesizes compounds with antimicrobial activity, especially bacteriocins. Some B. thuringiensis bacteriocins resemble lantibiotics and other small linear peptides (class IIa) from the lactic acid bacteria bacteriocins classification system. Although many bacteriocins produced by Bt have been reported, there is no proper classification for them. In this work, we have grouped these based on molecular weight and functionality. Bacteriocins are small peptides synthesized by bacteria, presenting inhibitory activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and to a lesser extent against fungi. These molecules represent a good study model in the search for microbial control alternatives. Lactic acid bacteria produces a huge number of these types of molecules with great potential. Nonetheless, members of the Bacillus, cereus group, especially B. thuringiensis, emerge as an attractive alternative for obtaining bacteriocins showing novel activities. This review describes the potential applications of B. thuringiensis bacteriocins in the control of foodborne pathogens, environment and medical area.

Application of a rat hindlimb model: a prediction of force spaces reachable through stimulation of nerve fascicles.

PubMed

Johnson, Will L; Jindrich, Devin L; Zhong, Hui; Roy, Roland R; Edgerton, V Reggie

2011-12-01

A device to generate standing or locomotion through chronically placed electrodes has not been fully developed due in part to limitations of clinical experimentation and the high number of muscle activation inputs of the leg. We investigated the feasibility of functional electrical stimulation paradigms that minimize the input dimensions for controlling the limbs by stimulating at nerve fascicles, utilizing a model of the rat hindlimb, which combined previously collected morphological data with muscle physiological parameters presented herein. As validation of the model, we investigated the suitability of a lumped-parameter model for the prediction of muscle activation during dynamic tasks. Using the validated model, we found that the space of forces producible through activation of muscle groups sharing common nerve fascicles was nonlinearly dependent on the number of discrete muscle groups that could be individually activated (equivalently, the neuroanatomical level of activation). Seven commonly innervated muscle groups were sufficient to produce 78% of the force space producible through individual activation of the 42 modeled hindlimb muscles. This novel, neuroanatomically derived reduction in input dimension emphasizes the potential to simplify controllers for functional electrical stimulation to improve functional recovery after a neuromuscular injury.

Application of a Rat Hindlimb Model: A Prediction of Force Spaces Reachable Through Stimulation of Nerve Fascicles

PubMed Central

Johnson, Will L.; Jindrich, Devin L.; Zhong, Hui; Roy, Roland R.

2011-01-01

A device to generate standing or locomotion through chronically placed electrodes has not been fully developed due in part to limitations of clinical experimentation and the high number of muscle activation inputs of the leg. We investigated the feasibility of functional electrical stimulation paradigms that minimize the input dimensions for controlling the limbs by stimulating at nerve fascicles, utilizing a model of the rat hindlimb which combined previously collected morphological data with muscle physiological parameters presented herein. As validation of the model we investigated the suitability of a lumped-parameter model for prediction of muscle activation during dynamic tasks. Using the validated model we found that the space of forces producible through activation of muscle groups sharing common nerve fascicles was nonlinearly dependent on the number of discrete muscle groups that could be individually activated (equivalently, the neuroanatomical level of activation). Seven commonly innervated muscle groups were sufficient to produce 78% of the force space producible through individual activation of the 42 modeled hindlimb muscles. This novel, neuroanatomically derived reduction in input dimension emphasizes the potential to simplify controllers for functional electrical stimulation to improve functional recovery after a neuromuscular injury. PMID:21244999

Autonomous Operations System: Development and Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toro Medina, Jaime A.; Wilkins, Kim N.; Walker, Mark; Stahl, Gerald M.

2016-01-01

Autonomous control systems provides the ability of self-governance beyond the conventional control system. As the complexity of mechanical and electrical systems increases, there develops a natural drive for developing robust control systems to manage complicated operations. By closing the bridge between conventional automated systems to knowledge based self-awareness systems, nominal control of operations can evolve into relying on safe critical mitigation processes to support any off-nominal behavior. Current research and development efforts lead by the Autonomous Propellant Loading (APL) group at NASA Kennedy Space Center aims to improve cryogenic propellant transfer operations by developing an automated control and health monitoring system. As an integrated systems, the center aims to produce an Autonomous Operations System (AOS) capable of integrating health management operations with automated control to produce a fully autonomous system.

Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure have Different Frequency Domain Signal Characteristics when Producing Isometric Force

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Tanya T.; Ashrafi, Ashkan; Thomas, Jennifer D.; Riley, Edward P.; Simmons, Roger W.

2013-01-01

To extend our current understanding of the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the control of isometric force, the present study investigated the signal characteristics of power spectral density functions resulting from sustained control of isometric force by children with and without heavy prenatal exposure to alcohol. It was predicted that the functions associated with the force signals would be fundamentally different for the two groups. Twenty-five children aged between 7 and 17 years with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and 21 non-alcohol exposed control children attempted to duplicate a visually represented target force by pressing on a load cell. The level of target force (5 and 20% of maximum voluntary contraction) and the time interval between visual feedback (20ms, 320ms and 740ms) were manipulated. A multivariate spectral estimation method with sinusoidal windows was applied to individual isometric force-time signals. Analysis of the resulting power spectral density functions revealed that the alcohol-exposed children had a lower mean frequency, less spectral variability, greater peak power and a lower frequency at which peak power occurred. Furthermore, mean frequency and spectral variability produced by the alcohol-exposed group remained constant across target load and visual feedback interval, suggesting that these children were limited to making long-time scale corrections to the force signal. In contrast, the control group produced decreased mean frequency and spectral variability as target force and the interval between visual feedback increased, indicating that when feedback was frequently presented these children used the information to make short-time scale adjustments to the ongoing force signal. Knowledge of these differences could facilitate the design of motor rehabilitation exercises that specifically target isometric force control deficits in alcohol-exposed children. PMID:23238099

Clear Speech Variants: An Acoustic Study in Parkinson's Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Jennifer; Tjaden, Kris

2016-01-01

Purpose: The authors investigated how different variants of clear speech affect segmental and suprasegmental acoustic measures of speech in speakers with Parkinson's disease and a healthy control group. Method: A total of 14 participants with Parkinson's disease and 14 control participants served as speakers. Each speaker produced 18 different…

Analyzing Randomized Controlled Interventions: Three Notes for Applied Linguists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanhove, Jan

2015-01-01

I discuss three common practices that obfuscate or invalidate the statistical analysis of randomized controlled interventions in applied linguistics. These are (a) checking whether randomization produced groups that are balanced on a number of possibly relevant covariates, (b) using repeated measures ANOVA to analyze pretest-posttest designs, and…

Biochemical alterations induced by oral subchronic exposure to fipronil, fluoride and their combination in buffalo calves.

PubMed

Gill, Kamalpreet Kaur; Dumka, Vinod Kumar

2013-11-01

The effects of various pesticides and minerals on biochemical parameters have been explored in different species, but hardly any data exist regarding the combined toxicological effect of pesticides and minerals on these parameters in animals. The present study investigated the effects of fipronil and fluoride co-exposure on biochemical parameters in buffalo calves. Twenty-four healthy male buffalo calves divided into four groups were treated for 98 consecutive days. Group I, receiving no treatment served as the control. Animals of groups II and III were orally administered with fipronil @ 0.5mg/kg/day and sodium fluoride (NaF) @ 6.67 mg/kg/day, respectively, for 98 days. An additional group IV was co-administered fipronil and NaF at the same dosages as groups II and III. Administration of fipronil alone produced mild toxic signs, significant elevation in plasma proteins, blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and significant decline in the plasma cholesterol levels. NaF exposure produced toxic signs specifically of muscle weakness and brown and black discoloration of teeth. Significant elevation was seen in whole blood cholinesterase, BUN and creatinine levels. However, it produced significant decline in blood glucose, cholesterol and plasma protein levels. Combined exposure to fipronil and sodium fluoride produced toxic signs with greater intensity while biochemical alterations produced were similar to those that were produced by their individual exposures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of humoral immunity and protective efficacy of biofilm producing Staphylococcus aureus bacterin-toxoid prepared from a bovine mastitis isolate in rabbit

PubMed Central

A., Raza; G., Muhammad; S. U., Rahman; I., Rashid; K., Hanif; A., Atta; S., Sharif

2015-01-01

Mastitis is a one of the major diseases of dairy animals. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common microorganism associated with this dairy scourge. Cure rates of mastitis associated with this pathogen are appallingly low. Biofilm is an important virulence factor and immunogenic structure of S. aureus that makes it resistant to phagocytosis and antibiotics. Reports on the efficacy of vaccine prepared from a biofilm producing S. aureus are infrequent. The present study was designed to evaluate the role of a bacterin-toxoid prepared from a strong biofilm producing S. aureus in effective immunization of rabbits. The strong biofilm producing S. aureus selected from 64 isolates of staphylococci was used to prepare bacterin-toxoid and aluminum hydroxide gel was added as an adjuvant. The vaccine was evaluated in rabbits by challenge protection assay and humoral immune response. The mortality rates in control and vaccinated groups were 80% and 10% at day 7 post challenge and 100% and 20% at day 15 post challenge, respectively. Serum antibody titer (GMT) was significantly higher (294.0) in vaccinated group as compared to control group of rabbits (2.63) at day 45. The results showed that the vaccine has significantly elicited humoral immune response in rabbit and developed protective efficacy against new infections. PMID:27175154

Chemical control of ticks on cattle and the resistance of these parasites to acaricides.

PubMed

George, J E; Pound, J M; Davey, R B

2004-01-01

Toward the end of the nineteenth century a complex of problems related to ticks and tick-borne diseases of cattle created a demand for methods to control ticks and reduce losses of cattle. The discovery and use of arsenical solutions in dipping vats for treating cattle to protect them against ticks revolutionized tick and tick-borne disease control programmes. Arsenic dips for cattle were used for about 40 years before the evolution of resistance of ticks to the chemical, and the development and marketing of synthetic organic acaricides after World War II provided superior alternative products. Most of the major groups of organic pesticides are represented on the list of chemicals used to control ticks on cattle. Unfortunately, the successive evolution of resistance of ticks to acaricides in each chemical group with the concomitant reduction in the usefulness of a group of acaricides is a major reason for the diversity of acaricides. Whether a producer chooses a traditional method for treating cattle with an acaricide or uses a new method, he must recognize the benefits, limitations and potential problems with each application method and product. Simulation models and research were the basis of recommendations for tick control strategies advocating approaches that reduced reliance on acaricides. These recommendations for controlling ticks on cattle are in harmony with recommendations for reducing the rate of selection for acaricide resistance. There is a need to transfer knowledge about tick control and resistance mitigation strategies to cattle producers.

Failure to produce taste-aversion learning in rats exposed to static electric fields and air ions

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

Creim, J.A.; Lovely, R.H.; Weigel, R.J.

1995-12-01

Taste-aversion (TA) learning was measured to determine whether exposure to high-voltage direct current (HVdc) static electric fields can produce TA learning in male Long Evans rats. Fifty-six rats were randomly distributed into four groups of 14 rats each. All rats were placed on a 20 min/day drinking schedule for 12 consecutive days prior to receiving five conditioning trials. During the conditioning trials, access to 0.1% sodium saccharin-flavored water was given for 20 min, followed 30 min later by one of four treatments. Two groups of 14 rats each were individually exposed to static electric fields and air ions, one groupmore » to +75 kV/m (+2 {times} 10{sup 5} air ions/cm{sup 3}) and the other group to {minus}75 kV/m ({minus}2 {times} 10{sup 5} air ions/cm{sup 3}). Two other groups of 14 rats each served as sham-exposed controls, with the following variation in one of the sham-exposed groups: this group was subdivided into two subsets of seven rats each, so that a positive control group could be included to validate the experimental design. The positive control group (n = 7) was injected with cyclophosphamide 25 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min after access to saccharin-flavored water on conditioning days, whereas the other subset of seven rats was similarly injected with an equivalent volume of saline. Access to saccharin-flavored water on conditioning days was followed by the treatments described above and was alternated daily with water recovery sessions in which the rats received access to water for 20 min in the home cage without further treatment. Following the last water-recovery session, a 20 min, two-bottle preference test (between water and saccharin-flavored water) was administered to each group. The positive control group did show TA learning, thus validating the experimental protocol.« less

Saccadic performance in questionnaire-identified schizotypes over time.

PubMed

Gooding, Diane C; Shea, Heather B; Matts, Christie W

2005-02-28

In the present study, 121 young adults (mean age=19 years), hypothesized to be at varying levels of risk for psychosis on the basis of their psychometric profiles, were administered saccadic (antisaccade and refixation) tasks at two separate assessments. At Time 1, individuals posited to be at heightened risk for the later development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (i.e., those individuals with elevated Social Anhedonia Scale [SAS] scores) produced significantly more antisaccade task errors than the controls. Despite apparent improvement in antisaccade task performance from initial testing to the follow-up (mean test-retest interval=59 months) across all groups, the Social Anhedonia (SocAnh) group continued to produce significantly more errors than the control group. The antisaccade task performance of the control group showed good temporal stability (Pearson's r=0.70, ICC=0.52), and the SocAnh group's performance showed excellent temporal stability (Pearson's r=0.85, ICC=0.83). The results of this investigation are twofold: First, antisaccade task performance is temporally stable, even in psychometrically identified schizotypes over long test-retest intervals; and secondly, Social Anhedonia Scale scores as well as Time 1 antisaccade task accuracy accounted for much of the variability in Time 2 antisaccade task performance. These findings add to the growing body of literature suggesting that antisaccade task deficits may serve as an endophenotypic marker of a schizophrenia diathesis.

The Effect of Structured Decision-Making Techniques and Gender on Student Reaction and Quality of Written Documents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neal, Joan; Echternacht, Lonnie

1995-01-01

Experimental groups used four decision-making techniques--reverse brainstorming (RS), dialectical inquiry (DI), devil's advocacy (DA), and consensus--in evaluating writing assignments. Control group produced a better quality document. Student reaction to negative features of RS, DI, and DA were not significant. (SK)

The role of plumage polymorphism in dominance relationshipt of the white-throated sparrow

Treesearch

Doris J. Watt; C. John Ralph; Carter T. Atkinson

1984-01-01

We studied dominance behaviors of captive winter flocks of White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) in central Pennsylvania. Preliminary tests with a small group of birds indicated that there might be differences in behaviors between color morphs if age and sexual differences were controlled. Studies of two larger groups produced...

Imitated Prosodic Fluency Predicts Reading Comprehension Ability in Good and Poor High School Readers

PubMed Central

Breen, Mara; Kaswer, Lianne; Van Dyke, Julie A.; Krivokapić, Jelena; Landi, Nicole

2016-01-01

Researchers have established a relationship between beginning readers' silent comprehension ability and their prosodic fluency, such that readers who read aloud with appropriate prosody tend to have higher scores on silent reading comprehension assessments. The current study was designed to investigate this relationship in two groups of high school readers: Specifically Poor Comprehenders (SPCs), who have adequate word level and phonological skills but poor reading comprehension ability, and a group of age- and decoding skill-matched controls. We compared the prosodic fluency of the two groups by determining how effectively they produced prosodic cues to syntactic and semantic structure in imitations of a model speaker's production of syntactically and semantically varied sentences. Analyses of pitch and duration patterns revealed that speakers in both groups produced the expected prosodic patterns; however, controls provided stronger durational cues to syntactic structure. These results demonstrate that the relationship between prosodic fluency and reading comprehension continues past the stage of early reading instruction. Moreover, they suggest that prosodically fluent speakers may also generate more fluent implicit prosodic representations during silent reading, leading to more effective comprehension. PMID:27486409

Tribocorrosion behavior of biofunctional titanium oxide films produced by micro-arc oxidation: Synergism and mechanisms.

PubMed

Marques, Isabella da Silva Vieira; Alfaro, Maria Fernanda; Cruz, Nilson Cristino da; Mesquita, Marcelo Ferraz; Takoudis, Christos; Sukotjo, Cortino; Mathew, Mathew T; Barão, Valentim Adelino Ricardo

2016-07-01

Dental implants, inserted into the oral cavity, are subjected to a synergistic interaction of wear and corrosion (tribocorrosion), which may lead to implant failures. The objective of this study was to investigate the tribocorrosion behavior of Ti oxide films produced by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) under oral environment simulation. MAO was conducted under different conditions as electrolyte composition: Ca/P (0.3M/0.02M or 0.1M/0.03M) incorporated with/without Ag (0.62g/L) or Si (0.04M); and treatment duration (5 and 10min). Non-coated and sandblasted samples were used as controls. The surfaces morphology, topography and chemical composition were assessed to understand surface properties. ANOVA and Tukey׳s HSD tests were used (α=0.05). Biofunctional porous oxide layers were obtained. Higher Ca/P produced larger porous and harder coatings when compared to non-coated group (p<0.001), due to the presence of rutile crystalline structure. The total mass loss (Kwc), which includes mass loss due to wear (Kw) and that due to corrosion (Kc) were determined. The dominant wear regime was found for higher Ca/P groups (Kc/Kw≈0.05) and a mechanism of wear-corrosion for controls and lower Ca/P groups (Kc/Kw≈0.11). The group treated for 10min and enriched with Ag presented the lowest Kwc (p<0.05). Overall, MAO process was able to produce biofunctional oxide films with improved surface features, working as tribocorrosion resistant surfaces. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of extended-release tramadol for treatment of prescription opioid withdrawal: A two-phase randomized controlled trial*

PubMed Central

Lofwall, Michelle R.; Babalonis, Shanna; Nuzzo, Paul A.; Siegel, Anthony; Campbell, Charles; Walsh, Sharon L.

2013-01-01

Background Tramadol is an atypical analgesic with monoamine and modest mu opioid agonist activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate: 1) the efficacy of extended-release (ER) tramadol in treating prescription opioid withdrawal and 2) whether cessation of ER tramadol produces opioid withdrawal. Methods Prescription opioid users with current opioid dependence and observed withdrawal participated in this inpatient, two-phase double blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. In Phase 1 (days 1-7), participants were randomly assigned to matched oral placebo or ER tramadol (200 or 600 mg daily). In Phase 2 (days 8-13), all participants underwent double blind crossover to placebo. Breakthrough withdrawal medications were available for all subjects. Enrollment continued until 12 completers/group was achieved. Results Use of breakthrough withdrawal medication differed significantly (p<0.05) among groups in both phases; the 200 mg group received the least amount in Phase 1, and the 600 mg group received the most in both phases. In Phase 1, tramadol 200 mg produced significantly lower peak ratings than placebo on ratings of insomnia, lacrimation, muscular tension, and sneezing. Only tramadol 600 mg produced miosis in Phase 1. In Phase 2, tramadol 600 mg produced higher peak ratings of rhinorrhea, irritable, depressed, heavy/sluggish, and hot/cold flashes than placebo. There were no serious adverse events and no signal of abuse liability for tramadol. Conclusions ER tramadol 200 mg modestly attenuated opioid withdrawal. Mild opioid withdrawal occurred after cessation of treatment with 600 mg tramadol. These data support the continued investigation of tramadol as a treatment for opioid withdrawal. PMID:23755929

Randomized Clinical Trial of Virtual Reality Simulation Training for Transvaginal Gynecologic Ultrasound Skills.

PubMed

Chao, Coline; Chalouhi, Gihad E; Bouhanna, Philippe; Ville, Yves; Dommergues, Marc

2015-09-01

To compare the impact of virtual reality simulation training and theoretical teaching on the ability of inexperienced trainees to produce adequate virtual transvaginal ultrasound images. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with parallel groups. Participants included inexperienced residents starting a training program in Paris. The intervention consisted of 40 minutes of virtual reality simulation training using a haptic transvaginal simulator versus 40 minutes of conventional teaching including a conference with slides and videos and answers to the students' questions. The outcome was a 19-point image quality score calculated from a set of 4 images (sagittal and coronal views of the uterus and left and right ovaries) produced by trainees immediately after the intervention, using the same simulator on which a new virtual patient had been uploaded. Experts assessed the outcome on stored images, presented in a random order, 2 months after the trial was completed. They were blinded to group assignment. The hypothesis was an improved outcome in the intervention group. Randomization was 1 to 1. The mean score was significantly greater in the simulation group (n = 16; mean score, 12; SEM, 0.8) than the control group (n = 18; mean score, 9; SEM, 1.0; P= .0302). The quality of virtual vaginal images produced by inexperienced trainees was greater immediately after a single virtual reality simulation training session than after a single theoretical teaching session. © 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Functional neuroanatomy of auditory scene analysis in Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

Golden, Hannah L.; Agustus, Jennifer L.; Goll, Johanna C.; Downey, Laura E.; Mummery, Catherine J.; Schott, Jonathan M.; Crutch, Sebastian J.; Warren, Jason D.

2015-01-01

Auditory scene analysis is a demanding computational process that is performed automatically and efficiently by the healthy brain but vulnerable to the neurodegenerative pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Here we assessed the functional neuroanatomy of auditory scene analysis in Alzheimer's disease using the well-known ‘cocktail party effect’ as a model paradigm whereby stored templates for auditory objects (e.g., hearing one's spoken name) are used to segregate auditory ‘foreground’ and ‘background’. Patients with typical amnestic Alzheimer's disease (n = 13) and age-matched healthy individuals (n = 17) underwent functional 3T-MRI using a sparse acquisition protocol with passive listening to auditory stimulus conditions comprising the participant's own name interleaved with or superimposed on multi-talker babble, and spectrally rotated (unrecognisable) analogues of these conditions. Name identification (conditions containing the participant's own name contrasted with spectrally rotated analogues) produced extensive bilateral activation involving superior temporal cortex in both the AD and healthy control groups, with no significant differences between groups. Auditory object segregation (conditions with interleaved name sounds contrasted with superimposed name sounds) produced activation of right posterior superior temporal cortex in both groups, again with no differences between groups. However, the cocktail party effect (interaction of own name identification with auditory object segregation processing) produced activation of right supramarginal gyrus in the AD group that was significantly enhanced compared with the healthy control group. The findings delineate an altered functional neuroanatomical profile of auditory scene analysis in Alzheimer's disease that may constitute a novel computational signature of this neurodegenerative pathology. PMID:26029629

Efficacy of Psychosocial Interventions in Inducing and Maintaining Alcohol Abstinence in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Khan, Anam; Tansel, Aylin; White, Donna L; Kayani, Waleed Tallat; Bano, Shah; Lindsay, Jan; El-Serag, Hashem B; Kanwal, Fasiha

2016-02-01

We conducted a systematic review of efficacy of psychosocial interventions in inducing or maintaining alcohol abstinence in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). We performed structured keyword searches in PubMed, PsychINFO, and MEDLINE for original research articles that were published from January 1983 through November 2014 that evaluated the use of psychosocial interventions to induce or maintain alcohol abstinence in patients with CLD and AUD. We identified 13 eligible studies that comprised 1945 patients; 5 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Delivered therapies included motivational enhancement therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, supportive therapy, and psychoeducation either alone or in combination in the intervention group and general health education or treatment as usual in the control group. All studies of induction of abstinence (4 RCTs and 6 observational studies) reported an increase in abstinence among participants in the intervention and control groups. Only an integrated therapy that combined CBT and motivational enhancement therapy with comprehensive medical care, delivered during a period of 2 years, produced a significant increase in abstinence (74% increase in intervention group vs 48% increase in control group, P = .02), which was reported in 1 RCT. All studies of maintenance of abstinence (1 RCT and 2 observational studies) observed recidivism in the intervention and control groups. Only an integrated therapy that combined medical care with CBT produced a significantly smaller rate of recidivism (32.7% in integrated CBT group vs 75% in control group, P = .03), which was reported from 1 observational study. However, data were not collected for more than 2 years on outcomes of patients with CLD and AUD. In a systematic analysis of studies of interventions to induce or maintain alcohol abstinence in patients with CLD and AUD, integrated combination psychotherapy with CBT, motivational enhancement therapy, and comprehensive medical care increased alcohol abstinence. No psychosocial intervention was successful in maintaining abstinence, but an integrated therapy with CBT and medical care appears to reduce recidivism. Copyright © 2016 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of Psychosocial Interventions in Inducing and Maintaining Alcohol Abstinence in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease – A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Khan, Anam; Tansel, Aylin; White, Donna L.; Kayani, Waleed Tallat; Bano, Shah; Lindsay, Jan; El-Serag, Hashem B.; Kanwal, Fasiha

2016-01-01

Background & Aims We conducted a systematic review of efficacy of psychosocial interventions in inducing or maintaining alcohol abstinence in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods We performed structured keyword searches in PubMed, PsychINFO, and MEDLINE for original research articles, published from January 1983 through November 2014, that evaluated the use of psychosocial interventions to induce or maintain alcohol abstinence in patients with CLD and AUD. Results We identified 13 eligible studies, comprising 1945 patients; 5 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Delivered therapies included motivational enhancement therapy (MET), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), supportive therapy and psychoeducation either alone or in combination in the intervention group and general health education or treatment as usual in the control group. All studies of induction of abstinence (4 RCTs and 6 observational studies) reported an increase in abstinence among participants in the intervention and control groups. Only an integrated therapy that combined CBT and MET with comprehensive medical care, delivered over 2 years, produced a significant increase in abstinence (74% increase in intervention group versus 48% increase in control group; P=.02), reported in 1 RCT. All studies of maintenance of abstinence (1 RCT and 2 observational studies) observed recidivism in the intervention and control groups. Only an integrated therapy that combined medical care with CBT produced a significantly smaller rate of recidivism (32.7% in integrated CBT group versus 75% decrease in control group, P=.03), reported from 1 observational study. However, data were not collected for more than 2 y on outcomes of patients with CLD and AUD. Conclusion In a systematic analysis of studies of interventions to induce or maintain alcohol abstinence in patients with CLD and AUD, integrated combination psychotherapy with CBT, motivational enhancement therapy, and comprehensive medical care increased alcohol abstinence. No psychosocial intervention was successful in maintaining abstinence, but an integrated therapy with CBT and medical care appears to reduce recidivism. PMID:26256464

Cryosurvival and pregnancy rates after exposure of IVF-derived Bos indicus embryos to forskolin before vitrification.

PubMed

Sanches, B V; Marinho, L S R; Filho, B D O; Pontes, J H F; Basso, A C; Meirinhos, M L G; Silva-Santos, K C; Ferreira, C R; Seneda, M M

2013-09-01

In vitro-produced (IVP) bovine embryos are more sensitive to cryopreservation than their in vivo counterparts due to their higher lipid concentrations, whereas Bos indicus IVP embryos are even more sensitive than Bos taurus IVP embryos. To examine the effects of a lipolytic agent, before vitrification of Bos indicus IVP embryos, on embryo survival, viability, and pregnancy rates, two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, Bos indicus (Nelore) embryos were produced from abattoir-derived ovaries and allocated into two groups. In the treatment group, 10 μM of forskolin was added to the in vitro culture medium on Day 5 and incubated for 48 hours. On Day 7 of culture, IVP-expanded blastocysts from both the control (n = 101) and treatment (n = 112) groups were vitrified with ethylene glycol and DMSO via the Cryotop procedure. Although there was no significant difference between the rates of blastocoel reexpansion and hatching of the embryos exposed to forskolin (87.5% and 70.5%, respectively) compared with the control embryos (79.2% and 63.3%, respectively), the numerically superior rates of the embryos exposed to forskolin led to another experiment. In experiment 2, blastocysts produced from the ovum pick up were exposed or not exposed to the lipolytic agent and vitrified as in experiment 1. Embryos treated with forskolin had higher pregnancy rates than the control group (48.8% vs. 18.5%). In view of these results, 1908 Bos indicus embryos were produced from ovum pick up, exposed to the lipolytic agent, and blastocysts were transferred to recipients, and the pregnancy rates of the embryos of various breeds were compared. The mean pregnancy rate obtained was 43.2%. All data were analyzed by chi-square or by binary logistic regression (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, treatment with forskolin before vitrification improved cryotolerance of Bos indicus IVP embryos, resulting in good post-transfer pregnancy rates. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scleral gene expression during recovery from myopia compared with expression during myopia development in tree shrew.

PubMed

Guo, Lin; Frost, Michael R; Siegwart, John T; Norton, Thomas T

2014-01-01

During postnatal refractive development, the sclera receives retinally generated signals that regulate its biochemical properties. Hyperopic refractive error causes the retina to produce "GO" signals that, through the direct emmetropization pathway, cause scleral remodeling that increases the axial elongation rate of the eye, reducing the hyperopia. Myopia causes the retina to generate "STOP" signals that produce scleral remodeling, slowing the axial elongation rate and reducing the myopia. Our aim was to compare the pattern of gene expression produced in the sclera by the STOP signals with the GO gene expression signature we described previously. The GO gene expression signature was produced by monocular -5 diopter (D) lens wear for 2 days (ML-2) or 4 days (ML-4); an additional "STAY" condition was examined after eyes had fully compensated for a -5 D lens after 11 days of lens wear (ML-11). After 11 days of -5 D lens wear had produced full refractive compensation, gene expression in the STOP condition was examined during recovery (without the lens) for 2 days (REC-2) or 4 days (REC-4). The untreated contralateral eyes served as a control in all groups. Two age-matched normal groups provided a comparison with the treated groups. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure mRNA levels for 55 candidate genes. The STAY group compensated fully for the lens (treated eye versus control eye, -5.1±0.2 D). Wearing the lens, the hyperopic signal for elongation had dissipated (-0.3±0.3 D). In the STOP groups, the refraction in the recovering eyes became less myopic relative to the control eyes (REC-2, +1.3±0.3 D; REC-4, +2.6±0.4 D). In the STAY group, three genes showed significant downregulation. However, many genes that were significantly altered in GO showed smaller, nonsignificant, expression differences in the same direction in STAY, suggesting the gene expression signature in STAY is a greatly weakened form of the GO signature. In the STOP groups, a different gene expression pattern was observed, characterized by mostly upregulation with larger fold differences after 4 days than after 2 days of recovery. Eleven of the 55 genes examined showed significant bidirectional GO/STOP regulation in the ML-2 and REC-2 groups, and 13 genes showed bidirectional regulation in the ML-4 and REC-4 groups. Eight of these genes (NPR3, CAPNS1, NGEF, TGFB1, CTGF, NOV, TIMP1, and HS6ST1) were bidirectionally regulated at both time points in the GO and STOP conditions. An additional 15 genes showed significant regulation in either GO or STOP conditions but not in both. Many genes are involved in scleral remodeling and the control of axial length. The STOP (recovery) gene expression signature in the sclera involves some of the same genes, bidirectionally regulated, as the GO signature. However, other genes, regulated in GO, are not differentially regulated in STOP, and others show differential regulation only in STOP.

Comparison of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Parasternal Block for Postoperative Pain Management after Cardiac Surgery

PubMed Central

Ozturk, Nilgun Kavrut; Baki, Elif Dogan; Kavakli, Ali Sait; Sahin, Ayca Sultan; Ayoglu, Raif Umut; Karaveli, Arzu; Emmiler, Mustafa; Inanoglu, Kerem; Karsli, Bilge

2016-01-01

Background. Parasternal block and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have been demonstrated to produce effective analgesia and reduce postoperative opioid requirements in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Objectives. To compare the effectiveness of TENS and parasternal block on early postoperative pain after cardiac surgery. Methods. One hundred twenty patients undergoing cardiac surgery were enrolled in the present randomized, controlled prospective study. Patients were assigned to three treatment groups: parasternal block, intermittent TENS application, or a control group. Results. Pain scores recorded 4 h, 5 h, 6 h, 7 h, and 8 h postoperatively were lower in the parasternal block group than in the TENS and control groups. Total morphine consumption was also lower in the parasternal block group than in the TENS and control groups. It was also significantly lower in the TENS group than in the control group. There were no statistical differences among the groups regarding the extubation time, rescue analgesic medication, length of intensive care unit stay, or length of hospital stay. Conclusions. Parasternal block was more effective than TENS in the management of early postoperative pain and the reduction of opioid requirements in patients who underwent cardiac surgery through median sternotomy. This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT02725229. PMID:27445610

Research protocol: effect of natural S-equol on blood pressure and vascular function--a six-month randomized controlled trial among equol non-producers of postmenopausal women with prehypertension or untreated stage 1 hypertension.

PubMed

Liu, Zhao-min; Ho, Suzanne C; Chen, Yu-ming; Xie, Yao Jie; Huang, Zhi-guan; Ling, Wen-hua

2016-03-01

Although higher habitual soy intake is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and stroke incidence, clinical trials using soy protein or isoflavones on cardiovascular risks yielded inconsistent results. The discrepancies are hypothesized to be due to the individuals' intestinal bacterial capacity to metabolite isoflavones daidzein into equol. Animal and in vitro studies have revealed that equol has stronger estrogen-like and anti-oxidative activity than isoflavones and possesses natriuretic and vasorelaxant properties which may play an important role in the prevention of hypertension. However, no clinical trial has examined the effect of equol on BP. We thus propose a 24-week randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of natural S-equol on BP and vascular function among equol non-producers. This will be a 6-month double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial among 207 non-equol producing postmenopausal women with prehypertension or early untreated hypertension. Eligible participants who have completed a 2-week run-in will be randomized to either one of the 3 groups: placebo group, low-equol group (10 mg/d) and high equol group (20 mg/d). The outcome measures will be conducted at baseline and at the end of the trial including 24 h ambulatory BP, endothelial function (by ultrasound determined brachial flow mediated dilation), arterial stiffness (by pulse wave analysis) and other cardiovascular risk factors (lipid profile, glycemic control and inflammatory biomarkers). Urinary isoflavones will be tested for compliance assessment. One way analysis of variance will be applied to compare the 6-month changes in ambulatory BP or parameters of vascular function among the 3 treatment groups. This study will be performed in community subjects. If the antihypertensive effect of equol is proven, the provision of natural equol to those high risk adults who are unable to produce equol will have enormous public health implications for the primary and secondary prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases on a population basis. The research efforts will also have significant implications for industry in the provision of suitable soy products for the prevention of hypertension and its related complications. The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier of NCT02515682 .

Wound healing activity of Sida cordifolia Linn. in rats.

PubMed

Pawar, Rajesh S; Chaurasiya, Pradeep K; Rajak, Harish; Singour, Pradeep K; Toppo, Fedelic Ashish; Jain, Ankit

2013-01-01

The present study provides a scientific evaluation for the wound healing potential of ethanolic (EtOH) extract of Sida cordifolia Linn. (SCL) plant. Excision, incision and burn wounds were inflicted upon three groups of six rats each. Group I was assigned as control (ointment base). Group II was treated with 10% EtOH extract ointment. Group III was treated with standard silver sulfadiazine (0.01%) cream. The parameters observed were percentage of wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength including histopathological studies. It was noted that the effect produced by the ethanolic extract of SCL ointment showed significant (P < 0.01) healing in all wound models when compared with the control group. All parameters such as wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength and histopathological studies showed significant (P < 0.01) changes when compared with the control. The ethanolic extract ointment of SCL effectively stimulates wound contraction; increases tensile strength of excision, incision and burn wounds.

Effects of aromatherapy massage on anxiety and self-esteem in korean elderly women: a pilot study.

PubMed

Rho, Kook-Hee; Han, Sun-Hee; Kim, Keum-Soon; Lee, Myeong Soo

2006-12-01

This study investigated the effects of aromatherapy massage on the anxiety and self-esteem experienced by Korean elderly women. A quasi-experimental, control group, pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects comprised 36 elderly females: 16 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group. Aromatherapy massage using lavender, chamomile, rosemary, and lemon was given to the experimental group only. Each massage session lasted 20 min, and was performed 3 times per week for two 3-week periods with an intervening 1-week break. The intervention produced significant differences in the anxiety and self-esteem and no significant differences in blood pressure or pulse rate between the two groups. These results suggest that aromatherapy massage exerts positive effects on anxiety and self-esteem. However, more objective, clinical measures should be applied in a future study with a randomized placebo-controlled design.

Effects of aromatherapy massage on blood pressure and lipid profile in korean climacteric women.

PubMed

Hur, Myung-Haeng; Oh, Heeyoung; Lee, Myeong Soo; Kim, Chan; Choi, Ae-Na; Shin, Gil-Ran

2007-09-01

This study investigated the effects of aromatherapy massage on the lipid profile and blood pressure in Korean climacteric women. A wait-listed control group, pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects comprised 58 climacteric women: 30 in the experimental group and 28 in the control group. Aromatherapy massage using lavender, rose geranium, rose, and jasmine was given to the experimental group only. Each massage session lasted 30 minutes, and was performed once weekly for two 8-week periods with self abdominal daily massage at home. The intervention produced significant differences in the systolic blood pressure compare to pretreatment and significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressures at posttreatment between the two groups. These results suggest that aromatherapy massage may exert positive effects on blood pressure. However, more objective, clinical measures should be applied in a future study with a randomized placebo-controlled design.

Evaluation of protective efficacy of Spirulina platensis in Balb/C mice with candidiasis.

PubMed

Soltani, M; Khosravi, A-R; Asadi, F; Shokri, H

2012-12-01

This study was aimed at evaluating the immunostimulatory effect of Spirulina platensis in prophylaxis of Balb/C mice with systemic candidiasis. In first experiment, 40 mice were divided into four groups, ten mice per each group, for cytokines assay. Animals received a dose of 800mg/kg of S. platensis for 4days and then were intravenously inoculated with 1×10(6) Candida albicans. Control groups received 0.2mL and 0.1mL normal saline for prophylaxis and inoculation, respectively. Five mice from each group were euthanized after 24hours and 72hours and the serum levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. In second experiment, two mice groups with systemic candidiasis, 11 mice per each group, were included to evaluate the survival rate. Animals were monitored for 30days and the kidneys, liver, lungs and spleen were analyzed for fungal invasion. The results indicated that the Spirulina-treated mice produced more IFN-g and TNF-α level than their control groups. This infected group showed that the mean survival time (28.86±2.7) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than control group (13.9±3.34). They also exhibited that fungal clearance in selected organs at death time represents significant differences between spleen and liver (P<0.05). Prophylaxis with S. platensis had synergistic effect through producing cytokines such as TNF-α and IFN-γ. Our results provide important information for the potential application of S. platensis in the treatment and resistance of Balb/C mice with systemic candidiasis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Mycoprotein reduces blood lipids in free-living subjects.

PubMed

Turnbull, W H; Leeds, A R; Edwards, D G

1992-02-01

Mycoprotein is a food produced by continuous fermentation of Fusarium graminearum (Schwabe). A previous metabolic study showed that mycoprotein decreased total and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increased high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of mycoprotein under free-living conditions. Two groups of subjects with slightly raised cholesterol concentrations participated in the 8-wk study. The experimental group was fed cookies containing mycoprotein and the control group was fed a nutrient-balanced cookie without mycoprotein. After 8 wk of treatment total cholesterol was reduced by 0.46 mmol/L in the control group and 0.95 mmol/L in the mycoprotein group, and LDL was reduced by 0.34 mmol/L in the control group and 0.84 mmol/L in the mycoprotein group. All analysis of variance differences were statistically significant. This study confirms the metabolic-study results and we are now relatively confident that mycoprotein exerts a beneficial effect on blood lipids.

Design, development, and evaluation of visual aids for communicating prescription drug instructions to nonliterate patients in rural Cameroon.

PubMed

Ngoh, L N; Shepherd, M D

1997-03-01

In this study, culturally sensitive visual aids designed to help convey drug information to nonliterate female adults who had a prescription for a solid oral dosage form of antibiotic medications were developed and evaluated. The researchers conceptualized the educational messages while a local artist produced the visual aids. Seventy-eight female ambulatory patients were evaluated for comprehension and compliance with antibiotic prescription instructions. The study was conducted in three health centers in Cameroon, West Africa and followed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up format for three groups: two experimental, and one control. All participants were randomly assigned to either experimental or control groups, 26 patients to each group. Subjects in the experimental groups received visual aids alone or visual aids plus an Advanced Organizer. A comparison of the three groups showed that subjects in the experimental groups scored significantly higher than the control group in both the comprehension and compliance measures.

First step in managing bulimia nervosa: controlled trial of therapeutic manual.

PubMed Central

Treasure, J.; Schmidt, U.; Troop, N.; Tiller, J.; Todd, G.; Keilen, M.; Dodge, E.

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To test the short term efficacy of a self directed treatment manual for bulimia nervosa. DESIGN--Randomised controlled trial of the manual against cognitive behavioural therapy and a waiting list. SETTING--Tertiary referral centre. SUBJECTS--81 consecutive referrals presenting with bulimia nervosa or atypical bulimia nervosa. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Frequency of binge eating, vomiting, and other behaviours to control weight as well as abstinence from these behaviours. RESULTS--Cognitive behavioural treatment produced a significant reduction in the frequency of binge eating, vomiting, and other behaviours to control weight. The manual significantly reduced frequency of binge eating and weight control behaviours other than vomiting, and there was no change in the group on the waiting list. Full remission was achieved in five (24%) of the group assigned to cognitive behavioural treatment, nine (22%) of the group who used the manual, and two (11%) of the group on the waiting list. CONCLUSIONS--A self directed treatment manual may be a useful first intervention in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. PMID:8142791

Radiation carcinogenesis and acute radiation mortality in the rat as produced by 2.2 GeV protons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shellabarger, C. J.; Straub, R. F.; Jesseph, J. E.; Montour, J. L.

1972-01-01

Biological studies, proton carcinogenesis, the interaction of protons and gamma-rays on carcinogenesis, proton-induced acute mortality, and chemical protection against proton-induced acute mortality were studied in the rat and these proton-produced responses were compared to similar responses produced by gamma-rays or X-rays. Litter-mate mice were assigned to each experimental and control group so that approximately equal numbers of litter mates were placed in each group. Animals to be studied for mammary neoplasia were handled for 365 days post-exposure when all animals alive were killed. All animals were examined frequently for mammary tumors and as these were found, they were removed, sectioned and given a pathologic classification.

Psychosocial predator-based animal model of PTSD produces physiological and behavioral sequelae and a traumatic memory four months following stress onset.

PubMed

Zoladz, Phillip R; Park, Collin R; Fleshner, Monika; Diamond, David M

2015-08-01

We have a well-established animal model of PTSD composed of predator exposure administered in conjunction with social instability that produces PTSD-like behavioral and physiological abnormalities one month after stress initiation. Here, we assessed whether the PTSD-like effects would persist for at least 4months after the initiation of the psychosocial stress regimen. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to either 2 or 3 predator-based fear conditioning sessions. During each session, rats were placed in a chamber for a 3-min period that terminated with a 30-s tone, followed by 1h of immobilization of the rats during cat exposure (Day 1). All rats in the stress groups received a second fear conditioning session 10days later (Day 11). Half of the stress rats received a third fear conditioning session 3weeks later (Day 32). The two cat-exposed groups were also exposed to daily unstable housing conditions for the entire duration of the psychosocial stress regimen. The control group received stable (conventional) housing conditions and an equivalent amount of chamber exposure on Days 1, 11 and 32, without cat exposure. Behavioral testing commenced for all groups on Day 116. The stress groups demonstrated increased anxiety on the elevated plus maze, impaired object recognition memory and robust contextual and cued fear conditioned memory 3months after the last conditioning session. Combined data from the two stress groups revealed lower post-stress corticosterone levels and greater diastolic blood pressure relative to the control group. These findings indicate that predator-based psychosocial stress produces persistent PTSD-like physiological and behavioral abnormalities that may provide insight into the neurobiological and endocrine sequelae in traumatized people with PTSD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of broiler performance and carcass yields when fed transgenic maize grain containing event DP-O9814O-6 and processed fractions from transgenic soybeans containing event DP-356O43-5.

PubMed

McNaughton, J; Roberts, M; Rice, D; Smith, B; Hinds, M; Delaney, B; Iiams, C; Sauber, T

2011-08-01

The performance of broilers fed diets containing maize grain from event DP-Ø9814Ø-6 (98140; gat4621 and zm-hra genes) and processed fractions (meal, hulls, and oil) from soybeans containing event DP-356Ø43-5 (356043; gat4601 and gm-hra genes) was evaluated in a 42-d feeding study. Diets were produced with nontransgenic maize grain and soybean fractions from controls with comparable genetic backgrounds to 98140 and 356043 (control), 98140 maize and 356043 soybean (98140 + 356043), or 3 commercially available nontransgenic maize and soybean combinations. Ross 708 broilers (n = 120/group; 50% male, 50% female) were fed diets in 3 phases: starter (d 0 to 21), grower (d 22 to 35), and finisher (d 36 to 42). Starter diets contained (on average) 63% maize and 28% soybean meal, grower diets 66% maize and 26% soybean meal, and finisher diets 72% maize and 21% soybean meal; soybean hulls and oils were held constant at 1.0 and 0.5%, respectively, across all diets in all phases. Weight gain, feed intake, and mortality-adjusted feed efficiency were calculated for d 0 to 42. Standard organ and carcass yield data were collected on d 42. Data were analyzed using a mixed model ANOVA with differences between control and 98140 + 356043 group means considered significant at P < 0.05. Reference group data were used only to estimate experimental variability and to generate tolerance intervals. No significant differences were observed in weight gain, mortality, mortality-adjusted feed efficiency, organ yields, or carcass yields between broilers consuming diets produced with 98140 + 356043 and those consuming diets produced with control maize and soybean fractions. All values of response variables evaluated in the control and 98140 + 356043 groups fell within calculated tolerance intervals. Based on these results, it was concluded that the combination of genetically modified 98140 maize and 356043 soybean fractions was nutritionally equivalent to nontransgenic maize and soybean controls with comparable genetic backgrounds.

Ultrastructural Study on Ultra-Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields and Transfer Factor Effects on Skin Ulcers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cadena, M. S. Reyes; Chapul, L. Sánchez; Pérez, Javiér; García, M. N. Jiménez; López, M. A. Jiménez; Espíndola, M. E. Sánchez; Perez, R. Paniagua; Hernández, N. A.; Paniagua, G.; Uribe, F.; Nava, J. J. Godina; Segura, M. A. Rodríguez

2008-08-01

We determined the effect of 120Hz ultra low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF) on the healing process of skin in 20 Wistar rats distributed in four groups in which chronic dermal ulcers had been produced. The first two groups received a dose of the transfer factor and interferon-beta (IFN-β) every 24 h during 12 days. The third group (positive control) received only electromagnetic field (ELF) sessions, and in the fourth group (negative control), no treatment was applied. The electromagnetic field was applied through a Helmholtz coils; 30 Gauss of intensity. Results shown histological changes that improve the healing process in animals subjected to ELF together with the transfer factor.

Clinical patterns, epidemiology and risk factors of community-acquired urinary tract infection caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers: a prospective hospital case-control study.

PubMed

Almomani, Basima A; Hayajneh, Wail A; Ayoub, Abeer M; Ababneh, Mera A; Al Momani, Miral A

2018-05-10

To assess incidence rate, risk factors and susceptibility patterns associated with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae in community-acquired urinary tract infections (CA-UTIs). A prospective, case-control study was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital from Jan 2015 to Dec 2016. The results of microbiology cultures were initially screened to include only patients with positive E. coli or K. pneumoniae urine cultures. Afterwards, clinical symptoms were assessed to confirm the UTI. To investigate the risk factors, patients with a positive urine culture for ESBL-producing isolates were assigned as cases, while patients with non-ESBL were assigned as controls. Out of 591 patients included in this study, 57.5% (n = 340) were included in the control group and 42.5% (n = 251) were in the case group. The incidence rate of ESBL-producing isolates was 3.465 cases per 1000-patient hospital admissions. Male gender (OR = 1.856, 95% CI = 1.192-2.889, p = 0.006), pediatrics (OR = 1.676, 95% CI = 1.117-2.517, p = 0.013), patients with comorbidity (OR = 1.542, 95% CI = 1.029-2.312, p = 0.036) and UTI in the previous 12 months (OR = 1.705, 95% CI = 1.106-2.628, p = 0.016) were independently associated with a higher risk of infection. The resistance rate for most commonly prescribed antibiotics was high. Our results suggest that the incidence of ESBL producers among CA-UTIs is high. Male gender, pediatrics, comorbidity and UTI in the previous 12 months were associated with a higher risk for infection. Continuous surveillance and prudent antibiotic use by healthcare professionals are important factors for effective control of ESBL associated infections.

Vitamin C and cancer: what can we conclude--1,609 patients and 33 years later?

PubMed

Cabanillas, Fernando

2010-09-01

In 1976 an article co-authored by Linus Pauling described that 100 terminal cancer patients treated with intravenous vitamin C, followed by oral maintenance, lived four times longer than a control group of 1,000 patients who did not receive vitamin C. The study was strongly criticized because the control group was very different from the group treated with vitamin C. The latter were declared terminally ill much sooner than the control group thus resulting in an artificially longer survival for the vitamin C group. Three double blind placebo controlled randomized trials performed at Mayo Clinic using oral vitamin C for cancer patients were negative. In a phase I-II trial performed by Riordan et al, none of 24 cancer patients treated with i.v. vitamin C responded. At this point we don't have information as to which is the actual plasma level of vitamin C that can produce tumor shrinkage. We don't have consistent information either regarding what is the clinical dose necessary to yield therapeutic plasma levels. In view of this lack of data after trials which have included at least 1,591 patients over 33 years, we have to conclude that we still do not know whether Vitamin C has any clinically significant antitumor activity. Nor do we know which histological types of cancers, if any, are susceptible to this agent. Finally, we don't know what the recommended dose of Vitamin C is, if there is indeed such a dose, that can produce an anti-tumor response.

In Vitro Evaluation of the Effect of Chemical and Thermal Stress of the Mechanical Properties of Periodontal Curettes under Simulated Conditions of Sharpening Wear.

PubMed

De Pedro, Daniel; Puglisi, Rosario; Levi, Paul; Pascual, Andrés; Nart, José

To determine whether chemical and thermal stress as well as sharpening are aspects that must be considered to determine when a curette has become too weak to be used safely without the threat of breakage. A total sample of 35 curette blades was divided into 2 principal groups, control (groups 1 to 3) and experimental (groups 4 to 6). The control group was divided into 3 colour-coded groups of 19 similar curette blades and was only subjected to progressive sharpening wear (not sterilised). The test group included 16 Gracey curette blades that were subjected to various degrees of progressive wear and different numbers of sterilisation cycles in 3 subgroups (subgroup 4 had 5 sterilisation cycles; subgroup 5 had 30 cycles and experimental subgroup 6 had 55 cycles). Using a universal testing machine, all blades were tested for strength until they fractured. No evidence was found that the simple presence or absence of sterilisation cycles produced a statistically significant difference between the two studied groups (sterilised and not sterilised). However, when comparing the six subgroups that underwent different numbers of sterilisation cycles, the analysis showed that the more sterilisation cycles a curette underwent, the more likely the curette was to fracture (p = 0.047). Sterilisation by itself does not produce a significant change in the fracture strength, whereas the number of sterilisation cycles clearly weakens the instrument. Sterilisation is a factor to control when evaluating the life of a periodontal curette for the patients' and professionals' safety.

The role of vitamin A in enhancing humoral immunity produced by antirabies vaccine.

PubMed

Siddiqui, F Q; Ahmad, M M; Kakar, F; Akhtar, S; Dil, A S

2001-01-01

We tested the effects of vitamin A supplementation on the antibody titre of 40 healthy volunteers (age range: 10-35 years), who had received a complete course of antirabies vaccine (5 injections over 30 days). After determining the baseline serum vitamin A status of 80 volunteers, 20 pairs were matched for serum vitamin A level, body mass index, age, sex and socioeconomic status. One person from each pair was randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group received vitamin A and antirabies vaccine. Controls received only the vaccine. The experimental group had significantly greater (2.1 times) serum antirabies titre than controls. This finding is an important step towards improving the economy of dosage of antirabies vaccines.

Survivability Using Controlled Security Services

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

California, Irvine. ear complexities of either (or both) group public key size or signature size with respect to the number of group mem - bers. These...troduced leak-freedom and immediate-revocation. Correctness: any signature produced by any group mem - ber using Sign must be accepted by Verify...can only convince one or more appointed verifiers of its mem - bership, while no other party can verify membership even if the signer cooperates fully

The effects of semen collection on fertility in captive, naturally fertile, sandhill cranes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, G.; Gee, G.F.; Nicolich, Jane M.; Taylor, J.A.

2001-01-01

We tested to see if semen collection interferes with fertility in naturally fertile pairs of cranes. We used 12 naturally fertile, Florida sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pratensis) pairs for this study, 6 control and 6 experimental. All pairs had previously produced fertile eggs. Semen was collected on Tuesday mornings and Friday afternoons from 26 February 1993 to 4 June 1993. We used standard artificial insemination methods to collect and to evaluate the semen and spermatozoa. Semen collection had minimal effect on semen quality and semen quantity. Semen volume, sperm density, sperm motility, sperm morphology, sperm viability, sperm number per collection, and male response to semen collection exhibited significant daily variation. Although semen collection began 13 days before the first egg in the experimental group, we did not observe differences in the date of first egg laid or in fertility between experimental and control groups. Also, we observed no statistically significant differences in the interval between clutches or in the percentage of broken eggs between experimental and control groups. However, 4 eggs were broken by adults during the disturbance associated with capturing birds for semen collection. We found that females with mates from which we consistently gathered better semen samples produced fewer fertile eggs than females with sires producing poorer semen samples (r = 0.60). We interpret these results to mean that males that were successfully breeding with their mates had little left at the time of our collection.

Allergen-specific transforming growth factor-β-producing CD19+CD5+ regulatory B-cell (Br3) responses in human late eczematous allergic reactions to cow's milk.

PubMed

Lee, Jae Ho; Noh, Joonyong; Noh, Geunwoong; Choi, Wahn Soo; Cho, Sunheui; Lee, Sang Sun

2011-05-01

CD19(+)CD5(+) regulatory B cells produce transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) in both mouse and human B-cell leukemias. In this study, TGF-β was uniquely produced by normal human regulatory B cells. TGF-β-producing regulatory B-cell (Br3) responses were characterized through allergic responses to cow's milk. In total, 10 subjects allergic to milk and 13 milk-tolerant subjects were selected following double-blinded, placebo-controlled food challenges. Their peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated in vitro with casein. Following allergen stimulation, the percentage of Br3s among CD5(+) B cells decreased from 11.5% ± 13.7% to 8.0% ± 9.6% (P = 0.042, n = 5) in the milk-allergy group and increased from 14.7% ± 15.6% to 18.9% ± 20.1% (P = 0.006, n = 7) in the milk-tolerant group. However, the numbers of Br3s increased only in the milk-tolerant group, from 1,954 ± 1,058 to 4,548 ± 1,846 per well (P = 0.026), whereas the numbers of Br3s in the milk-allergy group were unchanged [2,596 ± 823 to 2,777 ± 802 per well (P = 0.734)]. The numbers of apoptotic events were similar to the numbers of total Br3 responses. The percentage of non-TGF-β-producing CD5(+) B cells with apoptotic changes increased from 13.4% ± 17.1% to 16.4% ± 20.3% (P = 0.047, n = 5) in the milk-allergy group and remained unchanged [from 9.9% ± 11.9% to 9.3% ± 11.4% (P = 0.099, n = 7)] in the milk-tolerant group. Using carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester labeling, we observed that the percentage of proliferating Br3s among CD5(+) B cells was unchanged [from 6.1% ± 2.8% to 6.4% ± 2.9% (P = 0.145)] in the milk-allergy group and increased from 6.8% ± 3.9% to 10.2% ± 5.3% (P = 0.024) in the milk-tolerant group. In conclusion, Br3s proliferated in response to allergen stimulation in the milk-tolerant group and not in the milk-allergy group. TGF-β-producing regulatory B cells (Br3) may be involved in allergy tolerance by negatively regulating the immune system with TGF-β, and this negative regulation may be controlled by apoptosis.

Anti-hyperglycaemic effects of herbal porridge made of Scoparia dulcis leaf extract in diabetics - a randomized crossover clinical trial.

PubMed

Senadheera, Senadheera Pathirannehelage Anuruddhika Subhashinie; Ekanayake, Sagarika; Wanigatunge, Chandanie

2015-11-19

Leaf extracts of Scoparia dulcis, is used as a herbal remedy by diabetics worldwide. Fresh Scoparia dulcis porridge elicited a low glycaemic index (GI) and anti-hyperglycaemic effects when fed to diabetic Wistar rats. Commercially produced Scoparia dulcis porridge (SDC) elicited medium GI. Present study was aimed at studying the anti-diabetic effects of consumption of commercially produced S. dulcis porridge. A randomized crossover clinical trial with type 2 diabetic patients (n = 35) on medication, with mild and moderate diabetes [fasting blood glucose (FBG) 126-300 mg/dL, age 35-70 years] was conducted. Within the first three months (study period 1) group 1 was the test and group 2 was the control. Following a wash-out period, the two groups were crossed over (study period 2: group 1 - control; group 2 - test). Test group consumed commercially produced SDC for 3 days/week for three months and the control group any other food. At the onset and end of each study period glucose measurements [Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), HbA1c], lipid measurements (total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, cholesterol ratios), toxicity parameters (liver enzymes, creatinine, CRP, eGFR) were analyzed by enzyme assay kit methods using a KONELAB 20XT auto analyzer. Significances between groups were analyzed by one way ANOVA (normal distribution) and Mann Whitney test (if the values were not normally distributed). Within group comparisons were carried out by Bonferroni post hoc test. During the crossover clinical trial HbA1c of group 1 decreased from 7.9 ± 0.5 to 6.5 ± 0.3 (p = 0.003) while HbA1c of group 2 decreased from 7.0 ± 0.3to 6.7 ± 0.3 while in the test group. Therefore, both test groups (1 and 2) elicited a decrease in HbA1c compared to respective control groups. Both test groups elicited a non significant decrease in FBG following the intervention (group 1 - from 174 ± 14 to 160 ± 10 mg/dL; group 2 - from 183 ± 13 to 160 ± 7 mg/dL). No significant differences (p >0.05) in insulin, cholesterol measurements (total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides and cholesterol ratios) and atherogenic index between or within groups were observed. All other measurements (AST, ALT, ALP, creatinine, CRP, eGFR) were normal and not significantly different between or within groups. Porridge made with SDC leaf extract decreased FBG and HbA1c (p >0.05) of type 2 diabetic patients. The porridge had no effect on cholesterol measurements and no toxicity was observed at the dose tested. Therefore, the SDC porridge can be recommended as a suitable meal for diabetic patients.

The grammatical morpheme deficit in moderate hearing impairment.

PubMed

McGuckian, Maria; Henry, Alison

2007-03-01

Much remains unknown about grammatical morpheme (GM) acquisition by children with moderate hearing impairment (HI) acquiring spoken English. To investigate how moderate HI impacts on the use of GMs in speech and to provide an explanation for the pattern of findings. Elicited and spontaneous speech data were collected from children with moderate HI (n = 10; mean age = 7;4 years) and a control group of typically developing children (n = 10; mean age = 3;2 years) with equivalent mean length of utterance (MLU). The data were analysed to determine the use of ten GMs of English. Comparisons were made between the groups for rates of correct GM production, for types and rates of GM errors, and for order of GM accuracy. The findings revealed significant differences between the HI group and the control group for correct production of five GMs. The differences were not all in the same direction. The HI group produced possessive -s and plural -s significantly less frequently than the controls (this is not simply explained by the perceptual saliency of -s) and produced progressive -ing, articles and irregular past tense significantly more frequently than the controls. Moreover, the order of GM accuracy for the HI group did not correlate with that observed for the control group. Various factors were analysed in an attempt to explain order of GM accuracy for the HI group (i.e. perceptual saliency, syntactic category, semantics and frequency of GMs in input). Frequency of GMs in input was the most successful explanation for the overall pattern of GM accuracy. Interestingly, the order of GM accuracy for the HI group (acquiring spoken English as a first language) was characteristic of that reported for individuals learning English as a second language. An explanation for the findings is drawn from a factor that connects these different groups of language learners, i.e. limited access to spoken English input. It is argued that, because of hearing factors, the children with HI are below a threshold for intake of spoken language input (a threshold easily reached by the controls). Thus, the children with HI are more input-dependent at the point in development studied and as such are more sensitive to input frequency effects. The findings suggest that optimizing or indeed increasing auditory input of GMs may have a positive impact on GM development for children with moderate HI.

76 FR 19952 - Not Applying the Mark of Inspection Pending Certain Test Results

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-11

... analysis. Human Health Benefits Introduction The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has... groups: (1) E. coli O157:H7 in raw, non-intact beef produced by domestic official establishments,\\17\\ (2... size for the first 8 months of year 2006 for the five test groups described above. Table 3--Percent of...

Phonological Transcribing of English Utterances in Teaching Listening Comprehension for Korean Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Yun Kul

2009-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to discuss the importance of listening and to examine whether or not transcribing utterances in English using the Korean alphabet improved the accuracy in English sentences produced by a group of Korean college students. A total population of 120 students was divided into two groups, control and experiment. The…

Cross-cultural medical education: can patient-centered cultural competency training be effective in non-Western countries?

PubMed

Ho, Ming-Jung; Yao, Grace; Lee, Keng-Lin; Beach, Mary Catherine; Green, Alexander R

2008-01-01

No evidence addresses the effectiveness of patient-centered cultural competence training in non-Western settings. To examine whether a patient-centered cultural competency curriculum improves medical students' skills in eliciting the patients' perspective and exploring illness-related social factors. Fifty-seven medical students in Taiwan were randomly assigned to either the control (n = 27) or one of two intervention groups: basic (n = 15) and extensive (n = 15). Both intervention groups received two 2-hour patient-centered cultural competency workshops. In addition, the extensive intervention group received a 2-hour practice session. The control group received no training. At the end of the clerkship, all students were evaluated with an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Students in the extensive intervention group scored significantly higher than the basic intervention and control groups in eliciting the patient's perspective (F = 18.38, p < 0.001, eta(2) = 0.40). Scores of both intervention groups were significantly higher than the control group in the exploring social factors (F = 6.66, p = 0.003, eta(2) = 0.20). Patient-centered cultural competency training can produce improvement in medical students' cross-cultural communication skills in non-Western settings, especially when adequate practice is provided.

Effects of chronic treatment with 7-nitroindazole in hyperthyroid rats.

PubMed

Wangensteen, Rosemary; Rodríguez-Gómez, Isabel; Moreno, Juan Manuel; Alvarez-Guerra, Miriam; Osuna, Antonio; Vargas, Félix

2006-11-01

This study analyzed the contribution of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) to the hemodynamic manifestations of hyperthyroidism. The effects on hyperthyroid rats of the chronic administration of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), an inhibitor of nNOS, were studied. Six groups of male Wistar rats were used: control, 7-NI (30 mg.kg-1.day-1 by gavage), T(4)50, T(4)75 (50 or 75 microg thyroxine.rat-1.day-1, respectively), T(4)50+7-NI, and T(4)75+7-NI. All treatments were maintained for 4 wk. Body weight, tail systolic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded weekly. Finally, SBP, pulse pressure (PP), and HR were measured in conscious rats, and morphological, metabolic, plasma, and renal variables were determined. Expression of nNOS in the hypothalamus of T(4)75 and control rats was analyzed by Western blot analysis. The response of mean arterial pressure (MAP) to pentolinium (10 mg/kg iv) was used to evaluate the sympathetic contribution to BP in T(4)75 and T(4)75+7-NI rats. T(4) produced an increased hypothalamic nNOS expression and dose-related increases in blood pressure (BP), HR, and PP vs. control rats. 7-NI did not modify BP or any other hemodynamic variable in normal rats. However, 7-NI produced a marked reduction in BP, HR, PP, and food and water intake in both hyperthyroid groups and improved creatinine clearance in the T(4)75 group. Pentolinium produced a greater MAP decrease in the T(4)75+7-NI than in the T(4)75 group. In conclusion, administration of 7-NI attenuates the hemodynamic and metabolic manifestations of hyperthyroidism, suggesting that nNOS contributes to the hyperdynamic circulation of this endocrine disease by modulating sympathetic activity.

Optimization of actuator arrays for aircraft interior noise control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabell, R. H.; Lester, H. C.; Mathur, G. P.; Tran, B. N.

1993-01-01

A numerical procedure for grouping actuators in order to reduce the number of degrees of freedom in an active noise control system is evaluated using experimental data. Piezoceramic actuators for reducing aircraft interior noise are arranged into groups using a nonlinear optimization routine and clustering algorithm. An actuator group is created when two or more actuators are driven with the same control input. This procedure is suitable for active control applications where actuators are already mounted on a structure. The feasibility of this technique is demonstrated using measured data from the aft cabin of a Douglas DC-9 fuselage. The measured data include transfer functions between 34 piezoceramic actuators and 29 interior microphones and microphone responses due to the primary noise produced by external speakers. Control inputs for the grouped actuators were calculated so that a cost function, defined as a quadratic pressure term and a penalty term, was a minimum. The measured transfer functions and microphone responses are checked by comparing calculated noise reductions with measured noise reductions for four frequencies. The grouping procedure is then used to determine actuator groups that improve overall interior noise reductions by 5.3 to 15 dB, compared to the baseline experimental configuration.

Eco-bio-social research on dengue in Asia: a multicountry study on ecosystem and community-based approaches for the control of dengue vectors in urban and peri-urban Asia.

PubMed

Sommerfeld, Johannes; Kroeger, Axel

2012-12-01

This article provides an overview of methods and cross-site insights of a 5-year research and capacity building initiative conducted between 2006 and 2011 in six countries of South Asia (India, Sri Lanka) and South-East Asia (Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand).The initiative managed an interdisciplinary investigation of ecological, biological, and social (i.e., eco-bio-social) dimensions of dengue in urban and peri-urban areas, and developed community-based interventions aimed at reducing dengue vector breeding and viral transmission. The multicountry study comprised interdisciplinary research groups from six leading Asian research institutions. The groups conducted a detailed situation analysis to identify and characterize local eco-bio-social conditions, and formed a community-of-practice for EcoHealth research where group partners disseminated results and collaboratively developed site-specific intervention tools for vector-borne diseases. In sites where water containers produced more than 70% of Aedes pupae, interventions ranged from mechanical lid covers for containers to biological control. Where small discarded containers presented the main problem, groups experimented with solid waste management, composting and recycling schemes. Many intervention tools were locally produced and all tools were implemented through community partnership strategies. All sites developed socially and culturally appropriate health education materials. The study also mobilised and empowered women's, students' and community groups and at several sites organized new volunteer groups for environmental health. The initiative's programmes showed significant impact on vector densities in some sites. Other sites showed varying effect - partially attributable to the 'contamination' of control groups - yet led to significant outcomes at the community level where local groups united around broad interests in environmental hygiene and sanitation. The programme's findings are relevant for defining efficient, effective and ecologically sound vector control interventions based on local evidence and in accordance with WHO's strategy for integrated vector management.

Eco-bio-social research on dengue in Asia: a multicountry study on ecosystem and community-based approaches for the control of dengue vectors in urban and peri-urban Asia

PubMed Central

Sommerfeld, Johannes; Kroeger, Axel

2012-01-01

This article provides an overview of methods and cross-site insights of a 5-year research and capacity building initiative conducted between 2006 and 2011 in six countries of South Asia (India, Sri Lanka) and South-East Asia (Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand).The initiative managed an interdisciplinary investigation of ecological, biological, and social (i.e., eco-bio-social) dimensions of dengue in urban and peri-urban areas, and developed community-based interventions aimed at reducing dengue vector breeding and viral transmission. The multicountry study comprised interdisciplinary research groups from six leading Asian research institutions. The groups conducted a detailed situation analysis to identify and characterize local eco-bio-social conditions, and formed a community-of-practice for EcoHealth research where group partners disseminated results and collaboratively developed site-specific intervention tools for vector-borne diseases. In sites where water containers produced more than 70% of Aedes pupae, interventions ranged from mechanical lid covers for containers to biological control. Where small discarded containers presented the main problem, groups experimented with solid waste management, composting and recycling schemes. Many intervention tools were locally produced and all tools were implemented through community partnership strategies. All sites developed socially and culturally appropriate health education materials. The study also mobilised and empowered women’s, students’ and community groups and at several sites organized new volunteer groups for environmental health. The initiative’s programmes showed significant impact on vector densities in some sites. Other sites showed varying effect — partially attributable to the ‘contamination’ of control groups — yet led to significant outcomes at the community level where local groups united around broad interests in environmental hygiene and sanitation. The programme’s findings are relevant for defining efficient, effective and ecologically sound vector control interventions based on local evidence and in accordance with WHO’s strategy for integrated vector management. PMID:23318234

Bacteriocins synthesized by Bacillus thuringiensis: generalities and potential applications

PubMed Central

Salazar-Marroquín, Elma Laura; Galán-Wong, Luis J.; Moreno-Medina, Víctor Ricardo; Reyes-López, Miguel Ángel; Pereyra-Alférez, Benito

2016-01-01

The members of the Bacillus thuringiensis group, commonly known as Bt, produce a huge number of metabolites, which show biocidal and antagonistic activity. B. thuringiensis is widely known for synthesizing Cry, Vip and Cyt proteins, active against insects and other parasporins with biocidal activity against certain types of cancerous cells. Nevertheless, B. thuringiensis also synthesizes compounds with antimicrobial activity, especially bacteriocins. Some B. thuringiensis bacteriocins resemble lantibiotics and other small linear peptides (class IIa) from the lactic acid bacteria bacteriocins classification system. Although many bacteriocins produced by Bt have been reported, there is no proper classification for them. In this work, we have grouped these based on molecular weight and functionality. Bacteriocins are small peptides synthesized by bacteria, presenting inhibitory activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and to a lesser extent against fungi. These molecules represent a good study model in the search for microbial control alternatives. Lactic acid bacteria produces a huge number of these types of molecules with great potential. Nonetheless, members of the Bacillus, cereus group, especially B. thuringiensis, emerge as an attractive alternative for obtaining bacteriocins showing novel activities. This review describes the potential applications of B. thuringiensis bacteriocins in the control of foodborne pathogens, environment and medical area. PMID:27340340

Molecular genetic evidence for the involvement of a specific polygalacturonase, P2c, in the invasion and spread of Aspergillus flavus in cotton bolls.

PubMed Central

Shieh, M T; Brown, R L; Whitehead, M P; Cary, J W; Cotty, P J; Cleveland, T E; Dean, R A

1997-01-01

Isolates of Aspergillus flavus can be differentiated based on production of the polygalacturonase P2c. One group of isolates produces P2c, whereas the other group does not. In general, the group that produces P2c causes more damage and spreads to a greater extent in cotton bolls than those isolates that do not produce P2c. To determine whether P2c contributes to disease, the expression of pecA, the gene previously determined to encode P2c, was genetically altered. Adding the pecA gene to a strain previously lacking the gene resulted in the ability to cause significantly more damage to the intercarpellary membrane and the ability spread to a greater extent within the adjacent locule compared to the abilities of a control transformant. Conversely, eliminating the expression of pecA by targeted disruption caused a significant reduction in aggressiveness compared to that of a nondisrupted control transformant. These results provide direct evidence that P2c contributes to the invasion and spread of A. flavus during infection of cotton bolls. However, other factors not evaluated in this study also contribute to aggressiveness. PMID:9293005

Repeated mild traumatic brain injury produces neuroinflammation, anxiety-like behaviour and impaired spatial memory in mice.

PubMed

Broussard, John I; Acion, Laura; De Jesús-Cortés, Héctor; Yin, Terry; Britt, Jeremiah K; Salas, Ramiro; Costa-Mattioli, Mauro; Robertson, Claudia; Pieper, Andrew A; Arciniegas, David B; Jorge, Ricardo

2018-01-01

Repeated traumatic brain injuries (rmTBI) are frequently associated with debilitating neuropsychiatric conditions such as cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We tested the hypothesis that repeated mild traumatic brain injury impairs spatial memory and enhances anxiety-like behaviour. We used a between groups design using single (smTBI) or repeated (rmTBI) controlled cranial closed skull impacts to mice, compared to a control group. We assessed the effects of smTBI and rmTBI using measures of motor performance (Rotarod Test [RT]), anxiety-like behaviour (Elevated Plus Maze [EPM] and Open Field [OF] tests), and spatial memory (Morris Water Maze [MWM]) within 12 days of the final injury. In separate groups of mice, astrocytosis and microglial activation were assessed 24 hours after the final injury using GFAP and IBA-1 immunohistochemistry. RmTBI impaired spatial memory in the MWM and increased anxiety-like behaviour in the EPM and OFT. In addition, rmTBI elevated GFAP and IBA-1 immunohistochemistry throughout the mouse brain. RmTBI produced astrocytosis and microglial activation, and elicited impaired spatial memory and anxiety-like behaviour. rmTBI produces acute cognitive and anxiety-like disturbances associated with inflammatory changes in brain regions involved in spatial memory and anxiety.

Gender typicality in children's speech: A comparison of boys with and without gender identity disorder.

PubMed

Munson, Benjamin; Crocker, Laura; Pierrehumbert, Janet B; Owen-Anderson, Allison; Zucker, Kenneth J

2015-04-01

This study examined whether boys with gender identity disorder (GID) produced less prototypically male speech than control boys without GID, a possibility that has been suggested by clinical observations. Two groups of listeners participated in tasks where they rated the gender typicality of single words (group 1) or sentences (group 2) produced by 15 5-13 year old boys with GID and 15 age-matched boys without GID. Detailed acoustic analyses of the stimuli were also conducted. Boys with GID were rated as less boy-like than boys without GID. In the experiment using sentence stimuli, these group differences were larger than in the experiment using single-word stimuli. Listeners' ratings were predicted by a variety of acoustic parameters, including ones that differ between the two groups and ones that are stereotypically associated with adult men's and women's speech. Future research should examine how these variants are acquired.

6-Shogaol reduced chronic inflammatory response in the knees of rats treated with complete Freund's adjuvant.

PubMed

Levy, Arkene Sa; Simon, Oswald; Shelly, Janet; Gardener, Michael

2006-10-01

6-Shogaol is one of the major compounds in the ginger rhizome that may contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. Confirmation of this contribution was sought in this study in Sprague- Dawley rats (200-250 g) treated with a single injection (0.5 ml of 1 mg/ml) of a commercial preparation of complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) to induce monoarthritis in the right knee over a period of 28 days. During this development of arthritis, each rat received a daily oral dose of either peanut oil (0.2 ml-control) or 6-shogaol (6.2 mg/Kg in 0.2 ml peanut oil). Within 2 days of CFA injection, the control group produced maximum edematous swelling of the knee that was sustained up to the end of the investigation period. But, in the 6-shogaol treated group, significantly lower magnitudes of unsustained swelling of the knees (from 5.1 +/- 0.2 mm to 1.0 +/- 0.2 mm, p < 0.002, n = 6) were produced during the investigation period. Unsustained swelling of the knees (from 3.2 +/- 0.6 mm to 0.8 +/- 1.1 mm, p < 0.00008, n = 6) was also produced after 3 days of treatment with indomethacin (2 mg/Kg/day) as a standard anti-inflammatory drug, but during the first 2 days of drug treatment swelling of the knees was significantly larger (11.6 +/- 2.0 mm, p < 0.0002, n = 6) than either the controls or the 6-shogaol treated group of rats. This exaggerated effect in the early stage of indomethacin treatment was inhibited by montelukast, a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist. Also, 6-shogaol and indomethacin were most effective in reducing swelling of the knees on day 28 when the controls still had maximum swelling. The effect of 6-shogaol compared to the controls was associated with significantly lower concentration of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the blood and infiltration of leukocytes, including lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages, into the synovial cavity of the knee. There was also preservation of the morphological integrity of the cartilage lining the femur compared to damage to this tissue in the peanut oil treated control group of rats. From these results, it is concluded that 6-shogaol reduced the inflammatory response and protected the femoral cartilage from damage produced in a CFA monoarthritic model of the knee joint of rats.

6-Shogaol reduced chronic inflammatory response in the knees of rats treated with complete Freund's adjuvant

PubMed Central

Levy, Arkene SA; Simon, Oswald; Shelly, Janet; Gardener, Michael

2006-01-01

Background 6-Shogaol is one of the major compounds in the ginger rhizome that may contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. Confirmation of this contribution was sought in this study in Sprague- Dawley rats (200–250 g) treated with a single injection (0.5 ml of 1 mg/ml) of a commercial preparation of complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) to induce monoarthritis in the right knee over a period of 28 days. During this development of arthritis, each rat received a daily oral dose of either peanut oil (0.2 ml-control) or 6-shogaol (6.2 mg/Kg in 0.2 ml peanut oil). Results Within 2 days of CFA injection, the control group produced maximum edematous swelling of the knee that was sustained up to the end of the investigation period. But, in the 6-shogaol treated group, significantly lower magnitudes of unsustained swelling of the knees (from 5.1 ± 0.2 mm to 1.0 ± 0.2 mm, p < 0.002, n = 6) were produced during the investigation period. Unsustained swelling of the knees (from 3.2 ± 0.6 mm to 0.8 ± 1.1 mm, p < 0.00008, n = 6) was also produced after 3 days of treatment with indomethacin (2 mg/Kg/day) as a standard anti-inflammatory drug, but during the first 2 days of drug treatment swelling of the knees was significantly larger (11.6 ± 2.0 mm, p < 0.0002, n = 6) than either the controls or the 6-shogaol treated group of rats. This exaggerated effect in the early stage of indomethacin treatment was inhibited by montelukast, a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist. Also, 6-shogaol and indomethacin were most effective in reducing swelling of the knees on day 28 when the controls still had maximum swelling. The effect of 6-shogaol compared to the controls was associated with significantly lower concentration of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the blood and infiltration of leukocytes, including lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages, into the synovial cavity of the knee. There was also preservation of the morphological integrity of the cartilage lining the femur compared to damage to this tissue in the peanut oil treated control group of rats. Conclusion From these results, it is concluded that 6-shogaol reduced the inflammatory response and protected the femoral cartilage from damage produced in a CFA monoarthritic model of the knee joint of rats. PMID:17010215

Ethanol prefermentation of food waste in sequencing batch methane fermentation for improved buffering capacity and microbial community analysis.

PubMed

Yu, Miao; Wu, Chuanfu; Wang, Qunhui; Sun, Xiaohong; Ren, Yuanyuan; Li, Yu-You

2018-01-01

This study investigates the effects of ethanol prefermentation (EP) on methane fermentation. Yeast was added to the substrate for EP in the sequencing batch methane fermentation of food waste. An Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing system was used to analyze changes in the microbial community. Methane production in the EP group (254mL/g VS) was higher than in the control group (35mL/g VS) because EP not only increased the buffering capacity of the system, but also increased hydrolytic acidification. More carbon source was converted to ethanol in the EP group than in the control group, and neutral ethanol could be converted continuously to acetic acid, which promoted the growth of Methanobacterium and Methanosarcina. As a result, the relative abundance of methane-producing bacteria was significantly higher than that of the control group. Kinetic modeling indicated that the EP group had a higher hydrolysis efficiency and shorter lag phase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visual Arts Education improves self-esteem for persons with dementia and reduces caregiver burden: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Richards, Allan G; Tietyen, Ann C; Jicha, Gregory A; Bardach, Shoshana H; Schmitt, Frederick A; Fardo, David W; Kryscio, Richard J; Abner, Erin L

2018-01-01

A Visual Arts Education program was tested among 26 pairs of persons with dementia and their caregivers. Pairs were randomized to Visual Arts Education or control groups, and each group met once per week for two months (8 weeks) to participate in activities with a trained arts instructor. Groups were assessed at baseline, two months, and six months. The Visual Arts Education group received instruction and produced a different type of artistic work each week. The pedagogical strategy was designed so that each activity was increasingly novel, challenging, and complex. The control group viewed slide shows, participated in discussions about art, and made paintings. At the six-month follow-up, significant improvements in caregiver burden and self-esteem for the persons with dementia were found in the Visual Arts Education group. The Visual Arts Education pedagogical approach shows the potential for effectiveness for improving quality of life for persons with dementia and their caregivers.

Homeopathic pathogenetic trials produce specific symptoms different from placebo.

PubMed

Möllinger, Heribert; Schneider, Rainer; Walach, Harald

2009-04-01

Homeopathy uses information gathered from healthy volunteers taking homeopathic substances (pathogenetic trials) for clinical treatment. It is controversial whether such studies produce symptoms different from those produced by placebo. To test whether homeopathic preparations produce different symptoms than placebo in healthy volunteers. Three armed, double-blind, placebo controlled randomised experimental pathogenetic study in 25 healthy volunteers who took either one of two homeopathic remedies, Natrum muriaticum and Arsenicum album in 30CH or identical placebo. Main outcome parameter was the number of remedy-specific symptoms per group. On average, 6 symptoms typical for Arsenicum album were experienced by participants taking arsenicum album, 5 symptoms typical for Natrum muriaticum by those taking natrum muriaticum, and 11 non-specific symptoms by those in the placebo group. Differences were significant overall (Kruskall Wallis test, p = 0.0002,) and significantly different from placebo (Mann-Whitney test, p = 0.001). Homeopathic remedies produce different symptoms than placebo. Copyright (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effects of Schistosoma haematobium infection on reproductive success and male outcrossing ability in the simultaneous hermaphrodite, Bulinus truncatus (Gastropoda: Planorbidae).

PubMed

Schrag, S J; Rollinson, D

1994-01-01

The schistosome intermediate snail host, Bulinus truncatus (Mollusca: Planorbidae), has two reproductive (phally) morphs. Both aphallics and euphallics can self-fertilize, but aphallics cannot donate sperm because they do not develop a functional penis and prostate. This study investigated the interactions between phally and fitness consequences of Schistosoma haematobium infection in B. truncatus. Snails which developed patent infections produced 26% fewer eggs than controls and 35% fewer eggs than exposed snails which did not develop infections. This reduction was due to a lower lifetime production of egg masses and a smaller mean number of eggs/mass in infected snails relative to control or exposed snails. However, there was no evidence of increased mortality in infected snails. Contrary to reports of fecundity compensation in other intermediate host snails, egg production post-exposure during the pre-patent period did not increase relative to that of controls in either infected or exposed snails. Phally did not influence susceptibility to infection or length of the prepatent period. Furthermore, lifetime egg, egg mass and hatchling production, as well as mean eggs/mass and number of hatchlings reaching maturity, did not differ significantly between aphallics and euphallics within control of exposed experimental groups. However, within the infected group euphallics produced 38% fewer eggs, smaller egg masses, and fewer hatchlings reaching maturity than aphallics, supporting the prediction of a cost to the growth and maintenance of a full male tract. This cost was detectable only when snails were under the stress of infection. The proportion of euphallic offspring produced did not differ across experimental groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Experience with multiple control groups in a large population-based case-control study on genetic and environmental risk factors.

PubMed

Pomp, E R; Van Stralen, K J; Le Cessie, S; Vandenbroucke, J P; Rosendaal, F R; Doggen, C J M

2010-07-01

We discuss the analytic and practical considerations in a large case-control study that had two control groups; the first control group consisting of partners of patients and the second obtained by random digit dialling (RDD). As an example of the evaluation of a general lifestyle factor, we present body mass index (BMI). Both control groups had lower BMIs than the patients. The distribution in the partner controls was closer to that of the patients, likely due to similar lifestyles. A statistical approach was used to pool the results of both analyses, wherein partners were analyzed with a matched analysis, while RDDs were analyzed without matching. Even with a matched analysis, the odds ratio with partner controls remained closer to unity than with RDD controls, which is probably due to unmeasured confounders in the comparison with the random controls as well as intermediary factors. However, when studying injuries as a risk factor, the odds ratio remained higher with partner control subjects than with RRD control subjects, even after taking the matching into account. Finally we used factor V Leiden as an example of a genetic risk factor. The frequencies of factor V Leiden were identical in both control groups, indicating that for the analyses of this genetic risk factor the two control groups could be combined in a single unmatched analysis. In conclusion, the effect measures with the two control groups were in the same direction, and of the same order of magnitude. Moreover, it was not always the same control group that produced the higher or lower estimates, and a matched analysis did not remedy the differences. Our experience with the intricacies of dealing with two control groups may be useful to others when thinking about an optimal research design or the best statistical approach.

Alternating frequencies of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation: does it produce greater analgesic effects on mechanical and thermal pain thresholds?

PubMed

Tong, K C; Lo, Sing Kai; Cheing, Gladys L

2007-10-01

To determine whether alternating frequency transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) at 2 and 100Hz (2/100Hz) has a more potent hypoalgesic effect than a fixed frequency at 2 or 100Hz in healthy participants. A single-blind randomized controlled trial with a convenience sample. University physiotherapy department. Sixty-four healthy volunteers (32 men [mean age, 28.1+/-5.9y], 32 women [mean age, 27.7+/-5.6y]) were recruited and randomly divided into 4 groups. The 4 groups received TENS delivered at (1) 2Hz; (2) 100Hz; (3) 2/100Hz alternating frequency; and (4) no treatment (control group), respectively. Electric stimulation was applied over the anterior aspect of the dominant forearm for 30 minutes. Mechanical pain thresholds (MPTs) and heat pain thresholds (HPTs) were recorded before, during, and after TENS stimulation. The data were analyzed using linear mixed models, with group treated as a between-subject factor and time a within-subject factor. During and shortly after electric stimulation, HPT increased significantly in the alternating frequency stimulation group (P=.024). MPT increased significantly in both the 100Hz (P=.008) and the alternating frequency groups (P=.012), but the increase was substantially larger in the 100Hz group. Alternating frequency stimulation produced a greater elevation in the HPT, but a greater increase in the MPT was achieved using 100Hz stimulation.

Fluorinated silica microchannel surfaces

DOEpatents

Kirby, Brian J.; Shepodd, Timothy Jon

2005-03-15

A method for surface modification of microchannels and capillaries. The method produces a chemically inert surface having a lowered surface free energy and improved frictional properties by attaching a fluorinated alkane group to the surface. The coating is produced by hydrolysis of a silane agent that is functionalized with either alkoxy or chloro ligands and an uncharged C.sub.3 -C.sub.10 fluorinated alkane chain. It has been found that the extent of surface coverage can be controlled by controlling the contact time from a minimum of about 2 minutes to a maximum of 120 minutes for complete surface coverage.

Subjective and Quantitative Measurement of Wavefront Aberrations in Nuclear Cataracts – A Retrospective Case Controlled Study

PubMed Central

Wali, Upender K.; Bialasiewicz, Alexander A.; Al-Kharousi, Nadia; Rizvi, Syed G.; Baloushi, Habiba

2009-01-01

Purpose: To measure, quantify and compare Ocular Aberrations due to nuclear cataracts. Setting: Department of ophthalmology and school for ophthalmic technicians, college of medicine and health sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Design: Retrospective case controlled study. Methods: 113 eyes of 77 patients with nuclear cataract (NC) were recruited from outpatient clinic of a major tertiary referral center for Ophthalmology. Patients having NC with no co-existing ocular pathologies were selected. All patients were subjected to wavefront aberrometry (make) using Hartmann-Shack (HS) aberrometer. Consents were taken from all patients. Higher order Aberrations (HOA) were calculated with Zernike polynomials up to the fourth order. For comparison 28 eyes of 15 subjects with no lenticular opacities (control group) were recruited and evaluated in an identical manner. No pupillary mydriasis was done in both groups. Results: Total aberrations were almost six times higher in NC group compared to control (normal) subjects. The HOA were 21 times higher in NC group, and coma was significantly higher in NC eyes compared to normal (control) group. The pupillary diameter was significantly larger in control group (5.48mm ± 1.0024, p<.001) compared to NC (3.05mm ± 1.9145) subjects (probably due to younger control age group). Amongst Zernike coefficients up to fourth order, two polynomials, defocus (Z20) and spherical aberration (Z42) were found to be significantly greater amongst NC group, compared to normal control group. Conclusion: Nuclear cataracts predominantly produce increased defocus and spherical aberrations. This could explain visual symptoms like image deterioration in spite of normal Visual acuity. PMID:20142953

Effect of different surface finishing/polishing procedures on color stability of esthetic restorative materials: A spectrophotometric evaluation

PubMed Central

Beltrami, Riccardo; Ceci, Matteo; De Pani, Gabriele; Vialba, Lodovico; Federico, Ricaldone; Poggio, Claudio; Colombo, Marco

2018-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the color stability of different esthetic restorative materials after surface finishing/polishing with different procedures. Materials and Methods: All materials were polymerized into silicone rubber rings to obtain specimens identical in size. Samples were randomly assigned into four groups (10 specimens of each composite for each group), and they were finished with different procedures: Control group (Group 1), three or two polishers interspersed with diamond grit (Groups 3 and 2, respectively), and one tungsten carbide bur + one polisher interspersed with diamond grit (Group 4). After staining process in coffee, a colorimetric evaluation according to the CIE L*a*b* system was performed by a blind trained operator at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. Shapiro–Wilk test and Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance were applied to assess significant differences among restorative materials. Means of the different polishing/finishing groups were compared with Scheffe's multiple comparison test at the 0.05 level of significance. Results: In control group, significant lower discolorations were recorded for Essentia, Admira Fusion, and Estelite. After finishing, Filtek Supreme XTE and Ceram.X Universal showed a significantly lower degree of staining. The finishing technique used for Group 4 produced higher color changes. Conclusions: Tungsten carbide burs produced the higher color variations; after finishing, the nanofilled composites showed lower discoloration than nanohybrid ones, and the time of exposure to the staining agent and the polishing/finishing technique influenced the color change. PMID:29657525

How do red and infrared low-level lasers affect folliculogenesis cycle in rat's ovary tissue in comparison with clomiphene under in vivo condition.

PubMed

Naseri, Paria; Alihemmati, Alireza; Rasta, Seyed Hossein

2017-12-01

Folliculogenesis is a cycle that produces the majority of oocyte. Any disruption to this cycle leads to ovulation diseases, like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Treatments include drugs and surgery; lasers have also been used complementarily. Meanwhile, still there is no definite treatment for PCOS. This study investigated the photo-bio stimulation effect of near-infrared and red low-level laser on producing follicles and compared the result with result of using common drug, clomiphene. Therefore, the aim of this study was to propose the use of lasers autonomously treatment. So, there was one question: how do lasers affect folliculogenesis cycle in rat's ovary tissue? In this study, 28 rats were assigned to four groups as follows: control (CT), clomiphene drug (D), red laser (RL), and near-infrared laser (NIRL). Afterwards, 14 rats of RL and NIRL groups received laser on the first 2 days of estrous cycle, each 6 days, for 48 days. During treatment period, each rat received energy density of 5 J/cm 2 . Seven rats in D group received clomiphene. After the experiment, lasers' effects at two wavelengths of 630 and 810 nm groups have been investigated and compared with clomiphene and CT groups. Producing different follicles to complement folliculogenesis cycle increased in NIRL and RL groups, but this increase was significant only in the NIRL group. This indicates that NIRL increases ovarian activity to produce oocyte that certainly can be used in future studies for finding a cure to ovarian negligence to produce more oocyte and treat diseases caused by it like PCOS.

A risk perception gap? Comparing expert, producer and consumer prioritization of food hazard controls.

PubMed

Hartmann, Christina; Hübner, Philipp; Siegrist, Michael

2018-06-01

Using a survey approach, the study examined how experts (i.e. food control representatives), producers (i.e. food industry representatives) and consumers prioritized control activities for 28 hazards related to food and other everyday items. The investigated hazards encompassed a wide range of safety issues, including health risks, consumer deception and poor food hygiene behaviour. The participants included 41 experts, 138 producers and 243 consumers from the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland. Based on detailed descriptions of the hazards, they were asked to rank these on a score sheet in terms of the perceived importance of monitoring by food control authorities. A between-group comparison of average rankings showed that consumers and experts differed significantly in relation to 17 of the 28 hazards. While the experts assigned higher priority to hazards related to everyday items such as nitrosamine in mascara and chromium VI in leather products, producers and consumers tended to prioritize products related to plant treatment and genetic modification of food and feeds. Producer and consumer rankings of the hazards were highly correlated (r = .96, p < .001). Rankings were also similar among participants from the two cultural regions (i.e. German and French-speaking parts of Switzerland). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphometric analysis of long-term dentoskeletal effects induced by treatment with Balters bionator.

PubMed

Bigliazzi, Renato; Franchi, Lorenzo; Bertoz, André Pinheiro de Magalhães; McNamara, James A; Faltin, Kurt; Bertoz, Francisco Antonio

2015-09-01

To evaluate the long-term effects of the standard (Class II) Balters bionator in growing patients with Class II malocclusion with mandibular retrusion by using morphometrics (thin-plate spline [TPS] analysis). Twenty-three Class II patients (8 male, 15 female) were treated consecutively with the Balters bionator (bionator group). The sample was evaluated at T0, start of treatment; T1, end of bionator therapy; and T2, long-term observation (including fixed appliances). Mean age at the start of treatment was 10 years 2 months (T0); at posttreatment, 12 years 3 months (T1); and at long-term follow-up, 18 years 2 months (T2). The control group consisted of 22 subjects (11 male, 11 female) with untreated Class II malocclusion. Lateral cephalograms were analyzed at the three time points for all groups. TPS analysis evaluated statistical differences (permutation tests) in the craniofacial shape and size between the bionator and control groups. TPS analysis showed that treatment with the bionator is able to produce favorable mandibular shape changes (forward and downward displacement) that contribute significantly to the correction of the Class II dentoskeletal imbalance. These results are maintained at a long-term observation after completion of growth. The control group showed no statistically significant differences in the correction of Class II malocclusion. This study suggests that bionator treatment of Class II malocclusion produces favorable results over the long term with a combination of skeletal and dentoalveolar shape changes.

RICIS Symposium 1992: Mission and Safety Critical Systems Research and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This conference deals with computer systems which control systems whose failure to operate correctly could produce the loss of life and or property, mission and safety critical systems. Topics covered are: the work of standards groups, computer systems design and architecture, software reliability, process control systems, knowledge based expert systems, and computer and telecommunication protocols.

Interactive Whiteboards Produce Small Gains in Elementary Students' Self-Reported Motivation in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torff, Bruce; Tirotta, Rose

2010-01-01

A treatment/control study (N = 773) was conducted to determine the extent to which use of interactive whiteboard technology (IWB) was associated with upper elementary students' self-reported level of motivation in mathematics. Students in the treatment group reported higher levels of motivation relative to control students, but the effect was…

Dual hit lipopolysaccharide & oleic acid combination induced rat model of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome.

PubMed

Hagawane, T N; Gaikwad, R V; Kshirsagar, N A

2016-05-01

Despite advances in therapy and overall medical care, acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) management remains a problem. Hence the objective of this study was to develop a rat model that mimics human ALI/ARDS. Four groups of Wistar rats, 48 per group were treated with (i) intratracheal (IT) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg/kg) dissolved in normal saline (NS), (ii) intravenous (iv) oleic acid (OA) (250 μl/kg) suspension in bovine serum albumin (BSA), (iii) dual hit: IT LPS (2 mg/kg) dissolved in NS and iv OA (100 μl/kg) and (iv) control group: IT NS and iv BSA. From each group at set periods of time various investigations like chest x-rays, respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (TV), total cell count, differential cell count, total protein count and cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung wet/dry weight ratio and histopathological examination were done. It was noted that the respiratory rate, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were significantly higher at 4 h in the dual hit group as compared to LPS, OA and control groups. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were significantly higher in the dual hit group as compared to LPS at 8 and 24 h, OA at 8 h and control (at all time intervals) group. IL-1β levels were significantly higher in LPS and dual hit groups at all time intervals, but not in OA and control groups. The injury induced in dual hit group was earlier and more sustained as compared to LPS and OA alone. The lung pathology and changes in respiration functions produced by the dual hit model were closer to the diagnostic criteria of ALI/ARDS in terms of clinical manifestations and pulmonary injury and the injury persisted longer as compared to LPS and OA single hit model. Therefore, the ARDS model produced by the dual hit method was closer to the diagnostic criteria of ARDS in terms of clinical manifestations and pulmonary injury.

[Garlic effectiveness in rheumatoid arthritis].

PubMed

Denisov, L N; Andrianova, I V; Timofeeva, S S

1999-01-01

To perform of clinical trial of alisate--a garlic preparation produced in Russia. An open controlled trial of alisate enrolled 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 15 patients with RA of varying clinical form, stage and activity were given alisate in a dose 300 mg (1 tablet) twice a day for 4-6 weeks. 15 control RA patients received conventional antirheumatic therapy. The alisate group achieved a good and partial response in 86.5% of cases. The drug was well tolerated and had no side effects. In control group, some parameters changed for the worse. Alisate can be recommended for treatment of RA patients in combined and monotherapy.

Remodeling Air Force Cyber Command and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-10

AIR FORCE CYBERWORX REPORT: REMODELING AIR FORCE CYBER COMMAND & CONTROL COURSE DESIGN PROJECT CONDUCTED 5 Jan – 5 May 17 Produced...For the Air Force Cyber Command and Control (C2) Design Project, CyberWorx brought together 25 cadets from the United States Air Force Academy...warfighting based upon the findings of the design teams. Participants The design course was attended by a diverse group of civilians from industry

Asymmetric rapid maxillary expansion in true unilateral crossbite malocclusion: a prospective controlled clinical study.

PubMed

Ileri, Zehra; Basciftci, Faruk Ayhan

2015-03-01

To investigate the short-term effects of the asymmetric rapid maxillary (ARME) appliance on the vertical, sagittal, and transverse planes in patients with true unilateral posterior crossbite. Subjects were divided into two groups. The treatment group was comprised of 21 patients with unilateral posterior crossbite (mean age  =  13.3 ± 2.1 years). Members of this group were treated with the ARME appliance. The control group was comprised of 17 patients with Angle Class I who were kept under observation (mean age  =  12.3 ± 0.8 years). Lateral and frontal cephalograms were taken before the expansion (T1), immediately after expansion (T2), and at postexpansion retention (T3) in the treatment group and at preobservation (T1) and postobservation (T2) in the control group. A total of 34 measurements were assessed on cephalograms. For statistical analysis, the Wilcoxon test and analysis of covariance were used. The ARME appliance produced significant increases in nasal, maxillary base, upper arch, and lower arch dimensions (P < .01) and a clockwise rotation of the occlusal plane (P  =  .001). The ARME appliance created asymmetric increments in the transversal dimensions of the nose, maxilla, and upper arch in the short term. Asymmetric expansion therapy for subjects with unilateral maxillary deficiency may provide satisfactory outcomes in adolescents, with the exception of mandibular arch expansion. The triangular pattern of expansion caused clockwise rotation of the mandible and the occlusal plane and produced significant alterations in the vertical facial dimensions, whereas it created no displacement in maxilla in the sagittal plane.

Metal-ceramic bond strength between a feldspathic porcelain and a Co-Cr alloy fabricated with Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique.

PubMed

Dimitriadis, Konstantinos; Spyropoulos, Konstantinos; Papadopoulos, Triantafillos

2018-02-01

The aim of the present study was to record the metal-ceramic bond strength of a feldspathic dental porcelain and a Co-Cr alloy, using the Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique (DMLS) for the fabrication of metal substrates. Ten metal substrates were fabricated with powder of a dental Co-Cr alloy using DMLS technique (test group) in dimensions according to ISO 9693. Another ten substrates were fabricated with a casing dental Co-Cr alloy using classic casting technique (control group) for comparison. Another three substrates were fabricated using each technique to record the Modulus of Elasticity ( E ) of the used alloys. All substrates were examined to record external and internal porosity. Feldspathic porcelain was applied on the substrates. Specimens were tested using the three-point bending test. The failure mode was determined using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The statistical analysis was performed using t-test. Substrates prepared using DMLS technique did not show internal porosity as compared to those produced using the casting technique. The E of control and test group was 222 ± 5.13 GPa and 227 ± 3 GPa, respectively. The bond strength was 51.87 ± 7.50 MPa for test group and 54.60 ± 6.20 MPa for control group. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were recorded. The mode of failure was mainly cohesive for all specimens. Specimens produced by the DMLS technique cover the lowest acceptable metal-ceramic bond strength of 25 MPa specified in ISO 9693 and present satisfactory bond strength for clinical use.

Development of data representation standards by the human proteome organization proteomics standards initiative

PubMed Central

Albar, Juan Pablo; Binz, Pierre-Alain; Eisenacher, Martin; Jones, Andrew R; Mayer, Gerhard; Omenn, Gilbert S; Orchard, Sandra; Vizcaíno, Juan Antonio; Hermjakob, Henning

2015-01-01

Objective To describe the goals of the Proteomics Standards Initiative (PSI) of the Human Proteome Organization, the methods that the PSI has employed to create data standards, the resulting output of the PSI, lessons learned from the PSI’s evolution, and future directions and synergies for the group. Materials and Methods The PSI has 5 categories of deliverables that have guided the group. These are minimum information guidelines, data formats, controlled vocabularies, resources and software tools, and dissemination activities. These deliverables are produced via the leadership and working group organization of the initiative, driven by frequent workshops and ongoing communication within the working groups. Official standards are subjected to a rigorous document process that includes several levels of peer review prior to release. Results We have produced and published minimum information guidelines describing what information should be provided when making data public, either via public repositories or other means. The PSI has produced a series of standard formats covering mass spectrometer input, mass spectrometer output, results of informatics analysis (both qualitative and quantitative analyses), reports of molecular interaction data, and gel electrophoresis analyses. We have produced controlled vocabularies that ensure that concepts are uniformly annotated in the formats and engaged in extensive software development and dissemination efforts so that the standards can efficiently be used by the community. Conclusion In its first dozen years of operation, the PSI has produced many standards that have accelerated the field of proteomics by facilitating data exchange and deposition to data repositories. We look to the future to continue developing standards for new proteomics technologies and workflows and mechanisms for integration with other omics data types. Our products facilitate the translation of genomics and proteomics findings to clinical and biological phenotypes. The PSI website can be accessed at http://www.psidev.info. PMID:25726569

[Effects of ß-alanine supplementation on wingate tests in university female footballers].

PubMed

Rodríguez Rodríguez, Fernando; Delgado Ormeño, Alex; Rivera Lobos, Patricio; Tapia Aranda, Víctor; Cristi-Montero, Carlos

2014-11-01

Football is a sport that develops actions intermittent high-intensity exercise using the anaerobic pathway, for that reason, the muscle fatigue would produce primarily by increasing acidosis. Carnosine, which is formed from L-histidine, ß-alanine, has proven to produce an effect "buffer" of acidosis. To determine the effect of ß-alanine supplementation, on three successive Wingate tests and compare the average power, maximum power and lactate blood in selected female college soccer. We evaluated 10 football players who were three Wingate, 5 min rest between each sprint, determining the average power, maximum and lactate at the end of each test, then consumed 2,4 gr/day of ß-alanine for 30 days and repeated the tests. The control group (n=8) performed the same tests, but without consuming the supplement. Monark cycle ergometer was used (Ergomedic 874E) and to measure lactate the Lactate Pro 2. The group with supplementation significantly improved mean power difference from the control group. The maximum power improved only in the first sprint unlike the control group and Lactate did not differ. The evidence shows that the ß-alanine improves performance on tests of more than 30 second long, but in our study improves average power and peak power even when performing consecutive sprint, being able to emulate the reality of the football game. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Wispy Prosthesis: A Novel Method in Denture Weight Reduction

PubMed Central

Anne, Gopinadh; Budeti, Sreedevi; Anche, Sampath Kumar; Zakkula, Srujana; Atla, Jyothi; Jyothula, Ravi Rakesh Dev; Peddinti, Vijaya Kumar

2016-01-01

Introduction Stability and retention of the denture becomes at stake with the increase in weight of the denture prosthesis. As a consequence, different materials and methods have been introduced to overcome these issues but denture weight reduction still remains to be a cumbersome and strenuous procedure. Aim To introduce a novel technique for the fabrication of denture prosthesis where in the weight of the denture will not affect the retention and stability of the denture. Materials and Methods Four groups with a sample size of 10 each, were included where in one group was control and other three were study groups. The control group samples were made completely solid and the study group samples were packed with materials like bean balls, cellulose balls and polyacrylic fibers. The weight of all the samples of each study group was measured and compared with the control group. The observations were analyzed statistically by paired t-test. Results It was observed that the bean balls group produced a weight reduction of 31.3%, cellulose balls group 27.4% and polyacrylic fibers group 24.5% when compared to that of the control group. Conclusion This novel technique will eliminate the problems that were associated in creating hollowness and at the same time will reduce the weight of the prosthesis and among all the study groups, bean balls group were found to reduce maximum weight of the prosthesis. PMID:27190947

Wispy Prosthesis: A Novel Method in Denture Weight Reduction.

PubMed

Anne, Gopinadh; Budeti, Sreedevi; Anche, Sampath Kumar; Zakkula, Srujana; Atla, Jyothi; Jyothula, Ravi Rakesh Dev; Appana, Krishna Chaitanya; Peddinti, Vijaya Kumar

2016-04-01

Stability and retention of the denture becomes at stake with the increase in weight of the denture prosthesis. As a consequence, different materials and methods have been introduced to overcome these issues but denture weight reduction still remains to be a cumbersome and strenuous procedure. To introduce a novel technique for the fabrication of denture prosthesis where in the weight of the denture will not affect the retention and stability of the denture. Four groups with a sample size of 10 each, were included where in one group was control and other three were study groups. The control group samples were made completely solid and the study group samples were packed with materials like bean balls, cellulose balls and polyacrylic fibers. The weight of all the samples of each study group was measured and compared with the control group. The observations were analyzed statistically by paired t-test. It was observed that the bean balls group produced a weight reduction of 31.3%, cellulose balls group 27.4% and polyacrylic fibers group 24.5% when compared to that of the control group. This novel technique will eliminate the problems that were associated in creating hollowness and at the same time will reduce the weight of the prosthesis and among all the study groups, bean balls group were found to reduce maximum weight of the prosthesis.

Effects of oil drops containing Lactobacillus salivarius WB21 on periodontal health and oral microbiota producing volatile sulfur compounds.

PubMed

Suzuki, Nao; Tanabe, Kazunari; Takeshita, Toru; Yoneda, Masahiro; Iwamoto, Tomoyuki; Oshiro, Sueko; Yamashita, Yoshihisa; Hirofuji, Takao

2012-03-01

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effects of oil drops containing Lactobacillus salivarius WB21 on periodontal health and oral microbiota producing volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). For this study, 42 subjects were randomly assigned to receive oil samples containing L. salivarius WB21 or a placebo for two weeks. Oral assessment and saliva collection were performed on days 1 and 15. Bacterial analysis was performed using the real-time polymerase chain reaction and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). In both the experimental and placebo groups, the average probing depth, number of periodontal pockets, and the percentage of bleeding on probing (BOP) decreased while stimulated salivary flow increased on day 15. BOP was reduced in the experimental group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.010). In the experimental group, total bacterial numbers decreased, and the number of L. salivarius increased. The number of Prevotella intermedia, which is correlated with hydrogen sulfide concentration in mouth air, increased in the placebo group and did not change in the experimental group. T-RFLP analysis found that the peak area proportions representing Porphyromonas gingivalis, P. intermedia, Tannerella forsythensis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum decreased in the experimental group, although there was no significant change in the bacterial composition. Thus we observed oil drops containing L. salivarius WB21 improved BOP and inhibited the reproduction of total and VSC-producing periodontopathic bacteria compared with the placebo group, but also showed the limit of its efficacy in controlling VSCs producing and periodontal pathogens.

Ultrastructural Study on Ultra-Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields and Transfer Factor Effects on Skin Ulcers

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

Cadena, M. S. Reyes; Chapul, L. Sanchez; Perez, Javier

2008-08-11

We determined the effect of 120Hz ultra low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF) on the healing process of skin in 20 Wistar rats distributed in four groups in which chronic dermal ulcers had been produced. The first two groups received a dose of the transfer factor and interferon-beta (IFN-{beta}) every 24 h during 12 days. The third group (positive control) received only electromagnetic field (ELF) sessions, and in the fourth group (negative control), no treatment was applied. The electromagnetic field was applied through a Helmholtz coils; 30 Gauss of intensity. Results shown histological changes that improve the healing process in animalsmore » subjected to ELF together with the transfer factor.« less

The singer's formant and speaker's ring resonance: a long-term average spectrum analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Sang-Hyuk; Kwon, Hee-Jun; Choi, Hyun-Jin; Lee, Nam-Hun; Lee, Sung-Jin; Jin, Sung-Min

2008-06-01

We previously showed that a trained tenor's voice has the conventional singer's formant at the region of 3 kHz and another energy peak at 8-9 kHz. Singers in other operatic voice ranges are assumed to have the same peak in their singing and speaking voice. However, to date, no specific measurement of this has been made. Tenors, baritones, sopranos and mezzo sopranos were chosen to participate in this study of the singer's formant and the speaker's ring resonance. Untrained males (n=15) and females (n=15) were included in the control group. Each subject was asked to produce successive /a/ vowel sounds in their singing and speaking voice. For singing, the low pitch was produced in the chest register and the high notes in the head register. We collected the data on the long-term average spectra of the speaking and singing voices of the trained singers and the control groups. For the sounds produced from the head register, a significant energy concentration was seen in both 2.2-3.4 kHz and 7.5-8.4 kHz regions (except for the voices of the mezzo sopranos) in the trained singer group when compared to the control groups. Also, the chest register had a significant energy concentration in the 4 trained singer groups at the 2.2-3.1 kHz and 7.8-8.4 kHz. For speaking sound, all trained singers had a significant energy concentration at 2.2-5.3 kHz and sopranos had another energy concentration at 9-10 kHz. The results of this study suggest that opera singers have more energy concentration in the singer's formant/speaker's ring region, in both singing and speaking voices. Furthermore, another region of energy concentration was identified in opera singer's singing sound and in sopranos' speaking sound at 8-9 kHz. The authors believe that these energy concentrations may contribute to the rich voice of trained singers.

Core stabilization exercise with real-time feedback for chronic hemiparetic stroke: a pilot randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Chung, Eunjung; Lee, Byoung-Hee; Hwang, Sujin

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of core stabilization exercise with real-time feedback on balance and gait function in patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke. Nineteen stroke subjects were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly divided into the experimental (n = 10) and control groups (n = 9). Subjects in the experimental group performed core stabilization exercise with real-time feedback training for 30 minutes per day during a period of six weeks. Subjects in the control group performed core stabilization exercise during the same period. This study assessed the kinematic parameters using a portable walkway system, and timed up-and-go test. Gait velocity showed significantly greater improvement in the experimental group (7.3 ± 5.0 sec) than in the control group (-0.7 ± 10.6). Stride length showed significantly greater increase in the experimental group (13.2 ± 7.9 on the affected side and 12.6 ± 8.0 on the less affected side) than the control group (3.5 ± 8.7 on the affected side and 3.4 ± 8.5 on the less affected side). After training, change in results on the timed up and go test was significantly greater in the experimental group than in the control group. Core stabilization exercise using real-time feedback produces greater improvement in gait performance in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients than core stabilization exercise only.

Physicochemical Parameters and Antioxidant Activity of Bee Honey Enriched With Herbs.

PubMed

Dżugan, Małgorzata; Sowa, Patrycja; Kwaśniewska, Monika; Wesołowska, Monika; Czernicka, Maria

2017-03-01

Three groups of products enriched with herbs were studied: (1) commercial herb honeys (n = 5) produced by bees fed a syrup with an herbal extract, (2) natural herbal honey (n = 3) produced by bees from the nectar of herbs, and (3) creamed multifloral honey with added dried herbs (n = 5). As a control, multifloral honey (n = 5) was used. The physicochemical parameters (i.e., sugar extract, water content, specific rotation, conductivity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, pH and acidity), sugar profiles (HPLC analysis), antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds content of the studied samples were compared. Although great diversity in the basic properties of the studied products was observed, they were comparable to multifloral honey and complied with honey regulations. Significant differences in sugar composition were observed, and adversely positive rotation (excluding nettle herb honey) was detected in group 1, likely resulting from the change in bee feeding. The best antioxidant activity for creamed honeys with dried herbs (group 2) was investigated, whereas herb honeys (group 1) exhibited similar antioxidant properties as multifloral honey. The use of controlled feeding of bees appears to be an effective method of enriching honey with desirable plant bioactive components to create innovative bee products.

Gastrin producing G-cells after chronic ethanol and low protein nutrition.

PubMed

Koko, V; Todorović, V; Varagić, J; Micev, M; Korać, A; Bajcetić, M; Cakić-Milosević, M; Nedeljković, M; Drndarević, N

1998-11-01

Male Wistar rats, (2 months old), randomly divided according to the diet offered to four groups (C-control; A- alcoholized, PD-protein-deprived, A-PD- alcoholized protein-deprived). In group A and A-PD rats, the number of gastrin producing G-cells was significantly lower. The volume density of G-cells was significantly decreased in alcoholic rats. Fasting serum gastrin level (FSGL) significantly raised due to combined effect of alcohol consumption and protein malnutrition. In group A rats, the profile area of G-cells and their nuclei increased. In PD rats, the profile area of G cells also increased. There were no differences in nucleus/cell ratio due to alcohol ingestion alone, but it decreased significantly in PD and A-PD rats. Pale and lucent types of granules were predominantly seen in G-cells of animals of group A and A-PD. Mean diameter of granules increased in A, PD and A-PD rats. Other endocrine cells (ECL, D, EC) also decreased in number in A rats. Somatostatin producing D-cells decreased significantly in A-PD rats, both in fundic and pyloric mucosa.

Enhanced pain and autonomic responses to ambiguous visual stimuli in chronic Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) type I.

PubMed

Cohen, H E; Hall, J; Harris, N; McCabe, C S; Blake, D R; Jänig, W

2012-02-01

Cortical reorganisation of sensory, motor and autonomic systems can lead to dysfunctional central integrative control. This may contribute to signs and symptoms of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), including pain. It has been hypothesised that central neuroplastic changes may cause afferent sensory feedback conflicts and produce pain. We investigated autonomic responses produced by ambiguous visual stimuli (AVS) in CRPS, and their relationship to pain. Thirty CRPS patients with upper limb involvement and 30 age and sex matched healthy controls had sympathetic autonomic function assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry of the finger pulp at baseline and while viewing a control figure or AVS. Compared to controls, there were diminished vasoconstrictor responses and a significant difference in the ratio of response between affected and unaffected limbs (symmetry ratio) to a deep breath and viewing AVS. While viewing visual stimuli, 33.5% of patients had asymmetric vasomotor responses and all healthy controls had a homologous symmetric pattern of response. Nineteen (61%) CRPS patients had enhanced pain within seconds of viewing the AVS. All the asymmetric vasomotor responses were in this group, and were not predictable from baseline autonomic function. Ten patients had accompanying dystonic reactions in their affected limb: 50% were in the asymmetric sub-group. In conclusion, there is a group of CRPS patients that demonstrate abnormal pain networks interacting with central somatomotor and autonomic integrational pathways. © 2011 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters.

Speech acoustic markers of early stage and prodromal Huntington's disease: a marker of disease onset?

PubMed

Vogel, Adam P; Shirbin, Christopher; Churchyard, Andrew J; Stout, Julie C

2012-12-01

Speech disturbances (e.g., altered prosody) have been described in symptomatic Huntington's Disease (HD) individuals, however, the extent to which speech changes in gene positive pre-manifest (PreHD) individuals is largely unknown. The speech of individuals carrying the mutant HTT gene is a behavioural/motor/cognitive marker demonstrating some potential as an objective indicator of early HD onset and disease progression. Speech samples were acquired from 30 individuals carrying the mutant HTT gene (13 PreHD, 17 early stage HD) and 15 matched controls. Participants read a passage, produced a monologue and said the days of the week. Data were analysed acoustically for measures of timing, frequency and intensity. There was a clear effect of group across most acoustic measures, so that speech performance differed in-line with disease progression. Comparisons across groups revealed significant differences between the control and the early stage HD group on measures of timing (e.g., speech rate). Participants carrying the mutant HTT gene presented with slower rates of speech, took longer to say words and produced greater silences between and within words compared to healthy controls. Importantly, speech rate showed a significant correlation to burden of disease scores. The speech of early stage HD differed significantly from controls. The speech of PreHD, although not reaching significance, tended to lie between the performance of controls and early stage HD. This suggests that changes in speech production appear to be developing prior to diagnosis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sodium and potassium content and their ratio in meatballs in tomato sauce produced with lower amounts of sodium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilić, S.; Nikolić, D.; Pejkovski, Z.; Velebit, B.; Lakićević, B.; Korićanac, V.; Vranić, D.

2017-09-01

The goal of this study was to examine the possibility of partial replacement of sodium chloride with potassium chloride and ammonium chloride, with the target of achieving less sodium content in meatballs and tomato sauce as well as achieving a better Na:K ratio. The trial consisted of five groups. In the control group of meatballs and sauce, only sodium chloride was added. In group 1, half of the sodium chloride was replaced with potassium chloride related to control group while in group 2 one third of the sodium chloride was replaced with potassium chloride. In group 3, one third of the sodium chloride was replaced with ammonium chloride, and in group 4, sodium chloride was reduced to half the amount in the control group, and 1 g (0.25%) of ammonium chloride was also added. All products were acceptable according to sensory analyses. The largest reductions of sodium content were 44.64%, achieved in meatballs from group 1 and 50.62% in tomato sauce from group 4 in relation to meatballs and tomato sauce from control group. The highest Na:K ratio was calculated in meatballs and tomato sauce from control group, 2.88 and 4.39, respectively. The best Na:K ratio was in meatballs and tomato sauce from group 1, 0.60 and 0.92, respectively, in which half of sodium chloride was replaced with potassium chloride. However, in meatballs and tomato sauce from group 4, with only half the amount of sodium chloride related to control group, the Na:K ratio was worse because in these products, potassium chloride was not added.

A Case-Controlled Study of Altered Visual Art Production in Alzheimer’s and FTLD

PubMed Central

Rankin, Katherine P.; Liu, Anli A.; Howard, Sara; Slama, Hilary; Hou, Craig. E.; Shuster, Karen; Miller, Bruce L.

2009-01-01

Objective To characterize dementia-induced changes in visual art production. Background While case studies show altered visual artistic production in some patients with neurodegenerative disease, no case-controlled studies have quantified this phenomenon across groups of patients. Method Forty-nine subjects [18 Alzheimer’s disease (AD), 9 Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), 9 Semantic Dementia (SD), 15 healthy older controls (NC)] underwent formal neuropsychological testing of visuospatial, perceptual, and creative functioning, and produced four drawings. Subjective elements of drawings were rated by an expert panel that was blind to diagnosis. Results Despite equal performance on standard visuospatial tests, dementia groups produced distinct patterns of artistic features that were significantly different from NCs. FTDs used more disordered composition and less active mark-making (p<0.05). Both FTDs and SDs drawings were rated as more bizarre and demonstrated more facial distortion than NCs (p<0.05). Also, SDs drastically failed a standardized test of divergent creativity. ADs artwork was more similar to controls than to FTDs or SDs, but showed a more muted color palette (p<0.05) and trends toward including fewer details, less ordered compositions, and occasional facial distortion. Conclusions These group differences in artistic style likely resulted from disease-specific focal neurodegeneration, and elucidate the contributions of particular brain regions to the production of visual art. PMID:17356345

The anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of nebivolol and zofenopril in a model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats.

PubMed

Uzar, Ertuğrul; Acar, Abdullah; Evliyaoğlu, Osman; Fırat, Uğur; Kamasak, Kağan; Göçmez, Cüneyt; Alp, Harun; Tüfek, Adnan; Taşdemir, Nebahat; Ilhan, Atilla

2012-01-10

The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether nebivolol and zofenopril have protective effects against oxidative damage and apoptosis induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). There were seven groups of rats, with each containing eight rats. The groups were: the control group, I/R group, I/R plus zofenopril, I/R plus nebivolol, I/R plus nebivolol and zofenopril, zofenopril only and nebivolol only. Cerebral I/R was induced by clamping the bilateral common carotid artery and through hypotension. The rats were sacrificed 1h after ischemia, and histopathological and biochemical analyses were carried out on their brains. The total antioxidant capacity was evaluated by using an automated and colorimetric measurement method developed by Erel. I/R produced a significant increase in the levels of total oxidant status and malondialdehyde levels, the number of caspase-3 immunopositive cells and activities of prolidase and paraoxonase in brain when compared with the control group (p<0.05). A significant decrease in brain total antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide levels were found in I/R group when compared with the control group (p<0.05). Both nebivolol and zofenopril treatment prevented decreasing of the total antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide levels, produced by I/R in the brain (p<0.05). Both nebivolol and zofenopril treatment prevented the total oxidant status, malondialdehyde levels, activities of paraoxonase and prolidase from increasing in brains of rats exposed to I/R (p<0.05). In conclusion, both nebivolol and zofenopril protected rats from ischemia-induced brain injury. The protection may be due to the indirect prevention of oxidative stress and apoptosis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adhesive Systems as an Alternative Material for Color Masking of White Spot Lesions: Do They Work?

PubMed

de Lacerda, Ana Júlia Farias; da Silva Ávila, Daniele Mara; Borges, Alessandra Buhler; Pucci, Cesar Rogerio; Rocha Gomes Torres, Carlos

2016-01-01

To evaluate the color masking effect of infiltration treatment of artificial white spot lesions (AWSL) using a dedicated resin in comparison to different adhesive systems. Enamel/dentin specimens were obtained from bovine incisors and baseline color was assessed using a reflectance spectrophotometer, according to the CIE L*a*b* system. AWSL were produced using a buffered acid solution and a new color evaluation was performed. The specimens were divided into 8 groups: control: artificial saliva changed daily for 7 days; IC: infiltrating resin Icon; EC: EquiaCoat; FU: Futurabond U; SBU: Single Bond U; SBMP: Scotchbond MP; OB: OptibondFL; BF: Bioforty. After the treatments, the color was evaluated again and the values for the parameters ΔL (change in lightness), Δa (change in chroma), Δb (change in hue), and ΔE (general color difference) were calculated in relation to baseline. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests. After treatment, ANOVA showed significant differences for all parameters (p = 0.001). Tukey's test showed the greatest lightness reduction (ΔL) for the IC group, followed by EC, FU, and SBU. The SBMP, OB, and BF groups were similar to the control. For Δb values, all groups showed differences in relation to the control, with no differences between them. In relation to ΔE, all groups showed differences in relation to the control (ΔE = 5.24), with no significant differences between them. ΔE values after application of all resinous materials were lower than the threshold of 3.7, indicating effective color masking. The Icon infiltrant produced a greater lightness reduction of white lesions (ΔL). For general color difference (ΔE), all the resinous materials tested were able to color mask artificial AWSL.

Protective effect of D-002, a mixture of beeswax alcohols, against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers and mechanism of action.

PubMed

Pérez, Yohani; Oyárzabal, Ambar; Mas, Rosa; Molina, Vivian; Jiménez, Sonia

2013-01-01

D-002, a mixture of higher aliphatic beeswax alcohols, produces gastroprotective and antioxidant effects. To investigate the gastroprotective effect of D-002 against indomethacin-induced ulcers, oxidative variables and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the rat gastric mucosa were examined. Rats were randomized into six groups: a negative vehicle control and five indomethacin (50 mg/kg) treated groups, comprising a positive control, three groups treated orally with D-002 (5, 25 and 100 mg/kg) and one group with omeprazole 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally (ip). The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl groups (PCG), hydroxyl radical generation and catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and MPO enzyme activities in the rat gastric mucosa were assessed. Indomethacin increased the content of MDA and PCG, the generation of *OH radical and MPO enzyme activity, while it decreased the CAT, GSH-PX and SOD activities as compared to the negative controls. D-002 (5-100 mg/kg) significantly and dose-dependently reduced indomethacin-induced ulceration to 75 %. Also, D-002 decreased the content of MDA and PCG, the generation of hydroxyl radicals and MPO activity as compared to the positive controls. The highest dose of D-002 (100 mg/kg) increased significantly GSH-PX and SOD activities, while all doses used increased CAT activities. Omeprazole 20 mg/kg, the reference drug, reduced significantly the ulcers (93 %), MDA and PCG, the generation of hydroxyl radicals and MPO activity, and increased the CAT, GSH-PX and SOD activities. D-002 treatment produced gastroprotective effects against indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration, which can be related to the reduction of hydroxyl radical generation, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and MPO activity, and to the increase of the antioxidant enzymes activities in the rat gastric mucosa.

Influence of GABA and GABA-producing Lactobacillus brevis DPC 6108 on the development of diabetes in a streptozotocin rat model.

PubMed

Marques, T M; Patterson, E; Wall, R; O'Sullivan, O; Fitzgerald, G F; Cotter, P D; Dinan, T G; Cryan, J F; Ross, R P; Stanton, C

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate if dietary administration of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing Lactobacillus brevis DPC 6108 and pure GABA exert protective effects against the development of diabetes in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Sprague Dawley rats. In a first experiment, healthy rats were divided in 3 groups (n=10/group) receiving placebo, 2.6 mg/kg body weight (bw) pure GABA or L. brevis DPC 6108 (~10(9)microorganisms). In a second experiment, rats (n=15/group) were randomised to five groups and four of these received an injection of STZ to induce type 1 diabetes. Diabetic and non-diabetic controls received placebo [4% (w/v) yeast extract in dH2O], while the other three diabetic groups received one of the following dietary supplements: 2.6 mg/kg bw GABA (low GABA), 200 mg/kg bw GABA (high GABA) or ~10(9) L. brevis DPC 6108. L. brevis DPC 6108 supplementation was associated with increased serum insulin levels (P<0.05), but did not alter other metabolic markers in healthy rats. Diabetes induced by STZ injection decreased body weight (P<0.05), increased intestinal length (P<0.05) and stimulated water and food intake. Insulin was decreased (P<0.05), whereas glucose was increased (P<0.001) in all diabetic groups, compared with non-diabetic controls. A decrease (P<0.01) in glucose levels was observed in diabetic rats receiving L. brevis DPC 6108, compared with diabetic-controls. Both the composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota were affected by diabetes. Microbial diversity in diabetic rats supplemented with low GABA was not reduced (P>0.05), compared with non-diabetic controls while all other diabetic groups displayed reduced diversity (P<0.05). L. brevis DPC 6108 attenuated hyperglycaemia induced by diabetes but additional studies are needed to understand the mechanisms involved in this reduction.

Delayed diaphragm injury and diaphragm force production.

PubMed

Jiang, T X; Reid, W D; Road, J D

1998-03-01

The present study was designed to examine the effect of delayed diaphragm injury produced by inspiratory resistive loading (IRL) on diaphragm force production. On Day 1, three groups of anesthetized and intubated NZW rabbits (n = 7 in each group) were subjected to moderate IRL (Pao approximately 30 cm H2O), high IRL (Pao approximately 45 cm H2O), or no load for 1.5 h. On Day 3, the baseline twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) and Pdi at 10 to 80 Hz were measured during bilateral phrenic stimulation and these measurements were repeated after another IRL (high level) in all three groups. Diaphragm injury was assessed by the point-counting technique. Marked diaphragm injury was observed in the high-IRL group (p < 0.01), but no significant diaphragm injury was observed in the moderate-IRL or control groups. The baseline twitch Pdi was maintained in both IRL groups, whereas the baseline Pdi-frequency values in the high-IRL group were significantly reduced at most frequencies (p < 0.05). The decreases in twitch and Pdi at different frequencies were more pronounced after the IRL on Day 3 in the high-IRL group compared with controls. Moderate IRL did not decrease diaphragm force either before or after the high IRL on Day 3. We conclude that the diaphragm injury induced by high IRL has a significant impact on diaphragm force production and the attendant force loss produced by IRL is dependent on the intensity of inspiratory loading.

Motor Synchronization in Patients With Schizophrenia: Preserved Time Representation With Abnormalities in Predictive Timing.

PubMed

Wilquin, Hélène; Delevoye-Turrell, Yvonne; Dione, Mariama; Giersch, Anne

2018-01-01

Objective: Basic temporal dysfunctions have been described in patients with schizophrenia, which may impact their ability to connect and synchronize with the outer world. The present study was conducted with the aim to distinguish between interval timing and synchronization difficulties and more generally the spatial-temporal organization disturbances for voluntary actions. A new sensorimotor synchronization task was developed to test these abilities. Method: Twenty-four chronic schizophrenia patients matched with 27 controls performed a spatial-tapping task in which finger taps were to be produced in synchrony with a regular metronome to six visual targets presented around a virtual circle on a tactile screen. Isochronous (time intervals of 500 ms) and non-isochronous auditory sequences (alternated time intervals of 300/600 ms) were presented. The capacity to produce time intervals accurately versus the ability to synchronize own actions (tap) with external events (tone) were measured. Results: Patients with schizophrenia were able to produce the tapping patterns of both isochronous and non-isochronous auditory sequences as accurately as controls producing inter-response intervals close to the expected interval of 500 and 900 ms, respectively. However, the synchronization performances revealed significantly more positive asynchrony means (but similar variances) in the patient group than in the control group for both types of auditory sequences. Conclusion: The patterns of results suggest that patients with schizophrenia are able to perceive and produce both simple and complex sequences of time intervals but are impaired in the ability to synchronize their actions with external events. These findings suggest a specific deficit in predictive timing, which may be at the core of early symptoms previously described in schizophrenia.

Using electronic patient records to inform strategic decision making in primary care.

PubMed

Mitchell, Elizabeth; Sullivan, Frank; Watt, Graham; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Donnan, Peter T

2004-01-01

Although absolute risk of death associated with raised blood pressure increases with age, the benefits of treatment are greater in elderly patients. Despite this, the 'rule of halves' particularly applies to this group. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to evaluate different levels of feedback designed to improve identification, treatment and control of elderly hypertensives. Fifty-two general practices were randomly allocated to either: Control (n=19), Audit only feedback (n=16) or Audit plus Strategic feedback, prioritising patients by absolute risk (n=17). Feedback was based on electronic data, annually extracted from practice computer systems. Data were collected for 265,572 patients, 30,345 aged 65-79. The proportion of known hypertensives in each group with BP recorded increased over the study period and the numbers of untreated and uncontrolled patients reduced. There was a significant difference in mean systolic pressure between the Audit plus Strategic and Audit only groups and significantly greater control in the Audit plus Strategic group. Providing patient-specific practice feedback can impact on identification and management of hypertension in the elderly and produce a significant increase in control.

Sex differences in verbal fluency during adolescence: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in gender dysphoric and control boys and girls.

PubMed

Soleman, Remi S; Schagen, Sebastian E E; Veltman, Dick J; Kreukels, Baudewijntje P C; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; Lambalk, Cornelis B; Wouters, Femke; Delemarre-van de Waal, Henriette A

2013-08-01

In the literature, verbal fluency (VF) is generally described as a female-favoring task. Although it is conceivable that this sex difference only evolves during adolescence or adulthood under influence of sex steroids, this has never been investigated in young adolescents. First, to assess sex differences in VF performance and regional brain activation in adolescents. Second, to determine if untreated transsexual adolescents differ from their sex of birth with regard to VF performance and regional brain activation. Twenty-five boys, 26 girls, 8 Male-to-Female transsexual adolescents (MtFs), and 14 Female-to-Male transsexual adolescents (FtMs) were tested in a cross-sectional study, while performing a phonetic and semantic VF task within an MRI scanner. Functional MRI response during VF task. Boys and girls produced similar amounts of words, but the group MtFs produced significantly more words in the phonetic condition compared to control boys, girls, and FtMs. During the semantic condition, no differences were found. With regard to brain activity, control boys showed more activation in the right Rolandic operculum, a small area adjacent to Broca's area, compared to girls. No significant differences in brain activity were found comparing transsexual adolescents, although sub-threshold activation was found in the right Rolandic operculum indicating a trendwise increase in activation from control girls to FtMs to MtFs to control boys. The better performance of MtFs is consistent with our expectation that MtFs perform better on female-favoring tasks. Moreover, they produced more words than girls and FtMs. Even though a trendwise linear increase in brain activity between the four groups only approached significance, it may indicate differences in individuals with gender identity disorder compared to their birth sex. Although our findings should thus be interpreted with caution, they suggest a biological basis for both transgender groups performing in-between the two sexes. © 2013 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Kefiran reduces atherosclerosis in rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet.

PubMed

Uchida, Masashi; Ishii, Itsuko; Inoue, Chika; Akisato, Yoshie; Watanabe, Kenta; Hosoyama, Saori; Toida, Toshihiko; Ariyoshi, Noritaka; Kitada, Mitsukazu

2010-09-30

Kefiran is an exopolysaccharide produced by Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, and has been proposed to have many health-promoting properties. We investigated the antiatherogenic effect of kefiran on rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet. Male New Zealand White rabbits were fed a 0.5% cholesterol diet without (control group, n = 7) or with kefiran (kefiran group, n = 8) for eight weeks. The aorta was analyzed by histochemistry and atherosclerotic lesions were quantified. Lipids and sugars in serum were measured. Foam cell formation of RAW264.7 by βVLDL derived from both groups of rabbits was also investigated. Cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipids levels of serum and lipoprotein fractions were not significantly different between these groups. Atherosclerotic lesions of the aorta in the kefiran group were statistically lower than those of the control group, with marked differences in the abdominal aorta. T-lymphocytes were not detectable in the aorta of the kefiran group. Cholesterol contents in stools were almost identical in both groups. Cholesterol content in the liver of the kefiran group was statistically lower than in the control group. Galactose content of βVLDL derived from the kefiran group was higher, and the lipid peroxidation level was much lower than in the control group. RAW264.7 macrophages treated with βVLDL from the kefiran group showed a more spherical shape and accumulated statistically lower cholesterol than macrophages treated with βVLDL from the control group. Orally derived kefiran is absorbed in the blood. Kefiran prevents the onset and development of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits by anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant actions.

Horizontal Transmission of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli within Groups of Dairy Calves

PubMed Central

Cobbold, R.; Desmarchelier, P.

2002-01-01

To examine the dissemination of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) within cattle groups, dairy calves on two farms utilizing different calf-rearing practices were exposed to a traceable STEC strain. Test strain dissemination differed significantly between farms, with a higher prevalence being associated with group penning. Pen floors and calf hides may be the main environmental mechanisms of transmission. Dairy calf husbandry represents a control point for reducing on-farm STEC prevalence. PMID:12147524

Viroreplicative Gene Therapy Targeted to Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

factor (GVAX®) and an autologous dendritic cell vaccine produced by ex vivo pulsing with the prostatic acid phosphatase/granu- locyte-macrophage colony...observed to be sig- nificantly inhibited in the vaccinated group com- pared to the control group 2 weeks after the tumor challenge (p 0.01, fig. 1, B ...growth compared to the av- erage tumor size in the vaccinated group (fig. 1, B ). Thus, PTEN-CaP8 could serve as an effective cell vaccine

Effects of curcumin on angiotensin-converting enzyme gene expression, oxidative stress and anti-oxidant status in thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity.

PubMed

Fazal, Yumna; Fatima, Syeda Nuzhat; Shahid, Syed Muhammad; Mahboob, Tabassum

2015-12-01

This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of curcumin on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene expression, oxidative stress and anti-oxidant status in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Total 32 albino Wistar rats (male, 200-250 g) were divided into six groups (n=8). Group 1: untreated controls; Group 2: received TAA (200 mg/kg body weight (b.w.); i.p.) for 12 weeks; Group 3: received curcumin (75 mg/kg b.w.) for 24 weeks; Group 4: received TAA (200 mg/kg b.w.; i.p.) for 12 weeks+curcumin (75 mg/kg b.w.) for 12 weeks. A significantly higher ACE gene expression was observed in TAA-induced groups as compared with control, indicating more synthesis of ACE proteins. Treatment with curcumin suppressed ACE expression in TAA liver and reversed the toxicity produced. TAA treatment results in higher lipid peroxidation and lower GSH, SOD and CAT than the normal, and this produces oxidative stress in the liver. Cirrhotic conditions were confirmed by serum enzymes (ALT, AST and ALP) as well as histopathological observations. Curcumin treatment reduced oxidative stress in animals by scavenging reactive oxygen species, protecting the anti-oxidant enzymes from being denatured and reducing the oxidative stress marker lipid peroxidation. Curcumin treatment restores hepatocytes, damaged by TAA, and protects liver tissue approaching cirrhosis. © The Author(s) 2014.

Wound healing activity of Sida cordifolia Linn. in rats

PubMed Central

Pawar, Rajesh S.; Chaurasiya, Pradeep K.; Rajak, Harish; Singour, Pradeep K.; Toppo, Fedelic Ashish; Jain, Ankit

2013-01-01

Introduction: The present study provides a scientific evaluation for the wound healing potential of ethanolic (EtOH) extract of Sida cordifolia Linn. (SCL) plant. Materials and Methods: Excision, incision and burn wounds were inflicted upon three groups of six rats each. Group I was assigned as control (ointment base). Group II was treated with 10% EtOH extract ointment. Group III was treated with standard silver sulfadiazine (0.01%) cream. The parameters observed were percentage of wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength including histopathological studies. Result: It was noted that the effect produced by the ethanolic extract of SCL ointment showed significant (P < 0.01) healing in all wound models when compared with the control group. All parameters such as wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength and histopathological studies showed significant (P < 0.01) changes when compared with the control. Conclusion: The ethanolic extract ointment of SCL effectively stimulates wound contraction; increases tensile strength of excision, incision and burn wounds. PMID:24130382

Heart disease management by women: does intervention format matter?

PubMed

Clark, Noreen M; Janz, Nancy K; Dodge, Julia A; Lin, Xihong; Trabert, Britton L; Kaciroti, Niko; Mosca, Lori; Wheeler, John R; Keteyian, Steven

2014-10-01

A randomized controlled trial of two formats of a program (Women Take PRIDE) to enhance management of heart disease by patients was conducted. Older women (N = 575) were randomly assigned to a group or self-directed format or to a control group. Data regarding symptoms, functional health status, and weight were collected at baseline and at 4, 12, and 18 months. The formats produced different outcomes. At 18 months, the self-directed format was better than the control in reducing the number (p ≤ .02), frequency (p ≤ .03), and bothersomeness (p ≤ .02) of cardiac symptoms. The self-directed format was also better than the group format in reducing symptom frequency of all types (p ≤ .04). The group format improved ambulation at 12 months (p ≤ .04) and weight loss at 18 months (p ≤ .03), and group participants were more likely to complete the program (p ≤ .05). The availability of different learning formats could enhance management of cardiovascular disease by patients. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Heart disease management by women: does intervention format matter?

PubMed

Clark, Noreen M; Janz, Nancy K; Dodge, Julia A; Lin, Xihong; Trabert, Britton L; Kaciroti, Niko; Mosca, Lori; Wheeler, John R; Keteyian, Steven

2009-04-01

A randomized controlled trial of two formats of a program (Women Take PRIDE) to enhance management of heart disease by patients was conducted. Older women (N = 575) were randomly assigned to a group or self-directed format or to a control group. Data regarding symptoms, functional health status, and weight were collected at baseline and at 4, 12, and 18 months. The formats produced different outcomes. At 18 months, the self-directed format was better than the control in reducing the number (p < or = .02), frequency (p < or = .03), and bothersomeness (p < or = .02) of cardiac symptoms. The self-directed format was also better than the group format in reducing symptom frequency of all types (p < or = .04). The group format improved ambulation at 12 months (p < or = .04) and weight loss at 18 months (p < or = .03), and group participants were more likely to complete the program ( p < or = .05). The availability of different learning formats could enhance management of cardiovascular disease by patients.

A spiritual-hypnosis assisted treatment of children with PTSD after the 2002 Bali terrorist attack.

PubMed

Lesmana, C B J; Suryani, L K; Jensen, G D; Tiliopoulos, Niko

2009-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a spiritual-hypnosis assisted therapy (SHAT) for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children. All children, age 6-12 years (N=226; 52.7% females), who experienced the terrorist bomb blasts in Bali in 2002, and subsequently were diagnosed with PTSD were studied, through a longitudinal, quasi-experimental (pre-post test), single-blind, randomized control design. Of them, 48 received group SHAT (treatment group), and 178 did not receive any therapy (control group). Statistically significant results showed that SHAT produced a 77.1% improvement rate, at a two-year follow up, compared to 24% in the control group, while at the same time, the mean PTSD symptom score differences were significantly lower in the former group. We conclude that the method of spiritual-hypnosis is highly effective, economic, and easily implemented, and has a potential for therapy of PTSD in other cultures or other catastrophic life-threatening events.

Potato powders prepared by successive cooking-process depending on resistant starch content affect the intestinal fermentation in rats.

PubMed

Kawakami, Sakura; Han, Kyu-Ho; Araki, Takahiro; Ohba, Kiyoshi; Wakabayashi, Tatsuya; Shimada, Kenichiro; Fukushima, Michihiro

2017-02-01

The effects of resistant starch (RS) in dry potato powders prepared by various processes on intestinal fermentation in rats were assessed. Rats were fed raw potato powder (RP), blanched potato powder (BP), steamed potato powder (SP), or drum-dried potato powder (DP) for 4 weeks. The cecal RS content was significantly higher in the RP group than in the control diet (CN) group and other dry potato powder groups. Cecum pH was significantly lower in the RP group compared to the CN group, and was also significantly lower than that in the SP, BP, and DP groups. Lactic acid bacteria levels in the RP group were significantly higher than those in the CN group, and levels in the SP group also increased relative to the control group. Lactobacillus levels in the RP group were higher than in the CN and other dry potato powder groups. Cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations in the RP group followed by the SP group exhibited significantly higher levels relative to the control levels. Dry potato powders containing RS produced during the cooking process may represent a useful food material that increases intestinal concentrations of SCFA and enhances the growth of certain lactic acid bacteria.

Comparison of friction produced by two types of orthodontic bracket protectors

PubMed Central

Mendonça, Steyner de Lima; Praxedes Neto, Otávio José; de Oliveira, Patricia Teixeira; dos Santos, Patricia Bittencourt Dutra; Pinheiro, Fábio Henrique de Sá Leitão

2014-01-01

Introduction Fixed orthodontic appliances have been regarded as a common causative factor of oral lesions. To manage soft tissue discomfort, most orthodontists recommend using a small amount of utility wax over the brackets in order to alleviate trauma. This in vitro study aimed at evaluating friction generated by two types of bracket protectors (customized acetate protector [CAP] and temporary resin protector [TRP]) during the initial stages of orthodontic treatment. Methods An experimental model (test unit) was used to assess friction. In order to measure the friction produced in each test, the model was attached to a mechanical testing machine which simulated maxillary canines alignment. Intergroup comparison was carried out by one-way ANOVA with level of significance set at 5%. Results The friction presented by the TRP group was statistically higher than that of the control group at 6 mm. It was also higher than in the control and CAP groups in terms of maximum friction. Conclusion The customized acetate protector (CAP) demonstrated not to interfere in friction between the wire and the orthodontic bracket slot. PMID:24713564

Comparison of friction produced by two types of orthodontic bracket protectors.

PubMed

de Lima Mendonça, Steyner; Praxedes Neto, Otávio José; de Oliveira, Patricia Teixeira; dos Santos, Patricia Bittencourt Dutra; de Sá Leitão Pinheiro, Fábio Henrique

2014-01-01

Fixed orthodontic appliances have been regarded as a common causative factor of oral lesions. To manage soft tissue discomfort, most orthodontists recommend using a small amount of utility wax over the brackets in order to alleviate trauma. This in vitro study aimed at evaluating friction generated by two types of bracket protectors (customized acetate protector [CAP] and temporary resin protector [TRP]) during the initial stages of orthodontic treatment. An experimental model (test unit) was used to assess friction. In order to measure the friction produced in each test, the model was attached to a mechanical testing machine which simulated maxillary canines alignment. Intergroup comparison was carried out by one-way ANOVA with level of significance set at 5%. The friction presented by the TRP group was statistically higher than that of the control group at 6 mm. It was also higher than in the control and CAP groups in terms of maximum friction. The customized acetate protector (CAP) demonstrated not to interfere in friction between the wire and the orthodontic bracket slot.

Effects of recombinant human growth hormone and nandrolone phenylpropionate on the healing of ischemic colon anastomosis in rats.

PubMed

Yarimkaya, Ali; Apaydin, Berat; Unal, Ethem; Karabicak, Ilhan; Aydogan, Fatih; Uslu, Ezel; Erginoz, Ethem; Artis, Tarik; Eyuboglu, Erhun

2003-12-01

Recombinant human growth hormone and nandrolone phenylpropionate are two different anabolic agents. This study was designed to investigate the effects of these anabolic agents on the healing of ischemic colon anastomosis in rats. Seventy adult male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (n = 14). Group I was the sham laparotomy group. In the other groups, surgical procedures consisting of transsection and anastomosis were made at a distance 3 cm from the peritoneal reflection. Group II was the nonischemic control group. Ischemic colon model was produced in the remaining groups. Group III was the untreated control group. Groups IV and V received recombinant human growth hormone and nandrolone phenylpropionate, respectively. Bursting pressure and hydroxyproline levels were measured on the third and seventh postoperative days to evaluate anastomotic healing. Recombinant human growth hormone increased both collagen deposition and bursting pressure significantly at postoperative Days 3 and 7 compared with the sham and untreated control groups (P < 0.005). When compared with the untreated control, nandrolone phenylpropionate significantly increased collagen deposition at postoperative Days 3 and 7 (P < 0.005) and bursting pressure only at postoperative Day 3 (P < 0.005). Recombinant human growth hormone has more favorable therapeutic effects on the healing of ischemic colonic anastomoses than nandrolone phenylpropionate. Recombinant human growth hormone also improves healing of nonischemic colonic anastomosis.

A prospective controlled study of sleep respiratory events in patients with craniovertebral junction malformation.

PubMed

Botelho, Ricardo Vieira; Bittencourt, Lia Rita Azeredo; Rotta, José Marcos; Tufik, Sergio

2003-12-01

Craniovertebral junction malformation (CVJM) or Chiari malformation in adults, with or without syringomyelia and basilar invagination, produces neuronal dysfunction of the brainstem, cerebellum, cranial nerves, and upper spinal cord. The respiratory center and some of its afferent and efferent components can be altered in these diseases. The authors studied patients with and without CVJM to determine whether this physical feature contributed to sleep disturbances. Respiratory manifestations during sleep were studied prospectively, by using whole-night polysomnography, in 32 symptomatic patients (CVJM group) and 16 healthy volunteers (control group). Patients with CVJM presented with more sleep disturbances (reports of snoring and apnea) than those in the control group. The apnea/hypopnea index values were higher in patients with CVJMs than in the control group (13 +/- 15 compared with 3 +/- 6; p = 0.007) and the rate of central sleep apneas was higher in the CVJM than in the control group (22 +/- 30 compared with 4 +/- 8%; p = 0.009). The apnea/hypopnea index was highest in the subgroup with basilar invagination than in the other subgroups. The central apneic episodes were more frequent in the patients with basilar invagination (35 +/- 40%; p = 0.001) and in those with syringomyelia (17.6 +/- 24.6%; p = 0.003) than in the control group (4 +/- 8%). Patients with symptomatic CVJM, especially those with basilar invagination, presented with more sleep respiratory compromise than did those in the control group. The incidence of sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome is significantly higher in patients with CVJM.

The efficacy of early language intervention in mainstream school settings: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Fricke, Silke; Burgoyne, Kelly; Bowyer-Crane, Claudine; Kyriacou, Maria; Zosimidou, Alexandra; Maxwell, Liam; Lervåg, Arne; Snowling, Margaret J; Hulme, Charles

2017-10-01

Oral language skills are a critical foundation for literacy and more generally for educational success. The current study shows that oral language skills can be improved by providing suitable additional help to children with language difficulties in the early stages of formal education. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 394 children in England, comparing a 30-week oral language intervention programme starting in nursery (N = 132) with a 20-week version of the same programme starting in Reception (N = 133). The intervention groups were compared to an untreated waiting control group (N = 129). The programmes were delivered by trained teaching assistants (TAs) working in the children's schools/nurseries. All testers were blind to group allocation. Both the 20- and 30-week programmes produced improvements on primary outcome measures of oral language skill compared to the untreated control group. Effect sizes were small to moderate (20-week programme: d = .21; 30-week programme: d = .30) immediately following the intervention and were maintained at follow-up 6 months later. The difference in improvement between the 20-week and 30-week programmes was not statistically significant. Neither programme produced statistically significant improvements in children's early word reading or reading comprehension skills (secondary outcome measures). This study provides further evidence that oral language interventions can be delivered successfully by trained TAs to children with oral language difficulties in nursery and Reception classes. The methods evaluated have potentially important policy implications for early education. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

A Matter of Low Self-Control? Exploring Differences Between Child Pornography Possessors and Child Pornography Producers/Distributers Using Self-Control Theory.

PubMed

Clevenger, Shelly L; Navarro, Jordana N; Jasinski, Jana L

2016-09-01

This study examined the demographic and background characteristic differences between those arrested for child pornography (CP) possession (only), or CP production/distribution, or an attempted or completed sexual exploitation of a minor (SEM) that involved the Internet in some capacity within the context of self-control theory using data from the second wave of the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (N-JOV2). Results indicate few demographic similarities, which thereby suggest these are largely heterogeneous groupings of individuals. Results also indicate CP producers/distributers engaged in a greater number of behaviors indicative of low self-control compared with CP possessors. Specifically, offenders arrested for CP production/distribution were more likely to have (a) had problems with drugs/alcohol at the time of the crime and (b) been previously violent. In contrast, the only indicator of low self-control that reached statistical significance for CP possessors was the previous use of violence. Moreover, in contrast to CP producers/distributers, full-time employment and marital status may be important factors to consider in the likelihood of arrest for CP possessors, which is congruent with the tenets of self-control theory. © The Author(s) 2014.

The impact of impaired semantic knowledge on spontaneous iconic gesture production

PubMed Central

Cocks, Naomi; Dipper, Lucy; Pritchard, Madeleine; Morgan, Gary

2013-01-01

Background Previous research has found that people with aphasia produce more spontaneous iconic gesture than control participants, especially during word-finding difficulties. There is some evidence that impaired semantic knowledge impacts on the diversity of gestural handshapes, as well as the frequency of gesture production. However, no previous research has explored how impaired semantic knowledge impacts on the frequency and type of iconic gestures produced during fluent speech compared with those produced during word-finding difficulties. Aims To explore the impact of impaired semantic knowledge on the frequency and type of iconic gestures produced during fluent speech and those produced during word-finding difficulties. Methods & Procedures A group of 29 participants with aphasia and 29 control participants were video recorded describing a cartoon they had just watched. All iconic gestures were tagged and coded as either “manner,” “path only,” “shape outline” or “other”. These gestures were then separated into either those occurring during fluent speech or those occurring during a word-finding difficulty. The relationships between semantic knowledge and gesture frequency and form were then investigated in the two different conditions. Outcomes & Results As expected, the participants with aphasia produced a higher frequency of iconic gestures than the control participants, but when the iconic gestures produced during word-finding difficulties were removed from the analysis, the frequency of iconic gesture was not significantly different between the groups. While there was not a significant relationship between the frequency of iconic gestures produced during fluent speech and semantic knowledge, there was a significant positive correlation between semantic knowledge and the proportion of word-finding difficulties that contained gesture. There was also a significant positive correlation between the speakers' semantic knowledge and the proportion of gestures that were produced during fluent speech that were classified as “manner”. Finally while not significant, there was a positive trend between semantic knowledge of objects and the production of “shape outline” gestures during word-finding difficulties for objects. Conclusions The results indicate that impaired semantic knowledge in aphasia impacts on both the iconic gestures produced during fluent speech and those produced during word-finding difficulties but in different ways. These results shed new light on the relationship between impaired language and iconic co-speech gesture production and also suggest that analysis of iconic gesture may be a useful addition to clinical assessment. PMID:24058228

Effect of Parasitoid: Host Ratio and Parasitoid and Host Group Size on Fitness of Spathius galinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Parasitoid of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): Implications for Mass-Rearing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Producing insect natural enemies in laboratories or insectaries for biological pest control is often expensive, and developing cost-effective rearing techniques is a goal of many biological control programs. Spathius galinae Belokobylskij and Strazenac (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a recently described...

Cognitive and neural plasticity in older adults’ prospective memory following training with the Virtual Week computer game

PubMed Central

Rose, Nathan S.; Rendell, Peter G.; Hering, Alexandra; Kliegel, Matthias; Bidelman, Gavin M.; Craik, Fergus I. M.

2015-01-01

Prospective memory (PM) – the ability to remember and successfully execute our intentions and planned activities – is critical for functional independence and declines with age, yet few studies have attempted to train PM in older adults. We developed a PM training program using the Virtual Week computer game. Trained participants played the game in 12, 1-h sessions over 1 month. Measures of neuropsychological functions, lab-based PM, event-related potentials (ERPs) during performance on a lab-based PM task, instrumental activities of daily living, and real-world PM were assessed before and after training. Performance was compared to both no-contact and active (music training) control groups. PM on the Virtual Week game dramatically improved following training relative to controls, suggesting PM plasticity is preserved in older adults. Relative to control participants, training did not produce reliable transfer to laboratory-based tasks, but was associated with a reduction of an ERP component (sustained negativity over occipito-parietal cortex) associated with processing PM cues, indicative of more automatic PM retrieval. Most importantly, training produced far transfer to real-world outcomes including improvements in performance on real-world PM and activities of daily living. Real-world gains were not observed in either control group. Our findings demonstrate that short-term training with the Virtual Week game produces cognitive and neural plasticity that may result in real-world benefits to supporting functional independence in older adulthood. PMID:26578936

Effects of self reflection on engagement in a 12-step addiction treatment programme: a linguistic analysis of diary entries.

PubMed

Stephenson, Geoffrey M; Zygouris, Nikolaos

2007-02-01

Thirty clients receiving Twelve-Step Facilitation Therapy in a rehabilitation setting formed the intervention group. They were asked to complete in third person a weekly evaluation of progress based on reading personal "Feelings" diaries they had written on a daily basis over a period of one week, starting 3weeks previously. The diaries of the clients and of a further 60 clients in two matched control groups were compared. One control group consisted of clients receiving treatment before the intervention was introduced, and clients in the second control group received treatment after the intervention was terminated. Clients in the control groups were matched to the intervention group according to presenting disorder (alcohol, drugs or food), gender and age. Analysis of the number of words written and diaries produced suggested that the experimental group's productivity was enhanced. Linguistic and cluster analyses indicated that the clients in the Intervention group referred more frequently to key elements of the programme (steps and spirituality) and responded in a more integrated way to the major aspects of their treatment regime. The study supported the expectation that by promoting self-reflection on progress in therapeutic settings, an increase in programme engagement can be expected.

Effect of cytoplasmic volume on developmental competence of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) embryos produced through hand-made cloning.

PubMed

Panda, Sudeepta K; George, Aman; Saha, Ambika P; Sharma, Ruchi; Manik, Radhey S; Chauhan, Manmohan S; Palta, Prabhat; Singla, Suresh K

2011-06-01

This study examined the effects of cytoplasmic volume on the developmental competence of hand-made cloned buffalo embryos. Two different cell types, that is, buffalo fetal fibroblast (BFF) and buffalo embryonic stem (ES) cell-like cells were taken as donor cell and fused with one, two, or three demicytoplasts to generate embryos with decreased, normal (control), and increased cytoplasmic volume. Using BFF as a nuclear donor, the cleavage rate was similar in all the groups (p > 0.05), but the blastocysts rate was significantly lower (p < 0.05) for embryos generated with decreased cytoplasmic volume. Using ES cell-like cells, the cleavage and blastocyst rate with increased cytoplasmic volume was significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared that with reduced cytoplasmic volume. Blastocysts produced from embryos having increased cytoplasmic volume had significantly higher (p < 0.05) cell number than normal (control) embryos in both BFF and ES cell-like cells groups. Pregnancies were established in all the groups except for the embryos reconstructed with decreased cytoplasmic volume. The pregnancy rate was almost double for embryos reconstructed using increased cytoplasmic volume compared to that with the controls. Most of the pregnancies aborted in the first trimester and one live calf was delivered through Caesarean, which died 4 h after birth.

[Effect of oral administration of probiotics on intestinal colonization with drug-resistant bacteria in preterm infants].

PubMed

Hua, Xin-Tian; Tang, Jun; Mu, De-Zhi

2014-06-01

To evaluate the effect of oral administration of probiotics on intestinal colonization with drug-resistant bacteria among preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out in the preterm infants who were transferred to the NICU immediately after birth. These infants were stratified by whether they were breastfed and then randomized into test group and control group. The test group was given probiotics from the day when enteral feeding began, while the control group was treated conventionally without probiotics. The two groups were compared in terms of the colonization with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing bacteria, as assessed by rectal swabs on days 1, 3, 7, and 14 after birth, and the incidence of diseases. Rectal colonization with drug-resistant bacteria was found in the test group (n=119) and control group (n=138) on days 1, 3, 7, and 14 after birth. There were no significant differences in the incidence of late-onset sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis between the two groups (P>0.05). Among non-breastfed infants, the test group had significantly decreased rectal colonization with drug-resistant bacteria compared with the control group on day 14 after birth (71.1% vs 88.9%; P=0.04). No probiotic-related adverse events were observed in the study. Oral administration of probiotics may reduce rectal colonization with drug-resistant bacteria in preterm infants under certain conditions and shows good safety.

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen and nerve growth factor on the long-term neural behavior of neonatal rats with hypoxic ischemic brain damage.

PubMed

Wei, Lixia; Ren, Qing; Zhang, Yongjun; Wang, Jiwen

2017-04-01

To evaluate the effects of HBO (Hyperbaric oxygen) and NGF (Nerve growth factor) on the long-term neural behavior of neonatal rats with HIBD (Neonatal hypoxic ischemic brain damage). The HIBD model was produced by ligating the right common carotid artery of 7 days old SD (Sprague-Dawley) rats followed by 8% O2 + 92% N2 for 2h. Totally 40 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups including sham-operated group, HIBD control group, HBO treated group, NGF treated group and NGF + HBO treated group. The learning and memory ability of these rats was evaluated by Morris water maze at 30 days after birth, and sensory motor function was assessed by experiments of foot error and limb placement at 42 days after birth. The escape latency of HBO treated group, NGF treated group and NGF + HBO treated group was shorter than that of HIBD control group (p<0.01) and longer than that of sham-operated group. The piercing indexes of 3 treated groups were higher than that of HIBD control group (p<0.01). Hyperbaric oxygen and nerve growth factor treatments may improve learning and memory ability and sensory motor function in neonatal rats after hypoxic ischemic brain damage.

Artistic creation as stimulated by superimposed versus combined-composite visual images.

PubMed

Rothenberg, A

1986-02-01

The creative role of homospatial thinking in visual art was assessed in an experiment with 39 highly talented young artists. In order to compare the creative effects of visual elements occupying the same space with identical elements arrayed in a combined foreground and background organization, superimposed slide images were presented to a randomly selected portion of the subject group, and the other portion of the subject group viewed the same slide images constructed into a figure-ground composite. Both groups produced three drawings stimulated by the slide stimuli, and these drawings were independently judged by three art experts. Results were that drawings produced by the group exposed to the superimposed images were rated higher in creative potential than those stimulated by the figure-ground controls. These results extend previous experimental findings of a tendency toward homospatial thinking in creative individuals in literature and visual art.

Comparison of pethidine, buprenorphine and ketoprofen for postoperative analgesia after ovariohysterectomy in the cat.

PubMed

Slingsby, L S; Waterman-Pearson, A E

1998-08-15

Sixty cats which underwent an ovariohysterectomy were randomly allocated into four treatment groups. One group (controls) received no analgesics postoperatively, and the others received either a single dose of buprenorphine (0.006 mg/kg) intramuscularly, or pethidine (5 mg/kg) intramuscularly, or ketoprofen (2 mg/kg) subcutaneously. The analgesia obtained after each treatment was assessed by three measures. There were significant differences between the groups both for the requirement for intervention analgesia (P = 0.0008) and for the overall clinical assessment (P = 0.0003) with ketoprofen requiring least intervention analgesia and having the best overall clinical assessment, followed by buprenorphine then pethidine. The control group required the most intervention analgesia and had the worst overall clinical assessment. Visual analogue scale scoring for pain produced significant differences between the groups from one hour after the operation, with the cats which were given ketoprofen tending to have lower pain scores than the other groups.

Evaluation of stratigraphic relations of sandstone-producing reservoirs in upper Council Grove and Chase groups (Permian) in north-central Oklahoma

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

Chaplin, J.R.

1989-08-01

Poor well control and the absence of surface stratigraphic control made previous interpretations of the stratigraphic relations of sandstone-producing reservoirs tenuous. Recent extensive analyses of surface outcrops and well and core data support the contention that the major sandstone-producing reservoirs can be physically correlated with formations in the outcrop section. Sandstone bodies within the upper Council Grove Group include Neva sand and Blackwell sand (Neva Limestone), Hotson-Kisner sand (Eskridge Shale), and the Whitney-Hodges sand. The Whitney-Hodges sand correlates, in part, with the Speiser Shale (Garrison Formation) of the outcrop section. However, previous usage suggested tentative correlations with sandstone bodies stratigraphicallymore » lower in the section. These sands were probably deposited in channels that were, in part, fluvial, tidal, or estuarine. Production from the Chase Group occurs locally within channelform sandstone bodies referred to as the Hoy-Matfield sand. These sands appear to be equivalent, occupying essentially the position of the Kinney Limestone Member (Matfield Shale) of the outcrop section. Detailed core-hole data at and in the vicinity of Kaw Dam, southeastern Kay County, and outcrops along the shoreline of Kaw Lake at Kaw City, Kay County, clearly demonstrate the facies distribution of the Hoy sand. Core-hole data has also delineated additional potential sandstone reservoirs within and near or at the top of the Fort Riley Limestone Member (Barneston Limestone). The Wolfe sand, a producing sandstone locally, occupies a stratigraphic position within the Doyle Shale.« less

Bacterial overgrowth and methane production in children with encopresis.

PubMed

Leiby, Alycia; Mehta, Devendra; Gopalareddy, Vani; Jackson-Walker, Susan; Horvath, Karoly

2010-05-01

To assess the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and methane production in children with encopresis. Radiographic fecal impaction (FI) scores were assessed in children with secondary, retentive encopresis and compared with the breath test results. Breath tests with hypoosmotic lactulose solution were performed in both the study patients (n = 50) and gastrointestinal control subjects (n = 39) groups. The FI scores were significantly higher in the patients with encopresis who were methane producers (P < .01). SIBO was diagnosed in 21 of 50 (42%) patients with encopresis and 9 of 39 (23%) of control subjects (P = .06). Methane was produced in 56% of the patients with encopresis versus 23.1% of the control subjects in the gastrointestinal group (P < .01). Fasting methane level was elevated in 48% versus 10.3 %, respectively (P < .01). Children with FI and encopresis had a higher prevalence of SIBO, elevated basal methane levels, and higher methane production. Methane production was associated with more severe colonic impaction. Further study is needed to determine whether methane production is a primary or secondary factor in the pathogenesis of SIBO and encopresis.

Ability of Hand Hygiene Interventions Using Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers and Soap To Reduce Microbial Load on Farmworker Hands Soiled during Harvest.

PubMed

de Aceituno, Anna Fabiszewski; Bartz, Faith E; Hodge, Domonique Watson; Shumaker, David J; Grubb, James E; Arbogast, James W; Dávila-Aviña, Jorgé; Venegas, Fabiola; Heredia, Norma; García, Santos; Leon, Juan S

2015-11-01

Effective hand hygiene is essential to prevent the spread of pathogens on produce farms and reduce foodborne illness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act Proposed Rule for Produce Safety recommends the use of soap and running water for hand hygiene of produce handlers. The use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) may be an effective alternative hygiene intervention where access to water is limited. There are no published data on the efficacy of either soap or ABHS-based interventions to reduce microbial contamination in agricultural settings. The goal of this study was to assess the ability of two soap-based (traditional or pumice) and two ABHS-based (label-use or two-step) hygiene interventions to reduce microbes (coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp.) and soil (absorbance of hand rinsate at 600 nm [A600]) on farmworker hands after harvesting produce, compared with the results for a no-hand-hygiene control. With no hand hygiene, farmworker hands were soiled (median A600, 0.48) and had high concentrations of coliforms (geometric mean, 3.4 log CFU per hand) and Enterococcus spp. (geometric mean, 5.3 log CFU per hand) after 1 to 2 h of harvesting tomatoes. Differences in microbial loads in comparison to the loads in the control group varied by indicator organism and hygiene intervention (0 to 2.3 log CFU per hand). All interventions yielded lower concentrations of Enterococcus spp. and E. coli (P < 0.05), but not of coliforms, than were found in the control group. The two-step ABHS intervention led to significantly lower concentrations of coliforms and Enterococcus spp. than the pumice soap and label-use ABHS interventions (P < 0.05) and was the only intervention to yield significantly fewer samples with E. coli than were found in the control group (P < 0.05). All interventions removed soil from hands (P < 0.05), soap-based interventions more so than ABHS-based interventions (P < 0.05). ABHS-based interventions were equally as effective as hand washing with soap at reducing indicator organisms on farmworker hands. Based on these results, ABHS is an efficacious hand hygiene solution for produce handlers, even on soiled hands.

Why Do Only Some Women Develop Post Menopausal Osteoporosis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

rat model, a high fructose diet was chosen. High fructose diet has been shown to produce increased levels of AGEs (pentosidine, carbodymethyllysine...endproducts, bone remodeling, bone mineral density, high fructose diet ...sixty rats 3b. Start the controlled research diets - Normal diet groups (3x n of 10) and High Fructose Diet groups (3x n of 10 3c. at the end of

Prospective motion correction with volumetric navigators (vNavs) reduces the bias and variance in brain morphometry induced by subject motion.

PubMed

Tisdall, M Dylan; Reuter, Martin; Qureshi, Abid; Buckner, Randy L; Fischl, Bruce; van der Kouwe, André J W

2016-02-15

Recent work has demonstrated that subject motion produces systematic biases in the metrics computed by widely used morphometry software packages, even when the motion is too small to produce noticeable image artifacts. In the common situation where the control population exhibits different behaviors in the scanner when compared to the experimental population, these systematic measurement biases may produce significant confounds for between-group analyses, leading to erroneous conclusions about group differences. While previous work has shown that prospective motion correction can improve perceived image quality, here we demonstrate that, in healthy subjects performing a variety of directed motions, the use of the volumetric navigator (vNav) prospective motion correction system significantly reduces the motion-induced bias and variance in morphometry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organic influences on inorganic patterns of diffusion-controlled precipitation in gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barge, Laura M.; Nealson, Kenneth H.; Petruska, John

2010-06-01

The well-known AgNO 3/K 2CrO 4 reaction-diffusion system produces periodic bands of silver chromate precipitate in gelatin, but only randomly oriented crystals in agarose gel. We show that comparable bands can be produced in agarose gel by adding small amounts of simple organic acids (e.g., acetic acid, N-acetyl glycine, and N-acetyl alanine) that suppress crystal growth and promote formation of rounded particles of precipitate. These results indicate that α-carboxyl groups of amino acids or short peptides in gelatin under mildly acidic conditions can induce periodic band patterns in diffusion-controlled silver chromate precipitates.

A Six-Month Randomized Controlled Trial of Whole Soy and Isoflavones Daidzein on Body Composition in Equol-Producing Postmenopausal Women with Prehypertension

PubMed Central

Liu, Zhao-min; Ho, Suzanne C.; Chen, Yu-ming; Woo, Jean

2013-01-01

Objectives. This paper reported the effects of commonly used whole soy foods (soy flour) and purified daidzein (one of the major isoflavones and the precursor of equol) on changes in anthropometric measurements and body composition in a 6-month double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial among prehypertensive postmenopausal women who are also equol producers. Methods. 270 eligible women were randomized to either one of the three treatments: 40 g soy flour (whole soy group), 40 g low-fat milk powder + 63 mg daidzein (daidzein group), or 40 g low-fat milk powder (placebo group) daily each for 6 months. Anthropometric indicators and body composition were measured before and after intervention. Results. 253 subjects completed the study with good compliance. Urinary isoflavones levels suggested good compliance of subjects with supplementation. Whole soy and purified daidzein had no significant effect on body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, waist to hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage, fat mass, and free fat mass. Conclusion. Six-month consumption of whole soy and purified daidzein at provided dosage had no improvement on body weight and composition compared with isocaloric milk placebo among prehypertensive equol-producing postmenopausal women. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01270737. PMID:23984051

[Clinical situation, diagnosis and prevention of a Streptococcus suis serotype 7 problem on a farm].

PubMed

Unterweger, Christine; Baums, Christoph Georg; Höcher, Martin; Fischer, Louis; Weiss, Astrid; Hennig-Pauka, Isabel

2014-01-01

In an Austrian piglet producing farm with 1500 sows a high incidence of meningitis, arthritis and sudden death was recorded in five to eight week old piglets. Overall losses were 1.8%. Streptococcus (S.) suis serotype 7 was detected with an intermediate to high specific bacterial load in all samples taken from brains and joints of 17 untreated piglets with typical clinical signs. All isolates showed an identical spectrum of virulence-associated genes (mrp+, epf-, ofs-, sly-) and expressed a relatively small variant of MRP (Muramidase-Released Protein) called MRPs. A bacterin was produced using four of the S. suis serotype 7 isolates. An untreated and non-vaccinated control group A with 957 piglets, a non-vaccinated but amoxicillin-treated group B with 1012 piglets and an untreated group C with 998 piglets, which was vaccinated twice in the first and third week of life, were compared. Later, an additional group D with 290 piglets was vaccinated twice in the fourth and sixth week of life. Amoxicillin treatment in group B resulted in the lowest mortality and morbidity rate. Furthermore, the incidence of lameness and losses were significantly lower in vaccinated pigs compared to the control group. In an ex vivo blood survival assay, a strong bactericidal effect of the post immune sera of group D animals was found. This is likely due to the presence of specific opsonizing antibodies against S. suis elicited through vaccination and associated with the protective efficacy of the vaccine.

Inhibitory effects of atropine and hexamethonium on the angiotensin II-induced contractions of rat anococcygeus smooth muscles.

PubMed

de Godoy, Márcio Augusto Fressatto; Accorsi-Mendonça, Daniela; de Oliveira, Ana Maria

2003-02-01

We have evaluated the interaction between angiotensin II (Ang II) and the cholinergic transmission in anococcygeus smooth muscles isolated from rats treated (sympathectomised group) or not (vehicle group) with reserpine and alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine. For this, we contracted the tissues with Ang II in the presence and absence of atropine and hexamethonium. Ang II induced concentration-dependent contractions, which did not undergo temporal changes in tissues isolated from both groups of rats. In the vehicle group, Ang II induced more potent contractions than in the sympathectomised group. In the sympathectomised rat group, atropine inhibited the contractions induced by Ang II in a concentration-dependent fashion with no decrease in E(max). Additionally, hexamethonium inhibited the contraction induced by Ang II in a concentration-dependent fashion with a decrease in E(max). Association of atropine and hexamethonium produced Ang II-induced curves with rightward shifts from the control curve with a decrease in E(max). Incubation with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) reversed the effects of atropine and hexamethonium association. Conversely, in the vehicle group of rats, atropine and hexamethonium did not produce any significant effect. However, in the presence of yohimbine, atropine shifted the Ang II-induced curves to the right of the control curve with no E(max) decrease. Results suggest that there is a positive interaction between Ang II and cholinergic transmission in the rat anococcygeus smooth muscle mediated by angiotensin receptors located on pre-ganglionic cells.

Partnering with Teachers to Educate Girls in the New Computer Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, Lucia Albino; Bravo, Melinda J.; Kearney, Lisa K.

The authors report on a project conducted in 2 consecutive years at the same public middle school. The project was designed to challenge the view that technology is a male domain. In the main study, teachers partnered with researchers to implement an innovative educational intervention focused on disrupting gender stereotype - producing dynamics among students' peer groups. Participants were 151 seventh grade students and their teachers. The intervention was successful in bringing about hypothesized changes in girls' relation to technology. Girls in the treatment group reported greater interest in future computer and technology involvement than girls in the control group. In addition, girls in the intervention reported less endorsement of boys' computer expertise than girls in the control group. Although the intervention was designed for girls, overall, boys' reactions were quite positive.

The effectiveness of a tobacco prevention program with adolescents living in a tobacco-producing region.

PubMed Central

Noland, M P; Kryscio, R J; Riggs, R S; Linville, L H; Ford, V Y; Tucker, T C

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the efficacy of a social-influences tobacco prevention program conducted with adolescents living in a high tobacco production area. METHODS: Students in 10 experimental schools completed the tobacco prevention program and a booster intervention. Control students received health education as usual. RESULTS: After 2 years of treatment, smoking rates in the treatment group (vs the control group) were lower for 30-day, 7-day, and 24-hour smoking. The intervention had more of an impact on those who were involved in raising tobacco than it did on those not involved in raising tobacco. CONCLUSIONS: Although modest, effects were achieved with minimal intervention time in a high-risk group, indicating that social-influences prevention programs may be effective in such groups. PMID:9842390

Increased E-selectin in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury mediates liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer

PubMed Central

YOSHIMOTO, KATSUHIRO; TAJIMA, HIDEHIRO; OHTA, TETSUO; OKAMOTO, KOICHI; SAKAI, SEISHO; KINOSHITA, JUN; FURUKAWA, HIROYUKI; MAKINO, ISAMU; HAYASHI, HIRONORI; NAKAMURA, KEISHI; OYAMA, KATSUNOBU; INOKUCHI, MASAFUMI; NAKAGAWARA, HISATOSHI; ITOH, HIROSHI; FUJITA, HIDETO; TAKAMURA, HIROYUKI; NINOMIYA, ITASU; KITAGAWA, HIROHISA; FUSHIDA, SACHIO; FUJIMURA, TAKASHI; WAKAYAMA, TOMOHIKO; ISEKI, SHOICHI; SHIMIZU, KOICHI

2012-01-01

Several recent studies have reported that selectins are produced during ischemia-reperfusion injury, and that selectin ligands play an important role in cell binding to the endothelium and in liver metastasis. Portal clamping during pancreaticoduodenectomy with vessel resection for pancreatic head cancer causes hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, which might promote liver metastasis. We investigated the liver colonization of pancreatic cancer cells under hepatic ischemia-reperfusion and examined the involvement of E-selectin and its ligands. A human pancreatic cancer cell line (Capan-1) was injected into the spleen of mice after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R group). In addition, to investigate the effect of an anti-E-selectin antibody on liver colonization in the IR group, mice received an intraperitoneal injection of the anti-E-selectin antibody following hepatic ischemia-reperfusion and tumor inoculation (IR+Ab group). Four weeks later, mice were sacrificed and the number of tumor nodules on the liver was compared to mice without hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (control group). The incidence of liver metastasis in the I/R group was significantly higher (16 of 20, 80%) than that in the control group (6 of 20, 30%) (P<0.01). Moreover, mice in the I/R group had significantly more tumor nodules compared to those in the control group (median, 9.9 vs. 2.7 nodules) (P<0.01). In the I/R+Ab group, only 2 of 5 (40%) mice developed liver metastases. RT-PCR and southern blotting of the liver extracts showed that the expression of IL-1 and E-selectin mRNA after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion was significantly higher than the basal levels. Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion increases liver metastases and E-selectin expression in pancreatic cancer. These results suggest that E-selectin produced due to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion is involved in liver metastasis. PMID:22766603

IN VIVO EFFECT OF RUTA CHALEPENSIS EXTRACT ON HEPATIC CYTOCHROME 3A1 IN RATS

PubMed Central

Martínez-Pérez, Edith Fabiola; Hernández-Terán, Fernando; Serrano-Gallardo, Luis Benjamín

2017-01-01

Background: Since the time when drugs began to be used, it became evident that they could produce a therapeutic effect, but also a clinical condition of toxicity or no effect at all on humans, despite using the same doses in different patients. Such untoward effects were termed “drug idiosyncrasy” and also “idiosyncratic drug effects”, but the factors producing such diverse responses were never taken into account. Materials and Methods: Ruta chalepensis L. (fringed rue) is an herbaceous plant of the Rutaceae family used in traditional medicine due to its properties, such as its analgesic and antipyretic effects. This study used 25 male rats divided into five groups. Plant extract was administered to Groups 1 and 2 at doses of 100 and 30 mg/kg/day, respectively, for three days; Group 3 was administered 100 mg/kg/day of dexamethasone (DEX), as well as 100 mg/kg/day of Ruta chalepensis extract; Group 4 was administered 100 mg/kg/day of DEX and treated as positive control; Group 5 was treated as negative control and was administered a physiological solution. Twenty-four hours after the the last dose, the animals were sacrificed and their livers were extracted. Results: The aqueous extract of Ruta chalepensis, intraperitoneally administered, was able to induce cytochrome 3A1 in doses of 30 mg/kg/day, and a greater inducing effect occurs when the plant is co-administered in doses of 100 mg/kg/day with dexamethasone. Conclusion: This study suggests that aqueous extract of Ruta chalepensis can induce cytochrome 3a1. This study helps provide a better understanding of CYP3a regulation. Future in vitro work is needed to determine the compounds that produce the cytochrome modulation. PMID:28638868

Effects of a Prototype Internet Dissonance-Based Eating Disorder Prevention Program at 1- and 2-Year Follow-up

PubMed Central

Stice, Eric; Durant, Shelley; Rohde, Paul; Shaw, Heather

2014-01-01

Objective A group-based eating disorder prevention program wherein young women explore the costs of pursuing the thin ideal reduces eating disorder risk factors and symptoms. However, it can be challenging to identify school clinicians to effectively deliver the intervention. The present study compares the effects of a new Internet-based version of this prevention program, which could facilitate dissemination, to the group-based program and to educational video and educational brochure control conditions at 1- and 2-year follow-up. Method Female college students with body dissatisfaction (N = 107; M age = 21.6 SD = 6.6) were randomized to these four conditions. Results Internet participants showed reductions in eating disorder risk factors and symptoms relative to the two control conditions at 1- and 2-year follow-up (M d = .34 and .17 respectively), but the effects were smaller than parallel comparisons for the group participants (M d = .48 and .43 respectively). Yet the Internet intervention produced large weight gain prevention effects relative to the two control conditions at 1- and 2-year follow-up (M d = .80 and .73 respectively), which were larger than the parallel effects for the group intervention (M d = .19 and .47 respectively). Conclusions Although the effects for the Internet versus group intervention were similar at posttest, results suggest that the effects faded more quickly for the Internet intervention. However, the Internet intervention produced large weight gain prevention effects, implying that it might be useful for simultaneously preventing eating disordered behavior and unhealthy weight gain. PMID:25020152

Dendritic structural plasticity in the basolateral amygdala after fear conditioning and its extinction in mice

PubMed Central

Heinrichs, Stephen C.; Leite-Morris, Kimberly A.; Guy, Marsha D.; Goldberg, Lisa R.; Young, Angela J.; Kaplan, Gary B.

2015-01-01

Previous research suggests that morphology and arborization of dendritic spines change as a result of fear conditioning in cortical and subcortical brain regions. This study uniquely aims to delineate these structural changes in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) after both fear conditioning and fear extinction. C57BL/6 mice acquired robust conditioned fear responses (70–80% cued freezing behavior) after six pairings with a tone cue associated with footshock in comparison to unshocked controls. During fear acquisition, freezing behavior was significantly affected by both shock exposure and trial number. For fear extinction, mice were exposed to the conditioned stimulus tone in the absence of shock administration and behavioral responses significantly varied by shock treatment. In the retention tests over 3 weeks, the percentage time spent freezing varied with the factor of extinction training. In all treatment groups, alterations in dendritic plasticity were analyzed using Golgi–Cox staining of dendrites in the BLA. Spine density differed between the fear conditioned group and both the fear extinction and control groups on third order dendrites. Spine density was significantly increased in the fear conditioned group compared to the fear extinction group and controls. Similarly in Sholl analyses, fear conditioning significantly increased BLA spine numbers and dendritic intersections while subsequent extinction training reversed these effects. In summary, fear extinction produced enduring behavioral plasticity that is associated with a reversal of alterations in BLA dendritic plasticity produced by fear conditioning. These neuroplasticity findings can inform our understanding of structural mechanisms underlying stress-related pathology can inform treatment research into these disorders. PMID:23570859

Metal-ceramic bond strength between a feldspathic porcelain and a Co-Cr alloy fabricated with Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique

PubMed Central

Spyropoulos, Konstantinos

2018-01-01

PURPOSE The aim of the present study was to record the metal-ceramic bond strength of a feldspathic dental porcelain and a Co-Cr alloy, using the Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique (DMLS) for the fabrication of metal substrates. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten metal substrates were fabricated with powder of a dental Co-Cr alloy using DMLS technique (test group) in dimensions according to ISO 9693. Another ten substrates were fabricated with a casing dental Co-Cr alloy using classic casting technique (control group) for comparison. Another three substrates were fabricated using each technique to record the Modulus of Elasticity (E) of the used alloys. All substrates were examined to record external and internal porosity. Feldspathic porcelain was applied on the substrates. Specimens were tested using the three-point bending test. The failure mode was determined using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The statistical analysis was performed using t-test. RESULTS Substrates prepared using DMLS technique did not show internal porosity as compared to those produced using the casting technique. The E of control and test group was 222 ± 5.13 GPa and 227 ± 3 GPa, respectively. The bond strength was 51.87 ± 7.50 MPa for test group and 54.60 ± 6.20 MPa for control group. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were recorded. The mode of failure was mainly cohesive for all specimens. CONCLUSION Specimens produced by the DMLS technique cover the lowest acceptable metal-ceramic bond strength of 25 MPa specified in ISO 9693 and present satisfactory bond strength for clinical use. PMID:29503711

Differences in carbachol dose, pain condition, and sex following lateral hypothalamic stimulation.

PubMed

Holden, J E; Wang, E; Moes, J R; Wagner, M; Maduko, A; Jeong, Y

2014-06-13

Lateral hypothalamic (LH) stimulation produces antinociception in female rats in acute, nociceptive pain. Whether this effect occurs in neuropathic pain or whether male-female sex differences exist is unknown. We examined the effect of LH stimulation in male and female rats using conditions of nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Neuropathic groups received chronic constriction injury (CCI) to induce thermal hyperalgesia, a sign of neuropathic pain. Nociceptive rats were naive for CCI, but received the same thermal stimulus following LH stimulation. To demonstrate that CCI ligation produced thermal hyperalgesia, males and females received either ligation or sham surgery for control. Both males and females demonstrated significant thermal hyperalgesia following CCI ligation (p<0.05), but male sham surgery rats also showed a significant left-right difference not present in female sham rats. In the second experiment, rats randomly assigned to CCI or nociceptive groups were given one of three doses of the cholinergic agonist carbachol (125, 250, or 500 nmol) or normal saline for control, microinjected into the left LH. Paw withdrawal from a thermal stimulus (paw withdrawal latency; PWL) was measured every 5 min for 45 min. Linear mixed models analysis showed that males and females in both pain conditions demonstrated significant antinociception, with the 500-nmol dose producing the greatest effect across groups compared with controls for the left paw (p<0.05). Female CCI rats showed equivalent responses to the three doses, while male CCI rats showed more variability for dose. However, nociceptive females responded only to the 500-nmol dose, while nociceptive males responded to all doses (p<0.05). For right PWL, only nociceptive males showed a significant carbachol dose response. These findings are suggestive that LH stimulation produces antinociception in male and female rats in both nociceptive and neuropathic pain, but dose response differences exist based on sex and pain condition. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transfer after Working Memory Updating Training

PubMed Central

Waris, Otto; Soveri, Anna; Laine, Matti

2015-01-01

During the past decade, working memory training has attracted much interest. However, the training outcomes have varied between studies and methodological problems have hampered the interpretation of results. The current study examined transfer after working memory updating training by employing an extensive battery of pre-post cognitive measures with a focus on near transfer. Thirty-one healthy Finnish young adults were randomized into either a working memory training group or an active control group. The working memory training group practiced with three working memory tasks, while the control group trained with three commercial computer games with a low working memory load. The participants trained thrice a week for five weeks, with one training session lasting about 45 minutes. Compared to the control group, the working memory training group showed strongest transfer to an n-back task, followed by working memory updating, which in turn was followed by active working memory capacity. Our results support the view that working memory training produces near transfer effects, and that the degree of transfer depends on the cognitive overlap between the training and transfer measures. PMID:26406319

Transfer after Working Memory Updating Training.

PubMed

Waris, Otto; Soveri, Anna; Laine, Matti

2015-01-01

During the past decade, working memory training has attracted much interest. However, the training outcomes have varied between studies and methodological problems have hampered the interpretation of results. The current study examined transfer after working memory updating training by employing an extensive battery of pre-post cognitive measures with a focus on near transfer. Thirty-one healthy Finnish young adults were randomized into either a working memory training group or an active control group. The working memory training group practiced with three working memory tasks, while the control group trained with three commercial computer games with a low working memory load. The participants trained thrice a week for five weeks, with one training session lasting about 45 minutes. Compared to the control group, the working memory training group showed strongest transfer to an n-back task, followed by working memory updating, which in turn was followed by active working memory capacity. Our results support the view that working memory training produces near transfer effects, and that the degree of transfer depends on the cognitive overlap between the training and transfer measures.

The effect of inquiry based science instruction on student understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nail, Jessica Lynette

According to the TIMSS Study (2007), the United States is falling behind in the subjects of math and science. In order for the students in the United States to develop scientific literacy and remain competitive globally, inquiry must be the priority when teaching science (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1990). The main purpose of this research was to see if inquiry-based instruction in the science classroom had a significant effect on student understanding and retention of information in a rural school in Virginia. The effect of inquiry-based science instruction on gender was also examined. The researcher implemented a four-week, inquiry-based unit on Virginia Sol 6.7, written in the 5 E learning style to 358 sixth-grade students and compared their posttest gains and delayed posttest scores to a control group consisting of 268 students. The control group received traditional teaching methods. The results for the posttest gains produced a p = 0.01. Therefore, there was a significant difference in the experimental group, which received the treatment, when compared to the control group, which did not receive treatment. A t test was also used to compare the delayed test scores of the experimental group to the control group. The results showed a p < 0.0001 when comparing the experimental group, which received the four-week inquiry-based science instruction treatment, to the control, which did not receive the treatment. This t test showed a very highly significant difference between the experimental group and the control group. Based on these results, it is imperative that Virginia begin implementing inquiry-based instruction in the science classroom.

Effect of preservation methods of oil palm sap (Elaeis guineensis) on the reproductive indices of male wistar rats.

PubMed

Ikegwu, Theophilus Maduabuchukwu; Okafor, Gabriel Ifeanyi; Ochiogu, Izuchukwu Shedrack

2014-12-01

Thirty male Wistar rats, split into five groups of six rats each, were administered different forms of oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) sap samples by gavage based on 1.5% of their weekly body weights. Group 1 which served as control received only water, group 2 received pasteurized palm sap (PPS), group 3 received market palm wine (MPW), group 4 received frozen palm sap (FPS), whereas group 5 received fresh palm sap (FrPS). Chemical composition of the sap samples was determined. Normal feed and water were fed ad libitum. After 2 months of treatment, each male rat group was allowed 7 days to mate with six female Wistar rats. Thereafter, blood and epididymal samples were collected for testosterone assay and sperm count, respectively, before they were humanely sacrificed and testicular tissues taken for testicular histology. Litter weight and size of the pups produced by the females of each group were determined at birth. The sap samples contained carbohydrate (0.01-11.71%), protein (1.56-1.95%), ash (0.22-0.35%), moisture (92.55-98.24%), and alcohol (0.26-3.50%). PPS-treated rat group had significantly (P<.05) decreased sperm count (42.60±23.64×10(6)), abnormal increase in testosterone level, and necrosis in the histology of the testes with reduced spermatogenetic activity, compared with other treatment groups. The female rats crossed with male rats fed on FrPS or FPS produced the highest number of pups followed by the control group. This study demonstrated that the intake of FrPS improved fertility in male animals, but its administration for a long period led to necrotic changes in the testes, whereas pasteurization of palm sap, impacted negatively on the reproductive indices of male animals.

Effect of concurrent walking and interlocutor distance on conversational speech intensity and rate in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

McCaig, Cassandra M; Adams, Scott G; Dykstra, Allyson D; Jog, Mandar

2016-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated a negative effect of concurrent walking and talking on gait in Parkinson's disease (PD) but there is limited information about the effect of concurrent walking on speech production. The present study examined the effect of sitting, standing, and three concurrent walking tasks (slow, normal, fast) on conversational speech intensity and speech rate in fifteen individuals with hypophonia related to idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and fourteen age-equivalent controls. Interlocuter (talker-to-talker) distance effects and walking speed were also examined. Concurrent walking was found to produce a significant increase in speech intensity, relative to standing and sitting, in both the control and PD groups. Faster walking produced significantly greater speech intensity than slower walking. Concurrent walking had no effect on speech rate. Concurrent walking and talking produced significant reductions in walking speed in both the control and PD groups. In general, the results of the present study indicate that concurrent walking tasks and the speed of concurrent walking can have a significant positive effect on conversational speech intensity. These positive, "energizing" effects need to be given consideration in future attempts to develop a comprehensive model of speech intensity regulation and they may have important implications for the development of new evaluation and treatment procedures for individuals with hypophonia related to PD. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Knowledge-Based System Analysis and Control Defense Switched Network Task Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-30

to produce the various kinds of real-world DSN behavior noted above. We needed to make changes in the internal labelling of trunk groups ; the form...for both the NMES demo and the NMSS Controller Trainer, which became a closely related activity because the Trainer would be used to provide inputs...Other rules would then fi-e to remove the related controls. Independent of any considerations relative to a demonstration at DCA-Europe, there was a

Effects of a Whatsapp-delivered physical activity intervention to enhance health-related physical fitness components and cardiovascular disease risk factors in older adults.

PubMed

Muntaner-Mas, Adrià; Vidal-Conti, Josep; Borràs, Pere A; Ortega, Francisco B; Palou, Pere

2017-01-01

This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a 10-week WhatsApp-based intervention aimed at enhancing health-related physical fitness components and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors compared with a face-to-face condition. Participants (N.=32) were assigned to one of three groups: training group (N.=16), mobile group (N.=7) and control group (N.=9). Training group and mobile group performed the same training program, based on strength training with elastics bands and aerobic exercise, during 10 weeks; only the delivery mode differed. The mobile group increased handgrip strength, aerobic capacity and decreased systolic blood pressure and heart rate after exercise though there were no significant differences respect to control group. The training group decreased significantly systolic blood pressure (P=0.038), diastolic blood pressure (P=0.005), mean arterial pressure (P=0.006) and heart rate after exercise (P=0.002), respect to control group. Comparison between training and mobile group showed that WhatsApp-based physical activity intervention was less effective than face-to-face condition. The results indicate that the use of an online social network produced slight changes in some health-related physical fitness components and CVD risk factors.

Formation of a xerogel in reduced gravity using the acid catalysed silica sol-gel reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pienaar, Christine L.; Steinberg, Theodore A.

2006-01-01

An acid catalysed silica sol-gel reaction was used to create a xerogel in reduced gravity. Samples were formed in a special apparatus which utilised vacuum and heating to speed up the gelation process. Testing was conducted aboard NASA's KC-135 aircraft which flies a parabolic trajectory, producing a series of 25 second reduced gravity periods. The samples formed in reduced gravity were compared against a control sample formed in normal gravity. 29Si NMR and nitrogen adsorption/desorption techniques yielded information on the molecular and physical structure of the xerogels. The microstructure of the reduced gravity samples contained more Q 4 groups and less Q 3 and Q2 groups than the control sample. The pore size of the reduced gravity samples was also larger than the control sample. This indicated that in a reduced gravity environment, where convection is lessened due to the removal of buoyancy forces, the microstructure formed through cyclisation reactions rather than bimolecularisation reactions. The latter requires the movement of molecules for reactions to occur whereas cyclisation only requires a favourable configuration. Q 4 groups are stabilised when contained in a ring structure and are unlikely to undergo repolymerisation. Thus reduced gravity favoured the formation of a xerogel through cyclisation, producing a structure with more highly coordinated Q groups. The xerogel formed in normal gravity contained both chain and ring structures as bimolecularisation reactions were able to effectively compete with cyclisation.

Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of a Novel Dissonance-Based Group Treatment for Eating Disorders

PubMed Central

Stice, Eric; Rohde, Paul; Butryn, Meghan; Menke, Katharine S.; Marti, C. Nathan

2015-01-01

Objective Conduct a pilot trial of a new dissonance-based group eating disorder treatment designed to be a cost-effective front-line transdiagnostic treatment that could be more widely disseminated than extant individual or family treatments that are more expensive and difficult to deliver. Method Young women with a DSM-5 eating disorder (N = 72) were randomized to an 8-week dissonance-based Body Acceptance Therapy group treatment or a usual care control condition, completing diagnostic interviews and questionnaires at pre, post, and 2-month follow-up. Results Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that intervention participants showed greater reductions in outcomes than usual care controls in a multivariate multilevel model (χ2[6] = 34.1, p < .001), producing large effects for thin-ideal internalization (d = 0.79), body dissatisfaction (d = 1.14), and blinded interview-assessed eating disorder symptoms (d = .95), and medium effects for dissonance regarding perpetuating the thin ideal (d = .65) and negative affect (d = .55). Midway through this pilot we refined engagement procedures, which was associated with increased effect sizes (e.g., the d for eating disorder symptoms increased from .51 to 2.30). Conclusions This new group treatment produced large reductions in eating disorder symptoms, which is encouraging because it requires about 1/20th the therapist time necessary for extant individual and family treatments, and has the potential to provide a cost-effective and efficacious approach to reaching the majority of individuals with eating disorders who do not presently received treatment. PMID:25577189

Anterior glenohumeral laxity and stiffness after a shoulder-strengthening program in collegiate cheerleaders.

PubMed

Laudner, Kevin G; Metz, Betsy; Thomas, David Q

2013-01-01

Approximately 62% of all cheerleaders sustain some type of orthopaedic injury during their cheerleading careers. Furthermore, the occurrence of such injuries has led to inquiry regarding optimal prevention techniques. One possible cause of these injuries may be related to inadequate conditioning in cheerleaders. To determine whether a strength and conditioning program produces quantifiable improvements in anterior glenohumeral (GH) laxity and stiffness. Descriptive laboratory study. University laboratory. A sample of 41 collegiate cheerleaders (24 experimental and 17 control participants) volunteered. No participants had a recent history (in the past 6 months) of upper extremity injury or any history of upper extremity surgery. The experimental group completed a 6-week strength and conditioning program between the pretest and posttest measurements; the control group did not perform any strength training between tests. We measured anterior GH laxity and stiffness with an instrumented arthrometer. We conducted a group × time analysis of variance with repeated measures on time (P < .05) to determine differences between groups. A significant interaction was demonstrated, with the control group having more anterior GH laxity at the posttest session than the strengthening group (P = .03, partial η2 = 0.11). However, no main effect for time (P = .92) or group (P = .97) was observed. In another significant interaction, the control group had less anterior GH stiffness at the posttest session than the strengthening group (P = .03, partial η2 = 0.12). Main effects for time (P = .02) and group (P = .004) were also significant. Cheerleaders who participate in a shoulder-strengthening program developed less anterior GH laxity and more stiffness than cheerleaders in the control group.

Superstimulation prior to the ovum pick-up to improve in vitro embryo production in lactating and non-lactating Holstein cows.

PubMed

Vieira, L M; Rodrigues, C A; Castro Netto, A; Guerreiro, B M; Silveira, C R A; Moreira, R J C; Sá Filho, M F; Bó, G A; Mapletoft, R J; Baruselli, P S

2014-07-15

The present study evaluated the efficacy of superstimulation with p-FSH (Folltropin) before the ovum pick-up (OPU) on IVP in lactating and nonlactating Holstein donors. A total of 30 Holstein cows (15 lactating and 15 nonlactating) were blocked by lactation status to one of two groups (control or p-FSH), in a cross-over design. On a random day of the estrous cycle, all cows received an intravaginal progesterone device and 2.0 mg IM of estradiol benzoate (Day 0). Cows in the control group received no further treatment, whereas cows in the p-FSH group received a total dosage of 200 mg of p-FSH on Days 4 and 5 in four decreasing doses 12 hours apart (57, 57, 43, and 43 mg). On Day 7, the progesterone device was removed, and OPU was conducted in both groups (40 hours after the last p-FSH injection in the p-FSH-treated group). There was no difference between groups (P = 0.92) in the numbers of follicles that were aspirated per OPU session (17.2 ± 1.3 vs. 17.1 ± 1.1 in control and p-FSH-treated cows, respectively); however, p-FSH-treated cows had a higher (P < 0.001) percentage of medium-sized follicles (6-10 mm) at the time of the OPU (55.1%; 285/517) than control cows (20.8%; 107/514). Although recovery rate was lower (60.0%, 310/517 vs. 69.8%, 359/514; P = 0.002), p-FSH-treated cows had a higher blastocyst production rate (34.5%, 89/258 vs. 19.8%, 55/278; P < 0.001) and more transferable embryos per OPU session were produced in the p-FSH group (3.0 ± 0.5 vs. 1.8 ± 0.4; P = 0.02). Regardless of treatment, non-lactating cows had a higher blastocyst rate (41.9%, 106/253 vs. 13.4%, 38/283; P = 0.001) and produced more transferable embryos per OPU session (3.5 ± 0.5 vs. 1.3 ± 0.3; P = 0.003) than lactating cows. Thus, superstimulation of Holstein donors with p-FSH before OPU increased the efficiency of IVP. In addition, non-lactating donors had higher percentage of in vitro blastocyst development and produced more embryos per OPU session than lactating cows. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Time-dependent postural control adaptations following a neuromuscular warm-up in female handball players: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Steib, Simon; Zahn, Peter; Zu Eulenburg, Christine; Pfeifer, Klaus; Zech, Astrid

2016-01-01

Female handball athletes are at a particular risk of sustaining lower extremity injuries. The study examines time-dependent adaptations of static and dynamic balance as potential injury risk factors to a specific warm-up program focusing on neuromuscular control. Fourty one (24.0 ± 5.9 years) female handball athletes were randomized to an intervention or control group. The intervention group implemented a 15-min specific neuromuscular warm-up program, three times per week for eleven weeks, whereas the control group continued with their regular warm-up. Balance was assessed at five time points. Measures included the star excursion balance test (SEBT), and center of pressure (COP) sway velocity during single-leg standing. No baseline differences existed between groups in demographic data. Adherence to neuromuscular warm-up was 88.7 %. Mean COP sway velocity decreased significantly over time in the intervention group (-14.4 %; p  < .001), but not in the control group (-6.2 %; p  = 0.056). However, these effects did not differ significantly between groups ( p  = .098). Mean changes over time in the SEBT score were significantly greater ( p  = .014) in the intervention group (+5.48) compared to the control group (+3.45). Paired t-tests revealed that the first significant balance improvements were observed after 6 weeks of training. A neuromuscular warm-up positively influences balance variables associated with an increased risk of lower extremity injuries in female handball athletes. The course of adaptations suggests that a training volume of 15 min, three times weekly over at least six weeks produces measurable changes. Retrospectively registered on 4th October 2016. Registry: clinicaltrials.gov. Trial number: NCT02925377.

Neuromuscular control of the head in an isometric force reproduction task: comparison of whiplash subjects and healthy controls.

PubMed

Descarreaux, Martin; Mayrand, Nancy; Raymond, Jean

2007-01-01

A number of recent scientific publications suggest that patients suffering from whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) exhibit sensorimotor deficits in the control of head and neck movements. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate if subjects with WADs can produce isometric neck extension and flexion forces with precision, variability, and a mode of control similar to the values of healthy subjects. A control group study with repeated measures. Neck force production parameters and neuromuscular control were measured in 17 whiplash and 14 control subjects. The experimental group included subjects who had a history of persistent neck pain or disability after a motor vehicle accident. Pain levels were assessed on a standard 100-mm visual analog pain scale at the beginning and end of the experiment. Each whiplash subject completed the neck disability index and the short-form 36 health survey (SF-36) questionnaire before the experiment. All subjects were asked to exert flexion and extension forces against a fixed head harness. Kinetic variables included time to peak force, time to peak force variability, peak force variability, and absolute error in peak force. Surface electrodes were applied bilaterally over the sternocleidomastoideus and paraspinal muscles. Electromyography (EMG)-dependent variables included EMG burst duration and amplitude using numerical integrated techniques. The average time to peak force was significantly longer for whiplash subjects than for the healthy controls. A significant increase in peak force variability was also observed in the whiplash group, and no group differences were noted for absolute error. Heightened muscular activity was seen in both paraspinal muscles, even though it only reached statistical significance for the left paraspinal muscle. Our results show that the whiplash subjects involved in the study were able to produce isometric forces with spatial precision similar to healthy controls using a motor strategy in which the time to peak force is increased. This trade-off between spatial precision and time to peak force probably reflects an adaptation aimed at limiting pain and further injuries.

The effect of exposure of rats during prenatal period to radiation spreading from mobile phones on renal development.

PubMed

Bedir, Recep; Tumkaya, Levent; Şehitoğlu, İbrahim; Kalkan, Yıldıray; Yilmaz, Adnan; Şahin, Osman Zikrullah

2015-03-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to a 900-MHz electromagnetic field (EMF) produced by mobile phones on the renal development of prenatal rats. Histopathological changes and apoptosis in the kidneys, together with levels of urea, creatinine and electrolyte in serum were determined. A total of 14 Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. Pregnant rats were divided into two equal groups: a control group and an EMF-exposed group. The study group was exposed to 900-MHz of EMF during the first 20 days of pregnancy, while the control group was unexposed to EMF. Sections obtained from paraffin blocks were stained for caspase-3 by immunohistochemistry, hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome. Mild congestion and tubular defects, and dilatation of Bowman's capsule were observed in the kidney tissues of rats in the exposed group. Apoptosis was evaluated using anti-caspase-3; stronger positive staining was observed in the renal tubular cells in the study group than those of the control group. Although there was a significant difference between the study and control groups in terms of K+ level (p<0.05), no significant difference was observed in the other parameters studied (p>0.05). Our study shows that the electromagnetic waves propagated from mobile phones have harmful effects on the renal development of prenatal rats.

Evaluation of Occupational Exposure of Glazers of a Ceramic Industry to Cobalt Blue Dye

PubMed Central

KARGAR, Fatemeh; SHAHTAHERI, Seyed Jamaleddin; GOLBABAEI, Farideh; BARKHORDARI, Abolfazl; RAHIMI-FROUSHANI, Abbas; KHADEM, Monireh

2013-01-01

Background: Cobalt is one of the most important constituent present in ceramic industries. Glazers are the relevant workers when they are producing blue colored ceramic, causing occupational exposure to such metal. Through this study, urinary cobalt was determined in glazers in a ceramic industry when they were producing blue-colored ceramic glazes. Methods: In this case-control study, spot urine samples were collected from 49 glazers at the start and end of work shifts (totally 98 samples) in 2011. Control group were well matched for age, height, and weight. A solid phase extraction system was used for separation and preconcentration of samples followed by analysis by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). All participants filled out a self administered questionnaire comprises questions about duration of exposure, work shift, use of mask, skin dermatitis, kind of job, ventilation system, overtime work, age, weight, and height. The lung function tests were performed on each control and cobalt exposed subjects. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to evaluate the obtained results. Results: Urinary levels of cobalt were significantly higher in the glazers compared to the control group. There were significant differences at urinary concentration of cobalt at the start and end of the work shift in glazers. Spirometric parameters were significantly lower in the glazers compared to the control group. Among the variables used in questionnaire the significant variables were dermatitis skin, mask, ventilation, and overtime work. Conclusion: This study verified existence of cobalt in the urine glazers, showing lower amount than the ACGIH standard. PMID:26056641

Coherent control and storage of a microwave pulse in a one-dimensional array of artificial atoms using the Autler-Townes effect and electromagnetically induced transparency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayaz, M. Q.; Waqas, Mohsin; Qamar, Sajid; Qamar, Shahid

2018-02-01

In this paper we propose a scheme for coherent control and storage of a microwave pulse in superconducting circuits exploiting the idea of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and the Aulter-Townes (AT) effect. We show that superconducting artificial atoms in a four-level tripod configuration act as EIT based coherent microwave (μ w ) memories with gain features, when they are attached to a one-dimensional transmission line. These atoms are allowed to interact with three microwave fields, such that there are two control fields and one probe field. Our proposed system works in such a way that one control field with large Rabi frequency when interacting with atoms, produces the AT effect. While the second control field with relatively small Rabi frequency produces EIT in one of the absorption windows produced due to the AT splitting for the weak probe field. The group velocity of the probe pulse reduces significantly through this EIT window. Interestingly, the output intensity of the probe pulse increases as we increase the number of artificial atoms. Our results show that the probe microwave pulse can be stored and retrieved with high fidelity.

Trusting outgroup, but not ingroup members, requires control: neural and behavioral evidence

PubMed Central

Ambady, Nalini; Zaki, Jamil

2017-01-01

Abstract Trust and cooperation often break down across group boundaries, contributing to pernicious consequences, from polarized political structures to intractable conflict. As such, addressing such conflicts require first understanding why trust is reduced in intergroup settings. Here, we clarify the structure of intergroup trust using neuroscientific and behavioral methods. We found that trusting ingroup members produced activity in brain areas associated with reward, whereas trusting outgroup members produced activity in areas associated with top-down control. Behaviorally, time pressure—which reduces people’s ability to exert control—reduced individuals’ trust in outgroup, but not ingroup members. These data suggest that the exertion of control can help recover trust in intergroup settings, offering potential avenues for reducing intergroup failures in trust and the consequences of these failures. PMID:27798248

Mobile Health (mHealth) Versus Clinic-Based Group Intervention for People With Serious Mental Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Ben-Zeev, Dror; Brian, Rachel M; Jonathan, Geneva; Razzano, Lisa; Pashka, Nicole; Carpenter-Song, Elizabeth; Drake, Robert E; Scherer, Emily A

2018-05-25

mHealth approaches that use mobile phones to deliver interventions can help improve access to care for people with serious mental illness. The goal was to evaluate how mHealth performs against more traditional treatment. A three-month randomized controlled trial was conducted of a smartphone-delivered intervention (FOCUS) versus a clinic-based group intervention (Wellness Recovery Action Plan [WRAP]). Participants were 163 clients, mostly from racial minority groups and with long-term, serious mental illness (schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, 49%; bipolar disorder, 28%; and major depressive disorder, 23%). Outcomes were engagement throughout the intervention; satisfaction posttreatment (three months); and improvement in clinical symptoms, recovery, and quality of life (assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and six months). Participants assigned to FOCUS were more likely than those assigned to WRAP to commence treatment (90% versus 58%) and remain fully engaged in eight weeks of care (56% versus 40%). Satisfaction ratings were comparably high for both interventions. Participants in both groups improved significantly and did not differ in clinical outcomes, including general psychopathology and depression. Significant improvements in recovery were seen for the WRAP group posttreatment, and significant improvements in recovery and quality of life were seen for the FOCUS group at six months. Both interventions produced significant gains among clients with serious and persistent mental illnesses who were mostly from racial minority groups. The mHealth intervention showed superior patient engagement and produced patient satisfaction and clinical and recovery outcomes that were comparable to those from a widely used clinic-based group intervention for illness management.

Efficacy of an Experiential, Dissonance-Based Smoking Intervention for College Students Delivered via the Internet

PubMed Central

Simmons, Vani Nath; Heckman, Bryan W.; Fink, Angelina C.; Small, Brent J.; Brandon, Thomas H.

2015-01-01

Objective College represents a window of opportunity to reach the sizeable number of cigarette smokers who are vulnerable to lifelong smoking. The underutilization of typical cessation programs suggests the need for novel and more engaging approaches for reaching college smokers. The aim of the present study was to test the efficacy of a dissonance-enhancing, Web-based experiential intervention for increasing smoking cessation motivation and behavior. Method We used a 4-arm, randomized design to examine the efficacy of a Web-based, experiential smoking intervention (Web-Smoke). The control conditions included a didactic smoking intervention (Didactic), a group-based experiential intervention (Group), and a Web-based nutrition experiential intervention (Web-Nutrition). We recruited 341 college smokers. Primary outcomes were motivation to quit, assessed immediately postintervention, and smoking abstinence at 1 and 6 months following the intervention. Results As hypothesized, the Web-Smoke intervention was more effective than control groups in increasing motivation to quit. At 6-month follow-up, the Web-Smoke intervention produced higher rates of smoking cessation than the Web-Nutrition control intervention. Daily smoking moderated intervention outcomes. Among daily smokers, the Web-Smoke intervention produced greater abstinence rates than both the Web-Nutrition and Didactic control conditions. Conclusion Findings demonstrate the efficacy of a theory-based intervention delivered over the Internet for increasing motivation to quit and smoking abstinence among college smokers. The intervention has potential for translation and implementation as a secondary prevention strategy for college-aged smokers. PMID:23668667

Hormonal, metabolic and physiological effects of laparoscopic surgery using a detomidine-buprenorphine combination in standing horses.

PubMed

van Dijk, P; Lankveld, D P K; Rijkenhuizen, A B M; Jonker, F H

2003-04-01

To assess the hormonal, metabolic and physiological effects of laparascopic surgery performed under a sedative analgesic combination of detomidine and buprenorphine in standing horses. Prospective study. Eight healthy adult Dutch Warmblood horses and five healthy adult ponies undergoing laparoscopy were studied. Five healthy adult horses not undergoing laparoscopy were used as a control group. The sedative effect of an initial detomidine and buprenorphine injection was maintained using a continuous infusion of detomidine alone. The heart and respiratory rate, arterial blood pH and arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions were monitored, while blood samples were taken for the measurement of glucose, lactate, cortisol, insulin and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA). The same variables were monitored in a control group of horses which were sedated, but which did not undergo surgery. At the end of the sedation period the effects of detomidine were antagonized using atipamezole. The protocol provided suitable conditions for standing laparoscopy in horses. Laparoscopy induced obvious metabolic and endocrine responses which, with the exception of NEFA values, were not significantly different from changes found in the control group. While atipamezole did not produce detectable adverse effects, it is possible that anatagonism may not be essential. The technique described reliably produces adequate sedation and analgesia for laparoscopic procedures. The level of sedation/analgesia was controlled by decreasing or increasing the infusion rate. Antagonism of the effects of detomidine may not be necessary in all cases.

Efficacy of an experiential, dissonance-based smoking intervention for college students delivered via the internet.

PubMed

Simmons, Vani Nath; Heckman, Bryan W; Fink, Angelina C; Small, Brent J; Brandon, Thomas H

2013-10-01

College represents a window of opportunity to reach the sizeable number of cigarette smokers who are vulnerable to lifelong smoking. The underutilization of typical cessation programs suggests the need for novel and more engaging approaches for reaching college smokers. The aim of the present study was to test the efficacy of a dissonance-enhancing, Web-based experiential intervention for increasing smoking cessation motivation and behavior. We used a 4-arm, randomized design to examine the efficacy of a Web-based, experiential smoking intervention (Web-Smoke). The control conditions included a didactic smoking intervention (Didactic), a group-based experiential intervention (Group), and a Web-based nutrition experiential intervention (Web-Nutrition). We recruited 341 college smokers. Primary outcomes were motivation to quit, assessed immediately postintervention, and smoking abstinence at 1 and 6 months following the intervention. As hypothesized, the Web-Smoke intervention was more effective than control groups in increasing motivation to quit. At 6-month follow-up, the Web-Smoke intervention produced higher rates of smoking cessation than the Web-Nutrition control intervention. Daily smoking moderated intervention outcomes. Among daily smokers, the Web-Smoke intervention produced greater abstinence rates than both the Web-Nutrition and Didactic control conditions. Findings demonstrate the efficacy of a theory-based intervention delivered over the Internet for increasing motivation to quit and smoking abstinence among college smokers. The intervention has potential for translation and implementation as a secondary prevention strategy for college-aged smokers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Leaching behavior of coal combustion products and the environmental implication in road construction.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-01

This project assessed the physical and chemical characteristics of fly ashes produced from trona injection plants (used for SO2 : emission control), and investigated the leaching of a group of concerned inorganic contaminants from these fly ashes. A ...

Oral administration of eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid modifies cardiac function and ameliorates congestive heart failure in male rats.

PubMed

Yamanushi, Tomoko T; Kabuto, Hideaki; Hirakawa, Eiichiro; Janjua, Najma; Takayama, Fusako; Mankura, Mitsumasa

2014-04-01

This study assessed the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on normal cardiac function (part 1) and congestive heart failure (CHF) (part 2) through electrocardiogram analysis and determination of EPA, DHA, and arachidonic acid (AA) concentrations in rat hearts. In part 2, pathologic assessments were also performed. For part 1 of this study, 4-wk-old male rats were divided into a control group and 2 experimental groups. The rats daily were orally administered (1 g/kg body weight) saline, EPA-ethyl ester (EPA-Et; E group), or DHA-ethyl ester (DHA-Et; D group), respectively, for 28 d. ECGs revealed that QT intervals were significantly shorter for groups E and D compared with the control group (P ≤ 0.05). Relative to the control group, the concentration of EPA was higher in the E group and concentrations of EPA and DHA were higher in the D group, although AA concentrations were lower (P ≤ 0.05). In part 2, CHF was produced by subcutaneous injection of monocrotaline into 5-wk-old rats. At 3 d before monocrotaline injection, rats were administered either saline, EPA-Et, or DHA-Et as mentioned above and then killed at 21 d. The study groups were as follows: normal + saline (control), CHF + saline (H group), CHF + EPA-Et (HE group), and CHF + DHA-Et (HD group). QT intervals were significantly shorter (P ≤ 0.05) in the control and HD groups compared with the H and HE groups. Relative to the H group, concentrations of EPA were higher in the HE group and those of DHA were higher in the control and HD groups (P ≤ 0.05). There was less mononuclear cell infiltration in the myocytes of the HD group than in the H group (P = 0.06). The right ventricles in the H, HE, and HD groups showed significantly increased weights (P ≤ 0.05) compared with controls. The administration of EPA-Et or DHA-Et may affect cardiac function by modification of heart fatty acid composition, and the administration of DHA-Et may ameliorate CHF.

Body weight gain in rats by a high-fat diet produces chronodisruption in activity/inactivity circadian rhythm.

PubMed

Bravo, Rafael; Cubero, Javier; Franco, Lourdes; Mesa, Mónica; Galán, Carmen; Rodríguez, Ana Beatriz; Jarne, Carlos; Barriga, Carmen

2014-04-01

In the last few decades, obesity has become one of the most important public health problems. Adipose tissue is an active endocrine tissue which follows a rhythmic pattern in its functions and may produce alterations in certain circadian rhythms. Our aim was to evaluate whether the locomotor activity circadian rhythm could be modified by a hypercaloric diet in rodents. Two groups were considered in the experiment: 16 rats were used as a control group and were fed standard chow; the other group comprised 16 rats fed a high-fat diet (35.8% fat, 35% glucides). The trial lasted 16 weeks. Body weight was measured every week, and a blood sample was extracted every two weeks to quantify triglyceride levels. The activity/inactivity circadian rhythm was logged through actimetry throughout the trial, and analysed using the DAS 24© software package. At the end of the experiment, the high-fat fed rats had obese-like body weights and high plasma triglyceride levels, and, compared with the control group, increased diurnal activity, decreased nocturnal activity, reductions in amplitude, midline estimating statistic of rhythm, acrophase and interdaily stability, and increases in intradaily variability of their activity rhythms. The results thus show how obesity can lead to symptoms of chronodisruption in the body similar to those of ageing.

Speech Processing to Improve the Perception of Speech in Background Noise for Children With Auditory Processing Disorder and Typically Developing Peers.

PubMed

Flanagan, Sheila; Zorilă, Tudor-Cătălin; Stylianou, Yannis; Moore, Brian C J

2018-01-01

Auditory processing disorder (APD) may be diagnosed when a child has listening difficulties but has normal audiometric thresholds. For adults with normal hearing and with mild-to-moderate hearing impairment, an algorithm called spectral shaping with dynamic range compression (SSDRC) has been shown to increase the intelligibility of speech when background noise is added after the processing. Here, we assessed the effect of such processing using 8 children with APD and 10 age-matched control children. The loudness of the processed and unprocessed sentences was matched using a loudness model. The task was to repeat back sentences produced by a female speaker when presented with either speech-shaped noise (SSN) or a male competing speaker (CS) at two signal-to-background ratios (SBRs). Speech identification was significantly better with SSDRC processing than without, for both groups. The benefit of SSDRC processing was greater for the SSN than for the CS background. For the SSN, scores were similar for the two groups at both SBRs. For the CS, the APD group performed significantly more poorly than the control group. The overall improvement produced by SSDRC processing could be useful for enhancing communication in a classroom where the teacher's voice is broadcast using a wireless system.

Preventing childhood obesity by reducing consumption of carbonated drinks: cluster randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

James, Janet; Thomas, Peter; Cavan, David; Kerr, David

2004-01-01

Objective To determine if a school based educational programme aimed at reducing consumption of carbonated drinks can prevent excessive weight gain in children. Design Cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting Six primary schools in southwest England. Participants 644 children aged 7-11 years. Intervention Focused educational programme on nutrition over one school year. Main outcome measures Drink consumption and number of overweight and obese children. Results Consumption of carbonated drinks over three days decreased by 0.6 glasses (average glass size 250 ml) in the intervention group but increased by 0.2 glasses in the control group (mean difference 0.7, 95% confidence interval 0.1 to 1.3). At 12 months the percentage of overweight and obese children increased in the control group by 7.5%, compared with a decrease in the intervention group of 0.2% (mean difference 7.7%, 2.2% to 13.1%). Conclusion A targeted, school based education programme produced a modest reduction in the number of carbonated drinks consumed, which was associated with a reduction in the number of overweight and obese children. PMID:15107313

Therapeutic effects of a horse riding simulator in children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Silva e Borges, Maria Beatriz; Werneck, Maria José da Silva; da Silva, Maria de Lourdes; Gandolfi, Lenora; Pratesi, Riccardo

2011-10-01

To evaluate the efficacy of horse ridding simulator on the sitting postural control of children with spastic diplegia. Forty children were randomly divided in a group using the simulator (RS) and a group performing conventional physical therapy (CT). FScan/Fmat equipment was used to register maximal displacement in antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions with children in sitting position. At the pre and post intervention stage both groups were classified according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and, after intervention, by the AUQEI questionnaire (Autoquestionnaire Qualité de vie Enfant Image). Comparison between groups disclosed statistically significant pos-intervention improvement both in the AP (p<0.0001) as in the ML (p<0.0069) direction in the RS group. The horse ridding simulator produced significant improvement in the postural control of children in sitting position, additionally showing a higher motor functionality and a better acceptance of the therapeutic intervention.

Effect of life-style modification on postmenopausal overweight and obese Indian women: A randomized controlled 24 weeks preliminary study.

PubMed

Tandon, Vishal R; Sharma, Sudhaa; Mahajan, Annil; Mahajan, Shagun

2014-01-01

The aim of the following study is to evaluate the effect of life-style modification on postmenopausal (PM) overweight and obese Indian women in a randomized controlled 24 week study. Two groups were formed Group I (n = 30) was designated as intervention (dietary and exercise group) and Group II (n = 24) served as control. Comparison of weight, waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) were made and compared among two groups at 4, 8, 16 and 24 weeks. Mean age at menopause was 48.35 years versus 49.65 years; mean number of menopausal symptoms were 5.70 ± 1.76 versus 5.10 ± 1.56 and mean duration since menopause was 2.70 versus 2.90 years in Groups I and II respectively. When the effect of Group I and control on weight was compared at 4, 8, 16 and 24 weeks, there was no significant difference between them up to 8 week. At 8 weeks Group I caused a significant decrease in weight (P ≤ 0.05) when compared with control arm and which continued throughout the study period (P < 0.05) at both 16 and 24 weeks. Group I produced a significant reduction in WC from 8 weeks onwards up to 24 weeks (P ≤ 0.05). BMI was statistically significant in Group I and the effect started at 4(th) week (P ≤ 0.05) and the differences in BMI reduction were highly significant at 16(th) and 24(th) weeks (P ≤ 0.001). The results of the present study strongly recommend the life-style management to be incorporated in daily style of postmenopausal women under controlled supervision.

A randomized controlled experimental study of the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid for the prevention of adhesion formation in a rat uterine horn model.

PubMed

Oz, Murat; Cetinkaya, Nilufer; Bas, Sevda; Korkmaz, Elmas; Ozgu, Emre; Terzioglu, Gokay Serdar; Buyukkagnici, Umran; Akbay, Serap; Caydere, Muzaffer; Gungor, Tayfun

2016-09-01

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been known to possess an efficacy in tissue regeneration. The aim of this study was to determine the role of PRP on post-operative adhesion formation in an experimental rat study. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, hyaluronic acid, and PRP treatment groups and operated on for uterine horn adhesion modeling. Blood was collected to produce a PRP with platelet counts of 688 × 10(3)/μL, and 1 ml of either hyaluronic acid gel or PRP was administered over the standard lesions, while the control group received no medication. The evaluation of post-operative adhesions was done on the 30th post-operative day. The location, extent, type, and tenacity of adhesions as well as total adhesion scores, tissue inflammation, fibrosis and transforming growth factor-1beta (TGF-1β) expressions were evaluated. The total adhesion score was significantly lower in the PRP group (3.2 ± 1.5) compared with the hyaluronic acid (5.0 ± 1.3) and control (8.1 ± 1.7) groups. The extent of the adhesions was significantly lower in the PRP group. There was no significant difference in the type and tenacity of adhesions between the hyaluronic acid and the PRP group. The level of inflammation was significantly higher in the control group than the others, while there was no difference between the PRP and hyaluronic acid groups. TGF-1β expression was significantly lesser in the PRP group than the control and hyaluronic acid groups. PRP is more effective than hyaluronic acid treatment in preventing post-operative adhesion formation in an experimental rat uterine horn adhesion model.

Relationship of Enhanced Butyrate Production by Colonic Butyrate-Producing Bacteria to Immunomodulatory Effects in Normal Mice Fed an Insoluble Fraction of Brassica rapa L.

PubMed Central

Tanaka, Sachi; Yamamoto, Kana; Yamada, Kazuki; Furuya, Kanon

2016-01-01

This study was performed to determine the effects of feeding a fiber-rich fraction of Brassica vegetables on the immune response through changes in enteric bacteria and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in normal mice. The boiled-water-insoluble fraction of Brassica rapa L. (nozawana), which consists mainly of dietary fiber, was chosen as a test material. A total of 31 male C57BL/6J mice were divided into two groups and housed in a specific-pathogen-free facility. The animals were fed either a control diet or the control diet plus the insoluble B. rapa L. fraction for 2 weeks and sacrificed to determine microbiological and SCFA profiles in lower-gut samples and immunological molecules. rRNA-based quantification indicated that the relative population of Bacteroidetes was markedly lower in the colon samples of the insoluble B. rapa L. fraction-fed group than that in the controls. Populations of the Eubacterium rectale group and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, both of which are representative butyrate-producing bacteria, doubled after 2 weeks of fraction intake, accompanying a marginal increase in the proportion of colonic butyrate. In addition, feeding with the fraction significantly increased levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tended to increase splenic regulatory T cell numbers but significantly reduced the population of cells expressing activation markers. We demonstrated that inclusion of the boiled-water-insoluble fraction of B. rapa L. can alter the composition of the gut microbiota to decrease the numbers of Bacteroidetes and to increase the numbers of butyrate-producing bacteria, either of which may be involved in the observed shift in the production of splenic IL-10. PMID:26921420

Consistent, high-level ethanol consumption in pig-tailed macaques via a multiple-session, limited-intake, oral self-dosing procedure.

PubMed

Weed, Michael R; Wilcox, Kristin M; Ator, Nancy A; Hienz, Robert D

2008-06-01

Alcohol abuse is a major public health burden that can lead to many adverse health effects such as impaired hepatic, gastrointestinal, central nervous system and immune system function. Preclinical animal models of alcohol abuse allow for experimental control over variables often difficult to control in human clinical studies (e.g., ethanol exposure before or during the study, history of other drug use, access to medical care, nutritional status, etc). Nonhuman primate models in particular provide increased genetic, anatomic and physiologic similarity to humans, relative to rodent models. A small percentage of macaques will spontaneously consume large quantities of ethanol; however, most nonhuman primate models of "voluntary" ethanol intake produce relatively low daily ethanol intake in the majority of monkeys. To facilitate study of chronic exposure to high levels of ethanol intake, a macaque model has been developed that induces consistent, daily high-level ethanol consumption. This multiple-session procedure employed 4 drinking sessions per day, with sessions occurring once every 6 hours. The group average alcohol consumption was 4.6 g/kg/d (SEM 0.4), roughly twice the group average consumption of previous reports. Ethanol drinking sessions produced group mean blood ethanol levels of 95 mg/dl after 60 minutes, and fine motor control was impaired up to 90 minutes after a drinking session. This model of multiple-session, limited access, oral ethanol self-dosing produced consistent, high-level ethanol consumption with each session qualifying as a "binge" drinking session using the definition of "binge" provided by the NIAAA (>80 mg/dl/session). This model of ethanol drinking in macaques will be of great utility in the study of immunological, physiological and behavioral effects of ethanol in nonhuman primates.

Joint Moment-Angle Properties of the Hip Extensors in Subjects With and Without Patellofemoral Pain.

PubMed

Kindel, Curtis; Challis, John

2018-04-01

Strength deficits of hip extension in individuals with patellofemoral syndrome are commonly reported in literature. No literature to date has examined these deficits with variable positions of the knee and hip; altering knee angle alters the length and therefore potentially the force produced by the biarticular muscles. Beyond strength, neuromuscular control can also be assessed through the analysis of isometric joint moment steadiness. Subjects consisted of a group of individuals with patellofemoral syndrome (n = 9), and a group of age- and size-matched controls with no symptoms (n = 9). Maximum isometric joint moments for hip extension were measured at 4 points within the joint's range of motion, at 2 different knee positions (0° and 90°) for each group. The joint moment signals were analyzed by computing signal Coefficient of Variation (CV). The results indicate that no significant differences were found between the groups of subjects for the hip extension moments when the knee was extended. However, there was a significant difference between the groups for the joint moments of hip extension with the knee flexed at all 4 hip positions. Results also showed hip extension CV values to be significantly higher in the patellofemoral group compared with the control group, indicating greater signal noise and therefore poorer neuromuscular control of the hip extensor musculature. This study demonstrated that individuals with patellofemoral syndrome have reduced hip extension strength and reduced neuromuscular control with the knee flexed compared with a control group. These results have implications for the etiology of patellofemoral syndrome and its rehabilitation.

Controlling formation of single-molecule junctions by electrochemical reduction of diazonium terminal groups.

PubMed

Hines, Thomas; Díez-Pérez, Ismael; Nakamura, Hisao; Shimazaki, Tomomi; Asai, Yoshihiro; Tao, Nongjian

2013-03-06

We report controlling the formation of single-molecule junctions by means of electrochemically reducing two axialdiazonium terminal groups on a molecule, thereby producing direct Au-C covalent bonds in situ between the molecule and gold electrodes. We report a yield enhancement in molecular junction formation as the electrochemical potential of both junction electrodes approach the reduction potential of the diazonium terminal groups. Step length analysis shows that the molecular junction is significantly more stable, and can be pulled over a longer distance than a comparable junction created with amine anchoring bonds. The stability of the junction is explained by the calculated lower binding energy associated with the direct Au-C bond compared with the Au-N bond.

Interlabial contact pressures exhibited in dysarthria following traumatic brain injury during speech and nonspeech tasks.

PubMed

Goozée, Justine V; Murdoch, Bruce E; Theodoros, Deborah G

2002-01-01

A miniature pressure transducer was used to assess the interlabial contact pressures produced by a group of 19 adults (mean age 30.6 years) with dysarthria following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) during a set of speech and nonspeech tasks. Ten parameters relating to lip strength, endurance, rate of movement and lip pressure accuracy and stability were measured from the nonspeech tasks. The results attained by the TBI group were compared against a group of 19 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Significant differences between the groups were found for maximum interlabial contact pressure, maximum rate of repetition of maximum pressure, and lip pressure accuracy at 50 and 10% levels of maximum pressure. In regards to speech, the interlabial contact pressures generated by the TBI group and control group did not differ significantly. When expressed as percentages of maximum pressure, however, the TBI group's interlabial pressures appeared to have been generated with greater physiological effort. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

Psychophysiological Control of Acognitive Task Using Adaptive Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, Frederick; Pope, Alan T. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The major focus of the present proposal was to examine psychophysiological variables related to hazardous states of awareness induced by monitoring automated systems. With the increased use of automation in today's work environment, people's roles in the work place are being redefined from that of active participant to one of passive monitor. Although the introduction of automated systems has a number of benefits, there are also a number of disadvantages regarding worker performance. Byrne and Parasuraman have argued for the use of psychophysiological measures in the development and the implementation of adaptive automation. While both performance based and model based adaptive automation have been studied, the use of psychophysiological measures, especially EEG, offers the advantage of real time evaluation of the state of the subject. The current study used the closed-loop system, developed at NASA-Langley Research Center, to control the state of awareness of subjects while they performed a cognitive vigilance task. Previous research in our laboratory, supported by NASA, has demonstrated that, in an adaptive automation, closed-loop environment, subjects perform a tracking task better under a negative than a positive, feedback condition. In addition, this condition produces less subjective workload and larger P300 event related potentials to auditory stimuli presented in a concurrent oddball task. We have also recently shown that the closed-loop system used to control the level of automation in a tracking task can also be used to control the event rate of stimuli in a vigilance monitoring task. By changing the event rate based on the subject's index of arousal, we have been able to produce improved monitoring, relative to various control groups. We have demonstrated in our initial closed-loop experiments with the the vigilance paradigm that using a negative feedback contingency (i.e. increasing event rates when the EEG index is low and decreasing event rates when the EEG index is high) results in a marked decrease of the vigilance decrement over a 40 minute session. This effect is in direct contrast to performance of a positive feedback group, as well as a number of other control groups which demonstrated the typical vigilance decrement. Interestingly, however, the negative feedback group performed at virtually the same level as a yoked control group. The yoked control group received the same order of changes in event rate that were generated by the negative feedback subjects using the closed-loop system. Thus it would appear to be possible to optimize vigilance performance by controlling the stimuli which subjects are asked to process.

Enamel colour changes after debonding using various bonding systems.

PubMed

Zaher, Abbas R; Abdalla, Essam M; Abdel Motie, Maha A; Rehman, Noman Atiq; Kassem, Hassan; Athanasiou, Athanasios E

2012-06-01

To test the possible association between enamel colour alteration and resin tag depth. In vitro laboratory study. Department of Orthodontics, Alexandria University, Egypt. Fifty freshly extracted human premolar teeth were equally divided randomly into a control and four experimental groups. Teeth in group I received only enamel prophylaxis. Teeth in groups II and III were etched with 35% phosphoric acid for 15 and 60 seconds, respectively. Teeth in group IV were conditioned with Prompt L-pop self-etching primer and in group V with Xeno III self-etching primer, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Orthodontic brackets were bonded to the teeth in all experimental groups using Transbond XT composite. Following bracket debonding, finishing and polishing were performed. Enamel colour was evaluated spectrophotometrically at baseline and then after debonding, with the corresponding colour differences ΔE calculated. Resin tags lengths were measured on sectioned teeth in each experimental group under scanning electron microscope. All experimental groups showed clinically perceivable colour change after debonding and finishing as all values were exceeded the clinical colour detection threshold of ΔE = 3.7 units. Significant differences (P<0.05) in resin tag length were found in all experimental groups. Significant moderate correlation was found between colour change and resin tags length when all teeth were combined and tested, irrespective of group. Moderate evidence exists that shorter resin tag penetration produces less change in enamel colour following clean-up and polishing. Self-etch primers produce less resin penetration and these systems may produce less iatrogenic colour change in enamel following orthodontic treatment.

[Livestock producer participation in the control of epizootics in developed countries: the experience of France].

PubMed

Cassagne, M H

2004-04-01

Based on the French experience of animal health defence groups (groupements de défense sanitaire), the author highlights the importance, for both Veterinary Services and livestock producers, of livestock producer health organisations acting as partners of the Veterinary Services to complement the actions of private veterinarians. Charged with the task of providing livestock producers with information and raising awareness of the health regulations, these organisations offer key support to Veterinary Services in carrying out regulatory prophylactic measures, monitoring their execution, supplementing public compensation measures, and even being delegated to manage all or part of such prophylactic measures. By designing and implementing plans, with the support of private veterinarians, to combat or control epizootics which have an economic or trade impact, and by participating in or carrying out animal identification and offering health and environmental services, these organisations help to improve herd health and support the livestock producing industry. Growing demand, from both European Union applicant members and countries to the south, shows that although the French experience is not transposable, it can serve as a useful example.

An ERP Study of Good Production vis-à-vis Poor Perception of Tones in Cantonese: Implications for Top-Down Speech Processing

PubMed Central

Law, Sam-Po; Fung, Roxana; Kung, Carmen

2013-01-01

This study investigated a theoretically challenging dissociation between good production and poor perception of tones among neurologically unimpaired native speakers of Cantonese. The dissociation is referred to as the near-merger phenomenon in sociolinguistic studies of sound change. In a passive oddball paradigm, lexical and nonlexical syllables of the T1/T6 and T4/T6 contrasts were presented to elicit the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a from two groups of participants, those who could produce and distinguish all tones in the language (Control) and those who could produce all tones but specifically failed to distinguish between T4 and T6 in perception (Dissociation). The presence of MMN to T1/T6 and null response to T4/T6 of lexical syllables in the dissociation group confirmed the near-merger phenomenon. The observation that the control participants exhibited a statistically reliable MMN to lexical syllables of T1/T6, weaker responses to nonlexical syllables of T1/T6 and lexical syllables of T4/T6, and finally null response to nonlexical syllables of T4/T6, suggests the involvement of top-down processing in speech perception. Furthermore, the stronger P3a response of the control group, compared with the dissociation group in the same experimental conditions, may be taken to indicate higher cognitive capability in attention switching, auditory attention or memory in the control participants. This cognitive difference, together with our speculation that constant top-down predictions without complete bottom-up analysis of acoustic signals in speech recognition may reduce one’s sensitivity to small acoustic contrasts, account for the occurrence of dissociation in some individuals but not others. PMID:23342146

Therapeutic role of Cuminum cyminum on ethanol and thermally oxidized sunflower oil induced toxicity.

PubMed

Aruna, K; Rukkumani, R; Varma, P Suresh; Menon, Venugopal P

2005-05-01

Ethanol is one of the most widely used and abused drugs, increasing lipid levels in humans and experimental animals. Heating of oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) produces various lipid peroxidative end products that can aggravate the pathological changes produced by ethanol. In the present communication, the effect of Cuminum cyminum was investigated on alcohol and thermally oxidized oil induced hyperlipidaemia. The results showed increased activity of aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and increased levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids in the plasma of rats given alcohol, thermally oxidized oil and alcohol+thermally oxidized oil when compared with the normal control group. The levels of tissue (liver and kidney) cholesterol and triglycerides were increased significantly in rats groups given alcohol, thermally oxidized oil and alcohol+thermally oxidized oil when compared with the normal control rats. The levels were decreased when cumin was given along with alcohol and thermally oxidized oil. The level of phospholipids decreased significantly in the liver and kidney of groups given alcohol, thermally oxidized oil and alcohol+thermally oridized oil when compared with the normal control rats. The level increased when cumin was administered along with alcohol and thermally oxidized oil. The activity of phospholipase A and C increased significantly in the liver of groups given alcohol, thermally oxidized oil and alcohol+thermally oxidized oil when compared with the normal control rats, whereas the activity was decreased with the cumin treatment. The results obtained indicate that cumin can decrease the lipid levels in alcohol and thermally oxidized oil induced hepatotoxicity. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An ERP study of good production vis-à-vis poor perception of tones in Cantonese: implications for top-down speech processing.

PubMed

Law, Sam-Po; Fung, Roxana; Kung, Carmen

2013-01-01

This study investigated a theoretically challenging dissociation between good production and poor perception of tones among neurologically unimpaired native speakers of Cantonese. The dissociation is referred to as the near-merger phenomenon in sociolinguistic studies of sound change. In a passive oddball paradigm, lexical and nonlexical syllables of the T1/T6 and T4/T6 contrasts were presented to elicit the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a from two groups of participants, those who could produce and distinguish all tones in the language (Control) and those who could produce all tones but specifically failed to distinguish between T4 and T6 in perception (Dissociation). The presence of MMN to T1/T6 and null response to T4/T6 of lexical syllables in the dissociation group confirmed the near-merger phenomenon. The observation that the control participants exhibited a statistically reliable MMN to lexical syllables of T1/T6, weaker responses to nonlexical syllables of T1/T6 and lexical syllables of T4/T6, and finally null response to nonlexical syllables of T4/T6, suggests the involvement of top-down processing in speech perception. Furthermore, the stronger P3a response of the control group, compared with the dissociation group in the same experimental conditions, may be taken to indicate higher cognitive capability in attention switching, auditory attention or memory in the control participants. This cognitive difference, together with our speculation that constant top-down predictions without complete bottom-up analysis of acoustic signals in speech recognition may reduce one's sensitivity to small acoustic contrasts, account for the occurrence of dissociation in some individuals but not others.

Treatment of CELSS and PCELSS waste to produce nutrients for plant growth. [Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems and Partially Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Modell, M.; Meissner, H.; Karel, M.; Carden, J.; Lewis, S.

1981-01-01

The research program entitled 'Development of a Prototype Experiment for Treating CELSS (Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems) and PCELSS (Partially Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems) Wastes to Produce Nutrients for Plant Growth' consists of two phases: (1) the development of the neccessary facilities, chemical methodologies and models for meaningful experimentation, and (2) the application of what methods and devices are developed to the interfacing of waste oxidation with plant growth. Homogeneous samples of freeze-dried human feces and urine have been prepared to ensure comparability of test results between CELSS waste treatment research groups. A model of PCELSS food processing wastes has been developed, and an automated gas chromatographic system to analyze oxidizer effluents was designed and brought to operational status. Attention is given the component configuration of the wet oxidation system used by the studies.

Embryo recovery from mares exposed to a year-to-year artificially prolonged daylength.

PubMed

Kot, K; Tischner, M

1991-09-01

The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of a year-to-year prolonged daylength on the patterns of equine reproductive activity and results of embryo recovery. Experiments using Konik Polski mares were conducted over four reproduction seasons. Five mares were exposed to a regimen of artificially prolonged daylength (APD) and another five mares in a control group were kept under conditions of natural daylight. Both the control and experimental groups were examined for appearance of estrus, ovulation and also for the state of their coats. A single stallion was used for breeding all of the mares. The embryos were recovered nonsurgically 6 to 9 days after ovulation. All of the mares exposed to APD showed increased ovarian activity, which commenced earlier than in the control group. About 19% more ovulations were detected in the experimental group. The average number of ovulations per lighted mare per year was 15.3, while in the control group it was 12.4 ovulations (P<0.05). However, the embryo recovery rate and total number of embryos obtained from the mares exposed to APD did not exceed the number of embryos collected from the control mares (P<0.05). Modification of daylength had a visible effect on the mares by producing a change in their coats.

A multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the use of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allografts and multilayer compression therapy vs. multilayer compression therapy alone in the treatment of venous leg ulcers.

PubMed

Serena, Thomas E; Carter, Marissa J; Le, Lam T; Sabo, Matthew J; DiMarco, Daniel T

2014-01-01

Venous leg ulcers produce significant clinical and economic burdens on society and often require advanced wound therapy. The purpose of this multicenter, randomized, controlled study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of one or two applications of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allograft and multilayer compression therapy vs. multilayer compression therapy alone in the treatment of venous leg ulcers. The primary study outcome was the proportion of patients achieving 40% wound closure at 4 weeks. Of the 84 participants enrolled, 53 were randomized to receive allograft and 31 were randomized to the control group of multilayer compression therapy alone. At 4 weeks, 62% in the allograft group and 32% in the control group showed a greater than 40% wound closure (p = 0.005), thus showing a significant difference between the allograft-treated groups and the multilayer compression therapy alone group at the 4-week surrogate endpoint. After 4 weeks, wounds treated with allograft had reduced in size a mean of 48.1% compared with 19.0% for controls. Venous leg ulcers treated with allograft had a significant improvement in healing at 4 weeks compared with multilayer compression therapy alone. © 2014 by the Wound Healing Society.

A Combination of Hand-held Models and Computer Imaging Programs Helps Students Answer Oral Questions about Molecular Structure and Function: A Controlled Investigation of Student Learning

PubMed Central

Peck, Ronald F.; Colton, Shannon; Morris, Jennifer; Chaibub Neto, Elias; Kallio, Julie

2009-01-01

We conducted a controlled investigation to examine whether a combination of computer imagery and tactile tools helps introductory cell biology laboratory undergraduate students better learn about protein structure/function relationships as compared with computer imagery alone. In all five laboratory sections, students used the molecular imaging program, Protein Explorer (PE). In the three experimental sections, three-dimensional physical models were made available to the students, in addition to PE. Student learning was assessed via oral and written research summaries and videotaped interviews. Differences between the experimental and control group students were not found in our typical course assessments such as research papers, but rather were revealed during one-on-one interviews with students at the end of the semester. A subset of students in the experimental group produced superior answers to some higher-order interview questions as compared with students in the control group. During the interview, students in both groups preferred to use either the hand-held models alone or in combination with the PE imaging program. Students typically did not use any tools when answering knowledge (lower-level thinking) questions, but when challenged with higher-level thinking questions, students in both the control and experimental groups elected to use the models. PMID:19255134

Isolation and Characterization of Chitosan-Producing Bacteria from Beaches of Chennai, India

PubMed Central

Kaur, Kuldeep; Dattajirao, Vikrant; Shrivastava, Vikas; Bhardwaj, Uma

2012-01-01

Chitosan is a deacetylated product of chitin produced by chitin deacetylase, an enzyme that hydrolyses acetamido groups of N-acetylglucosamine in chitin. Chitosan is a natural polymer that has great potential in biotechnology and in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Commercially, it is produced from chitin via a harsh thermochemical process that shares most of the disadvantages of a multistep chemical procedure. It is environmentally unsafe and not easily controlled, leading to a broad and heterogeneous range of products. An alternative or complementary procedure exploiting the enzymatic deacetylation of chitin could potentially be employed, especially when a controlled and well-defined process is required. In this study, 20 strains of bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected from different beaches of Chennai, India. Of these 20 bacterial strains, only 2 strains (S3, S14) are potent degrader of chitin and they are also a good producer of the enzyme chitin deacetylase so as to release chitosan. PMID:22919468

Evaluating lexical characteristics of verbal fluency output in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Juhasz, Barbara J; Chambers, Destinee; Shesler, Leah W; Haber, Alix; Kurtz, Matthew M

2012-12-30

Standardized lexical analysis of verbal output has not been applied to verbal fluency tasks in schizophrenia. Performance of individuals with schizophrenia on both a letter (n=139) and semantic (n=137) fluency task was investigated. The lexical characteristics (word frequency, age-of-acquisition, word length, and semantic typicality) of words produced were evaluated and compared to those produced by a healthy control group matched on age, gender, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III) vocabulary scores (n=20). Overall, individuals with schizophrenia produced fewer words than healthy controls, replicating past research (see Bokat and Goldberg, 2003). Words produced in the semantic fluency task by individuals with schizophrenia were, on average, earlier acquired and more typical of the category. In contrast, no differences in lexical characteristics emerged in the letter fluency task. The results are informative regarding how individuals with schizophrenia access their mental lexicons during the verbal fluency task. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visual processing of emotional expressions in mixed anxious-depressed subclinical state: an event-related potential study on a female sample.

PubMed

Rossignol, M; Philippot, P; Crommelinck, M; Campanella, S

2008-10-01

Controversy remains about the existence and the nature of a specific bias in emotional facial expression processing in mixed anxious-depressed state (MAD). Event-related potentials were recorded in the following three types of groups defined by the Spielberger state and trait anxiety inventory (STAI) and the Beck depression inventory (BDI): a group of anxious participants (n=12), a group of participants with depressive and anxious tendencies (n=12), and a control group (n=12). Participants were confronted with a visual oddball task in which they had to detect, as quickly as possible, deviant faces amongst a train of standard neutral faces. Deviant stimuli changed either on identity, or on emotion (happy or sad expression). Anxiety facilitated emotional processing and the two anxious groups produced quicker responses than control participants; these effects were correlated with an earlier decisional wave (P3b) for anxious participants. Mixed anxious-depressed participants showed enhanced visual processing of deviant stimuli and produced higher amplitude in attentional complex (N2b/P3a), both for identity and emotional trials. P3a was also particularly increased for emotional faces in this group. Anxious state mainly influenced later decision processes (shorter latency of P3b), whereas mixed anxious-depressed state acted on earlier steps of emotional processing (enhanced N2b/P3a complex). Mixed anxious-depressed individuals seemed more reactive to any visual change, particularly emotional change, without displaying any valence bias.

The role of three-dimensional printed models of skull in anatomy education: a randomized controlled trail.

PubMed

Chen, Shi; Pan, Zhouxian; Wu, Yanyan; Gu, Zhaoqi; Li, Man; Liang, Ze; Zhu, Huijuan; Yao, Yong; Shui, Wuyang; Shen, Zhen; Zhao, Jun; Pan, Hui

2017-04-03

Three-dimensional (3D) printed models represent educational tools of high quality compared with traditional teaching aids. Colored skull models were produced by 3D printing technology. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to compare the learning efficiency of 3D printed skulls with that of cadaveric skulls and atlas. Seventy-nine medical students, who never studied anatomy, were randomized into three groups by drawing lots, using 3D printed skulls, cadaveric skulls, and atlas, respectively, to study the anatomical structures in skull through an introductory lecture and small group discussions. All students completed identical tests, which composed of a theory test and a lab test, before and after a lecture. Pre-test scores showed no differences between the three groups. In post-test, the 3D group was better than the other two groups in total score (cadaver: 29.5 [IQR: 25-33], 3D: 31.5 [IQR: 29-36], atlas: 27.75 [IQR: 24.125-32]; p = 0.044) and scores of lab test (cadaver: 14 [IQR: 10.5-18], 3D: 16.5 [IQR: 14.375-21.625], atlas: 14.5 [IQR: 10-18.125]; p = 0.049). Scores involving theory test, however, showed no difference between the three groups. In this RCT, an inexpensive, precise and rapidly-produced skull model had advantages in assisting anatomy study, especially in structure recognition, compared with traditional education materials.

[Psychiatric, Cognitive and Emotional Profile in Ex-combatants of Illegal Armed Groups in Colombia].

PubMed

Tobón, Carlos; Aguirre-Acevedo, Daniel Camilo; Velilla, Lina; Duque, Jon; Ramos, Claudia Patricia; Pineda, David

2016-01-01

Exposure to armed conflict produces biological adaptations oriented to handle the highly stressful conditions in war environments. The special features of The Colombian armed create a special scenario to evaluate the human behavior. In this study, psychiatric, cognitive and emotional processing characteristics of a group of Colombian armed illegal forces of ex-combatants are described. Sixty-three ex combatants and 22 controls were assessed with WAIS (IQ), INECO frontal screening (executive functions), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (empathy), emotional features recognition and MINI (psychiatric profile). When compared to the control group, ex-combatants showed higher frequency of antisocial personality disorder (P=.031) and behavioral dissocial disorder (P=.017). In cognitive profile, the ex-combatants showed a lower score in the executive function test (Me=18.50; RQ=4.00), control (Me=23.00; RQ=5.25), with a poor personal distress in emphatic profile (Me=10.00; RQ=5.00) compared to control group (Me=37.00; RQ=7.25). We found differences in cognitive and psychiatric profile in ex-combatants in comparison with controls. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Safety and immunogenicity of a live attenuated mumps vaccine

PubMed Central

Liang, Yan; Ma, Jingchen; Li, Changgui; Chen, Yuguo; Liu, Longding; Liao, Yun; Zhang, Ying; Jiang, Li; Wang, Xuan-Yi; Che, Yanchun; Deng, Wei; Li, Hong; Cui, Xiaoyu; Ma, Na; Ding, Dong; Xie, Zhongping; Cui, Pingfang; Ji, Qiuyan; Wang, Jingjing; Zhao, Yuliang; Wang, Junzhi; Li, Qihan

2014-01-01

Background: Mumps, a communicable, acute and previously well-controlled disease, has had recent and occasional resurgences in some areas. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, controlled and multistep phase I study of an F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine produced in human diploid cells was conducted. A total of 300 subjects were enrolled and divided into 4 age groups: 16–60 years, 5–16 years, 2–5 years and 8–24 months. The groups were immunized with one injection per subject. Three different doses of the F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine, A (3.5 ± 0.25 logCCID50), B (4.25 ± 0.25 logCCID50) and C (5.0 ± 0.25 logCCID50), as well as a placebo control and a positive control of a licensed A-genotype vaccine (S79 strain) were used. The safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine were compared with those of the controls. Results: The safety evaluation suggested that mild adverse reactions were observed in all groups. No serious adverse event (SAE) was reported throughout the trial. The immunogenicity test showed a similar seroconversion rate of the neutralizing and ELISA antibody in the 2- to 5-year-old and 8- to 24-month-old groups compared with the seroconversion rate in the positive control. The GMT of the neutralizing anti-F-genotype virus antibodies in the vaccine groups was slightly higher than that in the positive control group. Conclusions: The F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine evaluated in this clinical trial was demonstrated to be safe and have effective immunogenicity vs. control. PMID:24614759

Safety and immunogenicity of a live attenuated mumps vaccine: a phase I clinical trial.

PubMed

Liang, Yan; Ma, Jingchen; Li, Changgui; Chen, Yuguo; Liu, Longding; Liao, Yun; Zhang, Ying; Jiang, Li; Wang, Xuan-Yi; Che, Yanchun; Deng, Wei; Li, Hong; Cui, Xiaoyu; Ma, Na; Ding, Dong; Xie, Zhongping; Cui, Pingfang; Ji, Qiuyan; Wang, JingJing; Zhao, Yuliang; Wang, Junzhi; Li, Qihan

2014-01-01

Mumps, a communicable, acute and previously well-controlled disease, has had recent and occasional resurgences in some areas. A randomized, double-blind, controlled and multistep phase I study of an F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine produced in human diploid cells was conducted. A total of 300 subjects were enrolled and divided into 4 age groups: 16-60 years, 5-16 years, 2-5 years and 8-24 months. The groups were immunized with one injection per subject. Three different doses of the F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine, A (3.5 ± 0.25 logCCID50), B (4.25 ± 0.25 logCCID50) and C (5.0 ± 0.25 logCCID50), as well as a placebo control and a positive control of a licensed A-genotype vaccine (S79 strain) were used. The safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine were compared with those of the controls. The safety evaluation suggested that mild adverse reactions were observed in all groups. No serious adverse event (SAE) was reported throughout the trial. The immunogenicity test showed a similar seroconversion rate of the neutralizing and ELISA antibody in the 2- to 5-year-old and 8- to 24-month-old groups compared with the seroconversion rate in the positive control. The GMT of the neutralizing anti-F-genotype virus antibodies in the vaccine groups was slightly higher than that in the positive control group. The F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine evaluated in this clinical trial was demonstrated to be safe and have effective immunogenicity vs. control.

Does Addition of Propolis to Glass Ionomer Cement Alter its Physicomechanical Properties? An in Vitro Study.

PubMed

Subramaniam, P; Girish Babu, K L; Neeraja, G; Pillai, S

Propolis is a natural resinous substance produced by honey bees. The antimicrobial effects of glass ionomer cement have been shown to improve with the addition of propolis; however its effect on the physicomechanical properties of the cement is not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the compressive strength and solubility of conventional restorative glass ionomer cement following the addition of propolis. Twenty half cylindrical samples were prepared with conventional restorative glass ionomer cement formed the control group. Another twenty samples were prepared with propolis added to conventional restorative glass ionomer cement formed the experimental group. The compressive strength was assessed using universal testing machine. To assess solubility, the samples were immersed in deionised water at room temperature, for 7 days. The solubility was measured as a difference in the weight of the sample; prior to immersion and following immersion at the end of each day. The control group had a significantly higher mean compressive strength of 146.26 Mpa as compared to the experimental group (135.06 Mpa). The solubility between the groups was significant. In comparison to the control group, incorporation of propolis to conventional restorative glass ionomer cement decreased the compressive strength significantly. The solubility of the cement in the experimental group increased significantly over 7day period as compared to the control group.

Does Addition of Propolis to Glass Ionomer Cement Alter its Physicomechanical Properties? An In Vitro Study.

PubMed

Subramaniam, P; Girish Babu, K L; Neeraja, G; Pillai, S

Propolis is a natural resinous substance produced by honey bees. The antimicrobial effects of glass ionomer cement have been shown to improve with the addition of propolis; however its effect on the physicomechanical properties of the cement is not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the compressive strength and solubility of conventional restorative glass ionomer cement following the addition of propolis. Twenty half cylindrical samples were prepared with conventional restorative glass ionomer cement formed the control group. Another twenty samples were prepared with propolis added to conventional restorative glass ionomer cement formed the experimental group. The compressive strength was assessed using universal testing machine. To assess solubility, the samples were immersed in deionised water at room temperature, for 7 days. The solubility was measured as a difference in the weight of the sample; prior to immersion and following immersion at the end of each day. The control group had a significantly higher mean compressive strength of 146.26 Mpa as compared to the experimental group (135.06 Mpa). The solubility between the groups was significant. In comparison to the control group, incorporation of propolis to conventional restorative glass ionomer cement decreased the compressive strength significantly. The solubility of the cement in the experimental group increased significantly over 7day period as compared to the control group.

Influencing agent group behavior by adjusting cultural trait values.

PubMed

Tuli, Gaurav; Hexmoor, Henry

2010-10-01

Social reasoning and norms among individuals that share cultural traits are largely fashioned by those traits. We have explored predominant sociological and cultural traits. We offer a methodology for parametrically adjusting relevant traits. This exploratory study heralds a capability to deliberately tune cultural group traits in order to produce a desired group behavior. To validate our methodology, we implemented a prototypical-agent-based simulated test bed for demonstrating an exemplar from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance scenario. A group of simulated agents traverses a hostile territory while a user adjusts their cultural group trait settings. Group and individual utilities are dynamically observed against parametric values for the selected traits. Uncertainty avoidance index and individualism are the cultural traits we examined in depth. Upon the user's training of the correspondence between cultural values and system utilities, users deliberately produce the desired system utilities by issuing changes to trait. Specific cultural traits are without meaning outside of their context. Efficacy and timely application of traits in a given context do yield desirable results. This paper heralds a path for the control of large systems via parametric cultural adjustments.

Physiological and brain alterations produced by high-fat diet in male and female rats can be modulated by increased levels of estradiol during critical periods of development.

PubMed

Carrillo, Beatriz; Collado, Paloma; Díaz, Francisca; Chowen, Julie A; Pérez-Izquierdo, Mª Ángeles; Pinos, Helena

2017-07-11

Overnutrition due to a high-fat diet (HFD) can increase the vulnerability of the metabolic system to maladjustments. Estradiol has an inhibitory role on food intake and this hormone has demonstrated to be a crucial organizer during brain development. Our aim was to determine whether increased levels of estradiol in the early postnatal period modulate the alterations in metabolism and brain metabolic circuits produced by overnutrition. Twenty-four male and 24 female Wistar rats were submitted to a HFD (34.9% fat) or a control diet (5% fat) from gestational day 6. From postnatal (P) 6 to P13, both control and HFD groups were administered a s.c. injection of vehicle or estradiol benzoate (0.4 mg/kg), resulting in eight experimental groups (n = 6 in each group). Body weight, food intake and subcutaneous, visceral, and brown fat pads were measured. Agouti-related peptide, neuropeptide Y, orexin, and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay and plasma estradiol levels were measured by ELISA. Males fed a HFD showed an increase in body weight and the amount of visceral and subcutaneous fat, which was coincident with an increase in the number of kilocalories ingested. Neonatal estradiol treatment restored the body weight and subcutaneous fat of HFD males to control levels. Hypothalamic POMC mRNA levels in HFD females were increased with respect to control females. This increase was reverted with estradiol treatment during development. HFD and estradiol treatment have different effects on males and females. Overnutrition affects physiological parameters, such as body weight, visceral, and subcutaneous fat content, in males, while females present alterations in hypothalamic POMC mRNA levels. Hence, the increase in estradiol levels during a period that is critical for the programing of the feeding system can modulate some of the alterations produced by the continuous intake of high-fat content food.

Predicting Baseline for Analysis of Electricity Pricing

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

Kim, T.; Lee, D.; Choi, J.

2016-05-03

To understand the impact of new pricing structure on residential electricity demands, we need a baseline model that captures every factor other than the new price. The standard baseline is a randomized control group, however, a good control group is hard to design. This motivates us to devlop data-driven approaches. We explored many techniques and designed a strategy, named LTAP, that could predict the hourly usage years ahead. The key challenge in this process is that the daily cycle of electricity demand peaks a few hours after the temperature reaching its peak. Existing methods rely on the lagged variables ofmore » recent past usages to enforce this daily cycle. These methods have trouble making predictions years ahead. LTAP avoids this trouble by assuming the daily usage profile is determined by temperature and other factors. In a comparison against a well-designed control group, LTAP is found to produce accurate predictions.« less

Increased cooperative behavior across remitted bipolar I disorder and major depression: Insights utilizing a behavioral economic trust game.

PubMed

Ong, Desmond C; Zaki, Jamil; Gruber, June

2017-01-01

Mood disorders impact social functioning, but might contribute to experiences-like affective distress-that might result in increased cooperative behavior under certain circumstances. We recruited participants with a history of bipolar I disorder (n = 28), major depressive disorder (n = 30), and healthy controls (n = 27)-to play a well-validated behavioral economic Trust Game, a task that provides a well-controlled experimental scenario, to measure cooperative behavior for the first time across both groups. Both remitted mood-disordered groups cooperated significantly more than the control group, but did not differ from one another. These results suggest that, in some contexts, a history of mood disturbance can produce enhanced cooperation, even in the absence of current mood symptoms. We discuss the clinical significance of enhanced cooperation in mood disorders and point to key directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Cue-Controlled Relaxation and Systematic Desensitization versus Nonspecific Factors in Treating Test Anxiety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Richard K.; Lent, Robert W.

1982-01-01

Compared the efficacy of two behavioral anxiety reduction techniques against "subconscious reconditioning," an empirically derived placebo method. Examination of within-group changes showed systematic desensitization produced significant reductions in test and trait anxiety, and remaining treatments and the placebo demonstrated…

A comparison of the effects of a special gynaecological garment and music in reducing the anxiety related to gynaecological examination.

PubMed

Kocabaş, Pembegül; Khorshid, Leyla

2012-03-01

To investigate the effect of a special gynaecological garment and music plus the special gynaecological garment on reducing the state anxiety related to gynaecological examination. Gynaecological examination is one of the most common anxiety-producing medical procedures and causes embarrassment and discomfort. Few studies have focused on the effect of a gynaecological garment on anxiety associated with gynaecological examinations. The patients were allocated to one of three groups, one control and two experimental. While the patients in the control group were subjected to the normal outpatient procedure, the patients in the first experimental group were dressed in a special gynaecological garment. In the control group, gynaecological examinations were performed with a traditional one-piece drape. In addition to wearing the special gynaecological garment, the women in the garment + music group listened to music during the gynaecological examination. The State Anxiety Inventory Form was applied to the patients in all three groups before and after gynaecological examination. The state anxiety level after gynaecological examination in patients in the control group was found to be higher, but it was found to be lower in patients in both the first experimental group (garment) and the second experimental group (garment + music). The state anxiety level was found to be more reduced in the experimental groups than in the control group. The state anxiety level after gynaecological examination was found to be higher in single patients in the second experimental group. The special gynaecological garments are effective in reducing the state anxiety associated with gynaecological examination. It should be taken into consideration that women perceived state anxiety during the gynaecological examinations. To allay anxiety associated with gynaecological examination in women, a special garment may be considered. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Hemodynamic, ventilatory, and biochemical responses of panic patients and normal controls with sodium lactate infusion and spontaneous panic attacks.

PubMed

Gaffney, F A; Fenton, B J; Lane, L D; Lake, C R

1988-01-01

Hemodynamic, ventilatory, and biochemical variables were measured in ten healthy adults and ten panic patients during infusion of 0.5 mol/L of sodium lactate. Physical activity, fitness level, and ambulatory electrocardiograms were also recorded. Lactate infusion doubled cardiac output, increased blood lactate levels by sixfold, and produced hypernatremia, hypocalcemia, and decreased serum bicarbonate levels in both groups but raised arterial pressure only in the patients. The patients hyperventilated before and during the infusion. Physiological responses and somatic complaints with the infusion differed little between the groups, but emotional complaints were six times more frequent among the panic patients. Eight patients but no control subjects interpreted their symptoms as a panic attack. Heart rate increased with only 14 of 31 recorded spontaneous outpatient panic attacks. Sodium lactate infusions appear to produce panic by mimicking the physiology of spontaneous panic. Treatment with cardioactive agents is not indicated in the absence of cardiopulmonary or autonomic nervous system abnormalities.

Cleaning of endodontic files, Part I: The effect of bioburden on the sterilization of endodontic files.

PubMed

Johnson, M A; Primack, P D; Loushine, R J; Craft, D W

1997-01-01

Ninety-two new endodontic files were randomly assigned to five groups with varying parameters of contamination, cleaning method, and sterilization (steam or chemical). Files were instrumented in bovine teeth to accumulate debris and a known contaminant, Bacillus stearothermophilus. Positive controls produced growth on both T-soy agar plates and in T-soy broth. Negative controls and experimental files (some with heavy debris) failed to produce growth. The results showed that there was no significant difference between contaminated files that were not cleaned before sterilization and contaminated files that were cleaned before sterilization. Bioburden present on endodontic files does not appear to affect the sterilization process.

Redundant single gimbal control moment gyroscope singularity analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bedrossian, Nazareth S.; Paradiso, Joseph; Bergmann, Edward V.; Rowell, Derek

1990-01-01

The robotic manipulator is proposed as the mechanical analog to single gimbal control moment gyroscope systems, and it is shown that both systems share similar difficulties with singular configurations. This analogy is used to group gimbal angles corresponding to any momentum state into different families. The singularity problem associated with these systems is examined in detail. In particular, a method is presented to test for the possibility of nontorque-producing gimbal motion at a singular configuration, as well as to determine the admissible motions in the case when this is possible. Sufficient conditions are derived for instances where the singular system can be reconfigured into a nonsingular state by these nontorque-producing motions.

Experimental re-evaluation of flunarizine as add-on antiepileptic therapy.

PubMed

Thakur, Anamika; Sahai, A K; Thakur, J S

2011-04-01

Experimental studies have found several calcium channel blockers with anticonvulsant property. Flunarizine is one of the most potent calcium channel blockers, which has shown anticonvulsant effect against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and maximal electroshock (MES)-induced seizures. However, further experimental and clinical trials have shown varied results. We conducted a PTZ model experimental study to re-evaluate the potential of flunarizine for add-on therapy in the management of refractory epilepsy. Experiments were conducted in PTZ model involving Swiss strain mice. Doses producing seizures in 50% and 99% mice, i.e. CD(50) and CD(99) values of PTZ were obtained from the dose-response study. Animals received graded, single dose of sodium valproate (100-300 mg/kg), lamotrigine (3-12 mg/kg) and flunarizine (5-20 mg/kg), and then each group of mice was injected with CD(99) dose of PTZ (65mg/kg i.p.). Another group of mice received single ED(50) dose (dose producing seizure protection in 50% mice) of sodium valproate and flunarizine separately in left and right side of abdomen. Results were analysed by Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA on Ranks test. As compared to control, sodium valproate at 250 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg produced statistical significant seizure protection. At none of the pre-treatment dose levels of lamotrigine, the seizure score with PTZ differed significantly from that observed in the vehicle-treated group. Pre-treatment with flunarizine demonstrated dose-dependent decrease in the seizure score to PTZ administration. As compared to control group, flunarizine at 20 mg/kg produced statistical significant seizure protection. As combined use of sodium valproate and flunarizine has shown significant seizure protection in PTZ model, flunarizine has a potential for add-on therapy in refractory cases of partial seizures. It is therefore, we conclude that further experimental studies and multicenter clinical trials involving large sample size are needed to establish flunarizine as add-on therapy in refractory epilepsy.

Time Spent Outdoors at Midday and Children’s Body Mass Index

PubMed Central

Milne, Elizabeth; Simpson, Julie A.; Johnston, Robyn; Giles-Corti, Billie; English, Dallas R.

2007-01-01

Objectives. We investigated whether the Kidskin sun protection intervention increased children’s body mass index by reducing the time spent outdoors at midday. Methods. The Kidskin sun protection intervention involved 1614 Australian school children assigned to 1 of 3 groups: a control group, a moderate-intervention group, or a high-intervention group. Schools in the control group received the standard health curriculum and schools in the intervention groups received a multicomponent intervention. Outcomes included time spent outdoors and nevus development (a marker of melanoma risk). Height and weight were measured at 3 time points. Body mass index was transformed into age- and gender-specific z scores; z scores at each age were modeled simultaneously. Time spent outdoors at ages 10 and 12 years was analyzed using a linear mixed effects modeling. Results. The proportion of children who were overweight or obese increased with age. The moderate-intervention and control groups had a minimal increase in z score over time, and the z score for the high-intervention group decreased over time. There were no differences among groups with respect to total time outdoors at any age. Conclusions. It is possible to reduce the time children spend outdoors when ultraviolet radiation is high without producing an unfavorable effect on the children’s body mass index. PMID:17194858

Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Preparations

PubMed Central

Schippinger, Gert; Prüller, Florian; Divjak, Manuela; Mahla, Elisabeth; Fankhauser, Florian; Rackemann, Steve; Raggam, Reinhard Bernd

2015-01-01

Background Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been widely used for the treatment of sports injuries. It has been associated with improved healing and regeneration of soft tissues in elite athletes. Athletes are commonly receiving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). As yet, the effect of these drugs on platelet function in PRP formulations has not been taken into consideration. Hypothesis The function of platelets in PRP produced under the influence of NSAIDs is inhibited and may lessen a possible healing effect on the site of injury. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods PRP was collected from patients receiving NSAIDs after elective orthopaedic surgery, and platelet function was evaluated using light transmission aggregometry (LTA). Results were compared with those obtained from healthy volunteers without a history of NSAID intake during the previous 2 weeks. Two different systems for blood collection and PRP production (Arthrex ACP double-syringe system and standard 4.5-mL sodium citrate blood collection tubes) were used and compared regarding the quality of PRP that was produced. Results For both groups, the baseline platelet counts of whole blood and the platelet counts of PRP formulations were found to be in the normal range. Both collection systems for PRP produced comparable results without significant differences between the groups. Platelet function testing with LTA revealed significantly impaired platelet aggregation in both PRP preparations, obtained from patients taking NSAIDs, irrespective of the type of NSAID (P < .001). All subjects from the control group showed normal platelet aggregation patterns when tested with LTA. Conclusion Autologous PRP produced from subjects after NSAID medication shows significantly impaired platelet function and may result in lower quality regarding the content of bioactive compounds. Clinical Relevance If required, the administration of NSAIDs should be performed after blood collection for preparation of autologous PRP; otherwise, the therapeutic effect may be limited. PMID:26665098

Comparison of the analgesic effect of intravenous acetaminophen with that of flurbiprofen axetil on post-breast surgery pain: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Nonaka, Takahiro; Hara, Marie; Miyamoto, Chisato; Sugita, Michiko; Yamamoto, Tatsuo

2016-06-01

Acetaminophen is known to be a relatively weak analgesic with fewer side effects than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This study aimed to determine whether intravenous (iv) acetaminophen produces comparable analgesic effects to those of flurbiprofen (positive control drug), an intravenously injectable NSAID, after partial mastectomies. The primary outcome assessed was pain intensity during the first 24 h after the operation, and the secondary outcome was the satisfaction rating at discharge. After obtaining Institutional Ethics Committee approval, a series of 40 consecutive female patients who were scheduled for partial mastectomies were enrolled. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: an acetaminophen (1000 mg × 3) group (group A) and a flurbiprofen (50 mg × 3) group (group F). Each drug was administered 15 min before the end of surgery, and at 6 and 12 h after the operation. Postoperative pain was evaluated using a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) at 3, 6, and 24 h postoperatively. Satisfaction rating was evaluated on a 5-point scale (very good, good, well, bad, and very bad). VAS scores (mm) with movement in groups A and F at 3, 6, and 24 h after the surgery were 22 vs. 28, 14 vs. 24, and 12 vs. 20.5 (median), respectively, with no significant differences between the two groups. Eighteen of 20 patients in group A and 20 of 20 patients in group F expressed a satisfaction rating of greater than good. Acetaminophen produces an equivalent analgesic effect to flurbiprofen in post-partial mastectomy patients.

Active listening for spatial orientation in a complex auditory scene.

PubMed

Moss, Cynthia F; Bohn, Kari; Gilkenson, Hannah; Surlykke, Annemarie

2006-04-01

To successfully negotiate a complex environment, an animal must control the timing of motor behaviors in coordination with dynamic sensory information. Here, we report on adaptive temporal control of vocal-motor behavior in an echolocating bat, Eptesicus fuscus, as it captured tethered insects close to background vegetation. Recordings of the bat's sonar vocalizations were synchronized with high-speed video images that were used to reconstruct the bat's three-dimensional flight path and the positions of target and vegetation. When the bat encountered the difficult task of taking insects as close as 10-20 cm from the vegetation, its behavior changed significantly from that under open room conditions. Its success rate decreased by about 50%, its time to initiate interception increased by a factor of ten, and its high repetition rate "terminal buzz" decreased in duration by a factor of three. Under all conditions, the bat produced prominent sonar "strobe groups," clusters of echolocation pulses with stable intervals. In the final stages of insect capture, the bat produced strobe groups at a higher incidence when the insect was positioned near clutter. Strobe groups occurred at all phases of the wingbeat (and inferred respiration) cycle, challenging the hypothesis of strict synchronization between respiration and sound production in echolocating bats. The results of this study provide a clear demonstration of temporal vocal-motor control that directly impacts the signals used for perception.

Active Listening for Spatial Orientation in a Complex Auditory Scene

PubMed Central

Bohn, Kari; Gilkenson, Hannah; Surlykke, Annemarie

2006-01-01

To successfully negotiate a complex environment, an animal must control the timing of motor behaviors in coordination with dynamic sensory information. Here, we report on adaptive temporal control of vocal–motor behavior in an echolocating bat, Eptesicus fuscus, as it captured tethered insects close to background vegetation. Recordings of the bat's sonar vocalizations were synchronized with high-speed video images that were used to reconstruct the bat's three-dimensional flight path and the positions of target and vegetation. When the bat encountered the difficult task of taking insects as close as 10–20 cm from the vegetation, its behavior changed significantly from that under open room conditions. Its success rate decreased by about 50%, its time to initiate interception increased by a factor of ten, and its high repetition rate “terminal buzz” decreased in duration by a factor of three. Under all conditions, the bat produced prominent sonar “strobe groups,” clusters of echolocation pulses with stable intervals. In the final stages of insect capture, the bat produced strobe groups at a higher incidence when the insect was positioned near clutter. Strobe groups occurred at all phases of the wingbeat (and inferred respiration) cycle, challenging the hypothesis of strict synchronization between respiration and sound production in echolocating bats. The results of this study provide a clear demonstration of temporal vocal–motor control that directly impacts the signals used for perception. PMID:16509770

Antifungal activity of rimocidin and a new rimocidin derivative BU16 produced by Streptomyces mauvecolor BU16 and their effects on pepper anthracnose.

PubMed

Jeon, B J; Kim, J D; Han, J W; Kim, B S

2016-05-01

The objective of this study was to explore antifungal metabolites targeting fungal cell envelope and to evaluate the control efficacy against anthracnose development in pepper plants. A natural product library comprising 3000 microbial culture extracts was screened via an adenylate kinase (AK)-based cell lysis assay to detect antifungal metabolites targeting the cell envelope of plant-pathogenic fungi. The culture extract of Streptomyces mauvecolor strain BU16 displayed potent AK-releasing activity. Rimocidin and a new rimocidin derivative, BU16, were identified from the extract as active constituents. BU16 is a tetraene macrolide containing a six-membered hemiketal ring with an ethyl group side chain instead of the propyl group in rimocidin. Rimocidin and BU16 showed broad-spectrum antifungal activity against various plant-pathogenic fungi and demonstrated potent control efficacy against anthracnose development in pepper plants. Antifungal metabolites produced by S. mauvecolor strain BU16 were identified to be rimocidin and BU16. The compounds displayed potent control efficacy against pepper anthracnose. Rimocidin and BU16 would be active ingredients of disease control agents disrupting cell envelope of plant-pathogenic fungi. The structure and antifungal activity of rimocidin derivative BU16 is first described in this study. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Invariant principles of speech motor control that are not language-specific.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Rahul

2012-12-01

Bilingual speakers must learn to modify their speech motor control mechanism based on the linguistic parameters and rules specified by the target language. This study examines if there are aspects of speech motor control which remain invariant regardless of the first (L1) and second (L2) language targets. Based on the age of academic exposure and proficiency in L2, 21 Bengali-English bilingual participants were classified into high (n = 11) and low (n = 10) L2 (English) proficiency groups. Using the Optotrak 3020 motion sensitive camera system, the lips and jaw movements were recorded while participants produced Bengali (L1) and English (L2) sentences. Based on kinematic analyses of the lip and jaw movements, two different variability measures (i.e., lip aperture and lower lip/jaw complex) were computed for English and Bengali sentences. Analyses demonstrated that the two groups of bilingual speakers produced lip aperture complexes (a higher order synergy) that were more consistent in co-ordination than were the lower lip/jaw complexes (a lower order synergy). Similar findings were reported earlier in monolingual English speakers by Smith and Zelaznik. Thus, this hierarchical organization may be viewed as a fundamental principle of speech motor control, since it is maintained even in bilingual speakers.

Effects of Video Game Training on Measures of Selective Attention and Working Memory in Older Adults: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Ballesteros, Soledad; Mayas, Julia; Prieto, Antonio; Ruiz-Marquez, Eloísa; Toril, Pilar; Reales, José M

2017-01-01

Video game training with older adults potentially enhances aspects of cognition that decline with aging and could therefore offer a promising training approach. Although, previous published studies suggest that training can produce transfer, many of them have certain shortcomings. This randomized controlled trial (RCT; Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02796508) tried to overcome some of these limitations by incorporating an active control group and the assessment of motivation and expectations. Seventy-five older volunteers were randomly assigned to the experimental group trained for 16 sessions with non-action video games from Lumosity , a commercial platform (http://www.lumosity.com/) or to an active control group trained for the same number of sessions with simulation strategy games. The final sample included 55 older adults (30 in the experimental group and 25 in the active control group). Participants were tested individually before and after training to assess working memory (WM) and selective attention and also reported their perceived improvement, motivation and engagement. The results showed improved performance across the training sessions. The main results were: (1) the experimental group did not show greater improvements in measures of selective attention and working memory than the active control group (the opposite occurred in the oddball task); (2) a marginal training effect was observed for the N -back task, but not for the Stroop task while both groups improved in the Corsi Blocks task. Based on these results, one can conclude that training with non-action games provide modest benefits for untrained tasks. The effect is not specific for that kind of training as a similar effect was observed for strategy video games. Groups did not differ in motivation, engagement or expectations.

Effects of Video Game Training on Measures of Selective Attention and Working Memory in Older Adults: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Ballesteros, Soledad; Mayas, Julia; Prieto, Antonio; Ruiz-Marquez, Eloísa; Toril, Pilar; Reales, José M.

2017-01-01

Video game training with older adults potentially enhances aspects of cognition that decline with aging and could therefore offer a promising training approach. Although, previous published studies suggest that training can produce transfer, many of them have certain shortcomings. This randomized controlled trial (RCT; Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02796508) tried to overcome some of these limitations by incorporating an active control group and the assessment of motivation and expectations. Seventy-five older volunteers were randomly assigned to the experimental group trained for 16 sessions with non-action video games from Lumosity, a commercial platform (http://www.lumosity.com/) or to an active control group trained for the same number of sessions with simulation strategy games. The final sample included 55 older adults (30 in the experimental group and 25 in the active control group). Participants were tested individually before and after training to assess working memory (WM) and selective attention and also reported their perceived improvement, motivation and engagement. The results showed improved performance across the training sessions. The main results were: (1) the experimental group did not show greater improvements in measures of selective attention and working memory than the active control group (the opposite occurred in the oddball task); (2) a marginal training effect was observed for the N-back task, but not for the Stroop task while both groups improved in the Corsi Blocks task. Based on these results, one can conclude that training with non-action games provide modest benefits for untrained tasks. The effect is not specific for that kind of training as a similar effect was observed for strategy video games. Groups did not differ in motivation, engagement or expectations. PMID:29163136

Effectiveness of a weight loss intervention in postpartum women: results from a randomized controlled trial in primary health care.

PubMed

Huseinovic, Ena; Bertz, Fredrik; Leu Agelii, Monica; Hellebö Johansson, Else; Winkvist, Anna; Brekke, Hilde Kristin

2016-08-01

Reproduction has been identified as an important factor for long-term weight gain among women. A previous efficacy trial has successfully produced postpartum weight loss; however, the effectiveness of this intervention needs to be established. This study was designed to evaluate the short- and long-term effectiveness of a diet behavior modification treatment to produce weight loss in postpartum women within the primary health care setting in Sweden. During 2011-2014, 110 women with a self-reported body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) of ≥27 at 6-15 wk postpartum were randomly assigned to the diet behavior modification group (D group) or the control group (C group). Women randomly assigned to the D group (n = 54) received a structured 12-wk diet behavior modification treatment by a dietitian and were instructed to gradually implement a diet plan based on the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and to self-weigh ≥3 times/wk. Women randomly assigned to the C group (n = 56) were given a brochure on healthy eating. The primary outcome was change in body weight after 12 wk and 1 y. The retention rate was 91% and 85% at 12 wk and 1 y, respectively. At baseline, women had a median (1st, 3rd quartile) BMI of 31.0 (28.8, 33.6), and 84% were breastfeeding. After 12 wk, median weight change in the D group was -6.1 kg (-8.4, -3.2 kg) compared with -1.6 kg (-3.5, -0.4 kg) in the C group (P < 0.001). The difference was maintained at the 1-y follow-up for the D group, -10.0 kg (-11.7, -5.9 kg) compared with -4.3 kg (-10.2, -1.0 kg) in the C group (P = 0.004). In addition, the D group reduced BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, and body fat percentage more than did the C group at both 12 wk and 1 y (all P < 0.05). A low-intensity diet treatment delivered by a dietitian within the primary health care setting can produce clinically relevant and sustainable weight loss in postpartum women with overweight and obesity. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01949558. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

The Singer's Formant and Speaker's Ring Resonance: A Long-Term Average Spectrum Analysis

PubMed Central

Lee, Sang-Hyuk; Kwon, Hee-Jun; Choi, Hyun-Jin; Lee, Nam-Hun; Lee, Sung-Jin

2008-01-01

Objectives We previously showed that a trained tenor's voice has the conventional singer's formant at the region of 3 kHz and another energy peak at 8-9 kHz. Singers in other operatic voice ranges are assumed to have the same peak in their singing and speaking voice. However, to date, no specific measurement of this has been made. Methods Tenors, baritones, sopranos and mezzo sopranos were chosen to participate in this study of the singer's formant and the speaker's ring resonance. Untrained males (n=15) and females (n=15) were included in the control group. Each subject was asked to produce successive /a/ vowel sounds in their singing and speaking voice. For singing, the low pitch was produced in the chest register and the high notes in the head register. We collected the data on the long-term average spectra of the speaking and singing voices of the trained singers and the control groups. Results For the sounds produced from the head register, a significant energy concentration was seen in both 2.2-3.4 kHz and 7.5-8.4 kHz regions (except for the voices of the mezzo sopranos) in the trained singer group when compared to the control groups. Also, the chest register had a significant energy concentration in the 4 trained singer groups at the 2.2-3.1 kHz and 7.8-8.4 kHz. For speaking sound, all trained singers had a significant energy concentration at 2.2-5.3 kHz and sopranos had another energy concentration at 9-10 kHz. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that opera singers have more energy concentration in the singer's formant/speaker's ring region, in both singing and speaking voices. Furthermore, another region of energy concentration was identified in opera singer's singing sound and in sopranos' speaking sound at 8-9 kHz. The authors believe that these energy concentrations may contribute to the rich voice of trained singers. PMID:19434279

Each small antral follicle in ovaries of women with polycystic ovary syndrome produces more antimüllerian hormone than its counterpart in a normal ovary: an observational cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Bhide, Priya; Dilgil, Merve; Gudi, Anil; Shah, Amit; Akwaa, Charity; Homburg, Roy

2015-02-01

To ascertain if subfertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) secrete more antimüllerian hormone (AMH) per antral follicle than control women. Observational cross-sectional study. Fertility clinic. A total of 438 women attending the fertility clinic over a period of 13 months from September 2012 to September 2013. Serum concentrations of AMH and the total antral follicle count (AFC) were obtained from women attending the fertility clinic. The ratio of AMH/AFC for each subject was calculated. Women were categorized into three groups: PCOS, polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM), and control. PCOS and PCOM were defined based on the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology/American Society for Reproductive Medicine Rotterdam consensus criteria. The ratio of AMH/AFC for each subject in the three groups: PCOS, PCOM, and control. The median AMH/AFC ratios in the PCOS, PCOM, and control groups were 1.92, 1.13, and 1.00, respectively. The AMH/AFC ratio was significantly higher in the PCOS group compared with the PCOM and control groups (F[2,152] = 21.82). Women in the three groups were not statistically different regarding age, body mass index, earlier ovarian surgery, and smoking status. Subfertile women with PCOS secrete significantly more AMH per antral follicle than women with PCOM only and control women. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Influence of sterilization treatments on continuous carbon-fiber reinforced polyolefin composite].

PubMed

Guan, Shi-bing; Hou, Chun-lin; Chen, Ai-min; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Ji-e

2007-08-21

To evaluate the influence of sterilization treatment on continuous carbon-fiber reinforced polyolefin composite (CFRP) so as to provide experimental reference for selection of sterilization method for CFRP. Seventy bars of CFRP were divided into 7 equal groups to undergo sterilization by autoclave, 2% glutaraldehyde soaking, 75% alcohol soaking, ethylene oxide sterilization, and Co-60 gamma ray irradiation of the dosages 11 kGy, 25 kGy, and 18 kGy respectively, and another 10 bars were used as blank controls. Then the bars underwent three-point bending test and longitudinal compression test so as to measure the biomechanical changes after sterilization treatment, including the maximum load, ultimate strength, and elastic modulus. Three-point bending test showed that the levels of maximum load of the all experimental groups were lower than that of the control group, however, only those of the 3 Co-60 irradiation groups were significantly lower than that of the control group and that Co-60 radiation lowered the level of maximum load dose-dependently; and that the levels of ultimate strength of all the all experimental groups were lower than that of the control group, however, only those of the 3 Co-60 groups were significantly lower than that of the control group and that the higher the dosage of Co-60 radiation the lower the level of ultimate strength, however, not dose-dependently. The elastic modulus of the Co-60 25 KGy group was significantly higher than that of the control group, and there was no significant difference in the level of ultimate strength among the other groups. Longitudinal compression test showed that the levels of maximum load and ultimate strength of the 3 Co-60 irradiation groups, autoclave group, and circular ethylene groups were significantly lower than that of the control group, and there was no significant difference in elastic modulus among different groups. During sterilized package of CFRP products produced in quantity autoclave sterilization and Co-60 gamma ray irradiation sterilization should be avoided. Ethylene oxide is proposed as the best sterilization method. If gamma ray irradiation is to be used further technology improvement is necessary.

Effect of vitamin C on male fertility in rats subjected to forced swimming stress.

PubMed

Vijayprasad, Sanghishetti; Bb, Ghongane; Bb, Nayak

2014-07-01

Stress is defined as a general body response to initially threatening external or internal demands, involving the mobilization of physiological and psychological resources to deal with them. Recently, oxidative stress has become the focus of interest as a potential cause of male infertility. Normally, equilibrium exists between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant scavenging activities in the male reproductive organs. The ascorbic acid is a known antioxidant present in the testis with the precise role of protecting the latter from the oxidative damage. It also contributes to the support of spermatogensis at least in part through its capacity to maintain antioxidant in an active state. Group1: Normal Control animal received Distilled water, Group 2: Positive control (Only Stress), Group 3: Normal rats received an intermediate dose of Vitamin C (20mg/kg/day), Group 4: Stress + Low dose Vitamin C (10mg/kg/day), Group 5: Stress+ Intermediate dose Vitamin C (20mg/kg/day), Group 6: High dose Vitamin C (30mg/kg/day). On 16(th) day effect of stress on body weight, Reproductive organ weight, sperm parameters, and hormonal assay was studied. In the present context, in stress group the sperm count, motility, testicular weight declined significantly. The intermediate dose and high dose of vitamin C showed significantly increased effect on the sperm count and motility. Various physiological changes produced force swimming indicates that swimming is an effective model for producing stress in albino rats. The results suggest that Vitamin C supplementation improves the stress induced reproductive infertility due to both their testosterone increase effect and their antioxidant effect.

Exposure to fluoride in smelter workers in a primary aluminum industry in India.

PubMed

Susheela, A K; Mondal, N K; Singh, A

2013-04-01

Fluoride is used increasingly in a variety of industries in India. Emission of fluoride dust and fumes from the smelters of primary aluminum producing industries is dissipated in the work environment and poses occupational health hazards. To study the prevalence of health complaints and its association with fluoride level in body fluids of smelter workers in a primary aluminum producing industry. In an aluminum industry, health status of 462 smelter workers, 60 supervisors working in the smelter unit, 62 non-smelter workers (control group 1) and 30 administration staff (control group 2) were assessed between 2007 and 2009. Their health complaints were recorded and categorized into 4 groups: 1) gastro-intestinal complaints; 2) non-skeletal manifestations; 3) skeletal symptoms; and (4) respiratory problems. Fluoride level in body fluids, nails, and drinking water was tested by an ion selective electrode; hemoglobin level was tested using HemoCue. The total complaints reported by study groups were significantly higher than the control groups. Smelter workers had a significantly (p<0.001) higher urinary and serum fluoride level than non-smelter workers; the nail fluoride content was also higher in smelter workers than non-smelter workers (p<0.001). The smelter workers with higher hemoglobin level had a significantly (p<0.001) lower urinary fluoride concentration and complained less frequently of health problems. Only 1.4% of the smelter workers were consuming water with high fluoride concentrations. A high percentage of participants was using substances with high fluoride contents. Industrial emission of fluoride is not the only important sources of fluoride exposure--consumption of substance with high levels of fluoride is another important route of entry of fluoride into the body. Measurement of hemoglobin provides a reliable indicator for monitoring the health status of employees at risk of fluorosis.

Root coverage using acellular dermal matrix and comparing a coronally positioned tunnel with and without platelet-rich plasma: a pilot study in humans.

PubMed

Shepherd, Neal; Greenwell, Henry; Hill, Margaret; Vidal, Ricardo; Scheetz, James P

2009-03-01

The primary aim of this randomized, controlled, blinded clinical pilot study was to compare the percentage of recession defect coverage obtained with a coronally positioned tunnel (CPT) plus an acellular dermal matrix allograft (ADM) to that of a CPT plus ADM and platelet-rich plasma (CPT/PRP) 4 months post-surgically. Eighteen patients with Miller Class I or II recession >or=3 mm at one site were treated and followed for 4 months. Nine patients received a CPT plus ADM and were considered the positive control group. The test group consisted of nine patients treated with a CPT plus ADM and PRP. Patients were randomly selected by a coin toss to receive the test or positive control treatment. The mean recession at the initial examination for the CPT group was 3.6 +/- 1.0 mm, which was reduced to 1.0 +/- 1.0 mm at the 4-month examination for a gain of 2.6 +/- 1.5 mm or 70% defect coverage (P <0.05). The mean recession at the initial examination for the CPT/PRP group was 3.3 +/- 0.7 mm, which was reduced to 0.4 +/- 0.7 mm at the 4-month examination for a gain of 2.9 +/- 0.5 mm or 90% defect coverage (P <0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups (P >0.05). The CPT plus ADM and PRP produced defect coverage of 90%, whereas the CPT with ADM produced only 70% defect coverage. This difference was not statistically significant, but it may be clinically significant.

The interaction of culture with general job stressors in air traffic controllers.

PubMed

Shouksmith, G; Taylor, J E

1997-01-01

Elements of the job of Air Traffic Controllers perceived as being stressful were rated for degree of stressfulness by a group of Singaporean controllers. The results were compared with those from earlier studies in Canada and New Zealand. It was hypothesized that the international nature of the job would be reflected in findings from all three groups of controllers. It was further hypothesized, however, that environmental and cultural factors would produce differences among the groups and that these would be greater between the Asian and the two "Western" cultures than between the two earlier samples studied. Results showed that the two Western cultures share 56% common variance in their perceptions of stressfulness, but this changes to 35% between the New Zealand and Singapore groups and only 21% between Canada and Singapore. Although comparison of the factor structure of the stress ratings of the Singapore and New Zealand samples again confirmed a general pattern of underlying stressors related to air traffic control (which fits general occupational models of stress), it also revealed culturally specific components. The nature of these suggests that they are emhedded in the context of Asian environments and cultures. The conclusion is that stress in Air Traffic Controllers is related both to generic occupation stressors and to others that are both organizationally and culturally specific.

Overview on the diversity of sounds produced by clownfishes (Pomacentridae): importance of acoustic signals in their peculiar way of life.

PubMed

Colleye, Orphal; Parmentier, Eric

2012-01-01

Clownfishes (Pomacentridae) are brightly colored coral reef fishes well known for their mutualistic symbiosis with tropical sea anemones. These fishes live in social groups in which there is a size-based dominance hierarchy. In this structure where sex is socially controlled, agonistic interactions are numerous and serve to maintain size differences between individuals adjacent in rank. Clownfishes are also prolific callers whose sounds seem to play an important role in the social hierarchy. Here, we aim to review and to synthesize the diversity of sounds produced by clownfishes in order to emphasize the importance of acoustic signals in their way of life. Recording the different acoustic behaviors indicated that sounds are divided into two main categories: aggressive sounds produced in conjunction with threat postures (charge and chase), and submissive sounds always emitted when fish exhibited head shaking movements (i.e. a submissive posture). Both types of sounds showed size-related intraspecific variation in dominant frequency and pulse duration: smaller individuals produce higher frequency and shorter duration pulses than larger ones, and inversely. Consequently, these sonic features might be useful cues for individual recognition within the group. This observation is of significant importance due to the size-based hierarchy in clownfish group. On the other hand, no acoustic signal was associated with the different reproductive activities. Unlike other pomacentrids, sounds are not produced for mate attraction in clownfishes but to reach and to defend the competition for breeding status, which explains why constraints are not important enough for promoting call diversification in this group.

Anterior Glenohumeral Laxity and Stiffness After a Shoulder-Strengthening Program in Collegiate Cheerleaders

PubMed Central

Laudner, Kevin G; Metz, Betsy; Thomas, David Q

2013-01-01

Context Approximately 62% of all cheerleaders sustain some type of orthopaedic injury during their cheerleading careers. Furthermore, the occurrence of such injuries has led to inquiry regarding optimal prevention techniques. One possible cause of these injuries may be related to inadequate conditioning in cheerleaders. Objective To determine whether a strength and conditioning program produces quantifiable improvements in anterior glenohumeral (GH) laxity and stiffness. Design Descriptive laboratory study. Setting University laboratory. Patients or Other Participants A sample of 41 collegiate cheerleaders (24 experimental and 17 control participants) volunteered. No participants had a recent history (in the past 6 months) of upper extremity injury or any history of upper extremity surgery. Intervention(s) The experimental group completed a 6-week strength and conditioning program between the pretest and posttest measurements; the control group did not perform any strength training between tests. Main Outcome Measure(s) We measured anterior GH laxity and stiffness with an instrumented arthrometer. We conducted a group × time analysis of variance with repeated measures on time (P < .05) to determine differences between groups. Results A significant interaction was demonstrated, with the control group having more anterior GH laxity at the posttest session than the strengthening group (P = .03, partial η2 = 0.11). However, no main effect for time (P = .92) or group (P = .97) was observed. In another significant interaction, the control group had less anterior GH stiffness at the posttest session than the strengthening group (P = .03, partial η2 = 0.12). Main effects for time (P = .02) and group (P = .004) were also significant. Conclusions Cheerleaders who participate in a shoulder-strengthening program developed less anterior GH laxity and more stiffness than cheerleaders in the control group. PMID:23672322

The use of hydrotherapy for the management of spasticity.

PubMed

Kesiktas, N; Paker, N; Erdogan, N; Gülsen, G; Biçki, D; Yilmaz, H

2004-12-01

Spasticity is a major problem for the rehabilitation team. Physiotherapy is a vital component of therapy. Oral medication and other modalities such as heat, cold, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and surgery (neuro-surgical or orthopedic) can also be used. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of hydrotherapy on spasticity and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). This is a control case matched study. Twenty SCI patients were divided into 2 groups and matched for age, gender, injury time, Ashworth scores, oral baclofen intake, American Spinal Injury Association, and FIM scores. The control group received passive range of motion exercise twice a day and oral baclofen for 10 weeks. The study group also received passive range of motion and oral baclofen, as well as 20 min of water exercises (at 71 degrees F, full immersion) 3 times per week. The authors evaluated spasm severity, FIM scores, oral baclofen intake, and Ashworth scales, between groups at the beginning and at the end of the treatment period. Both groups demonstrated a significant increase in FIM scores. However, the hydrotherapy group demonstrated a larger increase (P < 0.0001) than the control group. There was a statistically significant decrease in oral baclofen intake in the hydrotherapy group (P < 0.01). There was no statistical change in the control group. Spasticity was evaluated by the Ashworth scale. There was a statistical improvement in each group (P < 0.01, P < 0.02). However, when compared to the control group, the use of hydrotherapy produced a significant decrease in spasm severity (P < 0.02). Side effects are often seen when using oral drug treatment for spasticity. Adding hydrotherapy to the rehabilitation program can be helpful in decreasing the amount of medication required. Future studies must evaluate benefits of hydrotherapy for rehabilitation.

Induction of hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and epoxide hydrase in Wistar rats pretreated with oral methadone hydrochloride.

PubMed

Bellward, G D; Gontovnick, L S; Otten, M

1977-01-01

Methadone-HCl added to the drinking water of adult female Wistar rats for 4 weeks produced an increase in the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity of the hepatic microsomal fraction to 222% of control levels. No change was seen in epoxide hydrase activity. In contrast, when male rats were treated similarly, there was an increase in epoxide hydrase activity to 212% of controls with no change in aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity. No such changes were observed when the subcutaneous route of administration or chronic, low-dose, intraperitoneal injections were used. There were no differences in hepatic cytochrome P-450 or protein concentrations in treated animals as compared to their respective control groups. Control studies were carried out with quinine sulfate in the drinking water to decrease water intake to the level of the methadone-treated group. No elevation in either enzyme activity occurred in this control group. Similarly, paired-feeding studies showed the elevation of enzyme activity to be due to the methadone, not food deprivation. The effects of concurrent therapy of methadone with phenobarbital sodium or 3-methylcholanthrene were compared.

A multicenter randomized controlled trial of two group education programs for fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Long-term (12-month) follow-up at one site.

PubMed

Hugos, Cinda L; Cameron, Michelle H; Chen, Zunqiu; Chen, Yiyi; Bourdette, Dennis

2018-05-01

A four-site RCT of Fatigue: Take Control (FTC), a multicomponent group program, found no significant differences from a control program, MS: Take Control (MSTC), in fatigue on the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) through 6 months. Assess FTC for a delayed effect on fatigue. Of 78 subjects at one site, 74 randomized to FTC or MSTC completed the MFIS at 12 months. Compared to baseline, FTC produced greater improvements in MFIS scores than MSTC (FTC -8.9 (confidence interval (CI): 32.2, 45), MSTC -2.5 (CI 39.6, 47.7), p = 0.03) at 12 months. The delayed effect of FTC on fatigue suggests the need for longer follow-up when assessing interventions for fatigue.

Early postpartum administration of equine chorionic gonadotropin to dairy cows calved during the hot season: Effects on fertility after first artificial insemination.

PubMed

Patron-Collantes, R; Lopez-Helguera, I; Pesantez-Pacheco, J L; Sebastian, F; Fernández, M; Fargas, O; Astiz, S

2017-04-01

Heat stress reduces fertility of high-producing dairy cows, and early administration of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) may improve it. Here, 401 heat-stressed, high-producing dairy cows on a single commercial farm were given eCG (500 UI, n = 214) or saline (n = 187) on days 11-17 after calving, and the effects on fertility after the first artificial insemination (AI) were assessed. On post-partum day 96.34 ± 9.88, all cows were inseminated after a "double short Cosynch" synchronization protocol. Ovarian activity and uterine status were checked by ultrasound on the day of eCG administration and every 7 days thereafter for a total of 3 weeks; checks were also performed during synchronization, and 7 days after AI. On post-partum day 30, cytobrush uterine cytology was performed to check for subclinical endometritis. Pregnancy status was checked on days 30 and 60 after AI. The eCG and control groups did not differ significantly in terms of average lactations per cow (2.33 ± 1.34), days in milk at first AI (96.33 ± 9.88), average milk yield at AI (41.38 ± 7.74 L), or the particular inseminator or bull used for AI. The eCG and control groups showed increasing ovarian activity with time, with approximately 75% of cows in both groups showing a corpus luteum at the beginning of the synchronization protocol. On post-partum day 30, 17.4% of eCG cows and 22.9% of control cows showed subclinical endometritis. Cows treated with eCG showed a tendency toward lower hyperecogenic intraluminal content (16.8 vs. 21.4%, P = 0.15), but ovarian activity during the synchronization protocol was similar between eCG and control groups, with 91% of animals in both groups showing luteolysis after prostaglandin application and 88% showing ovulation after the last administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Fertility was similar between the two groups at both time points after AI (30 days, 34.9 vs. 31.8%; 60 days, 30.6 vs. 28.5%; P > 0.2). These results suggest that early postpartum eCG administration does not improve fertility of heat-stressed dairy cows as long as 60 days after AI. Other strategies may be more effective at mitigating the ability of post-partum heat stress to reduce fertility of high-producing dairy cows. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential effects of total and partial sleep deprivation on salivary factors in Wistar rats.

PubMed

Lasisi, Dr T J; Shittu, S T; Meludu, C C; Salami, A A

2017-01-01

Aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation on salivary factors in rats. Animals were randomly assigned into three groups of 6 animals each as control, total sleep deprivation (TSD) and partial sleep deprivation (PSD) groups. The multiple platform method was used to induce partial and total sleep deprivation for 7days. On the 8th day, stimulated saliva samples were collected for the analysis of salivary lag time, flow rate, salivary amylase activity, immunoglobulin A secretion rate and corticosterone levels using ELISA and standard kinetic enzyme assay. Data were analyzed using ANOVA with Dunnett T3 post hoc tests. Salivary flow rate reduced significantly in the TSD group compared with the PSD group as well as the control group (p=0.01). The secretion rate of salivary IgA was significantly reduced in the TSD group compared with the control group (p=0.04). Salivary amylase activity was significantly elevated in the TSD group compared with the PSD group as well as control group (p<0.001). However, there were no significant changes in the salivary lag time and levels of corticosterone among the groups. These findings suggest that total sleep deprivation is associated with reduced salivary flow rate and secretion rate of IgA as well as elevated levels of salivary amylase activity in rats. However, sleep recovery of four hours in the PSD group produced ameliorative effects on the impaired functions of salivary glands. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Teaching Descriptive Geometry in General Engineering 103 on Spatial Relations Tests Scores.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stallings, William M.

It was hypothesized that instruction in descriptive geometry produces an increase in SRT scores. The resultant data do not firmly support this hypothesis. It is suggested that this study be replicated with the use of randomly selected control groups. (MS)

Propofol-induced increase in vascular capacitance is due to inhibition of sympathetic vasoconstrictive activity.

PubMed

Hoka, S; Yamaura, K; Takenaka, T; Takahashi, S

1998-12-01

Venodilation is thought to be one of the mechanisms underlying propofol-induced hypotension. The purpose of this study is to test two hypotheses: (1) propofol increases systemic vascular capacitance, and (2) the capacitance change produced by propofol is a result of an inhibition of sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity. In 33 Wistar rats previously anesthetized with urethane and ketamine, vascular capacitance was examined before and after propofol infusion by measuring mean circulatory filling pressure (Pmcf). The Pmcf was measured during a brief period of circulatory arrest produced by inflating an indwelling balloon in the right atrium. Rats were assigned into four groups: an intact group, a sympathetic nervous system (SNS)-block group produced by hexamethonium infusion, a SNS-block + noradrenaline (NA) group, and a hypovolemic group. The Pmcf was measured at a control state and 2 min after a bolus administration of 2, 10, and 20 mg/kg of propofol. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) was decreased by propofol dose-dependently in intact, hypovolemic, and SNS-block groups, but the decrease in MAP was less in the SNS-block group (-25%) than in the intact (-50%) and hypovolemic (-61%) groups. In the SNS-block + NA group, MAP decreased only at 20 mg/kg of propofol (-18%). The Pmcf decreased in intact and hypovolemic groups in a dose-dependent fashion but was unchanged in the SNS-block and SNS-block + NA groups. The results have provided two principal findings: (1) propofol decreases Pmcf dose-dependently, and (2) the decrease in Pmcf by propofol is elicited only when the sympathetic nervous system is intact, suggesting that propofol increases systemic vascular capacitance as a result of an inhibition of sympathetic nervous system.

Effects of atorvastatin on atrial remodeling in a rabbit model of atrial fibrillation produced by rapid atrial pacing.

PubMed

Yang, Qian; Qi, Xiaoyong; Dang, Yi; Li, Yingxiao; Song, Xuelian; Hao, Xiao

2016-06-24

Accumulating evidence suggests that myeloperoxidase (MPO) is involved in atrial remodeling of atrial fibrillation (AF). Statins could reduce the MPO levels in patients with cardiovascular diseases. This study evaluated the effects of atorvastatin on MPO level and atrial remodeling in a rabbit model of pacing-induced AF. Eighteen rabbits were randomly divided into sham, control and atorvastatin groups. Rabbits in the control and atorvastatin groups were subjected to rapid atrial pacing (RAP) at 600 bpm for 3 weeks, and treated with placebo or atorvastatin (2.5 mg/kg/d), respectively. Rabbits in the sham group did not receive RAP. After 3 weeks of pacing, atrial structural and functional changes were assessed by echocardiography, atrial effective refractory period (AERP) and AF inducibility were measured by atrial electrophysiological examination, and histological changes were evaluated by Masson trichrome-staining. The L-type calcium channel α1c (Cav1.2), collagen I and III, MPO, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 were analyzed by real time polymerase chain reaction and/or western blot. All rabbits were found to have maintained sinus rhythm after 3 weeks of RAP. Atrial burst stimulation induced sustained AF (>30 min) in 5, 4, and no rabbits in the control, atorvastatin, and sham groups, respectively. The AERP shortened and Cav1.2 mRNA level decreased in the control group, but these changes were suppressed in the atorvastatin group. Obvious left atrial enlargement and dysfunction was found in both control and atorvastatin groups. Compared with the control group, these echocardiograhic indices of left atrium did not differ in the atorvastatin group. Prominent atrial fibrosis and increased levels of collagen I and III were observed in the control group but not in the atorvastatin group. The mRNA and protein levels of MPO, MMP-2 and MMP-9 significantly increased in the control group, but these changes were prevented in the atorvastatin group. Treatment with atorvastatin prevented atrial remodeling in a rabbit model of RAP-induced AF. The reduction of levels of atrial MPO, MMP-2 and MMP-9 may contribute to the prevention of atorvastatin on atrial remodeling.

Influence of mental practice on development of voluntary control of a novel motor acquisition task.

PubMed

Creelman, Jim

2003-08-01

The purpose of this investigation was to assess whether mental practice facilitates the development of voluntary control over the recruitment of the abductor hallucis muscle to produce isolated big toe abduction. A sample of convenience of 15 women and 20 men with a mean age of 28.8 yr. (SD=5.7) and healthy feet, who were unable voluntarily to abduct the big toe, were randomly assigned to one of three groups, a mental practice group, a physical practice group, and a group who performed a control movement during practice. Each subject received neuromuscular electrical stimulation to introduce the desired movement prior to each of five practice bouts over a single session lasting 2 hr. Big toe abduction active range of motion and surface electromyographic (EMG) output of the abductor hallucis and extensor digitorum brevis muscles were measured prior to the first practice bout and following each practice bout, yielding seven acquisition trials. Acquisition is defined as an improvement in both active range of motion and in the difference between the integrated EMG of the abductor hallucis and extensor digitorum brevis muscles during successive acquisition trials. Seven members of both the mental and physical practice groups and one member of the control group met the acquisition criteria. Chi-square analysis indicated the group difference was statistically significant, suggesting mental practice was effective for this task.

[Effect of early high fat diet on pancreatic β cellularity and insulin sensibility in young rats].

PubMed

Xie, Kun-Xia; Xiao, Yan-Feng; Xu, Er-Di; Yin, Chun-Yan; Yi, Xiao-Qing; Chang, Ming

2010-09-01

To study the effects of early high fat diet on sugar metaboliam, insulin sensibility and pancreatic β cellularity in young rats. Sixty male weaned young rats were randomly fed with high fat diet (high fat group) and normal diet (control group). The body weight, viscus fattiness and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were measured after 3, 6 and 9 weeks. Serum insulin level was measured with radioimmunoassay. The ultrastructure of pancreas was observed under an electricmicroscope. The high fat group had significantly higher body weight and visceral fat weight than the control group after 3 weeks. There were no significant differences in the FPG level between the two groups at all time points. The levels of fasting insulin and HOMAIR in the high fat group were significantly higher than those in the control group after 3, 6 and 9 weeks (P<0.01). Dilation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and mild swelling of mitochondria of islet β-cells were observed in the high fat group after 6 weeks. Early high fat diet may induce a reduction in insulin sensitivity and produce insulin resistance in young rats. Endoplasmic reticulum expansion in β-cells may be an early sign of β-cell damage due to obesity.

Open- and Closed-Skill Exercise Interventions Produce Different Neurocognitive Effects on Executive Functions in the Elderly: A 6-Month Randomized, Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Tsai, Chia-Liang; Pan, Chien-Yu; Chen, Fu-Chen; Tseng, Yu-Ting

2017-01-01

This study aimed to explore the effects of open- and closed-skill exercise interventions on the neurocognitive performance of executive functions in the elderly. Sixty-four healthy elderly males were randomly assigned to either a closed-skill (bike riding or brisk walking/jogging, n = 22), open-skill (table tennis, n = 21), or control (n = 21) group. Various neuropsychological [e.g., accuracy rates (AR) and reaction time (RT)] and electrophysiological [e.g., event-related potential (ERP) P3 component] measures were assessed during a variant of the task-switching paradigm, as well as an N-back task at baseline and after either a 6-month exercise intervention or control period. The results showed that, when performing the task-switching paradigm, the two exercise groups relative to control group showed significantly faster RTs in the switch trials after the exercise intervention. However, the RT facilitation in the non-switch and switch trials post-exercise relative to pre-exercise only emerged in the open-skill group. In terms of the N-back task, the two exercise groups significantly increased ARs in the 1-back condition after the exercise intervention, and the beneficial AR effect on the 2-back condition only emerged in the closed-skill group. In addition, the two exercise groups exhibited significantly larger P3 amplitudes on the frontal-to-parietal cortex areas after the exercise intervention relative to the baseline when performing the two cognitive tasks. These neurocognitive results still remained unchanged even when the confounding factors (e.g., cardiorespiratory fitness, social participation, and BMI) were controlled for. The present study concluded that, although 6-month open- and closed-skill exercise interventions facilitate overall electrophysiological effects (i.e., increased ERP P3 amplitudes) on the frontal-to-parietal cortices in the elderly, the two exercise modes produced different levels of neuropsychologically beneficial effects on RTs of the task-switching paradigm (i.e., lessened RTs) and ARs of the N-back task (i.e., enhanced ARs). The distinctive neurocognitive changes induced by open- and closed-skill exercise have implications for task switching and working memory in elderly individuals, especially with such cognitive functioning impairments. PMID:28959200

Transcranial infrared laser stimulation produces beneficial cognitive and emotional effects in humans.

PubMed

Barrett, D W; Gonzalez-Lima, F

2013-01-29

This is the first controlled study demonstrating the beneficial effects of transcranial laser stimulation on cognitive and emotional functions in humans. Photobiomodulation with red to near-infrared light is a novel intervention shown to regulate neuronal function in cell cultures, animal models, and clinical conditions. Light that intersects with the absorption spectrum of cytochrome oxidase was applied to the forehead of healthy volunteers using the laser diode CG-5000, which maximizes tissue penetration and has been used in humans for other indications. We tested whether low-level laser stimulation produces beneficial effects on frontal cortex measures of attention, memory and mood. Reaction time in a sustained-attention psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) was significantly improved in the treated (n=20) vs. placebo control (n=20) groups, especially in high novelty-seeking subjects. Performance in a delayed match-to-sample (DMS) memory task showed also a significant improvement in treated vs. control groups as measured by memory retrieval latency and number of correct trials. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X), which tracks self-reported positive and negative affective (emotional) states over time, was administered immediately before treatment and 2 weeks after treatment. The PANAS showed that while participants generally reported more positive affective states than negative, overall affect improved significantly in the treated group due to more sustained positive emotional states as compared to the placebo control group. These data imply that transcranial laser stimulation could be used as a non-invasive and efficacious approach to increase brain functions such as those related to cognitive and emotional dimensions. Transcranial infrared laser stimulation has also been proven to be safe and successful at improving neurological outcome in humans in controlled clinical trials of stroke. This innovative approach could lead to the development of non-invasive, performance-enhancing interventions in healthy humans and in those in need of neuropsychological rehabilitation. Copyright © 2012 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electroencephalographic activity and mood in cocaine-dependent outpatients: effects of cocaine cue exposure.

PubMed

Bauer, L O; Kranzler, H R

1994-08-01

Electroencephalographic (EEG) and subjective reactions to cocaine cues were evaluated in 18 cocaine-dependent outpatients, after 14 or fewer days of abstinence, and 16 noncocaine-dependent controls. EEG activity and desire for cocaine were recorded while subjects viewed three 5-min films that featured either cocaine-associated, erotic, or neutral stimuli. Other measures of mood state and cocaine craving, derived from the Mood Adjective Checklist and the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire, respectively, were recorded immediately after each film. Analyses of absolute EEG power within six frequency bands (delta, theta, slow and fast alpha, slow and fast beta) revealed no EEG abnormalities in the cocaine-dependent group under any condition. In both subject groups, the cocaine-associated and erotic films produced a similar reduction in total EEG power. The cocaine-associated and erotic films also produced a similar increase in the self-rated desire for cocaine, but this change only occurred in the cocaine-dependent group.

A matching framework to improve causal inference in interrupted time-series analysis.

PubMed

Linden, Ariel

2018-04-01

Interrupted time-series analysis (ITSA) is a popular evaluation methodology in which a single treatment unit's outcome is studied over time and the intervention is expected to "interrupt" the level and/or trend of the outcome, subsequent to its introduction. When ITSA is implemented without a comparison group, the internal validity may be quite poor. Therefore, adding a comparable control group to serve as the counterfactual is always preferred. This paper introduces a novel matching framework, ITSAMATCH, to create a comparable control group by matching directly on covariates and then use these matches in the outcomes model. We evaluate the effect of California's Proposition 99 (passed in 1988) for reducing cigarette sales, by comparing California to other states not exposed to smoking reduction initiatives. We compare ITSAMATCH results to 2 commonly used matching approaches, synthetic controls (SYNTH), and regression adjustment; SYNTH reweights nontreated units to make them comparable to the treated unit, and regression adjusts covariates directly. Methods are compared by assessing covariate balance and treatment effects. Both ITSAMATCH and SYNTH achieved covariate balance and estimated similar treatment effects. The regression model found no treatment effect and produced inconsistent covariate adjustment. While the matching framework achieved results comparable to SYNTH, it has the advantage of being technically less complicated, while producing statistical estimates that are straightforward to interpret. Conversely, regression adjustment may "adjust away" a treatment effect. Given its advantages, ITSAMATCH should be considered as a primary approach for evaluating treatment effects in multiple-group time-series analysis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Temporal and spectral properties of esophageal mucosal blood perfusion: a comparison between normal subjects and nutcracker esophagus patients.

PubMed

Zifan, A; Jiang, Y; Mittal, R K

2017-02-01

The mechanism of esophageal pain in patients with nutcracker esophagus (NE) and other esophageal motor disorders is not known. Our recent study shows that baseline esophageal mucosal perfusion, measured by laser Doppler perfusion monitoring, is lower in NE patients compared to controls. The goal of our current study was to perform a more detailed analysis of esophageal mucosal blood perfusion (EMBP) waveform of NE patients and controls to determine the optimal EMBP biomarkers that combined with suitable statistical learning models produce robust discrimination between the two groups. Laser Doppler recordings of 10 normal subjects (mean age 43 ± 15 years, 8 males) and 10 patients (mean age 47 ± 5.5 years., 8 males) with NE were analyzed. Time and frequency domain features were extracted from the first twenty-minute recordings of the EMBP waveforms, statistically ranked according to four independent evaluation criterions, and analyzed using two statistical learning models, namely, logistic regression (LR) and support vector machines (SVM). The top three ranked predictors between the two groups were the 0.5 and 0.75 perfusion quantile values followed by the surface of the EMBP power spectrum in the frequency domain. ROC curve ranking produced a cross-validated AUC (area under the curve) of 0.93 for SVM and 0.90 for LR. We show that as a group NE patients have lower perfusion values compared to controls, however, there is an overlap between the two groups, suggesting that not all NE patients suffer from low mucosal perfusion levels. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of reciprocating file motion on microcrack formation in root canals: an SEM study.

PubMed

Ashwinkumar, V; Krithikadatta, J; Surendran, S; Velmurugan, N

2014-07-01

To compare dentinal microcrack formation whilst using Ni-Ti hand K-files, ProTaper hand and rotary files and the WaveOne reciprocating file. One hundred and fifty mandibular first molars were selected. Thirty teeth were left unprepared and served as controls, and the remaining 120 teeth were divided into four groups. Ni-Ti hand K-files, ProTaper hand files, ProTaper rotary files and WaveOne Primary reciprocating files were used to prepare the mesial canals. Roots were then sectioned 3, 6 and 9 mm from the apex, and the cut surface was observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM) and checked for the presence of dentinal microcracks. The control and Ni-Ti hand K-files groups were not associated with microcracks. In roots prepared with ProTaper hand files, ProTaper rotary files and WaveOne Primary reciprocating files, dentinal microcracks were present. There was a significant difference between control/Ni-Ti hand K-files group and ProTaper hand files/ProTaper rotary files/WaveOne Primary reciprocating file group (P < 0.001) with ProTaper rotary files producing the most microcracks. No significant difference was observed between teeth prepared with ProTaper hand files and WaveOne Primary reciprocating files. ProTaper rotary files were associated with significantly more microcracks than ProTaper hand files and WaveOne Primary reciprocating files. Ni-Ti hand K-files did not produce microcracks at any levels inside the root canals. © 2013 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Randomized controlled pilot trial of a novel dissonance-based group treatment for eating disorders.

PubMed

Stice, Eric; Rohde, Paul; Butryn, Meghan; Menke, Katharine S; Marti, C Nathan

2015-02-01

The authors conducted a pilot trial of a new dissonance-based group eating disorder treatment designed to be a cost-effective front-line transdiagnostic treatment that could be more widely disseminated than extant individual or family treatments that are more expensive and difficult to deliver. Young women with a DSM-5 eating disorder (N = 72) were randomized to an 8-week dissonance-based Counter Attitudinal Therapy group treatment or a usual care control condition, completing diagnostic interviews and questionnaires at pre, post, and 2-month follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that intervention participants showed greater reductions in outcomes than usual care controls in a multivariate multilevel model (χ(2)[6] = 34.1, p < .001), producing large effects for thin-ideal internalization (d = .79), body dissatisfaction (d = 1.14), and blinded interview-assessed eating disorder symptoms (d = .95), and medium effects for dissonance regarding perpetuating the thin ideal (d = .65) and negative affect (d = .55). Midway through this pilot we refined engagement procedures, which was associated with increased effect sizes (e.g., the d for eating disorder symptoms increased from .51 to 2.30). This new group treatment produced large reductions in eating disorder symptoms, which is encouraging because it requires about 1/20th the therapist time necessary for extant individual and family treatments, and has the potential to provide a cost-effective and efficacious approach to reaching the majority of individuals with eating disorders who do not presently received treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing and validating trace fear conditioning protocols in C57BL/6 mice.

PubMed

Burman, Michael A; Simmons, Cassandra A; Hughes, Miles; Lei, Lei

2014-01-30

Classical fear conditioning is commonly used to study the biology of fear, anxiety and memory. Previous research demonstrated that delay conditioning requires a neural circuit involving the amygdala, but not usually the hippocampus. Trace and contextual fear conditioning require the amygdala and hippocampus. While these paradigms were developed primarily using rat models, they are increasingly being used in mice. The current studies develop trace fear conditioning and control paradigms to allow for the assessment of trace and delay fear conditioning in C57BL/6N mice. Our initial protocol yielded clear delay and contextual conditioning. However, trace conditioning failed to differentiate from an unpaired group and was not hippocampus-dependent. These results suggested that the protocol needed to be modified to specifically accommodate trace conditioning the mice. In order to reduce unconditioned freezing and increase learning, the final protocol was developed by decreasing the intensity of the tone and by increasing the inter-trial interval. Our final protocol produced trace conditioned freezing that was significantly greater than that followed unpaired stimulus exposure and was disrupted by hippocampus lesions. A review of the literature produced 90 articles using trace conditioning in mice. Few of those articles used any kind of behavioral control group, which is required to rule out non-associative factors causing fearful behavior. Fewer used unpaired groups involving tones and shocks within a session, which is the optimal control group. Our final trace conditioning protocol can be used in future studies examining genetically modified C57BL/6N mice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developing and Validating Trace Fear Conditioning Protocols in C57BL/6 Mice

PubMed Central

Burman, Michael A; Simmons, Cassandra A; Hughes, Miles; Lei, Lei

2013-01-01

Background Classical fear conditioning is commonly used to study the biology of fear, anxiety and memory. Previous research demonstrated that delay conditioning requires a neural circuit involving the amygdala, but not usually the hippocampus. Trace and contextual fear conditioning require the amygdala and hippocampus. While these paradigms were developed primarily using rat models, they are increasingly being used in mice. New Method The current studies develop trace fear conditioning and control paradigms to allow for the assessment of trace and delay fear conditioning in C57BL/6N mice. Our initial protocol yielded clear delay and contextual conditioning. However, trace conditioning failed to differentiate from an unpaired group and was not hippocampus-dependent. These results suggested that the protocol needed to be modified to specifically accommodate trace conditioning the mice. In order to reduce unconditioned freezing and increase learning, the final protocol was developed by decreasing the intensity of the tone and by increasing the inter-trial interval. Results Our final protocol produced trace conditioned freezing that was significantly greater than that followed unpaired stimulus exposure and was disrupted by hippocampus lesions. Comparison with Existing Methods A review of the literature produced 90 articles using trace conditioning in mice. Few of those articles used any kind of behavioral control group, which is required to rule out non-associative factors causing fearful behavior. Fewer used unpaired groups involving tones and shocks within a session, which is the optimal control group. Conclusions Our final trace conditioning protocol can be used in future studies examining genetically modified C57BL/6N mice. PMID:24269252

Cranioplasty prosthesis manufacturing based on reverse engineering technology

PubMed Central

Chrzan, Robert; Urbanik, Andrzej; Karbowski, Krzysztof; Moskała, Marek; Polak, Jarosław; Pyrich, Marek

2012-01-01

Summary Background Most patients with large focal skull bone loss after craniectomy are referred for cranioplasty. Reverse engineering is a technology which creates a computer-aided design (CAD) model of a real structure. Rapid prototyping is a technology which produces physical objects from virtual CAD models. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical usefulness of these technologies in cranioplasty prosthesis manufacturing. Material/Methods CT was performed on 19 patients with focal skull bone loss after craniectomy, using a dedicated protocol. A material model of skull deficit was produced using computer numerical control (CNC) milling, and individually pre-operatively adjusted polypropylene-polyester prosthesis was prepared. In a control group of 20 patients a prosthesis was manually adjusted to each patient by a neurosurgeon during surgery, without using CT-based reverse engineering/rapid prototyping. In each case, the prosthesis was implanted into the patient. The mean operating times in both groups were compared. Results In the group of patients with reverse engineering/rapid prototyping-based cranioplasty, the mean operating time was shorter (120.3 min) compared to that in the control group (136.5 min). The neurosurgeons found the new technology particularly useful in more complicated bone deficits with different curvatures in various planes. Conclusions Reverse engineering and rapid prototyping may reduce the time needed for cranioplasty neurosurgery and improve the prosthesis fitting. Such technologies may utilize data obtained by commonly used spiral CT scanners. The manufacturing of individually adjusted prostheses should be commonly used in patients planned for cranioplasty with synthetic material. PMID:22207125

Perception of Fechner Illusory Colors in Alzheimer Disease Patients.

PubMed

Kaubrys, Gintaras; Bukina, Vera; Bingelytė, Ieva; Taluntis, Vladas

2016-11-30

BACKGROUND Alzheimer disease (AD) primarily affects cognition. A variety of visual disorders was established in AD. Fechner illusory colors are produced by a rotating disk with a black and white pattern. The purpose of our research was to explore the perception of illusory colors in AD. MATERIAL AND METHODS W recruited 40 AD patients (MMSE ≥14) and 40 normal controls (CG group) matched by age, education, gender in this prospective, cross-sectional, case-control study. An achromatic Benham's disk attached to a device to control the speed and direction of rotation was used to produce illusory colors. Primary, secondary, and tertiary RGB system colors were used for matching of illusory and physical colors. RESULTS Subjects in the AD group perceived less illusory colors in 5 arcs (p<0.05) of the 8 arcs assessed. The biggest difference was found between AD and CG groups for pure blue (χ²=26.87, p<0.001 clockwise, χ²=22.75, p<0.001 counter-clockwise). Groups did not differ in perception of pure yellow opponent colors (p>0.05). Mixed colors of the blue-yellow axis were perceived less often in AD, but more frequently than pure blue (#0000FF). The sequence of colors on Benham's disk followed a complex pattern, different from the order of physical spectral colors and opponent processes-based colors. CONCLUSIONS AD patients retained reduced perception of illusory colors. The perception of pure blue illusory color is almost absent in AD. The asymmetrical shift to the yellow opponent is observed in AD with red prevailing over green constituent. This may indicate cortical rather than retinal impairment.

Understanding the mechanisms of zinc bacitracin and avilamycin on animal production: linking gut microbiota and growth performance in chickens.

PubMed

Crisol-Martínez, Eduardo; Stanley, Dragana; Geier, Mark S; Hughes, Robert J; Moore, Robert J

2017-06-01

Unravelling the mechanisms of how antibiotics influence growth performance through changes in gut microbiota can lead to the identification of highly productive microbiota in animal production. Here we investigated the effect of zinc bacitracin and avilamycin on growth performance and caecal microbiota in chickens and analysed associations between individual bacteria and growth performance. Two trials were undertaken; each used 96 individually caged 15-day-old Cobb broilers. Trial 1 had a control group (n = 48) and a zinc bacitracin (50 ppm) treatment group (n = 48). Trial 2 had a control group (n = 48) and an avilamycin (15 ppm) treatment group (n = 48). Chicken growth performance was evaluated over a 10-day period, and caecal microbiota was characterised by sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Avilamycin produced no effect on growth performance and exhibited little significant disturbance of the microbiota structure. However, zinc bacitracin reduced the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in treated birds, changed the composition and increased the diversity of their caecal microbiota by reducing dominant species. Avilamycin only produced minor reductions in the abundance of two microbial taxa, whereas zinc bacitracin produced relatively large shifts in a number of taxa, primarily Lactobacillus species. Also, a number of phylotypes closely related to lactobacilli species were positively or negatively correlated with FCR values, suggesting contrasting effects of Lactobacillus spp. on chicken growth performance. By harnessing such bacteria, it may be possible to develop high-productivity strategies in poultry that rely on the use of probiotics and less on in-feed antibiotics.

Inhibitory effect of jasmonic acid and ethylene on epicotyl growth and bud induction in the maritime pine, Pinus pinaster Soland. in ait.

PubMed

Martin, Maria Teresa; Pedranzani, Hilda; García-Molinero, Patricia; Pando, Valentin; Sierra-de-Grado, Rosario

2009-12-01

Two independent parameters, epicotyl height (cm) and number of induced buds were studied on Pinus pinaster explants to analyse the effects of three phytohormones (6-benzylaminopurine, jasmonic acid, ethylene) which were combined or not in 11 different treatments. Epicotyle length diminished significantly in relation to the control medium (medium without exogen phytohormones) in presence of jasmonic acid, 6-benzylaminopurine or Ethephon (which is converted to ethylene in plants) in any of treatments. Concentrations of 100 microM of jasmonic acid and Ethephon had a greater inhibitory effect than the treatments with 10 microM. In addition to that, jasmonic acid was a stronger inhibitor than Ethephon in any of the tried combinations. There were no significant differences between the control treatment and the treatments with only 10 microM of jasmonic acid or Ethephon. However, 10 microM 6-benzylaminopurine induced bud formation. The different combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine with jasmonic acid and Ethephon showed that concentrations of 10 to 100 microM did not affect the number of induced buds. Jasmonic acid had an inhibitory effect which Ethephon only showed when combined with 100 microM of jasmonic acid and 10 microM of 6-benzylaminopurine. Three response groups were defined by cluster analysis: group 1 produced the greatest mean number of buds (4 to 5) and a mean epicotyl growth of 1 to 1.5 cm; group 2 produced 2 to 4 buds and a mean growth of 0.5 to 1.2 cm; group 3 produced only one bud and a mean epicotyl length of 1.2 to 2 cm.

Evaluation of royal jelly as an alternative to fetal bovine serum in cell culture using cell proliferation assays and live cell imaging.

PubMed

Musa, Marahaini; Nasir, Nurul Fatihah Mohamad; Thirumulu, Kannan Ponnuraj

2014-01-01

Royal jelly is a nutritious substance produced by the young nurse bees and contains significant amounts of proteins which are important for cell growth and proliferation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of royal jelly as an alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS) in cell culture using cell proliferation assays and live cell imaging. MRC-5 cells were treated with various concentrations of royal jelly extract in MTT assay. The control groups were comprised of Alpha-Minimal Essential Medium (α-MEM) alone and α-MEM with 10% FBS. Subsequently, the cell proliferation was studied for 10 days using Alamar Blue assay and live cell imaging from 48 to 72 h. The population doubling time (PDT) was determined using trypan blue assay after live cell imaging. In MTT assay, 0.156 and 0.078 mg/ml of royal jelly produced higher cell viability compared to positive control group but were not significantly different (P > 0.05). In the Alamar Blue assay, 0.156 and 0.078 mg/ml of royal jelly produced greater percentage of reduction at day 3 even though no significant difference was found (P > 0.05). Based on live cell imaging, the PDT for positive, negative, 0.156 and 0.078 mg/ml of royal jelly groups were 29.09, 62.50, 41.67 and 41.67 h respectively. No significant difference was found in the PDT between all the groups (P > 0.05). Royal jelly does not exhibit similar ability like FBS to facilitate cell growth under the present test conditions.

Dismantling multicomponent behavioral treatment for insomnia in older adults: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Epstein, Dana R; Sidani, Souraya; Bootzin, Richard R; Belyea, Michael J

2012-06-01

Recently, the use of multicomponent insomnia treatment has increased. This study compares the effect of single component and multicomponent behavioral treatments for insomnia in older adults after intervention and at 3 months and 1 yr posttreatment. A randomized, controlled study. Veterans Affairs medical center. 179 older adults (mean age, 68.9 yr ± 8.0; 115 women [64.2%]) with chronic primary insomnia. Participants were randomly assigned to 6 wk of stimulus control therapy (SCT), sleep restriction therapy (SRT), the 2 therapies combined into a multicomponent intervention (MCI), or a wait-list control group. Primary outcomes were subjective (daily sleep diary) and objective (actigraphy) measures of sleep-onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), total sleep time (TST), time in bed (TIB), and sleep efficiency (SE). Secondary outcomes were clinical measures including response and remission rates. There were no differences between the single and multicomponent interventions on primary sleep outcomes measured by diary and actigraphy. All treatments produced significant improvement in diary-reported sleep in comparison with the control group. Effect sizes for sleep diary outcomes were medium to large. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up for diary and actigraph measured SOL, WASO, and SE. The MCI group had the largest proportion of treatment remitters. For older adults with chronic primary insomnia, the findings provide initial evidence that SCT, SRT, and MCI are equally efficacious and produce sustainable treatment gains on diary, actigraphy, and clinical outcomes. From a clinical perspective, MCI may be a preferred treatment due to its higher remission rate. Behavioral Intervention for Insomnia in Older Adults. NCT01154023. URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01154023?term=Behavioral+Intervention+for+Insomnia+in+Older+Adults&rank=1.

Long-term safety of early consumption of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716: A 3-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Maldonado-Lobón, J A; Gil-Campos, M; Maldonado, J; López-Huertas, E; Flores-Rojas, K; Valero, A D; Rodríguez-Benítez, M V; Bañuelos, O; Lara-Villoslada, F; Fonollá, J; Olivares, M

2015-01-01

Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 is a probiotic strain originally isolated from human breast milk. Previous clinical studies in infants showed that the early administration of a milk formula containing this probiotic strain was safe and may be useful for the prevention of community-acquired infections. This is a 3-year follow-up study aimed at evaluating the long-term effects produced by the early consumption of an infant formula supplemented with L. fermentum CECT5716 (experimental group, EG) compared with a control formula without the probiotic (control group, CG). The infants included in this follow-up study had previously completed a 5-month randomized double-blind controlled trial (from 1 to 6 months of age), where the safety and tolerance of the probiotic formula was evaluated. The main outcome of the follow-up study was the growth of the children. The secondary outcomes included the incidence of infectious and non-infectious diseases, parameters related with intestinal function and faecal microbiota. At 3 years, the mean values of weight, length and head circumference were similar in children of the EG compared with those of the CG. No differences were observed in the incidence of infectious and non-infectious diseases or disorders related with intestinal function. The pattern of faecal microbiota was also similar between both groups. In conclusion, this 3-year study shows that the early administration of the probiotic of L. fermentum CECT5716 in an infant formula is safe and it does not produce measurable differences in children compared with a control formula. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinician-led, peer-led, and internet-delivered dissonance-based eating disorder prevention programs: Acute effectiveness of these delivery modalities.

PubMed

Stice, Eric; Rohde, Paul; Shaw, Heather; Gau, Jeff M

2017-09-01

Because independent trials have provided evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of the dissonance-based Body Project eating disorder prevention program, the present trial tested whether clinicians produce the largest intervention effects, or whether delivery can be task-shifted to less expensive undergraduate peer educators or to Internet delivery without effect size attenuation, focusing on acute effects. In this study, 680 young women (M age = 22.2 years, SD = 7.1) recruited at colleges in 2 states were randomized to clinician-led Body Project groups, peer-led Body Project groups, the Internet-based eBody Project, or an educational video control condition. Participants in all 3 variants of the Body Project intervention showed significantly greater reductions in eating disorder risk factors and symptoms than did educational video controls. Participants in clinician-led and peer-led Body Project groups showed significantly greater reductions in risk factors than did eBody Project participants, but effects for the 2 types of groups were similar. Eating disorder onset over 7-month follow-up was significantly lower for peer-led Body Project group participants versus eBody Project participants (2.2% vs. 8.4%) but did not differ significantly between other conditions. The evidence that all 3 dissonance-based prevention programs outperformed an educational video condition, that both group-based interventions outperformed the Internet-based intervention in risk factor reductions, and that the peer-led groups showed lower eating disorder onset over follow-up than did the Internet-based intervention is novel. These acute-effects data suggest that both group-based interventions produce superior eating disorder prevention effects than does the Internet-based intervention and that delivery can be task-shifted to peer leaders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Abrasion Plus Local Fibrin Sealant Instillation Produces Pleurodesis Similar to Pleurectomy in Rabbits.

PubMed

Marchi, Evaldo; de Carvalho, Marcus V H; Ventureli, Tiago R; Fruchi, Andre J; Lazaro, Ariane; do Carmo, Deborah C; Barreto, Thayssa Y A S; Dias, Bruno V B; Acencio, Milena M P; Teixeira, Lisete R; Light, Richard W

2016-09-01

Pleurodesis performed either by pleurectomy or pleural abrasion is recommended in the approach to primary spontaneous pneumothorax to avoid recurrence. However, the efficacy of parietal pleural abrasion in producing pleurodesis is questioned. This study aims to determine the efficacy of apical abrasion alone, abrasion plus fibrin sealant application, and pleurectomy in producing pleurodesis in rabbits. Rabbits were subjected to video-assisted thoracic surgery alone (control) or to video-assisted thoracic surgery with apical gauze abrasion, abrasion plus fibrin sealant instillation, or apical pleurectomy. Blood samples were collected preoperatively and 48 h and 28 days postoperatively to measure total leukocytes (white blood cell count), neutrophil counts, and serum interleukin (IL)-8 levels. After 28 days the animals were sacrificed for macroscopic evaluation of the degree of apical pleurodesis and microscopic evaluation of local pleural fibrosis and collagen deposition. White blood cell and neutrophil counts were similar in all groups, whereas the serum IL-8 level peaked at 48 h in all groups and decreased after 28 days, except in the pleurectomy group. After 28 days the abrasion plus fibrin sealant and pleurectomy groups had significantly more pleural adhesions, pleural fibrosis, and collagen deposition than the abrasion alone group, mainly due to thick mature fibers. Abrasion with local fibrin sealant instillation is as effective as pleurectomy in producing pleurodesis in rabbits. Apical pleurectomy elicits a more persistent elevation of serum IL-8 levels than apical abrasion alone or abrasion plus fibrin adhesive instillation. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Four-month moxifloxacin-based regimens for drug-sensitive tuberculosis.

PubMed

Gillespie, Stephen H; Crook, Angela M; McHugh, Timothy D; Mendel, Carl M; Meredith, Sarah K; Murray, Stephen R; Pappas, Frances; Phillips, Patrick P J; Nunn, Andrew J

2014-10-23

Early-phase and preclinical studies suggest that moxifloxacin-containing regimens could allow for effective 4-month treatment of uncomplicated, smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial to test the noninferiority of two moxifloxacin-containing regimens as compared with a control regimen. One group of patients received isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol for 8 weeks, followed by 18 weeks of isoniazid and rifampin (control group). In the second group, we replaced ethambutol with moxifloxacin for 17 weeks, followed by 9 weeks of placebo (isoniazid group), and in the third group, we replaced isoniazid with moxifloxacin for 17 weeks, followed by 9 weeks of placebo (ethambutol group). The primary end point was treatment failure or relapse within 18 months after randomization. Of the 1931 patients who underwent randomization, in the per-protocol analysis, a favorable outcome was reported in fewer patients in the isoniazid group (85%) and the ethambutol group (80%) than in the control group (92%), for a difference favoring the control group of 6.1 percentage points (97.5% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 10.5) versus the isoniazid group and 11.4 percentage points (97.5% CI, 6.7 to 16.1) versus the ethambutol group. Results were consistent in the modified intention-to-treat analysis and all sensitivity analyses. The hazard ratios for the time to culture negativity in both solid and liquid mediums for the isoniazid and ethambutol groups, as compared with the control group, ranged from 1.17 to 1.25, indicating a shorter duration, with the lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals exceeding 1.00 in all cases. There was no significant difference in the incidence of grade 3 or 4 adverse events, with events reported in 127 patients (19%) in the isoniazid group, 111 (17%) in the ethambutol group, and 123 (19%) in the control group. The two moxifloxacin-containing regimens produced a more rapid initial decline in bacterial load, as compared with the control group. However, noninferiority for these regimens was not shown, which indicates that shortening treatment to 4 months was not effective in this setting. (Funded by the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development and others; REMoxTB ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00864383.).

Serum biochemical, blood gas and antioxidant status in search and rescue dogs before and after simulated fieldwork.

PubMed

Spoo, J W; Zoran, D L; Downey, R L; Bischoff, K; Wakshlag, J J

2015-10-01

The aim of the study was to assess the physiological and antioxidant status before and after a 4 h search and rescue field exercise, with handlers, under warm-weather conditions performing activities compared to a control group of similarly trained dogs at rest. Serum chemistry demonstrated a decrease in serum sodium (Na) and potassium (K) in both exercising and control groups, however only Na was decreased significantly (P < 0.05) after exercise and hematocrits (HCTs) remained unchanged. The exercise group demonstrated significantly decreased serum phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) compared to pre-exercise values, as did the control group (P < 0.025). There was also a significant increase in creatinine kinase concentrations in the exercise groups (P < 0.025). Serum non-esterified fatty acids were increased only in the exercise group after exercise, suggesting fat mobilization to produce energy. The mean total serum antioxidant potential in searching dogs was no different from the pre- and post-exercise values in the control dogs. Serum vitamin E concentrations did not differ between the two groups, with a decreasing trend in both groups. There was a modest decrease in serum uric acid in the control group, while there was a significant rise after exercise in the searching group (P < 0.01). Multiple changes in serum chemistry, HCTs and blood gases were documented in this study, and were similar to those observed after other endurance activities. The lack of hemoconcentration in this field search exercise suggested that even in extreme environmental conditions (heat and humidity), dogs with access to water do not experience significant dehydration or diminished antioxidant status. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Qiliqiangxin Affects L Type Ca2+ Current in the Normal and Hypertrophied Rat Heart

PubMed Central

Wei, Yidong; Liu, Xiaoyu; Hou, Lei; Che, Wenliang; The, Erlinda; Jhummon, Muktanand Vikash

2012-01-01

Qiliqiangxin capsule is newly developed Chinese patent drug and proved to be effective and safe for the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure. We compared the effects of different dose Qiliqiangxin on L type Ca2+ current (I Ca-L) between normal and hypertrophied myocytes. A total of 40 healthy Sprague—Dawley rats were used in the study. The rats were randomly divided into two groups (control group and hypertrophy group). Cardiac hypertrophy was induced by pressure overload produced by partial ligation of the abdominal aorta. The control group was the sham-operated group. After 1 month, cardiac ventricular myocytes were isolated from the hearts of rats. Ventricular myocytes were exposed to 10 and 50 μmol/L Qiliqiangxin, and whole cell patch-clamp technique was used to study the effects of Qiliqiangxin on I Ca-L. The current densities of I Ca-L were similar in control group (−12.70 ± 0.53 pA/pF, n = 12) and in hypertrophy group (−12.39 ± 0.62 pA/pF, n = 10). They were not statistically significant. 10 and 50 μmol/L Qiliqiangxin can decrease I Ca-L peak current 48.6%±16.8% and 59.0%±4.4% in control group. However, the peak current was only reduced 16.73%±8.03% by 50 μmol/L Qiliqiangxin in hypertrophied myocytes. The inhibited action of Qiliqiangxin on I Ca-L of hypertrophy group was lower than in control group. Qiliqiangxin affected L-type Ca2+ channel and blocked I Ca-L, as well as affected cardiac function finally. Qiliqiangxin has diphasic action that is either class IV antiarrhythmic agent or the agent of effect cardiac function. PMID:22536279

Characterization of calcium deposition induced by Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 in BG11 culture medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Huaxiao; Han, Zuozhen; Zhao, Hui; Zhou, Shixue; Chi, Naijie; Han, Mei; Kou, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Yan; Xu, Linlin; Tian, Chenchen; Qin, Song

2014-05-01

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals in their preferred orientation were obtained in BG11 culture media inoculated with Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 (inoculated BG11). In this study, the features of calcium carbonate deposition were investigated. Inoculated BG11 in different calcium ion concentrations was used for the experimental group, while the BG11 culture medium was used for the control group. The surface morphologies of the calcium carbonate deposits in the experimental and control groups were determined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The deposits were analyzed by electronic probe micro-analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that the surfaces of the crystals in the experimental group were hexahedral in a scaly pattern. The particle sizes were micrometer-sized and larger than those in the control group. The deposits of the control group contained calcium (Ca), carbon (C), oxygen (O), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and other elements. The deposits in the experimental group contained Ca, C, and O only. The deposits of both groups contained calcite. The thermal decomposition temperature of the deposits in the control group was lower than those in the experimental group. It showed that the CaCO3 deposits of the experimental group had higher thermal stability than those of the control group. This may be due to the secondary metabolites produced by the algae cells, which affect the carbonate crystal structure and result in a close-packed structure. The algae cells that remained after thermal weight loss were heavier in higher calcium concentrations in BG11 culture media. There may be more calcium-containing crystals inside and outside of these cells. These results shall be beneficial for understanding the formation mechanism of carbonate minerals.

[Study of the effect of occupational exposure to glyphosate on hepatorenal function].

PubMed

Zhang, F; Pan, L P; Ding, E M; Ge, Q J; Zhang, Z H; Xu, J N; Zhang, L; Zhu, B L

2017-07-06

Objective: To explore the effect of occupational exposure to glyphosate on hepatorenal function. Methods: 526 workers who were occupationally exposed to glyphosate from 5 glyphosate-producing factories were selected as cases; and another 442 administrative staffs who were not exposed to glyphosate were selected as controls from April to November, 2014. All the subjects accepted occupational health examination. The concentration level of glyphosate in the air of workshop was detected and the time weighted average concentration (TWA) was calculated. And analyze the difference of hepatorenal fuction between case group and control group. Result: The age of the subjects in the case and control groups were separately (35.6±10.3), (34.3±9.7) years old, with the length of working for (6.5±5.7), (7.7±6.8) years. The TWA of glyphosate in the case group was between <0.03-48.91 mg/m(3), with the geometric mean at 3.78 mg/m(3). The overall rates of abnormal hepatic and renal function in the case group were 14.4% (76 cases) and 16.2% (85 cases), respectively; while those were 5.0% (22 cases) and 4.8% (21 cases), respectively in control group, and the difference showed statistical significance ( P <0.05). When TWA reached <0.03-6.00 mg/m(3), the difference of hepatorenal fuction between case group and control group showed statistical significance, and the rates of abnormal hepatic and renal function was 8.0% (36/447) and 9.8% (44/447) respectively in case group. When cumulative exposure level reached <1.56-68.64 g, the difference of hepatorenal fuction between case group and control group showed statistical significance, and the rates increased to 9.2% (37/404) and 10.4% (42/404) respectively in group of cases. Conclusion: Glyphosate can affect the hepatic and renal function among occupational exposure population, and there was an association between the effect and the exposure dose.

Serum apelin levels in patients with thyroid dysfunction

PubMed Central

Gürel, Ali; Doğantekin, Akif; Özkan, Yusuf; Aydın, Süleyman

2015-01-01

Adipocytes are not only for energy storage, but are also functionally active cells, producing biologically active peptides called adipocytokines. Adipocytokines control nutrition, thermogenesis, immunity, thyroid and reproductive hormones, and neuroendocrine functions. One of the most important new members of this family is apelin. In patients with thyroid dysfunctions, there are usually changes in weight, thermogenesis and adipose tissue lipolysis. Here, we investigated the serum apelin levels in different thyroid hormone states. Our study group consisted of the following patients: 32 thyrotoxicosis, 32 subclinical hyperthyroidism, 31 hypothyroidism, 34 subclinical hypothyroidism and 31 healthy control cases. In addition to routine blood tests, serum free T3 (FT3), free T4 (FT4), TSH and apelin levels were measured, and the body mass index (BMI) was recorded. In terms of the demographic characteristics, age and BMI, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). The mean serum apelin levels of the groups were as follows: thyrotoxicosis group, 4.6±1.9 ng/ml; subclinical hyperthyroidism group, 3.7±1.9 ng/ml; hypothyroid group, 4.8±2.5 ng/ml; subclinical hypothyroidism group, 4.3±2.2 ng/mL; and control group, 3.4±1.4 ng/ml, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of the mean apelin levels between the groups (P>0.05). The hypothyroid group had the highest and the control group had the lowest mean apelin levels. As a result, the apelin levels were higher in both the patients with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, in comparison with the normal population, but without statistical significance. PMID:26629164

Feto-maternal outcomes and Glycemic control in Metformin versus insulin treated Gestational Diabetics

PubMed Central

Arshad, Rabia; Khanam, Samia; Shaikh, Fuad; Karim, Nasim

2017-01-01

Objective: To evaluate and compare feto-maternal outcomes and glycemic control in metformin versus insulin treated gestational diabetics. Methods: The study was conducted in 2010- 2012 as a part of M. Phil at Civil hospital, Lyari General Hospital and Mamji Hospital in Karachi. After written informed consent, 71 GDM diagnosed females with WHO criteria were enrolled. They were divided into two groups. Group-A, 32 females were given oral metformin 500 mg TDS while Group-B, 39 females were given insulin 0.8-0.9 mg/kg/day in two divided doses subcutaneously. Patients were followed till term. Feto-maternal outcomes were evaluated in 25 patients in each group who completed the study. Results: When groups were compared, newborns in Group-B were significantly more in weight (p=0.01). Significant numbers of babies were delivered after 38 weeks of pregnancy in Group-B (P=0.021). There were two intrauterine deaths and significantly higher HbA1C at term in Group-B. (P=0.03). FBS at term was non-significant (p=0.079) and there was more number of cesarean sections due to feto-maternal disproportion in Group-B (28% vs.2%). Results analyzed for glycemic control before and after the treatment revealed that FBS was statistically less in Group-A (p=0.00) whereas for Group-B the value of FBS and HbA1C was statistically high. (p=0.002 & 0.04 respectively). Conclusion: Metformin has produced better effects on feto-maternal outcomes and glycemic control in comparison to Insulin in GDM. PMID:29142561

Feto-maternal outcomes and Glycemic control in Metformin versus insulin treated Gestational Diabetics.

PubMed

Arshad, Rabia; Khanam, Samia; Shaikh, Fuad; Karim, Nasim

2017-01-01

To evaluate and compare feto-maternal outcomes and glycemic control in metformin versus insulin treated gestational diabetics. The study was conducted in 2010- 2012 as a part of M. Phil at Civil hospital, Lyari General Hospital and Mamji Hospital in Karachi. After written informed consent, 71 GDM diagnosed females with WHO criteria were enrolled. They were divided into two groups. Group-A, 32 females were given oral metformin 500 mg TDS while Group-B, 39 females were given insulin 0.8-0.9 mg/kg/day in two divided doses subcutaneously. Patients were followed till term. Feto-maternal outcomes were evaluated in 25 patients in each group who completed the study. When groups were compared, newborns in Group-B were significantly more in weight (p=0.01). Significant numbers of babies were delivered after 38 weeks of pregnancy in Group-B (P=0.021). There were two intrauterine deaths and significantly higher HbA 1 C at term in Group-B. (P=0.03). FBS at term was non-significant (p=0.079) and there was more number of cesarean sections due to feto-maternal disproportion in Group-B (28% vs.2%). Results analyzed for glycemic control before and after the treatment revealed that FBS was statistically less in Group-A (p=0.00) whereas for Group-B the value of FBS and HbA 1 C was statistically high. (p=0.002 & 0.04 respectively). Metformin has produced better effects on feto-maternal outcomes and glycemic control in comparison to Insulin in GDM.

Non-aflatoxigenicity of commercial Aspergillus oryzae strains due to genetic defects compared to aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus.

PubMed

Tao, Lin; Chung, Soo Hyun

2014-08-01

Aspergillus oryzae is generally recognized as safe, but it is closely related to A. flavus in morphology and genetic characteristics. In this study, we tested the aflatoxigenicity and genetic analysis of nine commercial A. oryzae strains that were used in Korean soybean fermented products. Cultural and HPLC analyses showed that none of the commercial strains produced detectable amount of aflatoxins. According to the molecular analysis of 17 genes in the aflatoxin (AF) biosynthetic pathway, the commercial strains could be classified into three groups. The group I strains contained all the 17 AF biosynthetic genes tested in this study; the group II strains deleted nine AF biosynthetic genes and possessed eight genes, including aflG, aflI, aflK, aflL, aflM, aflO, aflP, and aflQ; the group III strains only had six AF biosynthetic genes, including aflG, aflI, aflK, aflO, aflP, and aflQ. With the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, the group I A. oryzae strains showed no expression of aflG, aflQ and/or aflM genes, which resulted in the lack of AF-producing ability. Group II and group III strains could not produce AF owing to the deletion of more than half of the AF biosynthetic genes. In addition, the sequence data of polyketide synthase A (pksA) of group I strains of A. oryzae showed that there were three point mutations (two silent mutations and one missense mutation) compared with aflatoxigenic A. flavus used as the positive control in this study.

Hormonal, metabolic and physiological effects of laparoscopic surgery using a detomidine-buprenorphine combination in standing horses.

PubMed

Van Dijk, P; Lankveld, Dpk; Rijkenhuizen, Abm; Jonker, F H

2003-04-01

To assess the hormonal, metabolic and physiological effects of laparascopic surgery performed under a sedative analgesic combination of detomidine and buprenorphine in standing horses. Prospective study. Eight healthy adult Dutch Warmblood horses and five healthy adult ponies undergoing laparoscopy were studied. Five healthy adult horses not undergoing laparoscopy were used as a control group. The sedative effect of an initial detomidine and buprenorphine injection was maintained using a continuous infusion of detomidine alone. The heart and respiratory rate, arterial blood pH and arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions were monitored, while blood samples were taken for the measurement of glucose, lactate, cortisol, insulin and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA). The same variables were monitored in a control group of horses which were sedated, but which did not undergo surgery. At the end of the sedation period the effects of detomidine were antagonized using atipamezole. The protocol provided suitable conditions for standing laparoscopy in horses. Laparoscopy induced obvious metabolic and endocrine responses which, with the exception of NEFA values, were not significantly different from changes found in the control group. While atipamezole did not produce detectable adverse effects, it is possible that anatagonism may not be essential. The technique described reliably produces adequate sedation and analgesia for laparoscopic procedures. The level of sedation/analgesia was controlled by decreasing or increasing the infusion rate. Antagonism of the effects of detomidine may not be necessary in all cases. Copyright © 2003 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of etching and airborne particle abrasion on the microstructure of different dental ceramics.

PubMed

Borges, Gilberto Antonio; Sophr, Ana Maria; de Goes, Mario Fernando; Sobrinho, Lourenço Correr; Chan, Daniel C N

2003-05-01

The ceramic composition and microstructure surface of all-ceramic restorations are important components of an effective bonding substrate. Both hydrofluoric acid etching and airborne aluminum oxide particle abrasion produce irregular surfaces necessary for micromechanical bonding. Although surface treatments of feldspathic and leucite porcelains have been studied previously, the high alumina-containing and lithium disilicate ceramics have not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the surface topography of 6 different ceramics after treatment with either hydrofluoric acid etching or airborne aluminum oxide particle abrasion. Five copings each of IPS Empress, IPS Empress 2 (0.8 mm thick), Cergogold (0.7 mm thick), In-Ceram Alumina, In-Ceram Zirconia, and Procera (0.8 mm thick) were fabricated following the manufacturer's instructions. Each coping was longitudinally sectioned into 4 equal parts by a diamond disk. The resulting sections were then randomly divided into 3 groups depending on subsequent surface treatments: Group 1, specimens without additional surface treatments, as received from the laboratory (control); Group 2, specimens treated by use of airborne particle abrasion with 50-microm aluminum oxide; and Group 3, specimens treated with 10% hydrofluoric acid etching (20 seconds for IPS Empress 2; 60 seconds for IPS Empress and Cergogold; and 2 minutes for In-Ceram Alumina, In-Ceram Zirconia, and Procera). Airborne particle abrasion changed the morphologic surface of IPS Empress, IPS Empress 2, and Cergogold ceramics. The surface topography of these ceramics exhibited shallow irregularities not evident in the control group. For Procera, the 50-microm aluminum oxide airborne particle abrasion produced a flattened surface. Airborne particle abrasion of In-Ceram Alumina and In-Ceram Zirconia did not change the morphologic characteristics and the same shallows pits found in the control group remained. For IPS Empress 2, 10% hydrofluoric acid etching produced elongated crystals scattered with shallow irregularities. For IPS Empress and Cergogold, the morphologic characteristic was honeycomb-like on the ceramic surface. The surface treatment of In-Ceram Alumina, In-Ceram Zirconia, and Procera did not change their superficial structure. Hydrofluoric acid etching and airborne particle abrasion with 50-microm aluminum oxide increased the irregularities on the surface of IPS Empress, IPS Empress 2, and Cergogold ceramics. Similar treatment of In-Ceram Alumina, In-Ceram Zirconia, and Procera did not change their morphologic microstructure.

Clinical Features and Molecular Epidemiology of CMY-Type β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

Sidjabat, Hanna E.; Paterson, David L.; Qureshi, Zubair A.; Adams-Haduch, Jennifer M.; O’Keefe, Alexandra; Pascual, Alvaro; Rodríguez-Baño, Jesús; Doi, Yohei

2009-01-01

Background Knowledge on the clinical features of infections caused by Escherichia coli producing plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase is limited. Of the several groups of plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase, CMY-type β-lactamase is the most common in the United States. Methods We prospectively identified E. coli producing CMY-type β-lactamase and collected clinical data over a seven-month period. A retrospective cohort study was performed to identify features associated with these cases, using cases due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli as controls. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), plasmid analysis and phylogenetic typing were performed. Results Twenty-two cases with CMY-producing E. coli and 25 cases with ESBL-producing E. coli were identified. The demographics of the patients were similar between the CMY and ESBL cohorts. CMY cases were significantly more likely to represent symptomatic infection compared with ESBL cases (P=0.028). The CMY-type β-lactamase was identified as CMY-2 or its variants. Ninety-four percent of the CMY-producing isolates belonged to E. coli phylogenetic groups B2 and D, which are associated with virulence. Many of them shared similar plasmid profiles, whereas the PFGE profiles were diverse. Co-resistance to non-β-lactam antimicrobials was common. Conclusion In Pittsburgh, CMY-producing E. coli is almost as common as ESBL-producing E. coli and causes symptomatic infection in the majority of cases. PMID:19187027

The effect of low-speed drilling without irrigation on heat generation: an experimental study.

PubMed

Oh, Ji-Hyeon; Fang, Yiqin; Jeong, Seung-Mi; Choi, Byung-Ho

2016-02-01

In this study we evaluated heat generation during the low-speed drilling procedure without irrigation. Ten artificial bone blocks that were similar to human D1 bone were used in this study. The baseline temperature was 37.0℃. We drilled into 5 artificial bone blocks 60 times at the speed of 50 rpm without irrigation. As a control group, we drilled into an additional 5 artificial bone blocks 60 times at the speed of 1,500 rpm with irrigation. The temperature changes during diameter 2 mm drilling were measured using thermocouples. The mean maximum temperatures during drilling were 40.9℃ in the test group and 39.7℃ in the control group. Even though a statistically significant difference existed between the two groups, the low-speed drilling did not produce overheating. These findings suggest that low-speed drilling without irrigation may not lead to overheating during drilling.

Comparative Assessment of Induced Immune Responses Following Intramuscular Immunization with Fusion and Cocktail of LeIF, LACK and TSA Genes Against Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in BALB/c Mice.

PubMed

Maspi, Nahid; Ghaffarifar, Fatemeh; Sharifi, Zohreh; Dalimi, Abdolhossein; Dayer, Mohammad Saaid

2018-02-01

In the present study, we evaluated induced immune responses following DNA vaccine containing cocktail or fusion of LeIF, LACK and TSA genes or each gene alone. Mice were injected with 100 µg of each plasmid containing the gene of insert, plasmid DNA alone as the first control group or phosphate buffer saline as the second control group. Then, cellular and humoral responses, lesion size were measured for all groups. All vaccinated mice induced Th1 immune responses against Leishmania characterized by higher IFN-γ and IgG2a levels compared with control groups (p < 0.05). In addition, IFN-γ levels increased in groups immunized with fusion and cocktail vaccines in comparison with LACK (p < 0.001) and LeIF (p < 0.01) groups after challenge. In addition, fusion and cocktail groups produced higher IgG2a values than groups vaccinated with a gene alone (p < 0.05). Lesion progression delayed for all immunized groups compared with control groups from 5th week post-infection (p < 0.05). Mean lesion size decreased in immunized mice with fusion DNA than three groups vaccinated with one gene alone (p < 0.05). While, lesion size decreased significantly in cocktail recipient group than LeIF recipient group (p < 0.05). There was no difference in lesion size between fusion and cocktail groups. Overall, immunized mice with cocktail and fusion vaccines showed stronger Th1 response by production of higher IFN-γ and IgG2a and showed smaller mean lesion size. Therefore, use of multiple antigens can improve induced immune responses by DNA vaccination.

78 FR 21818 - Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of Methylone Into Schedule I

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-12

...- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cathinone and other related substances. The addition of a beta-keto ([beta]-ketone) substituent to the phenethylamine core structure produces a group of substances that have [beta]-keto-phenethylamine as the core structure. Methylone has a [beta]-keto-phenethylamine core structure. Methylone has...

Immune suppression in cattle: contributors and consequences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With a $35.7 billion Gross Domestic Value for milk produced in the U.S. during 2007, the dairy industry was the largest commodity group of the 2007 U.S. animal agriculture economic engine (when dairy beef is added). The economic value of controlling mastitis pathogens is immense. Most economic ana...

Food Service Manager Certification: An Evaluation of Its Impact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Jerry; Fuen, Lindson

1986-01-01

Discusses a study which sought to determine if food service management training and certification resulted in more sanitary operations. Findings from site inspections, pre/post tests, and attitude surveys indicated that the program did not produce statistically significant differences between control and study groups but that improvements in…

Systematic Desensitization as a Method of Teaching a General Anxiety-Reducing Skill

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zemore, Robert

1975-01-01

College students were treated with either a standard or modified version of systematic desensitization. Relative to a no-treatment control group, both treatment methods produced significant reductions in both the treated and untreated fears. The implications these findings have for two alternative conceptions of systematic desensitization are…

Aflatoxin control measures: A basis for improved health in developing countries

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The goal of this IARC Working Group Report is to produce a document, based on expertly evaluated scientific evidence, which provides a set of clear, concise and focused messages to inform policymakers, international organizations and funders in their decision-making with regards to appropriate aflat...

Effects of Mands on Instructional Control: A Laboratory Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jonathan R.; Hirst, Jason M.; Kaplan, Brent A.; DiGennaro Reed, Florence D.; Reed, Derek D.

2014-01-01

The effects of two types of mands on participants' adherence to instructions were examined across two groups using procedures based on Hackenberg and Joker ("Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior" 62:367-383, 1994). Participants were presented with instructions describing a pattern of responding for producing points later…

SHARAF: The Canadian Shared Authority File Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacIntosh, Helen

1982-01-01

Describes history, operating procedures, and current activities of group of users of the University of Toronto Library Automation System (UTLAS) who cooperated with each other, the bibliographic utility, and the National Library of Canada to produce an automated authority control system, termed Shared Authority File (SHARAF). Five references are…

Triatomicidal effect of new spot-on formulations applied to poultry in semi-field conditions.

PubMed

Juan, Laura W; Seccacini, Emilia A; Zerba, Eduardo N; Canale, Delmi; Alzogaray, Raúl A

2013-01-01

Chagas disease is an endemic disease affecting ten million people in the American continent. Produced by a parasite transmitted by triatomine insects, the main actions for reducing the incidence of this disease are focused on the control of insect vectors. This type of control has produced highly effective results within rural homes, but not in peridomestic areas (kitchens, warehouses, hen houses and other buildings not attached to the houses). The object of the present study was to assess the triatomicidal effect of new spot-on formulations developed by our laboratory in a semi-rural environment. The active ingredients of the formulations were β-cypermethrin, pyriproxyfen, or β-cypermethrin + pyriproxyfen. All formulations were applied to hens and tested in miniature replicas of rural households where experimental populations of Triatoma infestans, the main vector of Chagas disease in Argentina, had been previously released. The experimental populations exposed to formulations containing β-cypermethrin or β-cypermethrin + pyriproxyfen were noticeably reduced compared to non-treated control groups. However, no differences were observed between the effects produced by β-cypermethrin alone and β-cypermethrin + pyriproxyfen. Pyriproxyfen alone produced no significant reduction in the experimental populations of T. infestans. These results suggest that spot-on application of β-cypermethrin could be a useful complementary tool for controlling triatomine insects in the peridomestic areas of rural homes.

Intrathecal Midazolam as an Adjuvant in Pregnancy-Induced Hypertensive Patients Undergoing an Elective Caesarean Section: A Clinical Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Dodawad, Ravichandra; G. B., Sumalatha; Pandarpurkar, Sandeep; Jajee, Parashuram

2016-01-01

Background A pain-free postoperative period is essential following a caesarean section so new mothers may care for and bond with their neonates. Intrathecal adjuvants are often administered during this procedure to provide significant analgesia, but they may also have bothersome side effects. Intrathecal midazolam produces effective postoperative analgesia with no significant side effects. Objectives This prospective, randomized, double-blind study was designed to compare the analgesic efficacy and safety of intrathecal midazolam vs. plain bupivacaine as an adjunct to bupivacaine in pregnancy-induced hypertension patients scheduled for elective caesarean section. Methods Sixty patients diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension on regular treatment who were scheduled for a caesarean section were randomly allocated into two groups: a control group (Group BC, n = 30) and a midazolam group (Group BM, n = 30). Both groups received 10 mg (2 mL) of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine. Group BC received 0.4 mL of distilled water, while group BM received 0.4 mL (2 mg) of midazolam intrathecally. The duration of postoperative analgesia, analgesic requirements during the first 24 hours after surgery, onset times and durations of sensory and motor blocks, incidence of hypotension, vasopressor requirements, and side effects were recorded. Results Postoperative analgesia was significantly longer in the midazolam group compared to the control group (201.5 minutes vs. 357.6 minutes). The mean onset times of the sensory and motor blocks were significantly faster (P < 0.01) in the midazolam group compared to the control group. The mean times to attain the maximum sensory level and motor blocks were also significantly faster in the midazolam group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of hypotension was 6.6% in the midazolam group and 36.6% in the control group, which was highly significant. In addition, the number of patients with side effects was significantly lower in the midazolam group compared to the control group. Conclusions Intrathecal midazolam 2 mg provides significantly longer and effective postoperative analgesia with no side effects. PMID:27847698

Using a social robot to teach gestural recognition and production in children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

So, Wing-Chee; Wong, Miranda Kit-Yi; Lam, Carrie Ka-Yee; Lam, Wan-Yi; Chui, Anthony Tsz-Fung; Lee, Tsz-Lok; Ng, Hoi-Man; Chan, Chun-Hung; Fok, Daniel Chun-Wing

2017-07-04

While it has been argued that children with autism spectrum disorders are responsive to robot-like toys, very little research has examined the impact of robot-based intervention on gesture use. These children have delayed gestural development. We used a social robot in two phases to teach them to recognize and produce eight pantomime gestures that expressed feelings and needs. Compared to the children in the wait-list control group (N = 6), those in the intervention group (N = 7) were more likely to recognize gestures and to gesture accurately in trained and untrained scenarios. They also generalized the acquired recognition (but not production) skills to human-to-human interaction. The benefits and limitations of robot-based intervention for gestural learning were highlighted. Implications for Rehabilitation Compared to typically-developing children, children with autism spectrum disorders have delayed development of gesture comprehension and production. Robot-based intervention program was developed to teach children with autism spectrum disorders recognition (Phase I) and production (Phase II) of eight pantomime gestures that expressed feelings and needs. Children in the intervention group (but not in the wait-list control group) were able to recognize more gestures in both trained and untrained scenarios and generalize the acquired gestural recognition skills to human-to-human interaction. Similar findings were reported for gestural production except that there was no strong evidence showing children in the intervention group could produce gestures accurately in human-to-human interaction.

Successful low dose insemination of flow cytometrically sorted Sika (Cervus nippon) sperm in Wapiti (Cervus elaphus).

PubMed

Gao, Q H; Wei, H J; Han, C M; Du, H Z; Zhang, Z G; Zhao, W G; Zhang, Y; Li, S

2010-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine a practical method in Wapiti (Cervus elaphus) of using predetermined sexed Sika (Cervus nippon) semen. Semen was collected by electro-ejaculation from one stag of proven fertility and transported to the laboratory where it was retained as unsorted (control) or was separated into X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm using a modified high-speed cell sorter. Wapiti hinds (n=81) were inseminated into the uterus by rectum manipulation with 1 x 10(6) (X1 and Y1 group, respectively) or 2 x 10(6) (X2 and Y2 group, respectively) of sorted frozen-thawed and 1 x 10(7) non-sorted frozen-thawed (a commercial dose control) Sika motile sperm 60-66h after removal of intra-vaginal progesterone-impregnated CIDR devices and administration of 700IU of PMSG at the time of CIDR removal. The percentage of hinds calving after insemination was similar for X1 (38.5%), X2 (41.7%), Y1 (44.4%), Y2 (38.9%) groups (P>0.05), but higher for control (75%) treatment (P<0.05). Ultimately 15 out of the 16 Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves produced by Wapiti hinds inseminated with Y-sorted sperm were male (93.7%) and 10/10 (100%) Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves from hinds inseminated with X-sorted sperm were female. The sex ratio of the Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves born to hinds inseminated with sex-sorted sperm deviated significantly (P<0.05) from 50% and 50.0% in the control group. All Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves were born between 237 and 250d of gestation. Male and female calves in the control group had similar birth weights and weaning weights as calves from hinds inseminated with X- or Y-sorted sperm. In conclusion it can be said that normal Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves of predicted sex can be produced after artificial insemination of Wapiti does with low numbers of sex-sorted cryopreserved Sika sperm.

Use of Arctium lappa Extract Against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats.

PubMed

El-Kott, Attalla Farag; Bin-Meferij, Mashael Mohammed

2015-12-01

Severe destructive hepatic injuries can be induced by acetaminophen overdose and may lead to acute hepatic failure. To investigate the ameliorative effects of Arctium lappa root extract on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Rats were divided into 4 groups: normal control group, Arctium lappa extract group, acetaminophen-injected group, and acetaminophen treated with Arctium lappa extract group. The treatment with Arctium lappa extract reduced serum alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase in the acetaminophen group when compared with the control group. DNA fragments in the acetaminophen-injected group were also significantly increased (P < 0.05). The comet assay revealed increased detaching tail length and DNA concentration during the hepatic toxicity in the acetaminophen group. The malondialdehyde content was inhibited by Arctium lappa treatment (12.97±0.89 nmol/mg) when compared with the acetaminophen-treated-only group (12.97±0.89 nmol/mg). Histopathologic examination revealed that acetaminophen administration produced hepatic cell necrosis, infiltrate of lymphocytes, and vacuolation that were associated with the acetaminophen-treated animal group, but the degree of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity was mediated by treatment with Arctium lappa extract. Arctium lappa can prevent most of the hepatic tissue damage caused by acetaminophen overdose in rats.

Effects of interactive visual feedback training on post-stroke pusher syndrome: a pilot randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Yang, Yea-Ru; Chen, Yi-Hua; Chang, Heng-Chih; Chan, Rai-Chi; Wei, Shun-Hwa; Wang, Ray-Yau

2015-10-01

We investigated the effects of a computer-generated interactive visual feedback training program on the recovery from pusher syndrome in stroke patients. Assessor-blinded, pilot randomized controlled study. A total of 12 stroke patients with pusher syndrome were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (N = 7, computer-generated interactive visual feedback training) or control group (N = 5, mirror visual feedback training). The scale for contraversive pushing for severity of pusher syndrome, the Berg Balance Scale for balance performance, and the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale for motor control were the outcome measures. Patients were assessed pre- and posttraining. A comparison of pre- and posttraining assessment results revealed that both training programs led to the following significant changes: decreased severity of pusher syndrome scores (decreases of 4.0 ± 1.1 and 1.4 ± 1.0 in the experimental and control groups, respectively); improved balance scores (increases of 14.7 ± 4.3 and 7.2 ± 1.6 in the experimental and control groups, respectively); and higher scores for lower extremity motor control (increases of 8.4 ± 2.2 and 5.6 ± 3.3 in the experimental and control groups, respectively). Furthermore, the computer-generated interactive visual feedback training program produced significantly better outcomes in the improvement of pusher syndrome (p < 0.01) and balance (p < 0.05) compared with the mirror visual feedback training program. Although both training programs were beneficial, the computer-generated interactive visual feedback training program more effectively aided recovery from pusher syndrome compared with mirror visual feedback training. © The Author(s) 2014.

Principles of antibiotic application in children with lobar pneumonia: Step-up or step-down.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Han, Feng; Yang, Yan; Chu, Jianwei

2017-06-01

In order to provide a scientific basis for rational use of antibiotics, we studied and compared the therapeutic effects of step-down and step-up antibiotic treatment schemes in children with lobar pneumonia. Eighty cases of children with lobar pneumonia were enrolled in this study and were randomly divided into two groups: The observation group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. In the observation group, there were 23 cases with mild and 17 cases with severe lobar pneumonia, and in the control group, 25 were mild and 15 were severe cases. Patients in the control group were treated with antibiotics using step-up therapy method, while patients in the observation group were treated using step-down antibiotic therapy. Our results showed no significant differences in white blood cell (WBC) reduction rate, the course of antibiotic treatment, disappearance time of pulmonary rales and total efficiency in children with mild lobar pneumonia in the observation group after 72 h of treatment. The level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in the observation group were significantly lower. After 72 h of treatment of children with severe lobar pneumonia in the observation group, the rate of WBC reduction accelerated significantly. Compared to the patients in the control group, the course of antibiotic treatment and disappearance time of pulmonary rales were shortened significantly, while the total efficiency of treatment was improved considerably in the observation group. Also in the observation group, hs-CRP and PCT levels were significantly lower than that in the control group. In severe cases, step-down therapy showed a better result in relieving the inflammatory reactions. The disappearance time of pulmonary rales and the effective rate of treatment was significantly higher than those of step-up therapy. It was obvious that for children with severe lobar pneumonia, step-down therapy produced better results in relieving the inflammatory reaction.

The potential of transcranial magnetotherapy in color and rhythm therapy in the rehabilitation of ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Sholomov, I I; Cherevashchenko, L A; Suprunov, O V; Raigorodskii, Yu M

2010-10-01

A total of 116 patients with ischemic stroke were studied during the early recovery period. The patients were divided into four groups - three experimental groups and one control group. Of these, 87 patients in the first three groups received transcranial magneto- and/or color and rhythm therapy (TcMT, CRT) along with traditional treatment, while the 29 patients of the control group received basal treatment only. TcMT was performed using a bitemporal method, with a running field regime with a modulation frequency of 1-10 Hz. CRT consisted of an alternating scheme of stimulation of the left and right eyes with green and/or blue light with a period of 2-4 sec and an on time of 1 sec. Each of the three experimental groups (group 1 received TcMT, group 2 received CRT, and group 3 received TcMT + CRT) received two courses of treatment separated by 1.5 months. After treatment, all experimental groups, particularly group 3, showed more marked improvements than the control group. Regression of neurological symptomatology on the Lindmark scale in group 3 was 9.5% greater than that in controls; improvements in impairments to activity and self-care ability on the Barthel scale were greater by 8.8%; memory and intellectual changes were also seen on the MMSE and the Luriya and Schulte tests. Rheography and electroencephalography demonstrated significant improvements in hemodynamics and alpha-rhythm differentiation and a 14.6% reduction in the proportion of patients with dysrhythmia in group 3 compared with the control group. The best result on all measures were obtained in patients given the combination of TcMT and CRT; TcMT had the greater influence on hemodynamics, while CRT had the greater effect on psychoemotional status. Both treatments were well tolerated and produced no side effects.

Visual Guidance of Recovery from Lens-Induced Myopia in Tree Shrews (Tupaia glis belangeri)

PubMed Central

Amedo, Angela O.; Norton, Thomas T.

2011-01-01

Purpose To examine, in tree shrews, the visual guidance of recovery from negative lens-induced myopia by measuring the effect of wearing low-power negative or positive lenses during recovery. To learn if removing a negative lens for two hours per day, after compensation has occurred, is sufficient to produce recovery. Methods Starting 16 days after natural eye opening (days of visual experience), juvenile tree shrews wore a monocular –5 D lens for 11 days to produce compensation (age-appropriate refraction while wearing the lens). Recovery in four groups was started by discontinuing −5 D lens wear, which caused the treated eyes to be refractively myopic, and substituting: no lens (n = 7), a plano lens (n = 8), a −2 D lens (n = 6) or a +2 D lens (n = 10). In a fifth group (n = 6), the −5 D lens was removed for 2 hours each day but worn the remainder of the time. Non-cycloplegic refractive measurements were made daily for the first 10 days and then less frequently. After 31 to 35 days, the lens-guided recovery period was ended for most animals; periodic measures were continued to assess post-lens recovery changes. Results All the eyes responded to the −5 D lens and were myopic (-4.8±0.1 D, mean ± SEM) compared to the untreated fellow control eye. In all groups except the −2 D Lens group, some animals exhibited slow or incomplete recovery. During recovery, the treated eye of most animals recovered until its refraction, measured with the recovery-lens in place, was near to that of the control eye. Measured without the lens, the −2 D group was myopic and the +2 D group was hyperopic. With the lens in place, the plano-lens, −2 D lens, and +2 D lens groups remained slightly myopic (−1.0±0.3 D, −0.6±0.2 D and −1.3±0.1 D, respectively). The rate of recovery during the first four days was unrelated to the amount of myopia initially experienced by the recovering eyes. Removal of the −5 D lens for two hours each day produced recovery. Conclusions During recovery, the emmetropization mechanism uses the presence of myopia, but perhaps not the magnitude, to guide eyes toward a refractive state similar to the control eye, regardless of whether the optically-recovered eye is longer or shorter than the fellow control eye. Wearing a goggle frame containing a lens of any power limits the recovery. The recovery signal can be intermittent, present for only 2 hours per day, and still mediate recovery in competition with increasing amounts of hyperopia as recovery progresses. PMID:22035177

Visual guidance of recovery from lens-induced myopia in tree shrews (Tupaia glis belangeri).

PubMed

Amedo, Angela O; Norton, Thomas T

2012-03-01

To examine, in tree shrews, the visual guidance of recovery from negative lens-induced myopia by measuring the effect of wearing low-power negative or positive lenses during recovery. To learn if removing a negative lens for 2 h per day, after compensation has occurred, is sufficient to produce recovery. Starting 16 days after natural eye opening (days of visual experience), juvenile tree shrews wore a monocular -5 D lens for 11 days to produce compensation (age-appropriate refraction while wearing the lens). Recovery in four groups was started by discontinuing -5 D lens wear, which caused the treated eyes to be refractively myopic, and substituting: no lens (n = 7), a plano lens (n = 8), a -2 D lens (n = 6) or a +2 D lens (n = 10). In a fifth group (n = 6), the -5 D lens was removed for 2 h each day but worn the remainder of the time. Non-cycloplegic refractive measurements were made daily for the first 10 days and then less frequently. After 31-35 days, the lens-guided recovery period was ended for most animals; periodic measures were continued to assess post-lens recovery changes. All the eyes responded to the -5 D lens and were myopic (-4.8 ± 0.1 D, mean ± S.E.M.) compared to the untreated fellow control eye. In all groups except the -2 D lens group, some animals exhibited slow or incomplete recovery. During recovery, the treated eye of most animals recovered until its refraction, measured with the recovery-lens in place, was near to that of the control eye. Measured without the lens, the -2 D group was myopic and the +2 D group was hyperopic. With the lens in place, the plano-lens, -2 D lens, and +2 D lens groups remained slightly myopic (-1.0 ± 0.3 D, -0.6 ± 0.2 D and -1.3 ± 0.1 D, respectively). The rate of recovery during the first four days was unrelated to the amount of myopia initially experienced by the recovering eyes. Removal of the -5 D lens for 2 h each day produced recovery. During recovery, the emmetropization mechanism uses the presence of myopia, but perhaps not the magnitude, to guide eyes toward a refractive state similar to the control eye, regardless of whether the optically-recovered eye is longer or shorter than the fellow control eye. Wearing a goggle frame containing a lens of any power limits the recovery. The recovery signal can be intermittent, present for only 2 h per day, and still mediate recovery in competition with increasing amounts of hyperopia as recovery progresses. Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2011 The College of Optometrists.

Magnesium sulfate treatment decreases the initial brain damage alterations produced after perinatal asphyxia in fetal lambs.

PubMed

Goñi-de-Cerio, Felipe; Alvarez, Antonia; Lara-Celador, Idoia; Alvarez, Francisco J; Alonso-Alconada, Daniel; Hilario, Enrique

2012-10-01

The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of MgSO(4) treatment in the brain after hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury in premature fetal lambs. Injury was induced by partial occlusion of umbilical cord for 60 min, and then the preterm lambs (80-90% of gestation) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: control group, in which the animals were managed by conventional mechanical ventilation for 3 hr; 3 hr postpartial cord occlusion (3-hr-PCO) group, in which injured animals were managed by ventilation and then sacrificed 3 hr after HI; and MgSO(4) group, in which animals received 400 mg/kg MgSO(4) for 20 min soon after HI was induced and were managed by ventilation for 3 hr. Brains were analyzed for apoptosis by TUNEL assay. Cell viability and intracellular state studies were assessed by flow cytometry. The delayed death index was significantly increased in the 3-hr-PCO group in comparison with control. Administration of MgSO(4) elicited a delay in cell death that was similar to that in the control group. The 3-hr-PCO group showed a significantly higher concentration of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial damage, and intracellular calcium in comparison with control and MgSO(4) - treated groups. Our results suggest that MgSO(4) treatment might have potential therapeutic benefits after the HI event. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Attentional functions in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with and without comorbid tic disorder.

PubMed

Greimel, E; Herpertz-Dahlmann, B; Günther, T; Vitt, C; Konrad, K

2008-01-01

Although the coexistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tic disorder (TD) is common, the nature of association is yet not fully understood. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore attentional dysfunction in children with pure ADHD compared to children with comorbid ADHD + TD. Three groups of 20 children each, aged 8-15 years with either ADHD, ADHD + chronic tic disorder or Tourette syndrome (ADHD + TD) and a healthy control group were compared in their performance on three computerized attention tasks. Tasks of sustained attention, selective attention and interference control were employed. In addition, parental ratings of ADHD symptom severity and behaviour problems were obtained. Both clinical groups were rated as equally inattentive, however, externalising symptoms were more severe in the ADHD group. Objective measures of attentional performance revealed differences between the groups: whereas the ADHD group was markedly impaired in sustaining attention and selective attention/inhibitory control, the ADHD + TD group only showed marginal deficits in selective attention/inhibitory control. Possible explanations for the superior performance of the comorbid group are discussed: In particular, the results may indicate that in some patients, the tic disorder produces behavioural symptoms of ADHD, but not the broad neurocognitive deficits that usually are associated with ADHD. Alternatively, compensatory neural mechanisms of TD patients may result in a better neuropsychological performance of comorbid patients relative to patients suffering from pure ADHD.

Strategies of readers with autism when responding to inferential questions: An eye-movement study.

PubMed

Micai, Martina; Joseph, Holly; Vulchanova, Mila; Saldaña, David

2017-05-01

Previous research suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties with inference generation in reading tasks. However, most previous studies have examined how well children understand a text after reading or have measured on-line reading behavior without response to questions. The aim of this study was to investigate the online strategies of children and adolescents with autism during reading and at the same time responding to a question by monitoring their eye movements. The reading behavior of participants with ASD was compared with that of age-, language-, nonverbal intelligence-, reading-, and receptive language skills-matched participants without ASD (control group). The results showed that the ASD group were as accurate as the control group in generating inferences when answering questions about the short texts, and no differences were found between the two groups in the global paragraph reading and responding times. However, the ASD group displayed longer gaze latencies on a target word necessary to produce an inference. They also showed more regressions into the word that supported the inference compared to the control group after reading the question, irrespective of whether an inference was required or not. In conclusion, the ASD group achieved an equivalent level of inferential comprehension, but showed subtle differences in reading comprehension strategies compared to the control group. Autism Res 2017, 10: 888-900. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Benefits of combinative application of probiotic, enterocin M-producing strain Enterococcus faecium AL41 and Eleutherococcus senticosus in rabbits.

PubMed

Lauková, Andrea; Simonová, Monika Pogány; Chrastinová, Ľubica; Plachá, Iveta; Čobanová, Klaudia; Formelová, Zuzana; Chrenková, Mária; Ondruška, Ľubomír; Strompfová, Viola

2016-03-01

This study presents the effects of the probiotic and enterocin M-producing strain Enterococcus faecium AL41 on microbiota, phagocytic activity (PA), oxidative stress, performance and biochemical parameters when applied individually or in combination with Eleutherococcus senticosus in rabbits. The novelty of the study lies in the use of our non-rabbit-derived strain (AL41 = CCM8558) which produces new enterocin M. Ninety-six post-weaned rabbits (Hyplus breed) aged 5 weeks were divided into three experimental groups, 24 in each: E. senticosus (ES, 30 g/100 kg) in feed, E. faecium AL41 (10(9) CFU/mL marked by rifampicin to differentiate it from other enterococci) in water, and ES + AL. AL41 colonized sufficiently in rabbits to reduce coliforms, staphylococci, pseudomonads and clostridia. Slight decrease in bacteria was also found in the caecum and appendix. Phagocytic activity was significantly increased in the experimental groups compared to the control group (CG) (p < 0.001; p < 0.05). Applications did not evoke oxidative stress. Biochemical parameters in blood and caecal organic acids were slightly influenced. Average daily weight gain was slightly higher in ES and AL + ES. Combinative application of E. faecium with E. senticosus can be beneficial in rabbits. AL41 strain alone and in combination with ES produced reduction in spoilage bacteria; the highest stimulation of PA was in the AL41 + ES group.

Aerodynamic Data Accuracy and Quality: Requirements and Capabilities in Wind Tunnel Testing.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-07-01

Lu: presentation to Sino-U.S. Joint Symosium on ’Fundamental Experimental Aerodynmics.’ NASA-Langley, 1967. Table 4 - Sumary of Experimets -- Group 4...described in Ref. 14. However, configurations with non -axisymmetric nozzles will require the development of an experimental data base to produce a correction...8IBLATION Report Of the RevLow Cimittan of~AGARn Workit Group 09 "glad Tunneol Boundar Layer 84--tton and Control " A. ELesiar National Aerospace Laboratory

Monitoring Calcium in Trout Eggs Exposed to Hydrazine.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-10

differentiation processes (Chapman, 1980). The high level of calcium in the notochord can be attributed to poor circulation which is characteristic of this...healthy muscle of the same individual. The notochord of the 8.0 mg/P group showed a higher calcium level than the control group. The chorion did not...calcium can alter the process . The above would suggest that even if some hydrazine is converted to N2 and thereby produce the gas bubble disease

Effectiveness of the Virtual Reality System Toyra on Upper Limb Function in People with Tetraplegia: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Dimbwadyo-Terrer, I; Gil-Agudo, A; Segura-Fragoso, A; de los Reyes-Guzmán, A; Trincado-Alonso, F; Piazza, S; Polonio-López, B

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a virtual reality program combined with conventional therapy in upper limb function in people with tetraplegia and to provide data about patients' satisfaction with the virtual reality system. Thirty-one people with subacute complete cervical tetraplegia participated in the study. Experimental group received 15 sessions with Toyra(®) virtual reality system for 5 weeks, 30 minutes/day, 3 days/week in addition to conventional therapy, while control group only received conventional therapy. All patients were assessed at baseline, after intervention, and at three-month follow-up with a battery of clinical, functional, and satisfaction scales. Control group showed significant improvements in the manual muscle test (p = 0,043, partial η (2) = 0,22) in the follow-up evaluation. Both groups demonstrated clinical, but nonsignificant, changes to their arm function in 4 of the 5 scales used. All patients showed a high level of satisfaction with the virtual reality system. This study showed that virtual reality added to conventional therapy produces similar results in upper limb function compared to only conventional therapy. Moreover, the gaming aspects incorporated in conventional rehabilitation appear to produce high motivation during execution of the assigned tasks. This trial is registered with EudraCT number 2015-002157-35.

Effectiveness of the Virtual Reality System Toyra on Upper Limb Function in People with Tetraplegia: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Dimbwadyo-Terrer, I.; Gil-Agudo, A.; Segura-Fragoso, A.; de los Reyes-Guzmán, A.; Trincado-Alonso, F.; Piazza, S.; Polonio-López, B.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a virtual reality program combined with conventional therapy in upper limb function in people with tetraplegia and to provide data about patients' satisfaction with the virtual reality system. Thirty-one people with subacute complete cervical tetraplegia participated in the study. Experimental group received 15 sessions with Toyra® virtual reality system for 5 weeks, 30 minutes/day, 3 days/week in addition to conventional therapy, while control group only received conventional therapy. All patients were assessed at baseline, after intervention, and at three-month follow-up with a battery of clinical, functional, and satisfaction scales. Control group showed significant improvements in the manual muscle test (p = 0,043, partial η 2 = 0,22) in the follow-up evaluation. Both groups demonstrated clinical, but nonsignificant, changes to their arm function in 4 of the 5 scales used. All patients showed a high level of satisfaction with the virtual reality system. This study showed that virtual reality added to conventional therapy produces similar results in upper limb function compared to only conventional therapy. Moreover, the gaming aspects incorporated in conventional rehabilitation appear to produce high motivation during execution of the assigned tasks. This trial is registered with EudraCT number 2015-002157-35. PMID:26885511

Training Effects of Alternated and Pulsed Currents on the Quadriceps Muscles of Athletes.

PubMed

Oliveira, Pedro; Modesto, Karenina Arrais Guida; Bottaro, Martim; Babault, Nicolas; Durigan, João Luiz Quagliotti

2018-05-22

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of 6 weeks training with different neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) currents (medium alternated and low-frequency pulsed current) on muscle architecture and neuromuscular performance of competitive athletes. A double-blind controlled and randomized experimental study was carried out with 33 athletes (22.2±2.6 yrs, 74.7±9.8 kg, 176.8±6.0 cm), divided into 3 groups: mid-frequency current (MF, n=12), pulsed current (PC, n=11) and the control group (CG, n=10). Quadriceps maximal voluntary peak torque (PT) and corresponding vastus lateralis electromyographic activity, evoked torque (PT-NMES), vastus lateralis muscle thickness, fascicle length, pennation angle, and level of discomfort were assessed before and after the interventions. NMES training was performed 3 times per week and consisted of 18 sessions, 15 min/session, 6 s duration in each contraction interspersed with 18 s rest. After the training period, muscle thickness increased in the MF and PC groups (p<0.05). PT-NMES increased only in the PC group (p<0.05). All currents produced similar levels of discomfort (p>0.05). Quadriceps NMES training applied through alternated or pulsed currents produced similar effects in architecture and neuromuscular performance in competitive athletes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Lipolytic Changes in Fermented Sausages Produced with Turkey Meat: Effects of Starter Culture and Heat Treatment

PubMed Central

Kolsarici, Nuray; Candoğan, Kezban

2014-01-01

In this study, the effects of two different commercial starter culture mixes and processing methodologies (traditional and heat process) on the lipolytic changes of fermented sausages manufactured with turkey meat were evaluated during processing stages and storage. Free fatty acid (FFA) value increased with fermentation and during storage over 120 d in all fermented sausage groups produced with both processing methodologies (p<0.05). After drying stage, free fatty acid values of traditional style and heat processed fermented sausages were between 10.54-13.01% and 6.56-8.49%, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of traditionally processed fermented sausages were between 0.220-0.450 mg·kg-1, and TBA values of heat processed fermented sausages were in a range of 0.405-0.795 mg·kg-1. Oleic and linoleic acids were predominant fatty acids in all fermented sausages. It was seen that fermented sausage groups produced with starter culture had lower TBA and FFA values in comparison with the control groups, and heat application inhibited the lipase enzyme activity and had an improving effect on lipid oxidation. As a result of these effects, heat processed fermented sausages had lower FFA and higher TBA values than the traditionally processed groups. PMID:26760744

Lipolytic Changes in Fermented Sausages Produced with Turkey Meat: Effects of Starter Culture and Heat Treatment.

PubMed

Karsloğlu, Betül; Çiçek, Ümran Ensoy; Kolsarici, Nuray; Candoğan, Kezban

2014-01-01

In this study, the effects of two different commercial starter culture mixes and processing methodologies (traditional and heat process) on the lipolytic changes of fermented sausages manufactured with turkey meat were evaluated during processing stages and storage. Free fatty acid (FFA) value increased with fermentation and during storage over 120 d in all fermented sausage groups produced with both processing methodologies (p<0.05). After drying stage, free fatty acid values of traditional style and heat processed fermented sausages were between 10.54-13.01% and 6.56-8.49%, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of traditionally processed fermented sausages were between 0.220-0.450 mg·kg(-1), and TBA values of heat processed fermented sausages were in a range of 0.405-0.795 mg·kg(-1). Oleic and linoleic acids were predominant fatty acids in all fermented sausages. It was seen that fermented sausage groups produced with starter culture had lower TBA and FFA values in comparison with the control groups, and heat application inhibited the lipase enzyme activity and had an improving effect on lipid oxidation. As a result of these effects, heat processed fermented sausages had lower FFA and higher TBA values than the traditionally processed groups.

[Change in trigeminal mesencephalic neurons after teeth extraction in guinea pig].

PubMed

Kimoto, A

1993-03-01

Trigeminal mesencephalic (Mes V) neurons innervating the periodontal mechanoreceptor (PMR) are known to play an important role in controlling the bite force and jaw-movements during mastication. After teeth loss, the PMR disappears due to loss of the periodontal membrane. The present work is a study on whether cell death is induced in the Mes V neurons in association with teeth loss. The upper and lower incisors were extracted on the right side in 5 guinea pigs (extraction group) and the other 5 guinea pigs were kept intact (control group). In the extraction group, the animals were kept alive for 58-119 days after teeth extraction. Serial coronal sections (50 microns thick) were made of the midbrain and pons and stained with cresyl violet. The Mes V neurons were counted on every other section. In the caudal half of the Mes V nucleus, where the neurons innervating the PMR are reported to be located, the number of neurons was less on the right side than on the left side (P < 0.01) in the extraction group, while there was no difference between the right and left sides in the control group. We conclude that teeth extraction can induce cell death in the Mes V neurons innervating the PMR and produce a significant change in the brainstem mechanisms controlling mastication.

Effect of a patient training video on visual field test reliability

PubMed Central

Sherafat, H; Spry, P G D; Waldock, A; Sparrow, J M; Diamond, J P

2003-01-01

Aims: To evaluate the effect of a visual field test educational video on the reliability of the first automated visual field test of new patients. Methods: A prospective, randomised, controlled trial of an educational video on visual field test reliability of patients referred to the hospital eye service for suspected glaucoma was undertaken. Patients were randomised to either watch an educational video or a control group with no video. The video group was shown a 4.5 minute audiovisual presentation to familiarise them with the various aspects of visual field examination with particular emphasis on sources of unreliability. Reliability was determined using standard criteria of fixation loss rate less than 20%, false positive responses less than 33%, and false negative responses less than 33%. Results: 244 patients were recruited; 112 in the video group and 132 in the control group with no significant between group difference in age, sex, and density of field defects. A significant improvement in reliability (p=0.015) was observed in the group exposed to the video with 85 (75.9%) patients having reliable results compared to 81 (61.4%) in the control group. The difference was not significant for the right (first tested) eye with 93 (83.0%) of the visual fields reliable in the video group compared to 106 (80.0%) in the control group (p = 0.583), but was significant for the left (second tested) eye with 97 (86.6 %) of the video group reliable versus 97 (73.5%) of the control group (p = 0.011). Conclusions: The use of a brief, audiovisual patient information guide on taking the visual field test produced an improvement in patient reliability for individuals tested for the first time. In this trial the use of the video had most of its impact by reducing the number of unreliable fields from the second tested eye. PMID:12543740

Effect of a patient training video on visual field test reliability.

PubMed

Sherafat, H; Spry, P G D; Waldock, A; Sparrow, J M; Diamond, J P

2003-02-01

To evaluate the effect of a visual field test educational video on the reliability of the first automated visual field test of new patients. A prospective, randomised, controlled trial of an educational video on visual field test reliability of patients referred to the hospital eye service for suspected glaucoma was undertaken. Patients were randomised to either watch an educational video or a control group with no video. The video group was shown a 4.5 minute audiovisual presentation to familiarize them with the various aspects of visual field examination with particular emphasis on sources of unreliability. Reliability was determined using standard criteria of fixation loss rate less than 20%, false positive responses less than 33%, and false negative responses less than 33%. 244 patients were recruited; 112 in the video group and 132 in the control group with no significant between group difference in age, sex, and density of field defects. A significant improvement in reliability (p=0.015) was observed in the group exposed to the video with 85 (75.9%) patients having reliable results compared to 81 (61.4%) in the control group. The difference was not significant for the right (first tested) eye with 93 (83.0%) of the visual fields reliable in the video group compared to 106 (80.0%) in the control group (p = 0.583), but was significant for the left (second tested) eye with 97 (86.6 %) of the video group reliable versus 97 (73.5%) of the control group (p = 0.011). The use of a brief, audiovisual patient information guide on taking the visual field test produced an improvement in patient reliability for individuals tested for the first time. In this trial the use of the video had most of its impact by reducing the number of unreliable fields from the second tested eye.

Expressive writing difficulties in children described as exhibiting ADHD symptoms.

PubMed

Re, Anna Maria; Pedron, Martina; Cornoldi, Cesare

2007-01-01

Three groups of children of different ages who were considered by their teachers as showing symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and matched controls were tested in a series of expressive writing tasks, derived from a standardized writing test. In the first study, 24 sixth- and seventh-grade children with ADHD symptoms wrote a description of an image. The ADHD group's expressive writing was worse than that of the control group and associated with a higher number of errors, mainly concerning accents and geminates. The second study showed the generality of the effect by testing younger groups of children with ADHD symptoms and controls with another description task where a verbal description was substituted for the picture stimulus. The third study extended the previous observations with another type of writing task, the request of writing a narrative text. In all the three studies, children with ADHD symptoms scored lower than controls on four qualitative parameters (adequacy, structure, grammar, and lexicon), produced shorter texts, and made more errors. These studies show that children with ADHD symptoms have school difficulties also in writing-both in spelling and expression-and that these difficulties are extended to different tasks and ages.

Efficacy of kinesio taping on isokinetic quadriceps torque in knee osteoarthritis: a double blinded randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Anandkumar, Sudarshan; Sudarshan, Shobhalakshmi; Nagpal, Pratima

2014-08-01

Double blind pre-test post-test control group design. To compare the isokinetic quadriceps torque, standardized stair-climbing task (SSCT) and pain during SSCT between subjects diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis pre and post kinesio tape (KT) application with and without tension. Strength of the quadriceps and torque producing capability is frequently found to be compromised in knee osteoarthritis. The efficacy of KT in improving isokinetic quadriceps torque in knee osteoarthritis is unknown, forming the basis for this study. Forty subjects were randomly allocated to either the experimental (therapeutic KT with tension) or control group (sham KT without tension) with the allocation being concealed. Pre and post test measurements of isokinetic quadriceps torque, SSCT and pain during SSCT were carried out by a blinded assessor. A large effect size with significant improvements in the peak quadriceps torque (concentric and eccentric at angular velocities of 90° per second and 120° per second), SSCT and pain were obtained in the experimental group when compared to the control group. Application of therapeutic KT is effective in improving isokinetic quadriceps torque, SSCT and reducing pain in knee osteoarthritis.

Comparison between an Acrylic Splint Herbst and an Acrylic Splint Miniscrew-Herbst for Mandibular Incisors Proclination Control

PubMed Central

Manni, Antonio; Pasini, Marco; Nuzzo, Claudio; Grassi, Felice Roberto

2014-01-01

Aim. The aim of this study is to compare dental and skeletal effects produced by an acrylic splint Herbst with and without skeletal anchorage for correction of dental class II malocclusion. Methods. The test group was formed by 14 patients that were treated with an acrylic splint miniscrew-Herbst; miniscrews were placed between mandibular second premolars and first molars; controls also consisted of 14 subjects that were treated with an acrylic splint Herbst and no miniscrews. Cephalometric measurements before and after Herbst treatment were compared. The value of α for significance was set at 0.05. Results. All subjects from both groups were successfully treated to a bilateral Class I relationship; mean treatment time was 8,1 months in the test group and 7.8 in the controls. Several variables did not have a statistical significant difference between the two groups. Some of the variables, instead, presented a significant difference such as incisor flaring, mandibular bone base position, and skeletal discrepancy. Conclusions. This study showed that the Herbst appliance associated to miniscrews allowed a better control of the incisor flaring with a greater mandibular skeletal effect. PMID:24963293

Moderate hypothermia suppresses jugular venous superoxide anion radical, oxidative stress, early inflammation, and endothelial injury in forebrain ischemia/reperfusion rats.

PubMed

Koda, Yoichi; Tsuruta, Ryosuke; Fujita, Motoki; Miyauchi, Takashi; Kaneda, Kotaro; Todani, Masaki; Aoki, Tetsuya; Shitara, Masaki; Izumi, Tomonori; Kasaoka, Shunji; Yuasa, Makoto; Maekawa, Tsuyoshi

2010-01-22

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of moderate hypothermia (MH) on generation of jugular venous superoxide radical (O2-.), oxidative stress, early inflammation, and endothelial injury in forebrain ischemia/reperfusion (FBI/R) rats. Twenty-one Wistar rats were allocated to a control group (n=7, 37 degrees C), a pre-MH group (n=7, 32 degrees C before ischemia), and a post-MH group (n=7, 32 degrees C after reperfusion). MH was induced before induction of ischemia in the pre-MH group and just after reperfusion in the post-MH group. Forebrain ischemia was induced by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries with hemorrhagic hypotension for 10 min, followed by reperfusion. O(2)(-)(.) in the jugular vein was measured from the produced current using a novel O2-. sensor. The O2-. current showed a gradual increase during forebrain ischemia in the control and post-MH groups but was attenuated in the pre-MH group. Following reperfusion, the current showed a marked increase in the control group but was strongly attenuated in the pre- and post-MH groups. Concentrations of malondialdehyde, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the brain and plasma 120 min after reperfusion in the pre- and post-MH groups were significantly lower than those in the control group, except for plasma HMGB1 in the post-MH group. In conclusion, MH suppressed O2-. measured in the jugular vein, oxidative stress, early inflammation, and endothelial injury in FBI/R rats. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synergistic effects of low-intensity exercise conditioning and β-blockade on cardiovascular and autonomic adaptation in pre- and postmenopausal women with hypertension.

PubMed

Goldie, Catherine L; Brown, C Ann; Hains, Sylvia M J; Parlow, Joel L; Birtwhistle, Richard

2013-10-01

The effects of a 12-week low-intensity exercise conditioning program (walking) on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), rate-pressure product (RPP), and cardiac autonomic function were measured in 40 sedentary women with hypertension. Women were assigned to either an exercise group (n = 20) or a control group (n = 20), matched for β-blockade treatment. They underwent testing at the beginning and at the end of the 12-week study period in three conditions: supine rest, standing, and low-intensity steady state exercise. The exercise group participated in a 12-week, low-intensity walking program, while the control group continued with usual sedentary activity. Compared with the control group, women in the exercise group showed reductions in systolic and diastolic BP and RPP (i.e., the estimated cardiac workload). β-Blockers increased baroreflex sensitivity and lowered BP and HR in all participants; however, those in the exercise group showed the effects of both treatments: a greater reduction in HR and RPP. The combination of exercise training and β-blockade produces cardiac and autonomic adaptations that are not observed with either treatment alone, suggesting that β-blockade enhances the conditioning effects of low-intensity exercise in women with hypertension.

Benefits of cognitive-motor intervention in MCI and mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Olazarán, J; Muñiz, R; Reisberg, B; Peña-Casanova, J; del Ser, T; Cruz-Jentoft, A J; Serrano, P; Navarro, E; García de la Rocha, M L; Frank, A; Galiano, M; Fernández-Bullido, Y; Serra, J A; González-Salvador, M T; Sevilla, C

2004-12-28

To evaluate the efficacy of a cognitive-motor program in patients with early Alzheimer disease (AD) who are treated with a cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI). Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (12), mild AD (48), and moderate AD (24) (Global Deterioration Scale stages 3, 4, and 5) were randomized to receive psychosocial support plus cognitive-motor intervention (experimental group) or psychosocial support alone (control group). Cognitive-motor intervention (CMI) consisted of a 1-year structured program of 103 sessions of cognitive exercises, plus social and psychomotor activities. The primary efficacy measure was the cognitive subscale of the AD Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog). Secondary efficacy measures were the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Functional Activities Questionnaire, and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Evaluations were conducted at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months by blinded evaluators. Patients in the CMI group maintained cognitive status at month 6, whereas patients in the control group had significantly declined at that time. Cognitive response was higher in the patients with fewer years of formal education. In addition, more patients in the experimental group maintained or improved their affective status at month 12 (experimental group, 75%; control group, 47%; p = 0.017). A long-term CMI in ChEI-treated early Alzheimer disease patients produced additional mood and cognitive benefits.

Use of bacteriocin-producing, probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium AL41 to control intestinal microbiota in farm ostriches.

PubMed

Lauková, A; Kandričáková, A; Ščerbová, J

2015-06-01

Probiotic enterococci can produce bacteriocins. Enterococcus faecium AL41 is an Enterocin M-producing, probiotic strain which has previously shown beneficial effect in broiler chickens. In this study, it was used to control intestinal microbiota in farm ostriches in a 42-day experiment with an experimental group (EG, 40 ostriches) and a control group (CG, 46). In addition to feed mixture, the ostriches in EG received Ent. faecium AL41 (10(9) CFU ml(-1); by rifampicin-marked variant) 400 μl per animal per day in their drinking water for 21 days. Sampling was carried out at the start of the experiment (at day 0/1), at day 21 (after 21 days of AL41 application) and at day 42 (21 days after AL41 cessation). Faeces (mixture, n = 6) were treated using the standard microbiological dilution method and cultivated on selective media (ISO). The highest count of AL41 was found at day 42. Its identity was confirmed with PCR and Maldi-Tof. The ostriches were free of Salmonella and Campylobacter cells. At day 21, antimicrobial effect was demonstrated by significant reduction in coagulase-positive and negative staphylococci in EG compared to CG (P < 0·001) and coliforms, Enterobacteria and Pseudomonas-like bacteria (P < 0·001). We conclude that AL41 can be used to control intestinal microbiota in farm ostriches. Significance and impact of the study: Ostriches are excellent for high intensity farming in a wide range of climates, requiring only limited space and giving high yields per hectare. They are reared mainly for their meat. Although adult birds possess quite good immunity, young birds can be threatened by spoilage bacteria, especially when they are transferred from the nests to the farm area. Based on our previous results related to the beneficial effect of bacteriocin-producing, probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium AL41 in poultry or rabbits, we decided to test its ability to control intestinal microbiota in farming ostriches which has never been tested previously. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Patient prompting of their physician resulted in increased colon cancer screening referrals

PubMed Central

Le, Vu; Syed, Saqib; Vega, Kenneth J; Sharma, Tushar; Madhoun, Mohammad F; Srinivasan, Nandakumar; Houchen, Courtney W

2014-01-01

AIM: To determine whether a communication instrument provided to patients prior to their primary care physician (PCP) visit initiates a conversation with their PCP about colorectal cancer screening (CRC-S), impacting screening referral rates in fully insured and underinsured patients. METHODS: A prospective randomized control study was performed at a single academic center outpatient internal medicine (IRMC, underinsured) and family medicine (FMRC, insured) resident clinics prior to scheduled visits. In the intervention group, a pamphlet about the benefit of CRC-S and a reminder card were given to patients before the scheduled visit for prompting of CRC-S referral by their PCP. The main outcome measured was frequency of CRC-S referral in each clinic after intervention. RESULTS: In the IRMC, 148 patients participated, a control group of 72 patients (40F and 32M) and 76 patients (48F and 28M) in the intervention group. Referrals for CRC-S occurred in 45/72 (63%) of control vs 70/76 (92%) in the intervention group (P ≤ 0.001). In the FMRC, 126 patients participated, 66 (39F:27M) control and 60 (33F:27M) in the intervention group. CRC-S referrals occurred in 47/66 (71%) of controls vs 56/60 (98%) in the intervention group (P ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patient initiated physician prompting produced a significant referral increase for CRC-S in underinsured and insured patient populations. Additional investigation aimed at increasing CRC-S acceptance is warranted. PMID:25024817

Increased brain connectivity and activation after cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Díez-Cirarda, María; Ojeda, Natalia; Peña, Javier; Cabrera-Zubizarreta, Alberto; Lucas-Jiménez, Olaia; Gómez-Esteban, Juan Carlos; Gómez-Beldarrain, Maria Ángeles; Ibarretxe-Bilbao, Naroa

2017-12-01

Cognitive rehabilitation programs have demonstrated efficacy in improving cognitive functions in Parkinson's disease (PD), but little is known about cerebral changes associated with an integrative cognitive rehabilitation in PD. To assess structural and functional cerebral changes in PD patients, after attending a three-month integrative cognitive rehabilitation program (REHACOP). Forty-four PD patients were randomly divided into REHACOP group (cognitive rehabilitation) and a control group (occupational therapy). T1-weighted, diffusion weighted and functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) during resting-state and during a memory paradigm (with learning and recognition tasks) were acquired at pre-treatment and post-treatment. Cerebral changes were assessed with repeated measures ANOVA 2 × 2 for group x time interaction. During resting-state fMRI, the REHACOP group showed significantly increased brain connectivity between the left inferior temporal lobe and the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex compared to the control group. Moreover, during the recognition fMRI task, the REHACOP group showed significantly increased brain activation in the left middle temporal area compared to the control group. During the learning fMRI task, the REHACOP group showed increased brain activation in the left inferior frontal lobe at post-treatment compared to pre-treatment. No significant structural changes were found between pre- and post-treatment. Finally, the REHACOP group showed significant and positive correlations between the brain connectivity and activation and the cognitive performance at post-treatment. This randomized controlled trial suggests that an integrative cognitive rehabilitation program can produce significant functional cerebral changes in PD patients and adds evidence to the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation programs in the therapeutic approach for PD.

Manufacturing engineering: Principles for optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koenig, Daniel T.

Various subjects in the area of manufacturing engineering are addressed. The topics considered include: manufacturing engineering organization concepts and management techniques, factory capacity and loading techniques, capital equipment programs, machine tool and equipment selection and implementation, producibility engineering, methods, planning and work management, and process control engineering in job shops. Also discussed are: maintenance engineering, numerical control of machine tools, fundamentals of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture, computer-aided process planning and data collection, group technology basis for plant layout, environmental control and safety, and the Integrated Productivity Improvement Program.

Contrast Therapy and Intramuscular Temperature in the Human Leg

PubMed Central

Myrer, J. William; Draper, David O.; Durrant, Earlene

1994-01-01

Contrast therapy, although having a long history of use in sports medicine and physical therapy, remains insufficiently researched. We investigated the thermal effects of contrast therapy on intramuscular temperature. We randomly assigned 28 college students to either a control or a contrast group, eight women and six men per group. We shaved and cleansed a 4- × 4-cm area of skin over the right medial calf and inserted a microprobe to a depth of 1 cm below the skin and subcutaneous fat in the center of the gastrocnemius. Each control subject immersed the treatment leg in a hot whirlpool (40.6°C) for 20 minutes. Each contrast subject first immersed the treatment leg in a hot whirlpool (40.6°C) for 4 minutes then into a cold whirlpool (15.6°C) for 1 minute. Contrast subjects repeated this sequence three additional times. We recorded intramuscular temperatures every 30 seconds over the entire treatment time for both groups. The control group had a temperature increase of 2.83 ± 1.14°C over the 20-minute treatment. The contrast group temperature increased 0.39 ± 0.46°C from baseline to the end of the treatment. The largest temperature change from the end of one contrast immersion to the end of the next was only 0.15 ± 0.10°C. None of the differences between the end of one immersion to the end of the next were significant. Conversely, all differences between the same time periods in the control group had significant temperature increases. Apparently contrast therapy, as studied, is incapable of producing any significant physiological effect on the intramuscular tissue temperature 1 cm below the skin and subcutaneous tissue. We recommend that further research be done to examine the effects of longer periods in both the hot and cold environments on the intramuscular temperature of the human leg. Further investigation of intra-articular or peri-articular temperature change produced by contrast therapy should also be undertaken. ImagesFig 1. PMID:16558294

Less deep vein thrombosis due to transcutaneous fibular nerve stimulation in total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Izumi, Masashi; Ikeuchi, Masahiko; Aso, Koji; Sugimura, Natsuki; Kamimoto, Yuko; Mitani, Tetsuya; Ueta, Tadashi; Sato, Takayuki; Yokoyama, Masataka; Sugiura, Tetsuro; Tani, Toshikazu

2015-11-01

It has been known for years that deep vein thrombi (DVT) start to develop during total joint arthroplasty. Previously, we reported effective prevention of venous stasis by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). It is hypothesized that TENS might be a thromboprophylactic tool for the limb undergoing surgery. The purpose of this study is to clarify the clinical efficacy and safety of TENS in patients during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Ninety patients undergoing primary TKA were involved and randomly allocated to the TENS or control group. In the TENS group, electrical stimulation of the common fibular nerve, which produced a brisk dorsiflexion of the ankle, was performed for the operated leg during surgery. In the control group, no electrical stimulation was applied. Serum D-dimer and soluble fibrin monomer complex (SFMC) levels were measured before surgery, immediately after surgery, and post-operative day (POD) 1. Ultrasonography was performed on POD 1. Immediately after surgery, D-dimer and SFMC levels of each group were significantly lower in the TENS group compared with control (p < 0.05). The incidence of DVT was 11 % (five cases) in the TENS group while 31 % (14 cases) in control (p = 0.02). There were no adverse effects related to TENS. TENS during TKA showed significant effects on preventing DVT. Sustaining muscle pump activation during surgery prevented not only venous stasis, but also hypercoagulability of blood. Intraoperative TENS is a safe and novel strategy against early post-operative thromboembolism, which is difficult to be completed through existing prophylaxis after total joint arthroplasty. Randomized controlled trial, Level I.

No evidence for true training and transfer effects after inhibitory control training in young healthy adults.

PubMed

Enge, Sören; Behnke, Alexander; Fleischhauer, Monika; Küttler, Lena; Kliegel, Matthias; Strobel, Alexander

2014-07-01

Recent studies reported that training of working memory may improve performance in the trained function and beyond. Other executive functions, however, have been rarely or not yet systematically examined. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of inhibitory control (IC) training to produce true training-related function improvements in a sample of 122 healthy adults using a randomized, double-blind pretest/posttest/follow-up design. Two groups performed either adaptive (training group) or nonadaptive (active control) versions of go/no-go and stop-signal tasks for 3 weeks. Training gains as well as near-transfer to an untrained Stroop task and far-transfer to psychometric fluid intelligence were explored. Although the adaptive group could substantially improve overall IC task performance after training, no differences to the active control group occurred, neither at posttest nor at follow-up testing. A large decrease in response latency from pre- to posttest (and from pretest to 4 months' follow-up testing) was found when the training group was compared to the passive control group, which, however, does not sufficiently control for possible confounds. Thus, no conclusive evidence was found that this performance increase mirrors a true increase in IC function. The fact that training improvement was mainly related to response latency may indicate that individuals were more focused on performance gains in the prepotent go trials but less on the stop trials to meet the requirements of the tasks as well as possible. The challenges for response inhibition training studies are extensively discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Avoidance of alcohol-related stimuli in alcohol-dependent inpatients.

PubMed

Townshend, J M; Duka, T

2007-08-01

Previous research has shown an attentional bias toward drug-related stimuli in heavy social drinkers. Attentional orientation to drug-related cues may lead to increased craving and preoccupation with the drug and impaired ability to focus attention on nondrug-related activities, resulting in renewed drug taking or relapse from drug abstinence. The aim of this study was to investigate whether alcohol-dependent inpatients would differ in their selective attention toward alcohol-related stimuli in comparison with a group of social drinking controls. Thirty-five alcohol-dependent inpatients were compared with a group of 39 social drinking controls matched for age, sex, and verbal IQ. Attentional bias was assessed using alcohol-related pictures in a dot probe detection task. Questionnaires were used to examine outcome expectancies after alcohol consumption, anxiety, mood, and craving. The alcoholic inpatients showed a bias away from the alcohol-related stimuli, scored higher on alcohol outcome expectancies, and on anxiety measures (both state and trait). They also presented with more negative mood compared with the control group. Craving was higher in the alcoholic group for the factor "loss of control over drinking." Alcoholic inpatients undergoing treatment based on the 12-step treatment of Alcoholics Anonymous (Minnesota model), which includes counseling, and intensive group, individual, and family psychotherapy, show an avoidance for drug-related stimuli and a perception of loss of control over drinking. We suggest that their increased perception of loss of control over drinking produces the avoidance from the drug-related stimuli.

Effects of calcium gluconate and PMSF in the treatment of acute intoxication of chicken by TOCP.

PubMed

Muzardo, G A; Machado, R G P; de Oliveira, G Honorato

2008-03-01

To examine the efficacy of calcium gluconate (two doses of Ca-Glu 5 mg/kg i.v.) to alleviate the injurious effects of organophosphorus induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) in the presence or absence of phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF 90 mg/kg i.m.), 14 groups of four isabrown hens were used. To measure the lymphocyte neuropathy target esterase (LNTE)activity, groups receiving just distilled water (control), groups receiving just Tri-orto-cresyl phosphate (TOCP; 500 mg/kg p.o.) (Positive control), and other groups receiving TOCP and Ca-Glu or PMSF simultaneously or 12 hours later following intoxication by TOCP were used. They were sacrificed 12 and 24 hours after the administration of TOCP. To observe a 28-day time course of neurotoxicity scores and calcium plasma concentration, five groups were used. Regarding free Ca(2+)in the plasma, the positive control produced a characteristic profile time course up and down during 28 days, and some hens with maximum score of neurotoxicity in 28 days. The treatment, which prevented greater oscillation in free Ca(2+) in the plasma, presented a decrease in OPIDN in relation to the positive control. Twelve hours after the administration of TOCP, LNTE was 70-80% inhibited when compared with control, whereas the first decrease in the free Ca(2+) in the plasma was significantly different from the control only 24 hours after the administration of TOCP. In summary, the sooner the Ca-Glu is started, the less severe the neuropathy effects.

Effects of Exercise Intervention on Preventing Letrozole-Exposed Rats From Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

PubMed

Cao, Si-Fan; Hu, Wen-Long; Wu, Min-Min; Jiang, Li-Yan

2017-03-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrinological disorder in reproductive-age women and is often associated with a metabolic syndrome. To investigate whether exercise intervention promotes PCOS prevention, a rat model was used. Polycystic ovary syndrome was induced by letrozole administration, and animals presented with obesity, sex hormone disorder, no ovulation, large cystic follicles, and increasing fasting insulin (FINS) and leptin levels. The intervention was set at 3 different intensities of swimming exercise: low (0.5 h/d), moderate (1 h/d), and high (2 h/d), and compared with a PCOS model group (letrozole administration without exercise intervention) and a control group. The exercise intervention in the low-intensity group did not produce changes in obesity, testosterone, progesterone (P), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Moderate-intensity exercise reduced body weight, retained ovulation, and P levels were increased but remained lower than those in the control group. The FSH levels were significantly higher, and FINS and leptin levels were lower than in the model group ( P < 0.05) but not in the control group. The high-intensity group demonstrated the greatest effect of PCOS prevention. Testosterone, luteinizing hormone, FINS, and leptin levels were significantly lower in the high-intensity group, and FSH and P levels were higher compared with the model group. These results suggest that high-intensity exercise intervention can effectively prevent PCOS development.

Effects of Ficus carica paste on loperamide-induced constipation in rats.

PubMed

Lee, Hak-Yong; Kim, Jung-Hoon; Jeung, Han-Wool; Lee, Cha-Uk; Kim, Do-Sung; Li, Bo; Lee, Geum-Hwa; Sung, Myung-Soon; Ha, Ki-Chan; Back, Hyang-Im; Kim, Sun-Young; Park, Soo-Hyun; Oh, Mi-Ra; Kim, Min-Gul; Jeon, Ji-Young; Im, Yong-Jin; Hwang, Min-Ho; So, Byung-Ok; Shin, Sook-Jeong; Yoo, Wan-Hee; Kim, Hyung-Ryong; Chae, Han-Jung; Chae, Soo-Wan

2012-03-01

Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints worldwide. This study examined the effects of fig (Ficus carica L.) paste for the treatment of loperamide-induced constipation in a rat model. Animals were divided into one normal control group and four experimental groups (0, 1, 6, and 30 g/kg). Loperamide (2 mg/kg, twice per day) was injected intraperitoneally to induce constipation in the four experimental groups. Fig paste was administered for 4 weeks to assess its anti-constipation effects. Fecal pellet number, weight and water content were increased in the fig-treated groups as compared to the control group. Reductions in body weight and increased intestinal transit length were observed in the fig-treated groups. Fecal pellet number was reduced in the distal colons of the fig-treated rats. Exercise and ileum tension increased in the experimental groups as compared to the control group. According to histological analyses, the thickness of the distal colon and areas of crypt epithelial cells that produce mucin were increased in the fig-treated groups in a dose-dependent manner. Constipation was decreased when fig fruit was fed to rats. Specifically, fecal number, weight, and water content, as well as histological parameters such as thickness and mucin areas in the distal colon were improved. Fig treatment may be a useful therapeutic and preventive strategy for chronic constipation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diffusion tensor imaging as a biomarker for assessing neuronal stem cell treatments affecting areas distal to the site of spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Jirjis, Michael B; Valdez, Chris; Vedantam, Aditya; Schmit, Brian D; Kurpad, Shekar N

2017-02-01

OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to determine if the morphological and functional changes induced by neural stem cell (NSC) grafts after transplantation into the rodent spinal cord can be detected using MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and, furthermore, if the DTI-derived mean diffusivity (MD) metric could be a biomarker for cell transplantation in spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS A spinal contusion was produced at the T-8 vertebral level in 40 Sprague Dawley rats that were separated into 4 groups, including a sham group (injury without NSC injection), NSC control group (injury with saline injection), co-injection control group (injury with Prograf), and the experimental group (injury with NSC and Prograf injection). The NSC injection was completed 1 week after injury into the site of injury and the rats in the experimental group were compared to the rats from the sham, NSC control, and co-injection groups. The DTI index, MD, was assessed in vivo at 2, 5, and 10 weeks and ex vivo at 10 weeks postinjury on a 9.4-T Bruker scanner using a spin-echo imaging sequence. DTI data of the cervical spinal cord from the sham surgery, injury with saline injection, injury with injection of Prograf only, and injury with C17.2 NSC and Prograf injection were examined to evaluate if cellular proliferation induced by intrathoracic C17.2 engraftment was detectable in a noninvasive manner. RESULTS At 5 weeks after injury, the average fractional anisotropy, longitudinal diffusion (LD) and radial diffusion (RD) coefficients, and MD of water (average of the RD and LD eigenvalues in the stem cell line-treated group) increased to an average of 1.44 × 10 -3 sec/mm 2 in the cervical segments, while the control groups averaged 0.98 × 10 -3 s/mm 2 . Post hoc Tukey's honest significant difference tests demonstrated that the transplanted stem cells had significantly higher MD values than the other groups (p = 0.032 at 5 weeks). In vivo and ex vivo findings at 10 weeks displayed similar results. This statistical difference between the stem cell line and the other groups was maintained at the 10-week postinjury in vivo and ex vivo time points. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that the DTI-derived MD metric collected from noninvasive imaging techniques may provide useful biomarker indices for transplantation interventions that produce changes in the spinal cord structure and function. Though promising, the results demonstrated here suggest additional work is needed before implementation in a clinical setting.

Projection Stereolithographic Fabrication of Human Adipose Stem Cell-Incorporated Biodegradable Scaffolds for Cartilage Tissue Engineering.

PubMed

Sun, Aaron X; Lin, Hang; Beck, Angela M; Kilroy, Evan J; Tuan, Rocky S

2015-01-01

The poor self-healing ability of cartilage necessitates the development of methods for cartilage regeneration. Scaffold construction with live stem cell incorporation and subsequent differentiation presents a promising route. Projection stereolithography (PSL) offers high resolution and processing speed as well as the ability to fabricate scaffolds that precisely fit the anatomy of cartilage defects using medical imaging as the design template. We report here the use of a visible-light-based PSL (VL-PSL) system to encapsulate human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) into a biodegradable polymer [poly-d,l-lactic acid/polyethylene glycol/poly-d,l-lactic acid (PDLLA-PEG)]/hyaluronic acid (HA) matrix to produce live cell constructs with customized architectures. After fabrication, hASCs showed high viability (84%) and were uniformly distributed throughout the constructs, which possessed high mechanical properties with a compressive modulus of 780 kPa. The hASC-seeded constructs were then cultured in control or TGF-β3-containing chondrogenic medium for up to 28 days. In chondrogenic medium-treated group (TGF-β3 group), hASCs maintained 77% viability and expressed chondrogenic genes Sox9, collagen type II, and aggrecan at 11, 232, and 2.29 × 10(5) fold increases, respectively compared to levels at day 0 in non-chondrogenic medium. The TGF-β3 group also produced a collagen type II and glycosaminoglycan-rich extracellular matrix, detected by immunohistochemistry, Alcian blue staining, and Safranin O staining suggesting robust chondrogenesis within the scaffold. Without chondroinductive addition (Control group), cell viability decreased with time (65% at 28 days) and showed poor cartilage matrix deposition. After 28 days, mechanical strength of the TGF-β3 group remained high at 240 kPa. Thus, the PSL and PDLLA-PEG/HA-based fabrication method using adult stem cells is a promising approach in producing mechanically competent engineered cartilage for joint cartilage resurfacing.

Angiotensin II enhances norepinephrine spillover during sympathetic activation in conscious rabbits.

PubMed

Noshiro, T; Shimizu, K; Way, D; Miura, Y; McGrath, B P

1994-05-01

To investigate the potential modulating influence of angiotensin II (ANG II) on sympathetic activity in response to changes in baroreflex activity, renal and total norepinephrine (NE) spillover rates were examined during sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and phenylephrine (PE) infusions in four groups of conscious rabbits: 1) saline (control); 2) subpressor ANG II (ANG II, 2 ng.kg-1.min-1); 3) enalaprilat (MK-422, 200 micrograms/kg and 3.3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1); and 4) MK plus ANG II (MK+ANG II). Upper plateaus of baroreflex-NE spillover curves for renal and total NE spillover were reduced in the MK group (25 and 81 ng/min) compared with control (38 and 125 ng/min) and MK+ANG II (37 and 155 ng/min). To investigate the interaction of ANG II and sympathetic activity during treadmill exercise, hindlimb NE spillover rate was examined in three groups of rabbits: 1) control, 2) MK, and 3) MK+ANG II. Exercise at 6 and 12 m/min produced similar effort-related hemodynamic responses in the three groups. At maximal exercise, hindlimb NE spillover was reduced in the MK group (29 +/- 3 ng/min) compared with control (62 +/- 17 ng/min, P < 0.05) and MK+ANG II group (51 +/- 10 ng/min). It is concluded that endogenous ANG II enhances sympathetic activity during pharmacological (baroreflex) and physiological stimulation.

Self-management education for rehabilitation inpatients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Reusch, A; Weiland, R; Gerlich, C; Dreger, K; Derra, C; Mainos, D; Tuschhoff, T; Berding, A; Witte, C; Kaltz, B; Faller, H

2016-12-01

Although inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects patients' psychological well-being, previous educational programs have failed to demonstrate effects on psychosocial outcomes and quality of life. Therefore, we developed a group-based psychoeducational program that combined provision of both medical information and psychological self-management skills, delivered in an interactive manner, and evaluated it in a large, cluster-randomized trial. We assigned 540 rehabilitation inpatients suffering from IBD (mean age 43 years, 66% female) to either the new intervention or a control group comprising the same overall intensity and the same medical information, but only general psychosocial information. The primary outcome was patient-reported IBD-related concerns. Secondary outcomes included disease knowledge, coping, self-management skills, fear of progression, anxiety, depression and quality of life. Assessments took place at baseline, end of rehabilitation and after 3 and 12 months.The psychoeducational self-management program did not prove superior to the control group regarding primary and secondary outcomes. However, positive changes over time occurred in both groups regarding most outcomes. The superior effectiveness of the newly developed psychoeducational program could not be demonstrated. Since the intervention and control groups may have been too similar, this trial may have been too conservative to produce between-group effects. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The potential reproductive, neurobehavioral and systemic effects of soluble sodium tungstate exposure in Sprague-Dawley rats

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

McInturf, S.M.; Bekkedal, M.Y.V.; Wilfong, E.

2011-07-15

The debate on tungsten (W) is fostered by its continuous usage in military munitions. Reports demonstrate W solubilizes in soil and can migrate into drinking water supplies and, therefore, is a potential health risk to humans. This study evaluated the reproductive, systemic and neurobehavioral effects of sodium tungstate (NaW) in rats following 70 days of daily pre-and postnatal exposure via oral gavage to 5, 62.5 and 125 mg/kg/day of NaW through mating, gestation and weaning (PND 0-20). Daily administration of NaW produced no overt evidence of toxicity and had no apparent effect on mating success or offspring physical development. Distressmore » vocalizations were elevated in F{sub 1} offspring from the high dose group, whereas righting reflex showed unexpected sex differences where males demonstrated faster righting than females; however, the effects were not dose-dependent. Locomotor activity was affected in both low and high-dose groups of F{sub 1} females. Low-dose group showed increased distance traveled, more time in ambulatory movements and less time in stereotypic behavior than controls or high dose animals. The high-dose group had more time in stereotypical movements than controls, and less time resting than controls and the lowest exposure group. Maternal retrieval was not affected by NaW exposure. Tungsten analysis showed a systemic distribution of NaW in both parents and offspring, with preferential uptake within the immune organs, including the femur, spleen and thymus. Histopathological evidence suggested no severe chronic injury or loss of function in these organs. However, the heart showed histological lesions, histiocytic inflammation from minimal to mild with cardiomyocyte degeneration and necrosis in several P{sub 0} animals of 125 mg NaW dose group. The result of this study suggests that pre and postnatal exposure to NaW may produce subtle neurobehavioral effects in offspring related to motor activity and emotionality.« less

Effects of a progesterone-based oestrous synchronization protocol in 51- to 57-day postpartum high-producing dairy cows.

PubMed

Garcia-Ispierto, I; López-Gatius, F; Bech-Sàbat, G; Yániz, J L; Angulo, E; Maris, C; Floc'h, S; Martino, A

2010-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of applying a progesterone-based oestrous synchronization protocol at 51-57 days postpartum in high-producing dairy cows. The data analysed were derived from 1345 lactating cows. Cows between 51 and 57 days postpartum were assigned to the groups: control, PRID (receiving a progesterone-releasing intravaginal device for 9 days, and prostaglandin F(2α) 24 h before PRID removal) or GnRH-PRID (the same as the PRID group plus GnRH at PRID insertion). Oestrus was detected by using pedometers and confirmed by examination of the genital tract at AI. Oestrous and conception rates before days 71-77 postpartum, pregnancy loss in early pregnant cows or the cumulative conception rate registered on day 120 postpartum were considered as the dependent variables in four consecutive logistic regression analyses. Based on the odds ratios, the oestrous rate increased by a factor of 1.73 in cows showing oestrus before treatment for each unit increase in the number of previous oestruses; decreased by a factor of 0.44 in the control group with respect to the treatment groups; and by a factor of 0.61 in cows without luteal structures at treatment with respect to cows with corpora lutea. The conception rates of cows inseminated before days 71-77 postpartum remained similar across the groups, whereas the likelihood of pregnancy loss for cows becoming pregnant during this period was 0.11 times lower in the PRID group than in the control. Based on the odds ratio, the likelihood of a higher cumulative conception rate on day 120 postpartum: increased in cows showing oestrus before treatment by a factor of 1.41 for each unit increase in the number of previous oestruses, was reduced 0.56-fold in control cows compared with treated cows, and was also reduced by a factor of 0.98 for each kilogram of milk production increase recorded at treatment. In conclusion, although oestrous synchronization programmes performed in this study did not improve fertility, cows treated with progesterone could be inseminated earlier than untreated cows, such that the treatments increased the cumulative pregnancy rates determined on day 120 postpartum. In addition, fewer pregnancy losses were observed in early pregnant cows in the PRID group than the GnRH-PRID group. © 2009 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effect of Preservation Methods of Oil Palm Sap (Elaeis guineensis) on the Reproductive Indices of Male Wistar Rats

PubMed Central

Ikegwu, Theophilus Maduabuchukwu; Ochiogu, Izuchukwu Shedrack

2014-01-01

Abstract Thirty male Wistar rats, split into five groups of six rats each, were administered different forms of oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) sap samples by gavage based on 1.5% of their weekly body weights. Group 1 which served as control received only water, group 2 received pasteurized palm sap (PPS), group 3 received market palm wine (MPW), group 4 received frozen palm sap (FPS), whereas group 5 received fresh palm sap (FrPS). Chemical composition of the sap samples was determined. Normal feed and water were fed ad libitum. After 2 months of treatment, each male rat group was allowed 7 days to mate with six female Wistar rats. Thereafter, blood and epididymal samples were collected for testosterone assay and sperm count, respectively, before they were humanely sacrificed and testicular tissues taken for testicular histology. Litter weight and size of the pups produced by the females of each group were determined at birth. The sap samples contained carbohydrate (0.01–11.71%), protein (1.56–1.95%), ash (0.22–0.35%), moisture (92.55–98.24%), and alcohol (0.26–3.50%). PPS-treated rat group had significantly (P<.05) decreased sperm count (42.60±23.64×106), abnormal increase in testosterone level, and necrosis in the histology of the testes with reduced spermatogenetic activity, compared with other treatment groups. The female rats crossed with male rats fed on FrPS or FPS produced the highest number of pups followed by the control group. This study demonstrated that the intake of FrPS improved fertility in male animals, but its administration for a long period led to necrotic changes in the testes, whereas pasteurization of palm sap, impacted negatively on the reproductive indices of male animals. PMID:25101691

Countering the Consequences of Ego Depletion: The Effects of Self-Talk on Selective Attention.

PubMed

Gregersen, Jón; Hatzigeorgiadis, Antonis; Galanis, Evangelos; Comoutos, Nikos; Papaioannou, Athanasios

2017-06-01

This study examined the effects of a self-talk intervention on selective attention in a state of ego depletion. Participants were 62 undergraduate students with a mean age of 20.02 years (SD = 1.17). The experiment was conducted in four consecutive sessions. Following baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. A two-session training was conducted for the two groups, with the experimental group using self-talk. In the final assessment, participants performed a selective attention test, including visual and auditory components, following a task inducing a state of ego depletion. The analysis showed that participants of the experimental group achieved a higher percentage of correct responses on the visual test and produced faster reaction times in both the visual and the auditory test compared with participants of the control group. The results of this study suggest that the use of self-talk can benefit selective attention for participants in states of ego depletion.

Encapsulated Glucagon-Like Peptide-1-Producing Mesenchymal Stem Cells Have a Beneficial Effect on Failing Pig Hearts

PubMed Central

Wright, Elizabeth J.; Farrell, Kelly A.; Malik, Nadim; Kassem, Moustapha; Lewis, Andrew L.; Wallrapp, Christine

2012-01-01

Stem cell therapy is an exciting and emerging treatment option to promote post-myocardial infarction (post-MI) healing; however, cell retention and efficacy in the heart remain problematic. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone with cardioprotective properties but a short half-life in vivo. The effects of prolonged GLP-1 delivery from stromal cells post-MI were evaluated in a porcine model. Human mesenchymal stem cells immortalized and engineered to produce a GLP-1 fusion protein were encapsulated in alginate (bead-GLP-1 MSC) and delivered to coronary artery branches. Control groups were cell-free beads and beads containing unmodified MSCs (bead-MSC), n = 4–5 per group. Echocardiography confirmed left ventricular (LV) dysfunction at time of delivery in all groups. Four weeks after intervention, only the bead-GLP-1 MSC group demonstrated LV function improvement toward baseline and showed decreased infarction area compared with controls. Histological analysis showed reduced inflammation and a trend toward reduced apoptosis in the infarct zone. Increased collagen but fewer myofibroblasts were observed in infarcts of the bead-GLP-1 MSC and bead-MSC groups, and significantly more vessels per mm2 were noted in the infarct of the bead-GLP-1 MSC group. No differences were observed in myocyte cross-sectional area between groups. Post-MI delivery of GLP-1 encapsulated genetically modified MSCs provided a prolonged supply of GLP-1 and paracrine stem cell factors, which improved LV function and reduced epicardial infarct size. This was associated with increased angiogenesis and an altered remodeling response. Combined benefits of paracrine stem cell factors and GLP-1 were superior to those of stem cells alone. These results suggest that encapsulated genetically modified MSCs would be beneficial for recovery following MI. PMID:23197668

Insulin binding and glucose uptake of adipocytes in rats adapted to hypergravitational force

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobayashi, M.; Mondon, C. E.; Oyama, J.

1980-01-01

Rats were exposed to 4.15 g for 1 yr and weight and age matched, and lean noncentrifuged rats were used as control groups. Rats exposed to chronic hypergravity (hypergravic rats) were found to show lower ambient insulin levels, greater food intake with smaller body weight gain, and decreased size of isolated adipocytes. The ability of adipocytes from the hypergravic rats to bind insulin was increased. With Scatchard analysis, both number and affinity of receptors were increased. In contrast to the increased binding, glucose transport was found to be decreased in adipocytes from these animals. However, when the data were expressed as a percentage of maximal effect, the half maximal insulin effect for both the hypergravic and lean control groups was produced at an insulin concentration of 0.23 + or - 0.02 ng/ml, which was lower than the insulin concentration of 0.31 + or - 0.02 ng/ml for the weight-matched control group (P less than 0.05). This increased insulin sensitivity in the hypergravic group was accounted for by an increased number of receptors.

Could ionizing radiation forestall cauliflower ear?

PubMed

Hwang, K; Kim, C W; Lee, S I; Park, I S; Kim, W C; Loh, J J

2001-02-01

Repeated trauma to the ear very often results in "cauliflower ear." Many methods have been suggested to prevent an injured ear from demonstrating a cauliflowerlike deformity. The principles of treatment are evacuation of the hematoma, control of the reaccumulation of fluid, and maintenance of the cartilage contour. The authors studied the effect of ionizing radiation on deformed rabbit ears induced by repeated trauma. Twenty ears (10 rabbits) were used in the experiment. The animals were divided into four groups (control, preradiation, low dose, and high dose). Hematoma was produced by pounding the lateral side of the auricle 10 times with a 50-g weight at a height of 15 cm. The thickness of the injured and uninjured sites was measured, and histological analysis was performed for each group. The thickness of the ears of the irradiated groups was significantly less than the control group. The authors think that radiation treatment of repeatedly injured ears could prevent ear deformity, and could possibly be an adjunctive form of management of cauliflower ear in addition to hematoma evacuation and compression therapy.

Forskolin effect on the cryosurvival of in vitro-produced bovine embryos in the presence or absence of fetal calf serum.

PubMed

Paschoal, Daniela Martins; Sudano, Mateus José; Guastali, Midyan Daroz; Dias Maziero, Rosiára Rosária; Crocomo, Letícia Ferrari; Oña Magalhães, Luis Carlos; da Silva Rascado, Tatiana; Martins, Alicio; da Cruz Landim-Alvarenga, Fernanda

2014-05-01

The objective of this study was to assess the viability and cryotolerance of zebu embryos produced in vitro with or without the addition of fetal calf serum (FCS) and forskolin (F). Embryos produced in vivo were used as a control. Presumptive zygotes were cultured in modified synthetic oviductal fluid supplemented with amino acids (SOFaa), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and with (2.5%) or without (0%) FCS. On day 6 of growth, the embryos from each group were divided into treatments with or without 10 μM F to induce embryonic lipolysis, comprising a total of four experimental groups: 2.5% FCS, 0% FCS, 2.5% + F and 0% + F. For vitrification, embryos were exposed to vitrification solution 1 (5 M EG (ethylene glycol)) for 3 min and then transferred to vitrification solution 2 (7 M EG, 0.5 M galactose solution and 18% (w/v) Ficoll 70) before being introduced to liquid nitrogen. The presence of FCS in the culture medium resulted in the production of embryos with a similar rate of damaged cells compared with in vivo-produced embryos. After vitrification, the 2.5% FCS group had a significantly higher rate of damaged cells when compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). The results of this experiment indicated that the omission of FCS and the addition of forskolin do not have deleterious effect on embryo production rates. In addition, embryos produced in the presence of FCS had greater sensitivity to cryopreservation, but this effect was reversed when forskolin was added to the medium, which improved embryo survival without affecting embryo development and quality after vitrification.

Overview on the Diversity of Sounds Produced by Clownfishes (Pomacentridae): Importance of Acoustic Signals in Their Peculiar Way of Life

PubMed Central

Colleye, Orphal; Parmentier, Eric

2012-01-01

Background Clownfishes (Pomacentridae) are brightly colored coral reef fishes well known for their mutualistic symbiosis with tropical sea anemones. These fishes live in social groups in which there is a size-based dominance hierarchy. In this structure where sex is socially controlled, agonistic interactions are numerous and serve to maintain size differences between individuals adjacent in rank. Clownfishes are also prolific callers whose sounds seem to play an important role in the social hierarchy. Here, we aim to review and to synthesize the diversity of sounds produced by clownfishes in order to emphasize the importance of acoustic signals in their way of life. Methodology/Principal Findings Recording the different acoustic behaviors indicated that sounds are divided into two main categories: aggressive sounds produced in conjunction with threat postures (charge and chase), and submissive sounds always emitted when fish exhibited head shaking movements (i.e. a submissive posture). Both types of sounds showed size-related intraspecific variation in dominant frequency and pulse duration: smaller individuals produce higher frequency and shorter duration pulses than larger ones, and inversely. Consequently, these sonic features might be useful cues for individual recognition within the group. This observation is of significant importance due to the size-based hierarchy in clownfish group. On the other hand, no acoustic signal was associated with the different reproductive activities. Conclusions/Significance Unlike other pomacentrids, sounds are not produced for mate attraction in clownfishes but to reach and to defend the competition for breeding status, which explains why constraints are not important enough for promoting call diversification in this group. PMID:23145114

Metformin does not affect postabsorptive hepatic free fatty acid uptake, oxidation or resecretion in humans: A 3-month placebo-controlled clinical trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls.

PubMed

Gormsen, Lars C; Søndergaard, Esben; Christensen, Nana L; Jakobsen, Steen; Nielsen, Erik H T; Munk, Ole L; Tolbod, Lars P; Jessen, Niels; Nielsen, Søren

2018-06-01

To explore whether the pre-clinical findings that metformin improves lipid metabolism, possibly through modulation of intrahepatic partitioning of fatty acids towards oxidation and away from re-esterification and resecretion as triglycerides (TGs), can be translated to a human setting. We performed a 3-month randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D; n = 24) and healthy controls (n = 12). Patients with T2D received either placebo (placebo group) or 1000 mg metformin twice daily (metformin group), while healthy subjects were all treated with metformin (control group). Hepatic fatty acid metabolism was measured by [ 11 C]palmitate positron-emission tomography, hepatic TG secretion and peripheral oxidation by ex vivo labelled [1- 14 C]VLDL-TG and VLDL particle size by TG/apolipoprotein B ratio. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray and whole-body lipid oxidation by indirect calorimetry. Metformin treatment for 3 months produced the anticipated decrease in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in the metformin group (FPG 7.9 ± 1.8 mM [study day 1] vs 6.4 ± 1.1 mM [study day 2]), whereas patients in the placebo group and healthy controls had similar FPG levels before and after the trial (mixed model group vs time interaction; P = .003); however, contrary to our hypothesis, metformin treatment did not affect hepatic lipid metabolism or peripheral oxidation. The observed beneficial effects on lipid metabolism during metformin treatment in humans appear to be secondary to long-term alterations in body composition or glucose homeostasis. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of verbal instructions on effect-based action control.

PubMed

Eder, Andreas B; Dignath, David

2017-03-01

According to ideomotor theory, people use bidirectional associations between movements and their effects for action selection and initiation. Our experiments examined how verbal instructions of action effects influence response selection without prior experience of action effects in a separate acquisition phase. Instructions for different groups of participants specified whether they should ignore, attend, learn, or intentionally produce acoustic effects produced by button presses. Results showed that explicit instructions of action-effect relations trigger effect-congruent action tendencies in the first trials following the instruction; in contrast, no evidence for effect-based action control was observed in these trials when instructions were to ignore or to attend to the action effects. These findings show that action-effect knowledge acquired through verbal instruction and direct experience is similarly effective for effect-based action control as long as the relation between the movement and the effect is clearly spelled out in the instruction.

Digital versus conventional implant impressions for partially edentulous arches: An evaluation of accuracy.

PubMed

Marghalani, Amin; Weber, Hans-Peter; Finkelman, Matthew; Kudara, Yukio; El Rafie, Khaled; Papaspyridakos, Panos

2018-04-01

To the authors' knowledge, while accuracy outcomes of the TRIOS scanner have been compared with conventional impressions, no available data are available regarding the accuracy of digital scans with the Omnicam and True Definition scanners versus conventional impressions for partially edentulous arches. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the accuracy of digital implant scans using 2 different intraoral scanners (IOSs) with that of conventional impressions for partially edentulous arches. Two partially edentulous mandibular casts with 2 implant analogs with a 30-degree angulation from 2 different implant systems (Replace Select RP; Nobel Biocare and Tissue level RN; Straumann) were used as controls. Sixty digital models were made from these 2 definitive casts in 6 different groups (n=10). Splinted implant-level impression procedures followed by digitization were used to produce the first 2 groups. The next 2 groups were produced by digital scanning with Omnicam. The last 2 groups were produced by digital scanning with the True Definition scanner. Accuracy was evaluated by superimposing the digital files of each test group onto the digital file of the controls with inspection software. The difference in 3-dimensional (3D) deviations (median ±interquartile range) among the 3 impression groups for Nobel Biocare was statistically significant among all groups (P<.001), except for the Omnicam (20 ±4 μm) and True Definition (15 ±6 μm) groups; the median ±interquartile range for the conventional group was 39 ±18 μm. The difference in 3D deviations among the 3 impression groups for Straumann was statistically significant among all groups (P=.003), except for the conventional impression (22 ±5 μm) and True Definition (17 ±5 μm) groups; the median ±interquartile range for the Omnicam group was 26 ±15 μm. The difference in 3D deviations between the 2 implant systems was significant for the Omnicam (P=.011) and conventional (P<.001) impression techniques but not for the True Definition technique (P=.247). Within the limitations of this study, both the impression technique and the implant system affected accuracy. The True Definition technique had the fewest 3D deviations compared with the other 2 techniques; however, the accuracy of all impression techniques was within clinically acceptable levels, and not all differences were statistically significant. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aspirin attenuation of alcohol-induced flushing and intoxication in Oriental and Occidental subjects.

PubMed

Truitt, E B; Gaynor, C R; Mehl, D L

1987-01-01

Aspirin (ASA) was tested in a group of 8 Oriental and 3 Occidental subjects who were shown in a previous study to respond to small doses of ethanol (0.06-0.25 g/kg) with facial flushing. They were compared to a similar group of 11 non-flushing Occidental subjects following a larger ethanol dose (0.37 g/kg) to determine if similar effects could be produced in less sensitive individuals. Control tests of blood ethanol and acetaldehyde (AcH) levels (calculated from breath), facial and neck skin temperatures, body sway (Romberg test), blood pressure, heart rate and 10 Subjective High Assessment Scales (SHAS-Judd, 1977) were conducted before and at 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after drinking ethanol as vodka in orange juice. The tests were repeated one week later one hour after receiving 0.64 gm of ASA orally. ASA produced slight changes in the early absorption of ethanol and small decreases in AcH levels in the flushing and non-flushing groups. Facial flushing was markedly reduced in the flushing group, but was slightly increased in the non-flushing Occidentals. Body sway was reduced by ASA in both groups. An alcohol-induced increase in heart rate in the flushing group was reduced with no change in blood pressure. SHAS subjective parameters were widely variable, but indicated that ASA produced reduced sleepiness and earlier relaxation in the flushing group. It is concluded that ASA can block alcohol-induced facial flushing in sensitive subjects and also reduces body sway in the Romberg test and alters some subjective feelings of alcohol intoxication.

Experiment K-7-23: Effect of Spaceflight on Level and Function of Immune Cells. Part 2; Proliferation and Cytokines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nash, P. V.; Konstantinova, I. V.; Fuchs, B. B.; Rakhmilevich, A. L.; Lesnyak, A. T.; Mastro, A. M.

1994-01-01

Lymphocytes from the superficial inguinal lymph nodes of rats flown on the Cosmos 2044 space mission were tested for proliferation in response to polyclonal activators. Cells were cultured with T or B cell mitogens, phorbol ester and calcium ionophore, or T cell mitogen and the lymphokines interleukin-1 (IL-1) or interleukin-2 (IL-2), and assayed for DNA synthesis by (3)H-thymidine incorporation. Lymphocytes also were incubated with concanavalin A (Con A), a T cell mitogen, and tested for IL-2 production. Mitogen-stimulated proliferation of lymphocytes from rats exposed to microgravity was not significantly different from synchronous or vivarium controls. Responses to Con A and IL-2, and Con A and IL-1 likewise were unaffected by space flight. Lymphocytes from all of these groups responded well to phorbol ester and calcium ionophore stimulation. Furthermore, lymph node cells (LNC) from control rats and rats flown on Cosmos 2044 produced similar amounts of IL-2. The results obtained using hindlimb suspended rats were notably different from those of flight and control animals. LNC from suspended rats generally had greater proliferative responses to T cell mitogens than did lymphocytes from other groups. Responsiveness to a B cell mitogen was not enhanced. Con A-stimulated LNC from hindlimb suspended rats also produced more IL-2 than did lymphocytes from the other groups. This difference was statistically significant at both IL-2 induction times tested.

The effects of Bobath-based trunk exercises on trunk control, functional capacity, balance, and gait: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Kılınç, Muhammed; Avcu, Fatma; Onursal, Ozge; Ayvat, Ender; Savcun Demirci, Cevher; Aksu Yildirim, Sibel

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Bobath-based individually designed trunk exercises on trunk control, upper and lower extremity function, and walking and balance in stroke patients. The main aim of treatment was to eliminate individual trunk impairments during various patient functions. The study was planned as an assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial. A total of 22 patients volunteered to participate in the study. Trunk function, functional capacity, and gait were assessed with the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), stroke rehabilitation assessment of movement (STREAM), and a 10-m walking test, respectively. The Berg Balance Test (BBT), functional reach (FR), and timed up-and-go (TUG) tests were used to evaluate balance. After the initial assessment, the patients were divided randomly into two groups, the study group (12 patients) and the control group (10 patients). The mean age of the patients in the study group was 55.91 years (duration of stroke 58.66 months) and that of the control group was 54.00 years (duration of stroke 67.20 months). Individual training programs were determined for the patients in the study group, taking into consideration their evaluation results; and strengthening, stretching, range of motion, and mat exercises were determined for the control group according to their functional level. The participants in both groups were taken into the physiotherapy program for 12 weeks, 3 days a week for 1 hour a day. In group analyses, both groups showed improvement in STREAM, TIS, and TUG tests. Only the study group produced significant gains in the BBT, FR, and 10 m walking tests (P < 0.05). According to the pre- and post-treatment results, no significant difference was observed in any of the evaluated parameters between the two groups (P>0.05). Individually developed exercise programs in the Bobath concept improve trunk performance, balance, and walking ability in stroke patients more than do conventional exercises.

Biomechanical comparison of a novel engine-driven ridge spreader and conventional ridge splitting techniques.

PubMed

Jung, Gyu-Un; Kim, Jun Hwan; Lim, Nam Hun; Yoon, Gil Ho; Han, Ji-Young

2017-06-01

Ridge splitting techniques are used for horizontal ridge augmentation in implant dentistry. Recently, a novel engine-driven ridge splitting technique was introduced. This study compared the mechanical forces produced by conventional and engine-driven ridge splitting techniques in porcine mandibles. In 33 pigs, mandibular premolar areas were selected for the ridge splitting procedures, designed as a randomized split-mouth study. The conventional group underwent a chisel-and-mallet procedure (control group, n = 20), and percussive impulse (Newton second, Ns) was measured using a sensor attached to the mallet. In the engine-driven ridge spreader group (test group, n = 23), a load cell was used to measure torque values (Newton centimeter, Ncm). Horizontal acceleration generated during procedures (control group, n = 10 and test group, n = 10) was compared between the groups. After ridge splitting, the alveolar crest width was significantly increased both in the control (1.23 ± 0.45 mm) and test (0.98 ± 0.41 mm) groups with no significant differences between the groups. The average impulse of the control group was 4.74 ± 1.05 Ns. Torque generated by rotation in the test group was 9.07 ± 2.15 Ncm. Horizontal acceleration was significantly less in the test group (0.82 ± 1.05 g) than the control group (64.07 ± 42.62 g) (P < 0.001). Narrow edentulous ridges can be expanded by novel engine-driven ridge spreaders. Within the limits of this study, the results suggested that an engine-driven ridge splitting technique may be less traumatic and less invasive than a conventional ridge splitting technique. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparison of repaglinide vs. gliclazide in combination with bedtime NPH insulin in patients with Type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with oral hypoglycaemic agents.

PubMed

Furlong, N J; Hulme, S A; O'Brien, S V; Hardy, K J

2003-11-01

This open-label randomized controlled clinical trial compared the effect on glycaemic control and weight gain of repaglinide vs. gliclazide combined with bedtime NPH insulin in patients with Type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with oral hypoglycaemic therapy [HbA1c>7.0% (DCCT aligned assay, normal range 4.6-6.2%)]. Eighty subjects with Type 2 diabetes were randomized to 13 weeks' open-label treatment with repaglinide 4 mg t.i.d. or gliclazide 160 mg b.i.d. in combination with bedtime NPH insulin (initial dose 0.5 units/kg). The fasting blood glucose (FBG) target was < or =6.0 mmol/l. Baseline characteristics were similar for age, sex, weight, BMI, FBG and HbA1c. Glycaemic control improved similarly in both groups-insulin/gliclazide by (mean) 1.0%, from 9.2 to 8.2% (P=0.001) and by 0.9%, from 9.4 to 8.5% in the insulin/repaglinide group (P=0.005) (P=0.83 between groups). Weight gain averaged (mean +/- sem) 4.1 +/- 0.5 and 3.4 +/- 0.4 kg in the insulin/gliclazide and insulin/repaglinide groups, respectively (P<0.0001 for both groups from baseline) (P=0.29 between groups). The mean number of hypoglycaemic episodes experienced per patient was 2.95 +/- 0.82 (insulin/gliclazide) and 2.3 +/- 0.52 (insulin/repaglinide) (P=0.81 between groups). Both treatments were associated with significant improvements in Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction [Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire-potential range 0 (min) to 36 (max)]; in the insulin/gliclazide group, by 4.9 +/- 1.1 points to 33.3 +/- 0.6 (P<0.0001) and by 3.0 +/- 0.9 points to 34.6 +/- 0.4 (P=0.0006) in the insulin/repaglinide group (P=0.29 between groups). Over 13 weeks, both repaglinide and gliclazide, when combined with bedtime NPH insulin produce similar significant improvements in glycaemic control (-1%) and similar weight gain.

Protective effects of Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) extract against digoxin-induced arrhythmias in rats.

PubMed

Alp, Hayrullah; Soner, Burak Cem; Baysal, Tamer; Şahin, Ayşe Saide

2015-01-01

Digitalis preparations are commonly used by children and adults with heart diseases worldwide, although excessive doses may cause cardiac effects. The aim of the study is to evaluate the antiarrhythmic effect of Crataegus oxyacantha extract on digoxin-induced arrhythmias in anesthetized Wistar rats. Control and experimental groups were evaluated for arrhythmias induced by digoxin. Fifteen rats (7 as controls and 8 as the experimental group) were included in the study. The dry fruits of 100 mg Crataegus oxyacantha were extracted by percolation method. Digoxin, at a dose of 40 µg/kg/min, was infused to form the arrhythmias in all rats. Simultaneously, the extract was infused into the experimental group, while 0.9% NaCl was infused into control group. Electrocardiographic QRS prolongation and arterial blood pressure changes were analyzed. The experimental group lived longer (62.13±2.20 min) than the controls (p=0.002). On the other hand, the time to beginning of QRS prolongation did not differ between the two groups (p=0.812). Bradycardia was significant in the control group (288.01±10.54 beat/min and p=0.01). The maximum QRS duration was observed in the control group during the digoxin and 0.9% NaCl infusion period (53.29±3.99 ms and p=0.001). Also, the durations of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias were shorter in the experimental group. However, arterial blood pressure dipping was significant in the experimental group (23.67±10.89 mm Hg and p<0.001). Crataegus oxyacantha alcoholic extract produced an antiarrhythmic effect that was induced by digoxin in Wistar rats. However, in the clinical use of this extract, the hypotensive effect should be considered. Also, the alcoholic extract of Crataegus oxyacantha may be an alternative treatment medication for arrhythmias induced by digoxin toxicity in humans.

Protective effects of Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) extract against digoxin-induced arrhythmias in rats

PubMed Central

Alp, Hayrullah; Soner, Burak Cem; Baysal, Tamer; Şahin, Ayşe Saide

2016-01-01

Objective: Digitalis preparations are commonly used by children and adults with heart diseases worldwide, although excessive doses may cause cardiac effects. The aim of the study is to evaluate the antiarrhythmic effect of Crataegus oxyacantha extract on digoxin-induced arrhythmias in anesthetized Wistar rats. Methods: Control and experimental groups were evaluated for arrhythmias induced by digoxin. Fifteen rats (7 as controls and 8 as the experimental group) were included in the study. The dry fruits of 100 mg Crataegus oxyacantha were extracted by percolation method. Digoxin, at a dose of 40 μg/kg/min, was infused to form the arrhythmias in all rats. Simultaneously, the extract was infused into the experimental group, while 0.9% NaCl was infused into control group. Electrocardiographic QRS prolongation and arterial blood pressure changes were analyzed. Results: The experimental group lived longer (62.13±2.20 min) than the controls (p=0.002). On the other hand, the time to beginning of QRS prolongation did not differ between the two groups (p=0.812). Bradycardia was significant in the control group (288.01±10.54 beat/min and p=0.01). The maximum QRS duration was observed in the control group during the digoxin and 0.9% NaCl infusion period (53.29±3.99 ms and p=0.001). Also, the durations of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias were shorter in the experimental group. However, arterial blood pressure dipping was significant in the experimental group (23.67±10.89 mm Hg and p<0.001). Conclusion: Crataegus oxyacantha alcoholic extract produced an antiarrhythmic effect that was induced by digoxin in Wistar rats. However, in the clinical use of this extract, the hypotensive effect should be considered. Also, the alcoholic extract of Crataegus oxyacantha may be an alternative treatment medication for arrhythmias induced by digoxin toxicity in humans. PMID:25880053

Antioxidant effects of a grape seed extract in a rat model of diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Chis, Irina C; Ungureanu, Marius I; Marton, Adriana; Simedrea, Ramona; Muresan, Adriana; Postescu, Ion-Dan; Decea, Nicoleta

2009-07-01

In the present study we investigated the anti-hyperglycaemic and antioxidant effect of grape seed extract, a polyphenolic flavonoid, in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: Group I: non-diabetic control; Group II: diabetic control; Group III: diabetic rats treated with grape seed extract, administered via an intragastric tube (0.6 ml/rat), at a dose of 100 mg/kg for 20 consecutive days after the induction of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes was induced by an i.p. injection with streptozotocin for groups II and III. TheTBARS, carbonylated proteins, were measured in the plasma and in the supernatant of liver homogenisates, and superoxide dismutase and catalase were measured in the haemolysates of RBCs and supernatant of liver homogenisates. The results showed that oral administration of grape seed extract (100 mg/kg/day) reduced the levels of lipid peroxides and carbonylated proteins and improved the antioxidant activity in plasma and hepatic tissue in rats treated with grape seed natural extract as compared with the diabetic control rats. These results suggested that the grape seed extract enhanced the antioxidant defence against reactive oxygen species produced under hyperglycaemic conditions, hence protecting the liver cells.

Interferon-gamma and interlukin-4 patterns in BALB/c mice suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis treated with cantharidin.

PubMed

Maroufi, Yahya; Ghaffarifar, Fatemeh; Dalimi, Abdolhosein; Sharifi, Zohreh

2014-06-01

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a health problem in the world. Lesions should be treated on cosmetically or functionally important sites, such as the face and hands. Cantharidin is a terpenoid compound produced naturally by beetles of Meloidae and Oedemeridae families. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of cantharidin on Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) lesions and IFN-γ and IL-4 patterns in infected BALB/c mice. INFECTED BALB/C MICE WERE DIVIDED INTO FIVE GROUPS AS: untreated (control group), eucerin-treated and 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.5% cantharidin-treated. Lesions diameter was measured by Vernier caliper every three days for four weeks. Cytokines levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using U-CyTech kit. The results indicated that treatment with cantharidin exacerbates lesions compared with the controls, except for 0.05% cantharidin dose that restrained lesion growth significantly. Interferon gamma level in cantharidin-treated groups was significantly less than that of the control group. But interlukin-4 level was similar among the groups. The current study results indicated that high doses of cantharidin exacerbates leishmaniasis lesion, but low dose of cantharidin inhibits lesion growth.

Interferon-Gamma and Interlukin-4 Patterns in BALB/c Mice Suffering From Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treated With Cantharidin

PubMed Central

Maroufi, Yahya; Ghaffarifar, Fatemeh; Dalimi, Abdolhosein; Sharifi, Zohreh

2014-01-01

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a health problem in the world. Lesions should be treated on cosmetically or functionally important sites, such as the face and hands. Cantharidin is a terpenoid compound produced naturally by beetles of Meloidae and Oedemeridae families. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the effect of cantharidin on Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) lesions and IFN-γ and IL-4 patterns in infected BALB/c mice. Materials and Methods: Infected BALB/c mice were divided into five groups as: untreated (control group), eucerin-treated and 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.5% cantharidin-treated. Lesions diameter was measured by Vernier caliper every three days for four weeks. Cytokines levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using U-CyTech kit. Results: The results indicated that treatment with cantharidin exacerbates lesions compared with the controls, except for 0.05% cantharidin dose that restrained lesion growth significantly. Interferon gamma level in cantharidin-treated groups was significantly less than that of the control group. But interlukin-4 level was similar among the groups. Conclusions: The current study results indicated that high doses of cantharidin exacerbates leishmaniasis lesion, but low dose of cantharidin inhibits lesion growth. PMID:25371808

Environmental arsenic exposure of schoolchildren in a former tin mining and smelting community of southern Thailand.

PubMed

Vitayavirasak, Banjong; Rakwong, Kittiya; Chatchawej, Warangkana

2005-01-01

Risk behavior and environmental sources of exposure to arsenic for 10-year-old schoolchildren were studied in a high exposure area and a low exposure area of Ron Phibun Subdistrict, Ron Phibun District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and compared to those in a control area. Arsenic concentrations of surface soil, ambient air and drinking water to which subjects in the high exposure group, the low exposure group and the control group were exposed, were significantly different (p < 0.05). Similarly, urinary concentrations of total arsenic and the sum of inorganic arsenic and its metabolites were significantly higher in the study groups than the control group. The arsenic content of locally grown agricultural produce was small with the exception of freshwater snails (Sinotaia ingallsiana). Drinking water and surface soil were found to be the main sources of exposure. The exposure was mediated by the subjects' risk behavior, such as playing with soil and no hand-washing before eating. The estimated cancer risk from arsenic for the schoolchildren in the study area was between 10(-5)-10(-6) which meant that their risk of developing cancer was probable. Measures to reduce the cancer risk are recommended.

Plant Growth Biostimulants Based on Different Methods of Seaweed Extraction with Water.

PubMed

Godlewska, Katarzyna; Michalak, Izabela; Tuhy, Łukasz; Chojnacka, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

We explored two methods for obtaining aqueous extracts: boiling and soaking of Baltic seaweeds (EB and ES, resp.). Algal extracts were characterized in terms of polyphenols, micro- and macroelements, lipids content, and antibacterial properties. The utilitarian properties were examined in the germination tests on Lepidium sativum for three extract dilutions (0.5, 2.5, and 10%). It was found that the extracts were similar in micro- and macroelement concentrations. Water was proved to be a good solvent to extract phenolic compounds. The algal extract produced by soaking biomass did not show inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Only the boiled extract had an inhibitory activity against E. coli. Germination tests revealed a positive influence of the bioproducts on the cultivated plants. In the group treated with 10% EB, plants were 13% longer than in the control group; the content of elements B, Mo, Zn, and Na in the group treated with 10% ES was higher by 76%, 48%, 31%, and 59% than in the control group, respectively; the content of chlorophyll was 2.5 times higher in 0.5% ES than in the control group. Extracts showed the slight impact on the morphology of plants.

Plant Growth Biostimulants Based on Different Methods of Seaweed Extraction with Water

PubMed Central

Godlewska, Katarzyna; Tuhy, Łukasz; Chojnacka, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

We explored two methods for obtaining aqueous extracts: boiling and soaking of Baltic seaweeds (EB and ES, resp.). Algal extracts were characterized in terms of polyphenols, micro- and macroelements, lipids content, and antibacterial properties. The utilitarian properties were examined in the germination tests on Lepidium sativum for three extract dilutions (0.5, 2.5, and 10%). It was found that the extracts were similar in micro- and macroelement concentrations. Water was proved to be a good solvent to extract phenolic compounds. The algal extract produced by soaking biomass did not show inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Only the boiled extract had an inhibitory activity against E. coli. Germination tests revealed a positive influence of the bioproducts on the cultivated plants. In the group treated with 10% EB, plants were 13% longer than in the control group; the content of elements B, Mo, Zn, and Na in the group treated with 10% ES was higher by 76%, 48%, 31%, and 59% than in the control group, respectively; the content of chlorophyll was 2.5 times higher in 0.5% ES than in the control group. Extracts showed the slight impact on the morphology of plants. PMID:27366749

Chromium picolinate inhibits cholesterol-induced stimulation of platelet aggregation in hypercholesterolemic rats.

PubMed

Seif, A A

2015-06-01

Hypercholesterolemia indirectly increases the risk of myocardial infarction by enhancing platelet aggregation. Chromium has been shown to lower plasma lipids. This study was designed to investigate whether chromium inhibits platelet aggregation under hypercholesterolemic conditions. Albino rats were divided into four groups: control rats fed with a normolipemic diet (NLD group), chromium-supplemented rats fed with NLD (NLD + Cr group), rats fed with a high-fat diet (HF group), and chromium-supplemented rats fed with HF (HF + Cr group). After 10 weeks, blood was collected to determine adenosine diphosphate and collagen-induced platelet aggregation and plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, and thromboxane B2. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was calculated by Friedewald formula. High-fat diet animals displayed significant elevation of plasma lipids and platelet aggregation which was normalized to control levels by chromium supplementation. Chromium supplementation in normolipemic (NLD + Cr) rats did not produce significant changes in either plasma lipids or platelet activity. Chromium supplementation to hypercholesterolemic rats improves the lipid profile and returns platelet hyperaggregability to control levels. This normalization is mostly due to a reduction in plasma cholesterol level.

The relationship between articulatory control and improved phonemic accuracy in childhood apraxia of speech: A longitudinal case study

PubMed Central

Grigos, Maria I.; Kolenda, Nicole

2010-01-01

Jaw movement patterns were examined longitudinally in a 3-year-old male with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and compared with a typically developing control group. The child with CAS was followed for 8 months, until he began accurately and consistently producing the bilabial phonemes /p/, /b/, and /m/. A movement tracking system was used to study jaw duration, displacement, velocity, and stability. A transcription analysis determined the percentage of phoneme errors and consistency. Results showed phoneme-specific changes which included increases in jaw velocity and stability over time, as well as decreases in duration. Kinematic parameters became more similar to patterns seen in the controls during final sessions where tokens were produced most accurately and consistently. Closing velocity and stability, however, were the only measures to fall within a 95% confidence interval established for the controls across all three target phonemes. These findings suggest that motor processes may differ between children with CAS and their typically developing peers. PMID:20030551

Down's syndrome and the acquisition of phonology by Cantonese-speaking children.

PubMed

So, L K; Dodd, B J

1994-10-01

The phonological abilities of two groups of 4-9-year-old intellectually impaired Cantonese-speaking children are described. Children with Down's syndrome did not differ from matched non-Down's syndrome controls in terms of a lexical comprehension measure, the size of their phoneme repertoires, the range of sounds affected by articulatory imprecision, or the number of consonants, vowels or tones produced in error. However, the types of errors made by the Down's syndrome children were different from those made by the control subjects. Cantonese-speaking children with Down's syndrome, as compared with controls, made a greater number of inconsistent errors, were more likely to produce non-developmental errors and were better in imitation than in spontaneous production. Despite extensive differences between the phonological structures of Cantonese and English, children with Down's syndrome acquiring these languages show the same characteristic pattern of speech errors. One unexpected finding was that the control group of non-Down's syndrome children failed to present with delayed phonological development typically reported for their English-speaking counterparts. The argument made is that cross-linguistic studies of intellectually impaired children's language acquisition provide evidence concerning language-specific characteristics of impairment, as opposed to those characteristics that, remaining constant across languages, are an integral part of the disorder. The results reported here support the hypothesis that the speech disorder typically associated with Down's syndrome arises from impaired phonological planning, i.e. a cognitive linguistic deficit.

Topical application of Aloe vera and vitamin E on induced ulcers on the tongue of rats subjected to radiation: clinical and histological evaluation.

PubMed

de Freitas Cuba, Letícia; Braga Filho, Aroldo; Cherubini, Karen; Salum, Fernanda Gonçalves; Figueiredo, Maria Antonia Zancanaro de

2016-06-01

The aim of this study is to assess the effect of two types of antioxidants, vitamin E (VE) and Aloe vera (AV), on healing of induced oral lesions after radiation in a murine model by clinical and histological analysis. The animals were randomly divided into three groups of 12 animals each (400 mg VE, 70 % AV and control) and two time periods (5 and 7 days). They were irradiated with a single dose of 30 Gy, and after 24 h, a lesion was produced on the ventral tongue of each animal. The products were applied daily in their respective group until euthanasia. On clinical analysis, there was a higher frequency of lesions in the animals of the control group at both periods. The area of the lesions was also greater in the control group compared with the groups AV and VE (5 days p = 0.006; 7 days p = 0.002). On microscopic analysis, the degree of inflammation differed between the study groups and experimental periods. At 5 days, the statistical difference was not significant among the groups evaluated, but at 7 days, animals in the control group showed intense inflammation, while those in groups VE and AV exhibited mild to moderate inflammation (p = 0.002). The results suggest that VE and AV contributed to the decrease in inflammatory response and healing of the lesions induced on the tongue of rats subjected to radiation.

Trophoblast Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Expression Is Associated with Immune-Mediated Rejection of Bovine Fetuses Produced by Cloning.

PubMed

Rutigliano, Heloisa M; Thomas, Aaron J; Wilhelm, Amanda; Sessions, Benjamin R; Hicks, Brady A; Schlafer, Donald H; White, Kenneth L; Davies, Christopher J

2016-08-01

Trophoblast cells from bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) conceptuses express major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) proteins early in gestation, and this may be one cause of the significant first-trimester embryonic mortality observed in these pregnancies. MHC-I homozygous-compatible (n = 9), homozygous-incompatible (n = 8), and heterozygous-incompatible (n = 5) SCNT pregnancies were established. The control group consisted of eight pregnancies produced by artificial insemination. Uterine and placental samples were collected on Day 35 ± 1 of pregnancy, and expression of MHC-I, leukocyte markers, and cytokines were examined by immunohistochemistry. Trophoblast cells from all SCNT pregnancies expressed MHC-I, while trophoblast cells from age-matched control pregnancies were negative for MHC-I expression. Expression of MHC-I antigens by trophoblast cells from SCNT pregnancies was associated with lymphocytic infiltration in the endometrium. Furthermore, MHC-I-incompatible conceptuses, particularly the heterozygous-incompatible ones, induced a more pronounced lymphocytic infiltration than MHC-I-compatible conceptuses. Cells expressing cluster of differentiation (CD) 3, gamma/deltaTCR, and MHC-II were increased in the endometrium of SCNT pregnancies compared to the control group. CD4(+) lymphocytes were increased in MHC-I-incompatible pregnancies compared to MHC-I-compatible and control pregnancies. CD8(+), FOXP3(+), and natural killer cells were increased in MHC-I heterozygous-incompatible SCNT pregnancies compared to homozygous SCNT and control pregnancies. © 2016 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

Knee joint mobilization reduces secondary mechanical hyperalgesia induced by capsaicin injection into the ankle joint.

PubMed

Sluka, K A; Wright, A

2001-01-01

Joint mobilization is a treatment approach commonly used by physical therapists for the management of a variety of painful conditions. However, the clinical effectiveness when compared to placebo and the neurophysiological mechanism of action are not known. The purpose of this study was to establish that application of a manual therapy technique will produce antihyperalgesia in an animal model of joint inflammation and that the antihyperalgesia produced by joint mobilization depends on the time of treatment application. Capsaicin (0.2%, 50 microl) was injected into the lateral aspect of the left ankle joint and mechanical withdrawal threshold assessed before and after capsaicin injection in Sprague-Dawley rats. Joint mobilization of the ipsilateral knee joint was performed 2 h after capsaicin injection for a total of 3 min, 9 min or 15 min under halothane anaesthesia. Control groups included animals that received halothane for the same time as the group that received joint mobilization and those whose limbs were held for the same duration as the mobilization (no halothane). Capsaicin resulted in a decreased mechanical withdrawal threshold by 2 h after injection that was maintained through 4 h. Both 9 and 15 min of mobilization, but not 3 min of mobilization, increased the withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimuli to baseline values when compared with control groups. The antihyperalgesic effect of joint mobilization lasted 30 min. Thus, joint mobilization (9 or 15 min duration) produces a significant reversal of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia induced by intra-articular injection of capsaicin. Copyright 2001 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Effect of periodontal therapy on pregnancy outcome in women affected by periodontitis.

PubMed

Tarannum, Fouzia; Faizuddin, Mohamed

2007-11-01

There is convincing evidence to suggest that infections affecting the mother during pregnancy may produce alterations in the normal cytokine- and hormone-regulated gestation, which could result in preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, and preterm birth (PTB). Studies in the late 1990s associated periodontitis with preterm low birth weight (PLBW) deliveries, and this may have similar pathogenic mechanisms as other maternal infections. This study determined the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on pregnancy outcome. A total of 200 pregnant women with periodontitis were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Detailed data about previous and current pregnancies were obtained. All women received a full-mouth periodontal examination, including oral hygiene index-simplified, bleeding index, and clinical attachment level. The women in the treatment group received non-surgical periodontal therapy during the gestational period, and those in the control group received periodontal treatment after delivery. Periodontal therapy included plaque control instructions and scaling and root planing performed under local anesthesia. The outcome measures assessed were gestational age and birth weight of the infant. PTB was recorded when delivery occurred at <37 weeks of gestation, and low birth weight (LBW) was recorded when the infant weighed<2,500 g. There were 53 PTBs in the treatment group and 68 PTBs in the control group. Twenty-six LBW infants were recorded in the treatment group, and 48 LBW infants were noted in the control group. The mean gestational ages were 33.8+/-2.8 weeks and 32.7+/-2.8 weeks in the treatment and control groups, respectively. The difference was statistically significant at P<0.006. The mean birth weight was 2,565.3+/-331.2 g in the treatment group and 2,459.6+/-380.7 g in the control group, with the difference being statistically significant at P<0.044. A multiple regression model showed a significant effect of periodontal treatment on birth outcomes. Non-surgical periodontal therapy can reduce the risk for preterm births in mothers who are affected by periodontitis. Additional multicentered, randomized, controlled clinical trials are required to confirm this link between periodontitis and PLBW.

Differences in intermittent postural control between normal-weight and obese children.

PubMed

Villarrasa-Sapiña, Israel; García-Massó, Xavier; Serra-Añó, Pilar; Garcia-Lucerga, Consolación; Gonzalez, Luis-Millán; Lurbe, Empar

2016-09-01

The main objective of this study was to determine differences in postural control between obese and non-obese children. The study design was cross-sectional, prospective, between-subjects. Postural control variables were obtained from a group of obese children and a normal-weight control group under two different postural conditions: bipedal standing position with eyes open and bipedal standing with eyes closed. Variables were obtained for each balance condition using time domain and sway-density plot analysis of the center of pressure signals acquired by means of a force plate. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences between obese and normal-weight children in mean velocity in antero-posterior and medio-lateral directions, ellipse area and mean distance with both eyes open and eyes closed. Normal-weight subjects obtained lower values in all these variables than obese subjects. Furthermore, there were differences between both groups in mean peaks with eyes open and in mean time with eyes closed. Alterations were detected in the intermittent postural control in obese children. According to the results obtained, active anticipatory control produces higher center of pressure displacement responses in obese children and the periods during which balance is maintained by passive control and reflex mechanisms are of shorter duration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Usefulness of videotape instruction in an academic department of neurology.

PubMed

Kaufman, D M; Kaufman, R G

1983-06-01

A group of medical students was shown a series of instructional videotapes while taking a required neurology clerkship. Overall, this study group was more accurate (p less than 0.01) in diagnosing illustrated conditions than a control group that did not see the videotapes. Videotape instruction produced better performance in identification in only certain areas: neuropsychologic phenomena, disorders with subtle or unique movements, and seizures. The choice and cost of equipment and some professional assurances are discussed. Costs and professional expectations, as well as the limited usefulness of videotapes, must be acknowledged by clinical departments before embarking on videotape instruction.

Biofeedback and dance performance: a preliminary investigation.

PubMed

Raymond, Joshua; Sajid, Imran; Parkinson, Lesley A; Gruzelier, John H

2005-03-01

Alpha-theta neurofeedback has been shown to produce professionally significant performance improvements in music students. The present study aimed to extend this work to a different performing art and compare alpha-theta neurofeedback with another form of biofeedback: heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback. Twenty-four ballroom and Latin dancers were randomly allocated to three groups, one receiving neurofeedback, one HRV biofeedback and one no intervention. Dance was assessed before and after training. Performance improvements were found in the biofeedback groups but not in the control group. Neurofeedback and HRV biofeedback benefited performance in different ways. A replication with larger sample sizes is required.

Serotonin-producing enterochromaffin (EC) cells of gastrointestinal mucosa in dexamethasone-treated rats.

PubMed

Glisić, Radmila; Koko, Vesna; Todorović, Vera; Drndarević, Neda; Cvijić, Gordana

2006-09-11

The aim of our study was to investigate the morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural changes of rat serotonin-producing enterochromaffin (EC) cells of gastrointestinal mucosa in dexamethasone-treated rats (D). After 12-daily intraperitoneal administration of 2 mg/kg dexamethasone, rats developed diabetes similar to human diabetes type 2. Stomach, small and large intestines were examined. Large serotonin positive EC cells appeared in the corpus mucosa epithelium of D group of rats, although these cells were not present in control (C) rats. Both volume fraction and the number of EC cells per mm(2) of mucosa were significantly increased only in the duodenum. However, the number of EC cells per circular sections of both antrum and small intestine was increased, but reduced both in the ascending and descending colon in D group. The dexamethasone treatment caused a strong reduction in number of granules in the antral EC cells, while it was gradually increased beginning from the jejunum to descending colon. The mean granular content was reduced in the antral EC cells but increased in the jejunal EC cells in D group. In conclusion, the present study showed that morphological changes in gut serotonin-producing EC cells occurred in diabetic rats.

Teratological studies in defatted jojoba meal-supplemented rats.

PubMed

Cokelaere, M; Flo, G; Lievens, S; Van Boven, M; Vermaut, S; Decuypere, E

2001-03-01

To look for possible developmental effects in the offspring of jojoba meal-treated Wistar rats, and to distinguish between the effects of reduced food intake and the specific developmental effects of jojoba meal itself, mated female rats were divided into three groups of 20 rats. They received during gestation: (a) normal rodent food (control group); (b) normal rodent food supplemented with 3% defatted jojoba meal (jojoba group); or (c) normal rodent food pair-fed with the jojoba group (pair-fed group). The jojoba meal group showed approximately 30% inhibition of food intake. Ten rats from each group were killed on gestation day 21. Compared to the control group, foetal body weight was reduced in both the jojoba and pair-fed groups, with a greater reduction in the jojoba group. Skeletal ossification was retarded to the same extent in both the jojoba and pair-fed groups. The other 10 rats from each group were left to produce litters. Compared with controls, the body weight of the pups was lower in both the jojoba and pair-fed groups; the reduction was slightly greater in the jojoba group, but this difference disappeared after 1 week. The offspring showed no other abnormalities and reproduced normally. We conclude that, at the dose used, the retardation in foetal skeletal ossification, induced by jojoba meal supplementation during gestation, is due to food intake inhibition. Moreover, the lower birth weight of the young of jojoba-treated dams compared with the pair-fed group is merely due to a lower body weight gain during gestation.

Hallux valgus surgery may produce early improvements in balance control: results of a cross-sectional pilot study.

PubMed

Sadra, Saba; Fleischer, Adam; Klein, Erin; Grewal, Gurtej S; Knight, Jessica; Weil, Lowell Scott; Weil, Lowell; Najafi, Bijan

2013-01-01

Hallux valgus (HV) is associated with poorer performance during gait and balance tasks and is an independent risk factor for falls in older adults. We sought to assess whether corrective HV surgery improves gait and balance. Using a cross-sectional study design, gait and static balance data were obtained from 40 adults: 19 patients with HV only (preoperative group), 10 patients who recently underwent successful HV surgery (postoperative group), and 11 control participants. Assessments were made in the clinic using body-worn sensors. Patients in the preoperative group generally demonstrated poorer static balance control compared with the other two groups. Despite similar age and body mass index, postoperative patients exhibited 29% and 63% less center of mass sway than preoperative patients during double-and single-support balance assessments, respectively (analysis of variance P =.17 and P =.14, respectively [both eyes open condition]). Overall, gait performance was similar among the groups, except for speed during gait initiation, where lower speeds were encountered in the postoperative group compared with the preoperative group (Scheffe P = .049). This study provides supportive evidence regarding the benefits of corrective lower-extremity surgery on certain aspects of balance control. Patients seem to demonstrate early improvements in static balance after corrective HV surgery, whereas gait improvements may require a longer recovery time. Further research using a longitudinal study design and a larger sample size capable of assessing the long-term effects of HV surgical correction on balance and gait is probably warranted.

Development and application of reflexodent in the quantitative functional evaluation of chewing control in patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction and a control group.

PubMed

Angeles-Medina, F; Nuño-Licona, A; Alfaro-Moctezuma, P; Osorno-Escareño, C

2000-01-01

There has been controversy with respect to the diagnostic value of the inhibitory masseteric reflex in temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) because the whole reflex response was not considered. The purpose of this study was to characterize the reflex changes that occur in patients with different levels of TMJD and in a control group. Eighty-nine patients (ages 31.14 +/- 12.74 years) divided into three groups were studied and compared. The control group was without TMJD (n = 30), with moderate symptoms (n = 30), and with severe symptoms (n = 29). Using an instrument and a software program developed by our group (Reflexodent), the masseteric inhibitory reflex was studied. The electromyography record (EMG) was captured with surface electrodes and the inhibitory reflex was produced by tapping the chin. The EMG signal was processed, filtered, and averaged with the Reflexodent. Twenty series of records were applied to each patient. The faulty inhibitory area, the area's relation (potentiation/inhibition) regarding the values of healthy subjects previously characterized, and the bilateral symmetry were measured. Discriminate analysis showed a statistically significant correlation between clinical groups and electromyographic findings. Statistical function explained 91.8% of the discrimination among groups (canonical correlation = 0.918, chi(2) = 164.435, p <0.001). The study of whole inhibitory masseteric reflex and the Reflexodent technique are useful as a diagnostic tool to evaluate TMJ illness in the dental clinic.

The effect of talocrural joint manipulation on range of motion at the ankle.

PubMed

Fryer, Gary A; Mudge, Jacob M; McLaughlin, Patrick A

2002-01-01

To determine whether a single high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust manipulation to the talocrural joint altered ankle range of motion. A randomized, controlled and blinded study. Asymptomatic male and female volunteers (N = 41). Subjects were randomly assigned into either an experimental group (n = 20) or a control group (n = 21). Both ankles of subjects in the experimental group were manipulated by using a single high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust to the talocrural joint. Pretest and posttest measurements of passive dorsiflexion range of motion were taken. No significant changes in dorsiflexion range of motion were detected between manipulated ankles and those of control subjects. A significantly greater pretest dorsiflexion range of motion existed in those ankles in which manipulation produced an audible cavitation. Manipulation of the ankle does not increase dorsiflexion range of motion in asymptomatic subjects. Ankles that displayed a greater pretest range of dorsiflexion were more likely to cavitate, raising the possibility that ligament laxity may be associated with the tendency for ankles to cavitate.

Large area solar cells from lunar materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryant, Read; Calvert, Paul; Corley, Jean

1992-01-01

The first goal of the project was to produce polymers from materials available on the Moon. This, apparently simple, aim is made complicated by the fact that there is no carbon on the Moon and there are no polymers (with a couple of irrelevant exceptions) known which do not contain carbon. Because of the abundance of silicon and oxygen in the lunar regolith, it was decided to aim to produce siloxane polymers with the (-Si-O-) backbone found in silicones. A univalent side group is also needed but there are no univalent elements available in the regolith which could plausibly make stable structures. Failing this, hydrogen is a good choice for side group since it accounts for a small fraction of the total weight of the polymer. Thus, a group of target structures such as (-SiH2-O-)n, (-Si(OH)2-O-)n is determined. This goal was approached via a series of simpler syntheses. During the first year, polydimethylsiloxane (-Si(CH3)2-O-)n was made by controlled hydrolysis of SiCl2(CH3)2, which is a routine synthesis, and then an attempt was made to make polydichlorosiloxane by controlled hydrolysis of SiCl4. At the end of the first year, some infra-red spectra indicated that this product had been obtained.

Profertility and antidiabetic properties of Gynura procumbens on streptozotocin induced male rats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaidatul Akmar, K.; Mahanem, M. N.

2016-11-01

Gynura procumbens (GP) is an herbal plant that is used for treating diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and also fertility. The objective of this study was to determine the anti-diabetic and pro-fertility effect of GP on streptozotocin induced male rats within 14 days. A total of 42 male rats were randomly assigned into six groups; normal, negative, and positive control, and three treated groups of different dosages of GP; 150 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg. The treated groups were given aqueous extract GP via oral gavage for 14 consecutive days. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) level in all treated groups showed significant decreased compared to negative and positive group after 14 days treatment. Sperm quality parameters in GP treated group (450 mg/kg) showed significant increase when compared to negative and positive group. It was observed that the histology of testes in the treated group (450 mg/kg) produced a significant result whereby the germinal cell layer shown an arranged order of cells compared to the negative and positive control groups. It appeared that aqueous extract of GP have a pro-fertility effect and possess anti-hyperglycemic activity within 14 days of treatment.

A Kindergarten Number-Sense Intervention With Contrasting Practice Conditions for Low-Achieving Children

PubMed Central

Dyson, Nancy; Jordan, Nancy C.; Beliakoff, Amber; Hassinger-Das, Brenna

2015-01-01

The efficacy of a research-based number-sense intervention for low-achieving kinder-gartners was examined. Children (N = 126) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: a number-sense intervention followed by a number-fact practice session, an identical number-sense intervention followed by a number-list practice session, or a business-as-usual control group. The interventions were delivered in a small-group setting over 24 half-hour lessons. Both intervention groups performed better than controls on measures of number sense, arithmetic fluency, and general mathematics calculation achievement at immediate posttest. However, the number-fact practice condition gave children an additional advantage over the number-list practice condition on the outcomes at delayed posttest 8 weeks later. The number-fact practice condition was especially effective for producing gains in English learners. PMID:26388651

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Targeted to the Tumor Vasculature for Breast Cancer Treatment

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

groups of the SWNT-CMC complex with primary amino groups of annexin V using EDC ( 1 -ethyl- 3 -[ 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ]carbodiimide hydrochloride ). The...OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1 . REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 01-09-2008 2. REPORT TYPE Annual 3 . DATES...Harrision, PI, 4- 1 -09 to 3 -31-11, $275,000 direct costs, pending. CONCLUSION Recombinant annexin V has been produced in good purity and high

Ensuring Sustainability of Tomorrow through Green Chemistry Integrated with Sustainable Development Concepts (SDCS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karpudewan, Mageswary; Ismail, Zurida; Roth, Wolff-Michael

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a best practice: an approach to teaching chemistry that our quantitative research has shown to produce large differences between experimental and control groups in terms of achievement, pro-environmental attitudes, values, and motivation. Our interest in teaching chemistry by focusing on sustainable…

Immunological dysfunction in periparturient cows: evidence, causes and ramifications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With a $35.7 billion Gross Domestic Value for milk produced in the U.S. during 2007, the dairy industry was the largest commodity group of the 2007 U.S. animal agriculture economic engine. The economic value of controlling mastitis pathogens is immense. Most economic analyses of the cost of mastit...

Performance of a new carbon dioxide absorbent, Yabashi lime® as compared to conventional carbon dioxide absorbent during sevoflurane anesthesia in dogs.

PubMed

Kondoh, Kei; Atiba, Ayman; Nagase, Kiyoshi; Ogawa, Shizuko; Miwa, Takashi; Katsumata, Teruya; Ueno, Hiroshi; Uzuka, Yuji

2015-08-01

In the present study, we compare a new carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbent, Yabashi lime(®) with a conventional CO2 absorbent, Sodasorb(®) as a control CO2 absorbent for Compound A (CA) and Carbon monoxide (CO) productions. Four dogs were anesthetized with sevoflurane. Each dog was anesthetized with four preparations, Yabashi lime(®) with high or low-flow rate of oxygen and control CO2 absorbent with high or low-flow rate. CA and CO concentrations in the anesthetic circuit, canister temperature and carbooxyhemoglobin (COHb) concentration in the blood were measured. Yabashi lime(®) did not produce CA. Control CO2 absorbent generated CA, and its concentration was significantly higher in low-flow rate than a high-flow rate. CO was generated only in low-flow rate groups, but there was no significance between Yabashi lime(®) groups and control CO2 absorbent groups. However, the CO concentration in the circuit could not be detected (≤5ppm), and no change was found in COHb level. Canister temperature was significantly higher in low-flow rate groups than high-flow rate groups. Furthermore, in low-flow rate groups, the lower layer of canister temperature in control CO2 absorbent group was significantly higher than Yabashi lime(®) group. CA and CO productions are thought to be related to the composition of CO2 absorbent, flow rate and canister temperature. Though CO concentration is equal, it might be safer to use Yabashi lime(®) with sevoflurane anesthesia in dogs than conventional CO2 absorbent at the point of CA production.

Compared with the intake of commercial vegetable juice, the intake of fresh fruit and komatsuna (Brassica rapa L. var. perviridis) juice mixture reduces serum cholesterol in middle-aged men: a randomized controlled pilot study.

PubMed

Aiso, Izumi; Inoue, Hiroko; Seiyama, Yukiko; Kuwano, Toshiko

2014-06-24

Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and, dietary fiber and contribute to the prevention and improvement of obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, inadequate intake of vegetable and fruit is a concern in Japan.We therefore produced a juice mixture of fresh fruit and komatsuna (Brassica rapa L. var. perviridis: B. rapa) with the aim to investigate the effects of this juice mixture on anthropometric data, blood parameters, and dietary intake differences. This study was performed as a single blind and randomized controlled trial. Subjects were 16 men (mean age, 46.4 ± 7.1 years), and they were divided into two groups (control group and intervention group). The intervention group consumed the juice mixture of fresh fruit and B. rapa. The control group consumed commercial vegetable juice. Subjects consumed juice twice a day throughout the weekday, for 4 weeks. We prepared both juices with an equivalent energy balance. Weight and body mass index (BMI) of the control group after 4 weeks were significantly increased compared with baseline values. Serum total cholesterol (T-Chol) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-Chol) of the intervention group after 4 weeks were significantly reduced compared with baseline values. Furthermore, intake of total vegetables and fruits were significantly increased compared with baseline values in both groups. Both vegetable juices contributed to improved intake of total vegetables and fruit. Compared with the intake of commercial vegetable juice, the intake of fresh fruit and B. rapa juice is highly effective in reducing serum cholesterol. Short-term intake of fresh fruit and B. rapa juice was shown to enhance cholesterol metabolism.

Cathinone, an active principle of Catha edulis, accelerates oxidative stress in the limbic area of swiss albino mice.

PubMed

Safhi, Mohammed M; Alam, Mohammad Firoz; Hussain, Sohail; Hakeem Siddiqui, Mohammed Abdul; Khuwaja, Gulrana; Jubran Khardali, Ibrahim Abdu; Al-Sanosi, Rashad Mohammed; Islam, Fakhrul

2014-10-28

Cathinone hydrochloride is an active principle of the khat plant (Catha edulis) that produces pleasurable and stimulating effects in khat chewers. To the best of our knowledge no data of cathinone on oxidative stress in limbic areas of mice is available. This is the first study of cathinone on oxidative stress in limbic areas of the brain in Swiss albino male mice. The animals were divided into four groups. Group-I was the control group and received vehicle, while groups-II to IV received (-)-cathinone hydrochloride (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg body wt., i.p.) once daily for 15 days. The level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) was elevated dose-dependently and was significant (p<0.05, p<0.01) with doses of 0.25 and 0.5mg/kg body wt. of cathinone as compared to control group. In contrast, the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) was decreased significantly (p<0.01, p<0.001) with doses of 0.25 and 0.5mg/kg body wt. of cathinone as compared to control group. The activity of antioxidant enzymes (GPx, GR, GST, CAT, and SOD) was also decreased dose-dependently: the decreased activity of GPx, GR, catalase and SOD was significant with doses of 0.25 and 0.5 mg of cathinone as compared to control group, while the activity of GST was decreased dose-dependently and was significant with 0.5mg of cathinone as compared to control group. The results indicate that the cathinone generated oxidative stress hampered antioxidant enzymes, glutathione and lipid peroxidation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting dietary diversity to improve child growth in less-resourced rural settings in Uganda.

PubMed

Kabahenda, M K; Andress, E L; Nickols, S Y; Kabonesa, C; Mullis, R M

2014-04-01

Analyses of global trends indicate that childhood undernutrition is more prevalent in rural areas, and also that maternal education and decision-making power are among the key factors significantly associated with child growth. The present study comprised a controlled longitudinal study aiming to assess the effectiveness of nutrition education with respect to improving growth patterns of young children of less-literate, low income caregivers in a rural subsistence farming community. Caregivers in the intervention group (n = 52) attended a structured nutrition education programme, whereas the control group (n = 45) participated in sewing classes. Weights and lengths/heights were measured for children in the intervention and control groups every month for 1 year to assess changes in growth patterns. Repeated measures analysis of covariance was used to access differences between the two groups over time and across age groups. Variability in growth patterns of individual children and clustering of caregiver effects were controlled for during the statistical analysis. After 12 months, children in the intervention group had significant improvements in weight-for-age compared to the controls [mean (SD): 0.61 (0.15) versus -0.99 (0.16), P = 0.038]. Changes in height-for-age, weight-for-height and mid-upper arm circumference-for-age showed a positive trend for children in the intervention group. Changes in weight-for-height were statistically significant across age groups and negatively related to caregiver's age. Educating caregivers has the potential to improve young children's nutritional status and growth, especially among less literate populations where households subsist on what they produce. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Dismantling Multicomponent Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Epstein, Dana R.; Sidani, Souraya; Bootzin, Richard R.; Belyea, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Study Objective: Recently, the use of multicomponent insomnia treatment has increased. This study compares the effect of single component and multicomponent behavioral treatments for insomnia in older adults after intervention and at 3 months and 1 yr posttreatment. Design: A randomized, controlled study. Setting: Veterans Affairs medical center. Participants: 179 older adults (mean age, 68.9 yr ± 8.0; 115 women [64.2%]) with chronic primary insomnia. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to 6 wk of stimulus control therapy (SCT), sleep restriction therapy (SRT), the 2 therapies combined into a multicomponent intervention (MCI), or a wait-list control group. Measurements and Results: Primary outcomes were subjective (daily sleep diary) and objective (actigraphy) measures of sleep-onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), total sleep time (TST), time in bed (TIB), and sleep efficiency (SE). Secondary outcomes were clinical measures including response and remission rates. There were no differences between the single and multicomponent interventions on primary sleep outcomes measured by diary and actigraphy. All treatments produced significant improvement in diary-reported sleep in comparison with the control group. Effect sizes for sleep diary outcomes were medium to large. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up for diary and actigraph measured SOL, WASO, and SE. The MCI group had the largest proportion of treatment remitters. Conclusions: For older adults with chronic primary insomnia, the findings provide initial evidence that SCT, SRT, and MCI are equally efficacious and produce sustainable treatment gains on diary, actigraphy, and clinical outcomes. From a clinical perspective, MCI may be a preferred treatment due to its higher remission rate. Clinical Trial Information: Behavioral Intervention for Insomnia in Older Adults. NCT01154023. URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01154023?term=Behavioral+Intervention+for+Insomnia+in+Older+Adults&rank=1. Citation: Epstein DR; Sidani S; Bootzin RR; Belyea MJ. Dismantling multicomponent behavioral treatment for insomnia in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. SLEEP 2012;35(6):797-805. PMID:22654199

A prospective, randomized evaluation of the effects of epidural needle rotation on the distribution of epidural block.

PubMed

Borghi, Battista; Agnoletti, Vanni; Ricci, Alessandro; van Oven, Hanna; Montone, Nicoletta; Casati, Andrea

2004-05-01

We evaluated the effects of turning the tip of the Tuohy needle 45 degrees toward the operative side before threading the epidural catheter (45 degrees -rotation group, n = 24) as compared to a conventional insertion technique with the tip of the Tuohy needle oriented at 90 degrees cephalad (control group, n = 24) on the distribution of 10 mL of 0.75% ropivacaine with 10 microg sufentanil in 48 patients undergoing total hip replacement. The catheter was introduced 3 to 4 cm beyond the tip of the Tuohy needle. A blinded observer recorded sensory and motor blocks on both sides, quality of analgesia, and volumes of local anesthetic used during the first 48 h of patient-controlled epidural analgesia. Readiness to surgery required 21 +/- 6 min in the control group and 17 +/- 7 min in the 45 degree-rotation group (P > 0.50). The maximum sensory level reached on the operative side was T10 (T10-7) in the control group and T9 (T10-6) in the 45 degree-rotation group (P > 0.50); whereas the maximum sensory level reached on the nonoperative side was T10 (T12-9) in the control group and L3 (L5-T12) in the 45 degree-rotation group (P = 0.0005). Complete motor blockade of the operative limb was achieved earlier in the 45 degree-rotation than in the control group, and motor block of the nonoperative side was more intense in patients in the control group. Two-segment regression of sensory level on the surgical side was similar in the two groups, but occurred earlier on the nonoperative side in the 45 degree-rotation group (94 +/- 70 min) than in the control group (178 +/- 40 min) (P = 0.0005). Postoperative analgesia was similar in the 2 groups, but the 45 degree-rotation group consumed less local anesthetic (242 +/- 35 mL) than the control group (297 +/- 60 mL) (P = 0.0005). We conclude that the rotation of the Tuohy introducer needle 45 degrees toward the operative side before threading the epidural catheter provides a preferential distribution of sensory and motor block toward the operative side, reducing the volume of local anesthetic solution required to maintain postoperative analgesia. Turning the Tuohy introducer needle 45 degrees toward the operative side before threading the epidural catheter is a simple maneuver that produces a preferential distribution of epidural anesthesia and analgesia toward the operative side, minimizing the volume of local anesthetic required to provide adequate pain relief after total hip arthroplasty.