Stroke Survivors' Evaluations of a Stroke Workbook-Based Intervention Designed to Increase Perceived Control over Recovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joice, Sara; Johnston, Marie; Bonetti, Debbie; Morrison, Val; MacWalter, Ron

2012-01-01

Objective: To report stroke survivors' experiences and perceived usefulness of an effective self-help workbook-based intervention. Design: A cross-sectional study involving the intervention group of an earlier randomized controlled trial. Setting: At the participants' homes approximately seven weeks post-hospital discharge. Method: Following the…

Impact of palm date consumption on microbiota growth and large intestinal health: a randomised, controlled, cross-over, human intervention study.

PubMed

Eid, Noura; Osmanova, Hristina; Natchez, Cecile; Walton, Gemma; Costabile, Adele; Gibson, Glenn; Rowland, Ian; Spencer, Jeremy P E

2015-10-28

The reported inverse association between the intake of plant-based foods and a reduction in the prevalence of colorectal cancer may be partly mediated by interactions between insoluble fibre and (poly)phenols and the intestinal microbiota. In the present study, we assessed the impact of palm date consumption, rich in both polyphenols and fibre, on the growth of colonic microbiota and markers of colon cancer risk in a randomised, controlled, cross-over human intervention study. A total of twenty-two healthy human volunteers were randomly assigned to either a control group (maltodextrin-dextrose, 37·1 g) or an intervention group (seven dates, approximately 50 g). Each arm was of 21 d duration and was separated by a 14-d washout period in a cross-over manner. Changes in the growth of microbiota were assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation analysis, whereas SCFA levels were assessed using HPLC. Further, ammonia concentrations, faecal water genotoxicity and anti-proliferation ability were also assessed using different assays, which included cell work and the Comet assay. Accordingly, dietary intakes, anthropometric measurements and bowel movement assessment were also carried out. Although the consumption of dates did not induce significant changes in the growth of select bacterial groups or SCFA, there were significant increases in bowel movements and stool frequency (P<0·01; n 21) and significant reductions in stool ammonia concentration (P<0·05; n 21) after consumption of dates, relative to baseline. Furthermore, date fruit intake significantly reduced genotoxicity in human faecal water relative to control (P<0·01; n 21). Our data indicate that consumption of date fruit may reduce colon cancer risk without inducing changes in the microbiota.

Which language declines more? longitudinal versus cross-sectional decline of picture naming in bilinguals with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Ivanova, Iva; Salmon, David P; Gollan, Tamar H

2014-05-01

In this study, we investigated dual-language decline in non-balanced bilinguals with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) both longitudinally and cross-sectionally. We examined patients' naming accuracy on the Boston Naming Test (BNT: Kaplan et al., 1983) over three testing sessions (longitudinal analysis) and compared their performance to that of matched controls (cross-sectional analysis). We found different longitudinal and cross-sectional patterns of decline: Longitudinally, the non-dominant language seemed to decline more steeply than the dominant language, but, cross-sectionally, differences between patients and controls were larger for the dominant than for the non-dominant language, especially at the initial testing session. This differential pattern of results for cross-sectional versus longitudinal decline was supported by correlations between decline measures and BNT item characteristics. Further studies will be needed to better characterize the nature of linguistic decline in bilinguals with AD; however, these results suggest that representational robustness of individual lexical representations, rather than language membership, might determine the time course of decline for naming in bilinguals with AD.

Cross-Layer Adaptive Feedback Scheduling of Wireless Control Systems

PubMed Central

Xia, Feng; Ma, Longhua; Peng, Chen; Sun, Youxian; Dong, Jinxiang

2008-01-01

There is a trend towards using wireless technologies in networked control systems. However, the adverse properties of the radio channels make it difficult to design and implement control systems in wireless environments. To attack the uncertainty in available communication resources in wireless control systems closed over WLAN, a cross-layer adaptive feedback scheduling (CLAFS) scheme is developed, which takes advantage of the co-design of control and wireless communications. By exploiting cross-layer design, CLAFS adjusts the sampling periods of control systems at the application layer based on information about deadline miss ratio and transmission rate from the physical layer. Within the framework of feedback scheduling, the control performance is maximized through controlling the deadline miss ratio. Key design parameters of the feedback scheduler are adapted to dynamic changes in the channel condition. An event-driven invocation mechanism for the feedback scheduler is also developed. Simulation results show that the proposed approach is efficient in dealing with channel capacity variations and noise interference, thus providing an enabling technology for control over WLAN. PMID:27879934

Cross-over studies underestimate energy compensation: The example of sucrose-versus sucralose-containing drinks.

PubMed

Gadah, Nouf S; Brunstrom, Jeffrey M; Rogers, Peter J

2016-12-01

The vast majority of preload-test-meal studies that have investigated the effects on energy intake of disguised nutrient or other food/drink ingredient manipulations have used a cross-over design. We argue that this design may underestimate the effect of the manipulation due to carry-over effects. To test this we conducted comparable cross-over (n = 69) and parallel-groups (n = 48) studies testing the effects of sucrose versus low-calorie sweetener (sucralose) in a drink preload on test-meal energy intake. The parallel-groups study included a baseline day in which only the test meal was consumed. Energy intake in that meal was used to control for individual differences in energy intake in the analysis of the effects of sucrose versus sucralose on energy intake on the test day. Consistent with our prediction, the effect of consuming sucrose on subsequent energy intake was greater when measured in the parallel-groups study than in the cross-over study (respectively 64% versus 36% compensation for the 162 kcal difference in energy content of the sucrose and sucralose drinks). We also included a water comparison group in the parallel-groups study (n = 24) and found that test-meal energy intake did not differ significantly between the water and sucralose conditions. Together, these results confirm that consumption of sucrose in a drink reduces subsequent energy intake, but by less than the energy content of the drink, whilst drink sweetness does not increase food energy intake. Crucially, though, the studies demonstrate that study design affects estimated energy compensation. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The impact of a multidisciplinary self-care management program on quality of life, self-care, adherence to anti-hypertensive therapy, glycemic control, and renal function in diabetic kidney disease: A Cross-over Study Protocol.

PubMed

Helou, Nancy; Talhouedec, Dominique; Shaha, Maya; Zanchi, Anne

2016-07-19

Diabetic kidney disease, a global health issue, remains associated with high morbidity and mortality. Previous research has shown that multidisciplinary management of chronic disease can improve patient outcomes. The effect of multidisciplinary self-care management on quality of life and renal function of patients with diabetic kidney disease has not yet been well established. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary self-care management program on quality of life, self-care behavior, adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment, glycemic control, and renal function of adults with diabetic kidney disease. A uniform balanced cross-over design is used, with the objective to recruit 40 adult participants with diabetic kidney disease, from public and private out-patient settings in French speaking Switzerland. Participants are randomized in equal number into four study arms. Each participant receives usual care alternating with the multidisciplinary self- care management program. Each treatment period lasts three months and is repeated twice at different time intervals over 12 months depending on the cross-over arm. The multidisciplinary self-care management program is led by an advanced practice nurse and adds nursing and dietary consultations and follow-ups, to the habitual management provided by the general practitioner, the nephrologist and the diabetologist. Data is collected every three months for 12 months. Quality of life is measured using the Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life scale, patient self-care behavior is assessed using the Revised Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities, and adherence to anti-hypertensive therapy is evaluated using the Medication Events Monitoring System. Blood glucose control is measured by the glycated hemoglobin levels and renal function by serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio. Data will be analyzed using STATA version 14. The cross-over design will elucidate the responses of individual participant to each treatment, and will allow us to better evaluate the use of such a design in clinical settings and behavioral studies. This study also explores the impact of a theory-based nursing practice and its implementation into a multidisciplinary context. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01967901 , registered on the 18th of October 2013.

Is Job Control a Double-Edged Sword? A Cross-Lagged Panel Study on the Interplay of Quantitative Workload, Emotional Dissonance, and Job Control on Emotional Exhaustion.

PubMed

Konze, Anne-Kathrin; Rivkin, Wladislaw; Schmidt, Klaus-Helmut

2017-12-20

Previous meta-analytic findings have provided ambiguous evidence on job control as a buffering moderator of the adverse impact of job demands on psychological well-being. To disentangle these mixed findings, we examine the moderating effect of job control on the adverse effects of quantitative workload and emotional dissonance as distinct work-related demands on emotional exhaustion over time. Drawing on the job demands-control model, the limited strength model of self-control, and the matching principle we propose that job control can facilitate coping with work-related demands but at the same time may also require employees' self-control. Consequently, we argue that job control buffers the adverse effects of quantitative workload while it reinforces the adverse effects of emotional dissonance, which also necessitates self-control. We examine the proposed relations among employees from an energy supplying company ( N = 139) in a cross-lagged panel study with a six-month time lag. Our results demonstrate a mix of causal and reciprocal effects of job characteristics on emotional exhaustion over time. Furthermore, as suggested, our data provides evidence for contrasting moderating effects of job control. That is, job control buffers the adverse effects of quantitative workload while it reinforces the adverse effects of emotional dissonance on emotional exhaustion.

Is Job Control a Double-Edged Sword? A Cross-Lagged Panel Study on the Interplay of Quantitative Workload, Emotional Dissonance, and Job Control on Emotional Exhaustion

PubMed Central

Rivkin, Wladislaw; Schmidt, Klaus-Helmut

2017-01-01

Previous meta-analytic findings have provided ambiguous evidence on job control as a buffering moderator of the adverse impact of job demands on psychological well-being. To disentangle these mixed findings, we examine the moderating effect of job control on the adverse effects of quantitative workload and emotional dissonance as distinct work-related demands on emotional exhaustion over time. Drawing on the job demands-control model, the limited strength model of self-control, and the matching principle we propose that job control can facilitate coping with work-related demands but at the same time may also require employees’ self-control. Consequently, we argue that job control buffers the adverse effects of quantitative workload while it reinforces the adverse effects of emotional dissonance, which also necessitates self-control. We examine the proposed relations among employees from an energy supplying company (N = 139) in a cross-lagged panel study with a six-month time lag. Our results demonstrate a mix of causal and reciprocal effects of job characteristics on emotional exhaustion over time. Furthermore, as suggested, our data provides evidence for contrasting moderating effects of job control. That is, job control buffers the adverse effects of quantitative workload while it reinforces the adverse effects of emotional dissonance on emotional exhaustion. PMID:29261116

Sensorimotor integration of vision and proprioception for obstacle crossing in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Malik, Raza Naseem; Cote, Rachel; Lam, Tania

2017-01-01

Skilled walking, such as obstacle crossing, is an essential component of functional mobility. Sensorimotor integration of visual and proprioceptive inputs is important for successful obstacle crossing. The objective of this study was to understand how proprioceptive deficits affect obstacle-crossing strategies when controlling for variations in motor deficits in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Fifteen ambulatory individuals with SCI and 15 able-bodied controls were asked to step over an obstacle scaled to their motor abilities under full and obstructed vision conditions. An eye tracker was used to determine gaze behaviour and motion capture analysis was used to determine toe kinematics relative to the obstacle. Combined, bilateral hip and knee proprioceptive sense (joint position sense and movement detection sense) was assessed using the Lokomat and customized software controls. Combined, bilateral hip and knee proprioceptive sense in subjects with SCI varied and was significantly different from able-bodied subjects. Subjects with greater proprioceptive deficits stepped higher over the obstacle with their lead and trail limbs in the obstructed vision condition compared with full vision. Subjects with SCI also glanced at the obstacle more frequently and with longer fixation times compared with controls, but this was not related to proprioceptive sense. This study indicates that ambulatory individuals with SCI rely more heavily on vision to cross obstacles and show impairments in key gait parameters required for successful obstacle crossing. Our data suggest that proprioceptive deficits need to be considered in rehabilitation programs aimed at improving functional mobility in ambulatory individuals with SCI. This work is unique since it examines the contribution of combined, bilateral hip and knee proprioceptive sense on the recovery of skilled walking function, in addition to characterizing gaze behavior during a skilled walking task in people with motor-incomplete spinal cord injury. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

The longitudinal relationship between control over working hours and depressive symptoms: Results from SLOSH, a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Albrecht, Sophie C; Kecklund, Göran; Rajaleid, Kristiina; Leineweber, Constanze

2017-06-01

Psychosocial work factors can affect depressive moods, but research is inconclusive if flexibility to self-determine working hours (work-time control, WTC) is associated with depressive symptoms over time. We investigated if either sub-dimension of WTC, control over daily hours and control over time off, was related to depressive symptoms over time and examined causal, reversed-causal, and reciprocal pathways. The study was based on four waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health which is a follow-up of representative samples of the Swedish working population. WTC was measured using a 5-item index. Depressive symptoms were assessed with a brief subscale of the Symptom Checklist. Latent growth curve models and cross-lagged panel models were tested. Best fit was found for a model with correlated intercepts (control over daily hours) and both correlated intercepts and slopes (control over time off) between WTC and depressive symptoms, with stronger associations for control over time off. Causal models estimating impacts from WTC to subsequent depressive symptoms were best fitting, with a standardised coefficient between -0.023 and -0.048. Results were mainly based on self-report data and mean age in the study sample was relatively high. Higher WTC was related to fewer depressive symptoms over time albeit small effects. Giving workers control over working hours - especially over taking breaks and vacation - may improve working conditions and buffer against developing depression, potentially by enabling workers to recover more easily and promoting work-life balance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Predictors of Parental Locus of Control in Mothers of Pre- and Early-Adolescents

PubMed Central

Freed, Rachel D.; Tompson, Martha C.

2016-01-01

Parental locus of control refers to parents’ perceived power and efficacy in child-rearing situations. This study explored parental locus of control and its correlates in 160 mothers of children ages 8–14 cross-sectionally and 1 year later. Maternal depression, maternal expressed emotion, and child internalizing and externalizing behavior were examined, along with a number of sociodemographic factors. Cross-sectional analyses indicated that external parental locus of control was associated with child externalizing behavior, maternal depression, less maternal education, lower income, and older maternal age. Longitudinal analyses showed that child age and externalizing behavior also predicted increases in external parental locus of control 1 year later. Finally, lower income and less parental perceived control predicted increases in child externalizing behavior over time. PMID:21229447

Factors Influencing Obstacle Crossing Performance in Patients with Parkinson's Disease

PubMed Central

Liao, Ying-Yi; Yang, Yea-Ru; Wu, Yih-Ru; Wang, Ray-Yau

2014-01-01

Background Tripping over obstacles is the major cause of falls in community-dwelling patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Understanding the factors associated with the obstacle crossing behavior may help to develop possible training programs for crossing performance. This study aimed to identify the relationships and important factors determining obstacle crossing performance in patients with PD. Methods Forty-two idiopathic patients with PD (Hoehn and Yahr stages I to III) participated in this study. Obstacle crossing performance was recorded by the Liberty system, a three-dimensional motion capture device. Maximal isometric strength of the lower extremity was measured by a handheld dynamometer. Dynamic balance and sensory integration ability were assessed using the Balance Master system. Movement velocity (MV), maximal excursion (ME), and directional control (DC) were obtained during the limits of stability test to quantify dynamic balance. The sum of sensory organization test (SOT) scores was used to quantify sensory organization ability. Results Both crossing stride length and stride velocity correlated significantly with lower extremity muscle strength, dynamic balance control (forward and sideward), and sum of SOT scores. From the regression model, forward DC and ankle dorsiflexor strength were identified as two major determinants for crossing performance (R2 = .37 to.41 for the crossing stride length, R2 = .43 to.44 for the crossing stride velocity). Conclusions Lower extremity muscle strength, dynamic balance control and sensory integration ability significantly influence obstacle crossing performance. We suggest an emphasis on muscle strengthening exercises (especially ankle dorsiflexors), balance training (especially forward DC), and sensory integration training to improve obstacle crossing performance in patients with PD. PMID:24454723

Design, analysis, and testing of high frequency passively damped struts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yiu, Y. C.; Davis, L. Porter; Napolitano, Kevin; Ninneman, R. Rory

1993-01-01

Objectives of the research are: (1) to develop design requirements for damped struts to stabilize control system in the high frequency cross-over and spill-over range; (2) to design, fabricate and test viscously damped strut and viscoelastically damped strut; (3) to verify accuracy of design and analysis methodology of damped struts; and (4) to design and build test apparatus, and develop data reduction algorithm to measure strut complex stiffness. In order to meet the stringent performance requirements of the SPICE experiment, the active control system is used to suppress the dynamic responses of the low order structural modes. However, the control system also inadvertently drives some of the higher order modes unstable in the cross-over and spill-over frequency range. Passive damping is a reliable and effective way to provide damping to stabilize the control system. It also improves the robustness of the control system. Damping is designed into the SPICE testbed as an integral part of the control-structure technology.

The Impact of Oxytocin on Food Intake and Emotion Recognition in Patients with Eating Disorders: A Double Blind Single Dose Within-Subject Cross-Over Design.

PubMed

Kim, Youl-Ri; Eom, Jin-Sup; Yang, Jae-Won; Kang, Jiwon; Treasure, Janet

2015-01-01

Social difficulties and problems related to eating behaviour are common features of both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). The aim of this study was to examine the impact of intranasal oxytocin on consummatory behaviour and emotional recognition in patients with AN and BN in comparison to healthy controls. A total of 102 women, including 35 patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), 34 patients with bulimia nervosa (BN), and 33 healthy university students of comparable age and intelligence, participated in a double-blind, single dose placebo-controlled cross-over study. A single dose of intranasal administration of oxytocin (40 IU) (or a placebo) was followed by an emotional recognition task and an apple juice drink. Food intake was then recorded for 24 hours post-test. Oxytocin produced no significant change in appetite in the acute or 24 hours free living settings in healthy controls, whereas there was a decrease in calorie consumption over 24 hours in patients with BN. Oxytocin produced a small increase in emotion recognition sensitivity in healthy controls and in patients with BN, In patients with AN, oxytocin had no effect on emotion recognition sensitivity or on consummatory behaviour. The impact of oxytocin on appetite and social cognition varied between people with AN and BN. A single dose of intranasal oxytocin decreased caloric intake over 24 hours in people with BN. People with BN showed enhanced emotional sensitivity under oxytocin condition similar to healthy controls. Those effects of oxytocin were not found in patients with AN. ClinicalTrials.gov KCT00000716.

The Safety of Older Pedestrians at Signal-Controlled Crossings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrell, W. Andrew

1996-01-01

Observes the extent to which pedestrians checked for oncoming traffic before crossing signal-controlled intersections on busy city streets. Pedestrians over the age of 50 were the most cautious, especially under dangerous traffic conditions. Older pedestrians were least likely to use other pedestrians as "guides" to safety, instead…

Polydextrose: its impact on short-term food intake and subjective feelings of satiety in males-a randomized controlled cross-over study.

PubMed

Ranawana, Viren; Muller, Adelaide; Henry, C Jeya K

2013-04-01

Polydextrose is a low-calorie highly branched-chain glucose polymer that is poorly digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract and therefore demonstrates fibre-like properties. Fibre has been shown to increase satiety and possibly reduce food intake. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to examine the effects of polydextrose on short-term satiety and energy intake. In a repeated-measures randomized blind cross-over design, 26 healthy males consumed a 400-g fruit smoothie containing 12 g (3 %) of polydextrose, and a buffet lunch 60 min after the smoothie. Motivational ratings for satiety and palatability and lunch energy intake were measured. The effects of the polydextrose-containing smoothie were compared against a polydextrose-free control smoothie. Polydextrose did not significantly alter the taste and palatability of the fruit smoothie. Consuming the polydextrose-containing smoothie resulted in a significantly lower energy intake at lunch (102 kcal less) compared to the control. Polydextrose may be a good fortificant for reducing short-term food intake.

Effects of aging on whole body and segmental control while obstacle crossing under impaired sensory conditions.

PubMed

Novak, Alison C; Deshpande, Nandini

2014-06-01

The ability to safely negotiate obstacles is an important component of independent mobility, requiring adaptive locomotor responses to maintain dynamic balance. This study examined the effects of aging and visual-vestibular interactions on whole-body and segmental control during obstacle crossing. Twelve young and 15 older adults walked along a straight pathway and stepped over one obstacle placed in their path. The task was completed under 4 conditions which included intact or blurred vision, and intact or perturbed vestibular information using galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS). Global task performance significantly increased under suboptimal vision conditions. Vision also significantly influenced medial-lateral center of mass displacement, irrespective of age and GVS. Older adults demonstrated significantly greater trunk pitch and head roll angles under suboptimal vision conditions. Similar to whole-body control, no GVS effect was found for any measures of segmental control. The results indicate a significant reliance on visual but not vestibular information for locomotor control during obstacle crossing. The lack of differences in GVS effects suggests that vestibular information is not up-regulated for obstacle avoidance. This is not differentially affected by aging. In older adults, insufficient visual input appears to affect ability to minimize anterior-posterior trunk movement despite a slower obstacle crossing time and walking speed. Combined with larger medial-lateral deviation of the body COM with insufficient visual information, the older adults may be at a greater risk for imbalance or inability to recover from a possible trip when stepping over an obstacle. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cross-border-assisted reproduction: a qualitative account of UK travellers' experiences.

PubMed

Hudson, Nicky; Culley, Lorraine; Blyth, Eric; Norton, Wendy; Pacey, Allan; Rapport, Frances

2016-06-01

Surveys on patients' experiences of cross-border fertility treatment have reported a range of positive and challenging features. However, the number of such studies is limited, and there is no detailed qualitative account of the experiences of UK patients who travel overseas for fertility treatment. The present study used a cross-sectional, qualitative design and in-depth interviews. Fifty-one participants (41 women and 10 men, representing 41 treatment 'cases') participated in semi-structured interviews. The experiences reported were broadly positive with a large proportion of participants (39 cases, 95%) citing a favourable overall experience with only two cases (5%) reporting a more negative experience. Thematic analysis revealed 6 major categories and 20 sub-categories, which described the positive and challenging aspects of cross-border fertility travel. The positive aspects were represented by the categories: 'access', 'control' and 'care and respect'. The more challenging aspects were categorized as 'logistics and coordination of care', 'uncertainty' and 'cultural dissonance'. The study confirms findings from others that despite some challenges, there is a relatively high level of patient satisfaction with cross-border treatment with participants able to extend the boundaries of their fertility-seeking trajectories and in some cases, regain a sense of control over their treatment.

Prolonged remission from hepatic encephalopathy with rifaximin: results of a placebo crossover analysis

PubMed Central

Bajaj, J S; Barrett, A C; Bortey, E; Paterson, C; Forbes, W P

2015-01-01

Background Rifaximin therapy reduced risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence and HE-related hospitalisations during a 6-month, randomised, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) and a 24-month open-label maintenance (OLM) study. However, the impact of crossover from placebo to rifaximin therapy is unclear. Aim To study the impact of crossing over from placebo to rifaximin treatment on breakthrough HE and hospitalisation rates using a within-subjects design. Methods Adults with cirrhosis and history of overt HE episodes, currently in HE remission, received placebo during the RCT and crossed over to rifaximin 550 mg twice daily during the OLM study. Rate of breakthrough overt HE episodes, hospitalisations and incidence and rate of adverse events (AEs) were analysed during RCT and first 6 months of OLM. Results Of 82 patients randomised to placebo in the RCT who crossed over to the OLM study, 39 experienced an HE episode during the RCT compared with 14 during the OLM study (P < 0.0001). Significantly lower rates of HE events were observed with rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment (P < 0.0001). Rates of HE-related hospitalisation were numerically lower during rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment, although not significant. Rates of most common AEs, serious AEs and infection-related AEs were similar between the two treatments. Conclusions This analysis confirms the repeatability of results from the RCT on safety and efficacy of rifaximin 550 mg twice daily in reducing the risk of hepatic encephalopathy recurrence, and suggests these findings are translatable outside of a rigorous, controlled trial setting. PMID:25339518

Analysis of modal behavior at frequency cross-over

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Robert N., Jr.

1994-11-01

The existence of the mode crossing condition is detected and analyzed in the Active Control of Space Structures Model 4 (ACOSS4). The condition is studied for its contribution to the inability of previous algorithms to successfully optimize the structure and converge to a feasible solution. A new algorithm is developed to detect and correct for mode crossings. The existence of the mode crossing condition is verified in ACOSS4 and found not to have appreciably affected the solution. The structure is then successfully optimized using new analytic methods based on modal expansion. An unrelated error in the optimization algorithm previously used is verified and corrected, thereby equipping the optimization algorithm with a second analytic method for eigenvector differentiation based on Nelson's Method. The second structure is the Control of Flexible Structures (COFS). The COFS structure is successfully reproduced and an initial eigenanalysis completed.

Direct and indirect effects of unilateral divorce law on marital stability.

PubMed

Kneip, Thorsten; Bauer, Gerrit; Reinhold, Steffen

2014-12-01

Previous research examining the impact of unilateral divorce law (UDL) on the prevalence of divorce has provided mixed results. Studies based on cross-sectional cross-country/cross-state survey data have received criticism for disregarding unobserved heterogeneity across countries, as have studies using country-level panel data for failing to account for possible mediating mechanisms at the micro level. We seek to overcome both shortcomings by using individual-level event-history data from 11 European countries (SHARELIFE) and controlling for unobserved heterogeneity over countries and cohorts. We find that UDL in total increased the incidence of marital breakdown by about 20 %. This finding, however, neglects potential selection effects into marriage. Accordingly, the estimated effect of unilateral divorce laws becomes much larger when we control for age at marriage, which is used as indicator for match quality. Moreover, we find that UDL particularly affects marital stability in the presence of children.

Impact of a cognitive rehabilitation intervention on neuropsychiatric symptoms in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Brunelle-Hamann, Laurence; Thivierge, Stéphanie; Simard, Martine

2015-01-01

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of a cognitive rehabilitation programme on 12 behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). This six-month single-blind block-randomised cross-over controlled study was conducted with 15 mild to moderate AD participants and their caregivers. All participants received a four-week home-based cognitive rehabilitation programme to learn/re-learn an instrumental activity of daily living. They were assessed up until three months following the end of the intervention. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-12) was employed to evaluate patients' BPSD at seven assessment points during the course of the study. A general linear mixed model analysis performed on the NPI data revealed that aberrant motor behaviours (AMB) increased significantly more in the treatment condition than in the control condition. In addition, both groups registered a significant reduction of delusional symptoms during the second half of the study. Employing a multi-symptom approach to assess participants' BPSD, this cross-over randomised controlled study showed that an individualised cognitive rehabilitation intervention was generally well-tolerated by mild to moderate AD patients. Future cognitive rehabilitation studies conducted with this population should pay attention to AMB symptom changes.

Specific and cross over effects of massage for muscle soreness: randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Jay, Kenneth; Sundstrup, Emil; Søndergaard, Stine D; Behm, David; Brandt, Mikkel; Særvoll, Charlotte A; Jakobsen, Markus D; Andersen, Lars L

2014-02-01

Muscle soreness can negatively interfere with the activities of daily living as well as sports performance. In the working environment, a common problem is muscle tenderness, soreness and pain, especially for workers frequently exposed to unilateral high repetitive movements tasks. The aim of the study is therefore to investigate the acute effect of massage applied using a simple device Thera-band roller Massager on laboratory induced hamstring muscle soreness, and the potential cross over effect to the non-massaged limb. 22 healthy untrained men (Mean age 34 +/- 7 years; mean height 181.7 +/- 6.9 cm; mean weight 80.6 +/- 6.4 kg; BMI: 24.5 +/- 1.3) with no prior history of knee, low back or neck injury or other adverse health issues were recruited. Participants visited the researchers on two separate occasions, separated by 48 hours, each time providing a soreness rating (modified visual analog scale 0-10), and being tested for pressure pain threshold (PPT) and active range of motion (ROM) of the hamstring muscles. During the first visit, delayed onset muscular soreness of the hamstring muscles was induced by 10 x 10 repetitions of the stiff-legged dead-lift. On the second visit participants received either 1) 10 minutes of roller massage on one leg, while the contralateral leg served as a cross over control, or 2) Resting for 10 minutes with no massage at all. Measurement of soreness, PPT and ROM were taken immediately before and at 0, 10, 30 and 60 min. after treatment. There was a significant group by time interaction for soreness (p < 0.0001) and PPT (p = 0.0007), with the massage group experiencing reduced soreness and increasing PPT compared with the control group. There was no group by time interaction for ROM (p = 0.18). At 10 min. post massage there was a significant reduction in soreness of the non-massaged limb in the cross over control group compared to controls but this effect was lost 30 minutes post massage. Massage with a roller device reduces muscle soreness and is accompanied by a higher PPT of the affected muscle. 2c; outcomes research.

Where are my hands? Influence of limb posture on tactile extinction.

PubMed

Auclair, Laurent; Barra, Julien; Raibaut, Patrick

2012-05-01

Tactile localization on the skin involves both a somatotopic and a postural schema (body-schema) representation. The present study determines the extent to which body posture influences tactile perception in right-brain-damaged patients. In a first set of experiments, patients were asked to detect single tactile stimulation delivered to their left or right hands or to both hands simultaneously (double stimulation) in different arm postures. Only patients who had no difficulty localizing single and double tactile stimulations when their hands were placed in anatomic position were tested. Participant's hands were crossed, one over the other, and the tactile stimuli were delivered either to the hand (beyond the crossing point, Experiment 1) or to the forearm (before the crossing point, Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, the left hand was placed in the right hemispace and the right hand in the left hemispace without crossing over (opposite condition). In a second set of experiments, patients were asked to detect stimulation delivered to the forefinger. The fingers were crossed, one over the other at the level of the middle phalanx, and stimuli were delivered either beyond or before the crossing point. In all experimental conditions, control participants performed at ceiling. We observed a left-hand tactile extinction on double stimulation in the crossed condition. These results suggest that tactile stimuli can be encoded based on multiple specific body-part representations rather than on an integrated body-schema representation.

Cone and seed yields from controlled breeding of southern pines

Treesearch

E. B. Snyder; A. E. Squillace

1966-01-01

Over a 10-year period, survivals of cones from controlled cross-pollinations were less than 40 percent, and seed yields per cone averaged about half those from wind-pollinations. Self-pollinations produced about 15 percent as much seed as cross-pollinations. Interspecific pollinations were generally less productive than intraspecific pollinations.

Perceiving control: a double-edged sword in old age.

PubMed

Kunzmann, Ute; Little, Todd; Smith, Jacqui

2002-11-01

Although control beliefs are thought to be pivotal contributors to emotional well-being in old age, questions remain about the specific and long-term emotional implications of different types of control beliefs. We examined three generalized beliefs about control (personal control over desirable outcomes, personal responsibility for undesirable outcomes, perceived others' control) and their associations with emotional well-being (positive and negative affect) using cross-sectional (N = 516) and longitudinal (N = 206) samples from the Berlin Aging Study (age range = 70-103 years). Relationships between control beliefs and emotional well-being were dependent on the type of control belief and the dimension of emotional well-being considered, the sample investigated, and on whether individual differences at a given point in time or individual differences in intraindividual changes over time were examined. Despite these complexities, findings suggest that perceived control over desirable outcomes is associated with high emotional well-being, whereas perceived others' control is an emotional risk factor in old age.

Low to moderate alcohol consumption on serum vitamin D and other indicators of bone health in postmenopausal women in a controlled feeding study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Heavy alcohol drinking adversely affects vitamin D status and bone health. However, data from randomized, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of low to moderate alcohol consumption on vitamin D status and bone health in humans is unavailable. The objective of this cross-over RCT was to e...

InternationaL cross-sectIonAl and longItudinal assessment on aSthma cONtrol in European adult patients - the LIAISON study protocol

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background According to international guidelines, the goal of asthma management is to achieve and maintain control of the disease, which can be assessed using composite measures. Prospective studies are required to determine how these measures are associated with asthma outcomes and/or future risk. The ‘InternationaL cross-sectIonAl and longItudinal assessment on aSthma cONtrol (LIAISON)’ observational study has been designed to evaluate asthma control and its determinants, including components of asthma management. Methods/design The LIAISON study will be conducted in 12 European countries and comprises a cross-sectional phase and a 12-month prospective phase. Both phases will aim at assessing asthma control (six-item Asthma Control Questionnaire, ACQ), asthma-related quality of life (Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, Mini-AQLQ), risk of non-adherence to treatment (four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, MMAS-4), potential reasons for poor control, treatment strategies and associated healthcare costs. The cross-sectional phase will recruit > 8,000 adult patients diagnosed with asthma for at least 6 months and receiving the same asthma treatment in the 4 weeks before enrolment. The prospective phase will include all patients with uncontrolled/poorly controlled asthma at the initial visit to assess the proportion reaching control during follow-up and to examine predictors of future risk. Visits will take place after 3, 6 and 12 months. Discussion The LIAISON study will provide important information on the prevalence of asthma control and on the quality of life in a broad spectrum of real-life patient populations from different European countries and will also contribute to evaluate differences in management strategies and their impact on healthcare costs over 12 months of observation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01567280. PMID:23530817

[Genetic control of mitotic crossing-over in yeasts. III. Induction by 8-methoxypsoralen and long-wave UV irradiation (lambda=365 nm)].

PubMed

Fedorova, I V; Marfin, S V

1982-02-01

The lethal effect of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus 365 nm light has been studied in haploid radiosensitive strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The diploid of wild type and the diploid homozygous for the rad2 mutation (this mutation blocks the excision of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers) were more resistant to the lethal effect of 8-MOP plus 365 nm light than the haploid of wild type and rad2 haploid, respectively. The diploid homozygous for rad54 mutation (the mutation blocks the repair of double-strand breaks in DNA) was more sensitive than haploid rad54. The method of repeated irradiation allowed to study the capacity of radiosensitive diploids to remove monoadducts induced by 8-MOP in DNA. This process was very effective in diploids of wild type and in the rad54 rad54 diploid, while the rad2 rad2 diploid was characterized by nearly complete absence of monoadduct excision. The study of mitotic crossing over and mitotic segregation in yeast diploids, containing a pair of complementing alleles of the ade2 gene (red/pink) has shown a very high recombinogenic effect of 8-MOP plus 365 nm light. The rad2 mutation slightly increased the frequency of mitotic segregation and mitotic crossing over. The rad54 mutation decreased the frequency of mitotic segregation and entirely suppressed mitotic crossing over. The method of repeated irradiation showed that the cross-links, but not monoadducts, are the main cause of high recombinogenic effect of 8-MOP plus 365 nm light. The possible participation of different repair systems in recombinational processes induced by 8-MOP in yeast cells is discussed.

Public perception of cross-infection control in dentistry.

PubMed

Thomson, W M; Stewart, J F; Carter, K D; Spencer, A J

1997-10-01

Since the advent of HIV/AIDS at the beginning of the 1980s, concern has generated considerable impetus for change in cross-infection control procedures in dentistry. This process has been hastened partly by media coverage which, in tending to favour sensation over rational discourse, has played a not inconsiderable role in shaping public understanding and expectations. This study aimed to investigate public perceptions of cross-infection control in dentistry in Australia using a postal follow-up to the 1995 National Dental Telephone Interview Survey. The postal survey response rate was 85.2 per cent. Concerns about the procedures used by their dentist to sterilize instruments were reported by 13.3 per cent of respondents overall, and this was greater among non-health-card-holders, individuals who mainly spoke a language other than English in the home, and those who reported a non-routine dental visiting pattern. Avoidance or delaying of dental visits due to the perceived cross-infection risk was reported by an overall 3.6 per cent of people, and this was higher among females and those who expressed concern about cross-infection control. The profession has a responsibility to ensure that information on the measures which have been taken to reduce the risk of cross-infection in dentistry is disseminated as widely and as clearly as possible so that undue public concern and avoidance of dental care are minimized.

Vascular provisions for a local utero-ovarian cross-over pathway in new world camelids.

PubMed

Del Campo, M R; Del Campo, C H; Ginther, O J

1996-10-15

The right uterine horn of alpacas causes luteolysis in the right ovary, whereas the left horn causes luteolysis in both ovaries. Female reproductive tracts were studied in 32 adult llamas, 12 adult alpacas, and 21 mid-gestation female fetuses to determine if there is a dichotomy in the vascular anatomy between the 2 sides. Adult tracts were studied by either injection of colored latex into the veins and arteries followed by tissue clearing or by injection of colored fluids during transillumination. Fetal uteri were studied by transillumination. The angioarchitecture of the ovarian vascular pedicle was similar to that reported for ewes. There was no vessel comparable to the middle uterine artery, which is the largest uterine artery in the other farm species. A striking difference from the uterine vascular of other farm species was the presence of a major branch of the right uterine artery that crossed the cranial intercornual area to supply much of the left uterine horn. A corresponding major vein originated from the left horn, crossed the mid-line, and terminated as a branch of the right uterine vein. Thus, the vascular anatomy indicated that much venous blood from the left horn drained to the right side. This was confirmed by injection of colored fluid into a small venous branch at the tip of the left horn. The prominent cross-over vessels were observed in the fetal uteri, and the diameter of the left uterine fetal horn (6.7 +/- 0.6 mm) was greater (P < 0.001) than the diameter of the right horn (5.8 +/- 0.5 mm). The presence of a large cross-over vein traversing from the left horn to the right side is compatible with the hypothesis that the left horn can exert luteolytic control over the corpus luteum in the right ovary through a veno-arterial pathway. The area of veno-arterial transfer of the luteolysin from a vein containing blood from the left horn into an artery supplying the right ovary was not defined in this study. However, the results provide an anatomical basis for functional testing of the cross-over hypothesis and defining the area of venoarterial transfer in camelids.

Changes in Awareness of Cancer Risk Factors among Adult New Zealanders (CAANZ): 2001 to 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, R.; McNoe, B.; Iosua, E.; Reeder, A. I.; Egan, R.; Marsh, L.; Robertson, L.; Maclennan, B.; Dawson, A.; Quigg, R.; Petersen, A.-C.

2017-01-01

Behaviour change, specifically that which decreases cancer risk, is an essential element of cancer control. Little information is available about how awareness of risk factors may be changing over time. This study describes the awareness of cancer risk behaviours among adult New Zealanders in two cross-sectional studies conducted in 2001 and…

Effectiveness of tobacco control television advertising in changing tobacco use in England: a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Sims, Michelle; Salway, Ruth; Langley, Tessa; Lewis, Sarah; McNeill, Ann; Szatkowski, Lisa; Gilmore, Anna B

2014-06-01

To examine whether government-funded tobacco control television advertising shown in England between 2002 and 2010 reduced adult smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption. Analysis of monthly cross-sectional surveys using generalised additive models. England. More than 80 000 adults aged 18 years or over living in England and interviewed in the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey. Current smoking status, smokers' daily cigarette consumption, tobacco control gross rating points (GRPs-a measure of per capita advertising exposure combining reach and frequency), cigarette costliness, tobacco control activity, socio-demographic variables. After adjusting for other tobacco control policies, cigarette costliness and individual characteristics, we found that a 400-point increase in tobacco control GRPs per month, equivalent to all adults in the population seeing four advertisements per month (although actual individual-level exposure varies according to TV exposure), was associated with 3% lower odds of smoking 2 months later [odds ratio (OR) = 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.95, 0.999] and accounted for 13.5% of the decline in smoking prevalence seen over this period. In smokers, a 400-point increase in GRPs was associated with a 1.80% (95%CI = 0.47, 3.11) reduction in average cigarette consumption in the following month and accounted for 11.2% of the total decline in consumption over the period 2002-09. Government-funded tobacco control television advertising shown in England between 2002 and 2010 was associated with reductions in smoking prevalence and smokers' cigarette consumption. © 2014 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.

Technique Development for a Polytrauma Model to Study Partial Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (P-REBOA) in Swine (Sus scrofa)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

widely in literature, limiting comparisons. Methods: Yorkshire-cross swine were anesthetized, instrumented, and splenectomized. A simple liver...applicable injury in swine . Use of the tourniquet allowed for consistent liver injury and precise control over hemorrhage.

Self-pacing study of faces of different races: metacognitive control over study does not eliminate the cross-race recognition effect.

PubMed

Tullis, Jonathan G; Benjamin, Aaron S; Liu, Xiping

2014-08-01

People often recognize same-race faces better than other-race faces. This cross-race effect (CRE) has been proposed to arise in part because learners devote fewer cognitive resources to encode faces of social out-groups. In three experiments, we evaluated whether learners' other-race mnemonic deficits are due to "cognitive disregard" during study and whether this disregard is under metacognitive control. Learners studied each face either for as long as they wanted (the self-paced condition) or for the average time taken by a self-paced learner (the fixed-rate condition). Self-paced learners allocated equal amounts of study time to same-race and other-race faces, and having control over study time did not change the size of the CRE. In the second and third experiments, both self-paced and fixed-rate learners were given instructions to "individuate" other-race faces. Individuation instructions caused self-paced learners to allocate more study time to other-race faces, but this did not significantly reduce the size of the CRE, even for learners who reported extensive contact with other races. We propose that the differential processing that people apply to faces of different races and the subsequent other-race mnemonic deficit are not due to learners' strategic cognitive disregard of other-race faces.

Lasting effects of short-term training on preschoolers' street-crossing behavior.

PubMed

Albert, Rachel R; Dolgin, Kim G

2010-03-01

Can short-term training improve preschoolers' knowledge of road-crossing concepts as well as behavior in a real traffic situation? Forty children, aged four to five years, were assigned to one of four conditions (game, story, song, and control). Each condition participated in four 15-min classroom-based lessons over four weeks. Two assessments measuring knowledge of street-crossing concepts and one assessment measuring behavior on a real street were used to evaluate performance at baseline and one week and six months post-training. Children in all three experimental conditions showed a significant improvement over the control on the two conceptual assessments. Only children in the game condition significantly improved their behavior on the street-crossing assessment. Furthermore, children in all three experimental conditions retained the same levels of improvement at the six-month follow-up. These results demonstrate that one hour of training can create lasting improvements on preschool children's conceptual knowledge of traffic safety and road-crossing behavior on a real street. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Melatonin improves sleep in children with epilepsy: randomized, double-blind cross-over study

PubMed Central

Jain, Sejal V; Horn, Paul S; Simakajornboon, Narong; Beebe, Dean W; Holland, Katherine; Byars, Anna W; Glauser, Tracy A

2015-01-01

Objective Insomnia, especially maintenance insomnia is widely prevalent in epilepsy. Although melatonin is commonly used, limited data address its efficacy. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study to identify the effects of melatonin on sleep and seizure control in children with epilepsy. Methods Eleven pre-pubertal, developmentally normal children aged 6–11 years with epilepsy were randomized by software algorithm to receive placebo or 9 mg sustained release melatonin for 4 weeks, followed by a 1-week washout and 4-week crossover condition. The pharmacy performed blinding; patients, parents and study staff other than a statistician were blinded. Primary outcomes were sleep onset latency and wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO) measured on polysomnography. Secondary outcomes included seizure frequency, epileptiform spike density per hour of sleep on EEG and reaction time measures on psychomotor vigilance task. Statistical tests appropriate for cross-over designs were used for analysis. Results Data were analyzed from ten subjects who completed the study. Melatonin decreased sleep latency (Mean difference (MD): 11.4 min, p= 0.02) and WASO (MD 22 min, p=0.04) as compared to placebo. No worsening of spike density or seizure frequency was seen. Additionally, Slow-wave sleep duration and REM latency were increased with melatonin and REM sleep duration was decreased. These changes were statistically significant. Worsening of headache was noted in one subject with migraine on melatonin. Conclusion Sustained-release melatonin resulted in statistically significant decreases in sleep latency and WASO. No clear effects on seizures were observed but the study was too small to allow any conclusions to be drawn in this regard. PMID:25862116

Prolonged remission from hepatic encephalopathy with rifaximin: results of a placebo crossover analysis.

PubMed

Bajaj, J S; Barrett, A C; Bortey, E; Paterson, C; Forbes, W P

2015-01-01

Rifaximin therapy reduced risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence and HE-related hospitalisations during a 6-month, randomised, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) and a 24-month open-label maintenance (OLM) study. However, the impact of crossover from placebo to rifaximin therapy is unclear. To study the impact of crossing over from placebo to rifaximin treatment on breakthrough HE and hospitalisation rates using a within-subjects design. Adults with cirrhosis and history of overt HE episodes, currently in HE remission, received placebo during the RCT and crossed over to rifaximin 550 mg twice daily during the OLM study. Rate of breakthrough overt HE episodes, hospitalisations and incidence and rate of adverse events (AEs) were analysed during RCT and first 6 months of OLM. Of 82 patients randomised to placebo in the RCT who crossed over to the OLM study, 39 experienced an HE episode during the RCT compared with 14 during the OLM study (P < 0.0001). Significantly lower rates of HE events were observed with rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment (P < 0.0001). Rates of HE-related hospitalisation were numerically lower during rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment, although not significant. Rates of most common AEs, serious AEs and infection-related AEs were similar between the two treatments. This analysis confirms the repeatability of results from the RCT on safety and efficacy of rifaximin 550 mg twice daily in reducing the risk of hepatic encephalopathy recurrence, and suggests these findings are translatable outside of a rigorous, controlled trial setting. © 2014 The Authors. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Video-game based therapy performed by children with cerebral palsy: a cross-over randomized controlled trial and a cross-sectional quantitative measure of physical activity.

PubMed

Zoccolillo, L; Morelli, D; Cincotti, F; Muzzioli, L; Gobbetti, T; Paolucci, S; Iosa, M

2015-12-01

Previous studies reported controversial results about the efficacy of video-game based therapy (VGT) in improving neurorehabilitation outcomes in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Primary aim was to investigate the effectiveness of VGT with respect to conventional therapy (CT) in improving upper limb motor outcomes in a group of children with CP. Secondary aim was to quantify if VGT leads children to perform a higher number of movements. A cross-over randomized controlled trial (RCT) for investigating the primary aim and a cross-sectional study for investigating the secondary aim of this study. Outpatients. clinical diagnosis of CP, age between 4 and 14 years, level of GMFC between I and IV. QI<35, severe comorbidities, incapacity to stand even with an external support. Twenty-two children with CP (6.89±1.91-year old) were enrolled in a cross-over RCT with 16 sessions of VGT (using Xbox with Kinect device) and then 16 of CT or vice versa. Upper limb functioning was assessed using the Quality of Upper Extremities Skills Test (QUEST) and hand abilities using Abilhand-kids score. According to the secondary aim of this study a secondary cross-sectional study has been performed. Eight children with CP (6.50±1.60-year old) were enrolled into a trial in which five wireless triaxial accelerometers were positioned on their forearms, legs and trunk for quantifying the physical activity during VGT vs. CT. QUEST scores significantly improved only after VGT (P=0.003), and not after CT (P=0.056). The reverse occurred for Abilhand-kids scores (P=0.165 vs. P=0.013, respectively). Quantity of performed movements was three times higher in VGT than in CT (+198%, P=0.027). VGT resulted effective in improving the motor functions of upper limb extremities in children with CP, conceivably for the increased quantity of limb movements, but failed in improving the manual abilities for performing activities of daily living which benefited more from CT. VGT performed using the X-Box with Kinect device could enhance the number of upper limb movements in children with CP during rehabilitation and in turn improving upper limb motor skills, but CT remained superior for improving performances in manual activities of daily living.

A Comparison of Structurally Connected and Multiple Spacecraft Interferometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Surka, Derek M.; Crawley, Edward F.

1996-01-01

Structurally connected and multiple spacecraft interferometers are compared in an attempt to establish the maximum baseline (referred to as the "cross-over baseline") for which it is preferable to operate a single-structure interferometer in space rather than an interferometer composed of numerous, smaller spacecraft. This comparison is made using the total launched mass of each configuration as the comparison metric. A framework of study within which structurally connected and multiple spacecraft interferometers can be compared is presented in block diagram form. This methodology is then applied to twenty-two different combinations of trade space parameters to investigate the effects of different orbits, orientations, truss materials, propellants, attitude control actuators, onboard disturbance sources, and performance requirements on the cross-over baseline. Rotating interferometers and the potential advantages of adding active structural control to the connected truss of the structurally connected interferometer are also examined. The minimum mass design of the structurally connected interferometer that meets all performance-requirements and satisfies all imposed constraints is determined as a function of baseline. This minimum mass design is then compared to the design of the multiple spacecraft interferometer. It is discovered that the design of the minimum mass structurally connected interferometer that meets all performance requirements and constraints in solar orbit is limited by the minimum allowable aspect ratio, areal density, and gage of the struts. In the formulation of the problem used in this study, there is no advantage to adding active structural control to the truss for interferometers in solar orbit. The cross-over baseline for missions of practical duration (ranging from one week to thirty years) in solar orbit is approximately 400 m for non-rotating interferometers and 650 m for rotating interferometers.

The longitudinal association between substance use and delinquency among high-risk youth.

PubMed

D'Amico, Elizabeth J; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Miles, Jeremy N V; Morral, Andrew R

2008-01-11

Over the past two decades, studies have provided evidence for the strong link between substance use (SU) and delinquency among adolescents. However, the dynamics of this relationship and its temporal ordering remain unclear. The current study used four waves of data collected from high-risk youth over a 12-month period to examine the temporal association between SU and delinquency. Youth (n=449) were recruited from the Los Angeles juvenile probation system. The majority of the sample was male (87%), with 43% Hispanic, 16% White, 15% African American, and 26% of participants describing themselves as some other ethnicity. We estimated a series of cross-lagged path models using maximum likelihood estimation and controlled for gender, age, ethnicity, and time spent in a controlled environment during the study period. We estimated models examining the cross-lagged association between SU and drug-related crime, interpersonal crime, and property crime. The temporal relationship between SU and delinquency was similar across the three types of crime, thus we estimated a fourth model examining the relationship between SU and a latent delinquency variable indicated by the three crime scales. Findings indicated that the relationship between SU and delinquency was reciprocal at each time point, suggesting that the reciprocal effects of SU and delinquency appear to be fairly stable over time.

Exploiting basic principles to control the selectivity of the vapor phase catalytic oxidative cross-coupling of primary alcohols over nanoporous gold catalysts

DOE PAGES

Wang, Lu-Cun; Stowers, Kara J.; Zugic, Branko; ...

2015-05-20

It is important to achieve high selectivity for high volume chemical synthesis in order to lower energy consumption through reduction in waste. Here, we report the selective synthesis of methyl esters—methyl acetate and methyl butyrate—through catalytic O 2-assisted cross-coupling of methanol with ethanol or 1-butanol using activated, support-free nanoporous gold (npAu). Both well-controlled studies on ingots in UHV and experiments under ambient pressure catalytic conditions on both ingots and microspherical hollow shell catalysts reveal guiding principles for controlling selectivity. Under UHV conditions, the ester products of the cross-coupling of methanol with both ethanol and 1-butanol evolve near room temperature inmore » temperature-programmed reaction studies, indicating that the reactions occur facilely. Furthermore, under steady-state catalytic operation, high stable activity was observed for cross-coupling in flowing gaseous reactant mixtures at atmospheric pressure and 423 K with negligible combustion. Optimum selectivity for cross-coupling is obtained in methanol-rich mixtures due to a combination of two factors: (1) the relative coverage of the respective alkoxys and (2) the relative facility of their β-H elimination. The relative coverage of the alkoxys is governed by van der Waal’s interactions between the alkyl groups and the surface; here, we demonstrate the importance of these weak interactions in a steady-state catalytic process.« less

Timed picture naming in seven languages

PubMed Central

BATES, ELIZABETH; D’AMICO, SIMONA; JACOBSEN, THOMAS; SZÉKELY, ANNA; ANDONOVA, ELENA; DEVESCOVI, ANTONELLA; HERRON, DAN; LU, CHING CHING; PECHMANN, THOMAS; PLÉH, CSABA; WICHA, NICOLE; FEDERMEIER, KARA; GERDJIKOVA, IRINI; GUTIERREZ, GABRIEL; HUNG, DAISY; HSU, JEANNE; IYER, GOWRI; KOHNERT, KATHERINE; MEHOTCHEVA, TEODORA; OROZCO-FIGUEROA, ARACELI; TZENG, ANGELA; TZENG, OVID

2012-01-01

Timed picture naming was compared in seven languages that vary along dimensions known to affect lexical access. Analyses over items focused on factors that determine cross-language universals and cross-language disparities. With regard to universals, number of alternative names had large effects on reaction time within and across languages after target–name agreement was controlled, suggesting inhibitory effects from lexical competitors. For all the languages, word frequency and goodness of depiction had large effects, but objective picture complexity did not. Effects of word structure variables (length, syllable structure, compounding, and initial frication) varied markedly over languages. Strong cross-language correlations were found in naming latencies, frequency, and length. Other-language frequency effects were observed (e.g., Chinese frequencies predicting Spanish reaction times) even after within-language effects were controlled (e.g., Spanish frequencies predicting Spanish reaction times). These surprising cross-language correlations challenge widely held assumptions about the lexical locus of length and frequency effects, suggesting instead that they may (at least in part) reflect familiarity and accessibility at a conceptual level that is shared over languages. PMID:12921412

Effects of tides on the cross-isobath movement of the low-salinity plume in the western Yellow and East China Seas in winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bin; Hirose, Naoki; Yuan, Dongliang; Moon, Jae-Hong; Pan, Xishan

2017-07-01

Offshore extension of the fresh Subei coast water is identified in winter based on in site salinity observation data in this and previous studies. A high-resolution regional ocean circulation model is used to investigate the cross-isobath movement of low salinity-water over the Yellow and East China Seas, and it has reproduced the salinity distribution observed in the winter of 2014-2015 successfully. The model suggests that the low-salinity water is basically degenerated back to the eastern coast of China in winter because of strong northeasterly wind. However, a part of the low-salinity water extends offshore in the southeast direction across the 20-50 m isobaths over the Yangtze Bank, which cannot be explained by either the northerly winter monsoon or the Changjiang discharge. Numerical experiments suggest that the cross-isobath transport of the soluble substances is highly attributed to the tidal residual current, flowing southeastward across 20-50 m isobaths over the whole Yangtze Bank. The results of controlled experiments also indicate that the bottom shear of the tidal current, rather than the tidal mixing, plays a significant role in the cross-isobath current during winter.

To Cross-Link or Not to Cross-Link? Cross-Linking Associated Foreign Body Response of Collagen-Based Devices

PubMed Central

Delgado, Luis M.; Bayon, Yves; Pandit, Abhay

2015-01-01

Collagen-based devices, in various physical conformations, are extensively used for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Given that the natural cross-linking pathway of collagen does not occur in vitro, chemical, physical, and biological cross-linking methods have been assessed over the years to control mechanical stability, degradation rate, and immunogenicity of the device upon implantation. Although in vitro data demonstrate that mechanical properties and degradation rate can be accurately controlled as a function of the cross-linking method utilized, preclinical and clinical data indicate that cross-linking methods employed may have adverse effects on host response, especially when potent cross-linking methods are employed. Experimental data suggest that more suitable cross-linking methods should be developed to achieve a balance between stability and functional remodeling. PMID:25517923

A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Impairment and Decline Associated with Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Women with Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Ono, Miyuki; Ogilvie, James M.; Wilson, Jennifer S.; Green, Heather J.; Chambers, Suzanne K.; Ownsworth, Tamara; Shum, David H. K.

2015-01-01

A meta-analysis was performed to quantify the magnitude and nature of the association between adjuvant chemotherapy and performance on a range of cognitive domains among breast cancer patients. A total of 27 studies (14 cross-sectional, 8 both cross-sectional and prospective, and 5 prospective) were included in the analyses, involving 1562 breast cancer patients who had undergone adjuvant chemotherapy and 2799 controls that included breast cancer patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 737 effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were calculated for cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal studies separately and classified into eight cognitive domains. The mean effect sizes varied across cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal studies (ranging from −1.12 to 0.62 and −0.29 to 1.12, respectively). Each cognitive domain produced small effect sizes for cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal studies (ranging from −0.25 to 0.41). Results from cross-sectional studies indicated a significant association between adjuvant chemotherapy and cognitive impairment that held across studies with varied methodological approaches. For prospective studies, results generally indicated that cognitive functioning improved over time after receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Greater cognitive impairment was reported in cross-sectional studies comparing chemotherapy groups with healthy control groups. Results suggested that cognitive impairment is present among breast cancer patients irrespective of a history of chemotherapy. Prospective longitudinal research is warranted to examine the degree and persisting nature of cognitive impairment present both before and after chemotherapy, with comparisons made to participants’ cognitive function prior to diagnosis. Accurate understanding of the effects of chemotherapy is essential to enable informed decisions regarding treatment and to improve quality of life among breast cancer patients. PMID:25806355

Cross-modal reorganization in cochlear implant users: Auditory cortex contributes to visual face processing.

PubMed

Stropahl, Maren; Plotz, Karsten; Schönfeld, Rüdiger; Lenarz, Thomas; Sandmann, Pascale; Yovel, Galit; De Vos, Maarten; Debener, Stefan

2015-11-01

There is converging evidence that the auditory cortex takes over visual functions during a period of auditory deprivation. A residual pattern of cross-modal take-over may prevent the auditory cortex to adapt to restored sensory input as delivered by a cochlear implant (CI) and limit speech intelligibility with a CI. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether visual face processing in CI users activates auditory cortex and whether this has adaptive or maladaptive consequences. High-density electroencephalogram data were recorded from CI users (n=21) and age-matched normal hearing controls (n=21) performing a face versus house discrimination task. Lip reading and face recognition abilities were measured as well as speech intelligibility. Evaluation of event-related potential (ERP) topographies revealed significant group differences over occipito-temporal scalp regions. Distributed source analysis identified significantly higher activation in the right auditory cortex for CI users compared to NH controls, confirming visual take-over. Lip reading skills were significantly enhanced in the CI group and appeared to be particularly better after a longer duration of deafness, while face recognition was not significantly different between groups. However, auditory cortex activation in CI users was positively related to face recognition abilities. Our results confirm a cross-modal reorganization for ecologically valid visual stimuli in CI users. Furthermore, they suggest that residual takeover, which can persist even after adaptation to a CI is not necessarily maladaptive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A randomized, controlled cross-over trial of dermally-applied lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) oil as a treatment of agitated behaviour in dementia.

PubMed

O'Connor, Daniel W; Eppingstall, Barbara; Taffe, John; van der Ploeg, Eva S

2013-11-13

Lavender essential oil shows evidence of sedative properties in neurophysiological and animal studies but clinical trials of its effectiveness as a treatment of agitation in people with dementia have shown mixed results. Study methods have varied widely, however, making comparisons hazardous. To help remedy previous methodological shortcomings, we delivered high grade lavender oil in specified amounts to nursing home residents whose agitated behaviours were recorded objectively. 64 nursing home residents with frequent physically agitated behaviours were entered into a randomized, single-blind cross-over trial of dermally-applied, neurophysiologically active, high purity 30% lavender oil versus an inactive control oil. A blinded observer counted the presence or absence of target behaviours and rated participants' predominant affect during each minute for 30 minutes prior to exposure and for 60 minutes afterwards. Lavender oil did not prove superior to the control oil in reducing the frequency of physically agitated behaviours or in improving participants' affect. Studies of essential oils are constrained by their variable formulations and uncertain pharmacokinetics and so optimal dosing and delivery regimens remain speculative. Notwithstanding this, topically delivered, high strength, pure lavender oil had no discernible effect on affect and behaviour in a well-defined clinical sample. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12609000569202).

Optimal Sparse Upstream Sensor Placement for Hydrokinetic Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavagnaro, Robert; Strom, Benjamin; Ross, Hannah; Hill, Craig; Polagye, Brian

2016-11-01

Accurate measurement of the flow field incident upon a hydrokinetic turbine is critical for performance evaluation during testing and setting boundary conditions in simulation. Additionally, turbine controllers may leverage real-time flow measurements. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is capable of rendering a flow field over a wide spatial domain in a controlled, laboratory environment. However, PIV's lack of suitability for natural marine environments, high cost, and intensive post-processing diminish its potential for control applications. Conversely, sensors such as acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs), are designed for field deployment and real-time measurement, but over a small spatial domain. Sparsity-promoting regression analysis such as LASSO is utilized to improve the efficacy of point measurements for real-time applications by determining optimal spatial placement for a small number of ADVs using a training set of PIV velocity fields and turbine data. The study is conducted in a flume (0.8 m2 cross-sectional area, 1 m/s flow) with laboratory-scale axial and cross-flow turbines. Predicted turbine performance utilizing the optimal sparse sensor network and associated regression model is compared to actual performance with corresponding PIV measurements.

New closed tube loop mediated isothermal amplification assay for prevention of product cross-contamination

PubMed Central

Karthik, K.; Rathore, Rajesh; Thomas, Prasad; Arun, T.R.; Viswas, K.N.; Dhama, Kuldeep; Agarwal, R.K.

2014-01-01

Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, a promising diagnostic test, has been developed for detection of different pathogens of human as well as animals. Various positive points support its use as a field level test but the major problem is product cross contamination leading to false positive results. Different methods were adopted by various researchers to control this false positive amplification due to cross contamination but all have their own advantages and disadvantages. A new closed tube LAMP assay based on agar dye capsule was developed in the present study and this technique has some advantages over the other closed tube technique.•Agar at the concentration of 1.5% was used to sandwich SYBR green dye I with the aid of intradermal syringe. This agar dye capsule was placed over the LAMP reaction mixture before it was amplified.•To eliminate the hazardous nature of Ultra Violet (UV) light during result visualization of LAMP products, the present study demonstrates the use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights for result visualization.•LAMP was carried out for Brucella species detection using this modified techniques yielding good results without any cross contamination and LED showed similar fluorescence compared to UV. PMID:26150945

New closed tube loop mediated isothermal amplification assay for prevention of product cross-contamination.

PubMed

Karthik, K; Rathore, Rajesh; Thomas, Prasad; Arun, T R; Viswas, K N; Dhama, Kuldeep; Agarwal, R K

2014-01-01

Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, a promising diagnostic test, has been developed for detection of different pathogens of human as well as animals. Various positive points support its use as a field level test but the major problem is product cross contamination leading to false positive results. Different methods were adopted by various researchers to control this false positive amplification due to cross contamination but all have their own advantages and disadvantages. A new closed tube LAMP assay based on agar dye capsule was developed in the present study and this technique has some advantages over the other closed tube technique.•Agar at the concentration of 1.5% was used to sandwich SYBR green dye I with the aid of intradermal syringe. This agar dye capsule was placed over the LAMP reaction mixture before it was amplified.•To eliminate the hazardous nature of Ultra Violet (UV) light during result visualization of LAMP products, the present study demonstrates the use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights for result visualization.•LAMP was carried out for Brucella species detection using this modified techniques yielding good results without any cross contamination and LED showed similar fluorescence compared to UV.

Recording devices for interconnected grade crossing and intersection signal systems : an informational report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-10-01

Over 15 years ago, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued 29 recommendations : to improve safety at active controlled highway-rail grade crossings following the school buscommuter : train collision in Fox River Grove, Illinois. The ob...

Training Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Interview Skills to Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olszewski, Abbie; Panorska, Anna; Gillam, Sandra Laing

2017-01-01

Adolescents' verbal and nonverbal communication skills were compared before and after training in a workforce readiness training program, Language for Scholars (LFS), and a study skills program, Ideal Student Workshop (ISW). A cross-over design was used, ensuring that 44 adolescents received both programs and acted as their own control. The LFS…

Post-translational control of collagen fibrillogenesis in mineralizing cultures of chick osteoblasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerstenfeld, L. C.; Riva, A.; Hodgens, K.; Eyre, D. R.; Landis, W. J.

1993-01-01

Cultured osteoblasts from chick embryo calvaria were used as a model system to investigate the post-translational extracellular mechanisms controlling the macroassembly of collagen fibrils. The results of these studies demonstrated that cultured osteoblasts secreted a collagenous extracellular matrix that assembled and mineralized in a defined temporal and spatial sequence. The assembly of collagen occurred in a polarized fashion, such that successive orthogonal arrays of fibrils formed between successive cell layers proceeding from the culture surface toward the media. Mineralization followed in the same manner, being observed first in the deepest and oldest fibril layers. Collagen fibrillogenesis, the kinetics of cross-link formation, and collagen stability in the extracellular matrix of the cultures were examined over a 30 day culture period. Between days 8 and 12 in culture, collagen fibril diameters increased from < 30 nm to an average of 30-45 nm. Thereafter, diameters ranged in size from 20 to 200 nm. Quantitation of the collagen cross-linking residues, hydroxylysyl pyridinoline (HP) and lysyl pyridinoline (LP), showed that these mature cross-links increased from undetectable levels to concentrations found in normal chick bone. Analysis of the kinetics of their formation by pulse-chase labeling the cultures with [3H]lysine showed a doubling time of approximately 5 days. The relationships between cross-link formation, fibrillogenesis, and collagen stability were examined in cultures treated with beta-aminopropionitrile (beta-APN), a potent inhibitor of lysyl oxidase and cross-link formation. In beta-APN-treated cultures, total collagen synthesis was increased twofold, with no change in mRNA levels for type I collagen, whereas the amount of collagen accumulated in the cell layer was decreased by 50% and mineral deposition was reduced. The rate of collagen retention in the matrix was assessed by pulse-chase analysis of [3H]proline over a 16 day period in control and beta-APN-treated cultures. In control cultures, about 20% of the labeled collagen was lost from the cell layers over a 16 day period compared with > 80% in the presence of beta-APN. The beta-APN-treated cultures also showed a wider diversity of fibril diameters with a median in the > 45-60 nm range. In summary, these data suggest that cross-linking and assembly of collagen fibrils secreted by osteoblasts in vitro occur in a fashion similar to that found in vivo. The rate of cross-link formation is relatively constant and may be correlated with increasing collagen mass.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS).

Proton pump inhibitors and vascular function: A prospective cross-over pilot study.

PubMed

Ghebremariam, Yohannes T; Cooke, John P; Khan, Fouzia; Thakker, Rahul N; Chang, Peter; Shah, Nigam H; Nead, Kevin T; Leeper, Nicholas J

2015-08-01

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly used drugs for the treatment of gastric reflux. Recent retrospective cohorts and large database studies have raised concern that the use of PPIs is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, there is no prospective clinical study evaluating whether the use of PPIs directly causes CV harm. We conducted a controlled, open-label, cross-over pilot study among 21 adults aged 18 and older who are healthy (n=11) or have established clinical cardiovascular disease (n=10). Study subjects were assigned to receive a PPI (Prevacid; 30 mg) or a placebo pill once daily for 4 weeks. After a 2-week washout period, participants were crossed over to receive the alternate treatment for the ensuing 4 weeks. Subjects underwent evaluation of vascular function (by the EndoPAT technique) and had plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA, an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial function previously implicated in PPI-mediated risk) measured prior to and after each treatment interval. We observed a marginal inverse correlation between the EndoPAT score and plasma levels of ADMA (r = -0.364). Subjects experienced a greater worsening in plasma ADMA levels while on PPI than on placebo, and this trend was more pronounced amongst those subjects with a history of vascular disease. However, these trends did not reach statistical significance, and PPI use was also not associated with an impairment in flow-mediated vasodilation during the course of this study. In conclusion, in this open-label, cross-over pilot study conducted among healthy subjects and coronary disease patients, PPI use did not significantly influence vascular endothelial function. Larger, long-term and blinded trials are needed to mechanistically explain the correlation between PPI use and adverse clinical outcomes, which has recently been reported in retrospective cohort studies. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effects of rose hip intake on risk markers of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over investigation in obese persons

PubMed Central

Andersson, U; Berger, K; Högberg, A; Landin-Olsson, M; Holm, C

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In studies performed in mice, rose hip powder has been shown to both prevent and reverse high-fat diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance as well as reduce plasma levels of cholesterol. The aim of this study was to investigate whether daily intake of rose hip powder over 6 weeks exerts beneficial metabolic effects in obese individuals. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 31 obese individuals with normal or impaired glucose tolerance were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study in which metabolic effects of daily intake of a rose hip powder drink over 6 weeks was compared with a control drink. Body weight, glucose tolerance, blood pressure, blood lipids and markers of inflammation were assessed in the subjects. RESULTS: In comparison with the control drink, 6 weeks of daily consumption of the rose hip drink resulted in a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure (−3.4% P=0.021), total plasma cholesterol (−4.9% P=0.0018), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (−6.0% P=0.012) and LDL/HDL ratio (−6.5% P=0.041). The Reynolds risk assessment score for cardiovascular disease was decreased in the rose hip group compared with the control group (−17% P=0.007). Body weight, diastolic blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, incretins and markers of inflammation did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Daily consumption of 40 g of rose hip powder for 6 weeks can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk in obese people through lowering of systolic blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels. PMID:22166897

The effect of small solar powered 'Bͻkͻͻ' net fans on mosquito net use: results from a randomized controlled cross-over trial in southern Ghana.

PubMed

Briët, Olivier J T; Yukich, Joshua O; Pfeiffer, Constanze; Miller, William; Jaeger, Mulako S; Khanna, Nitin; Oppong, Samuel; Nardini, Peter; Ahorlu, Collins K; Keating, Joseph

2017-01-03

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are ineffective malaria transmission prevention tools if they are unused. Discomfort due to heat is the most commonly reported reason for not using nets, but this problem is largely unaddressed. With increasing rural electrification and the dropping price of solar power, fans could improve comfort inside nets and be affordable to populations in malaria endemic areas. Here, results are presented from a pilot randomized controlled cross-over study testing the effect of fans on LLIN use. Eighty-three households from two rural communities in Greater Accra, Ghana, randomized into three groups, participated in a 10-month cross-over trial. After a screening survey to identify eligible households, all households received new LLINs. Bͻkͻͻ net fan systems (one fan per member) were given to households in Group 1 and water filters were given to households in Group 2. At mid-point, Group 1 and 2 crossed over interventions. Households in Group 1 and 2 participated in fortnightly surveys on households' practices related to nets, fans and water filters, while households in Group 3 were surveyed only at screening, mid-point and study end. Entomological and weather data were collected throughout the study. Analysis took both 'per protocol' (PP) and 'intention to treat' (ITT) approaches. The mid- and end-point survey data from Group 1 and 2 were analysed using Firth logistic regressions. Fortnightly survey data from all groups were analysed using logistic regressions with random effects. Provision of fans to households appeared to increase net use in this study. Although the increase in net use explained by fans was not significant in the primary analyses (ITT odds ratio 3.24, p > 0.01; PP odds ratio = 1.17, p > 0.01), it was significant in secondary PP analysis (odds ratio = 1.95, p < 0.01). Net use was high at screening and even higher after provision of new LLINs and with follow up. Fan use was 90-100% depending on the fortnightly visit. This pilot study could not provide definitive evidence that fans increase net use. A larger study with additional statistical power is needed to assess this association across communities with diverse environmental and socio-demographic characteristics.

The Effects of Consumption of Bread Fortified With Soy Bean Flour on Metabolic Profile in Type 2 Diabetic Women: A Cross-over Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Moghaddam, Asma Salari; Entezari, Mohammad Hassan; Iraj, Bijan; Askari, Gholam Reza; Maracy, Mohammad Reza

2014-12-01

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world and has become a major threat for global health. Recent studies reported that the soy has beneficial effects in diabetic mellitus patients. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of soybean flour fortified bread consumption on metabolic profile in type 2 diabetic women. This randomized, cross-over, controlled clinical trial was carried out in 30 type 2 diabetic women. At first, a 2-week run-in period was applied. Then, participants were randomly assigned to either intervention or control groups. Participants in the intervention group were asked to replace 120 g of soybean flour fortified bread with the same amount of their usual bread intake or other cereal products for 6 weeks. After a 4 weeks washout period, participants were crossed over for another 6 weeks. Mean (±standard deviation) age and body mass index of subjects was 45.7 ± 3.8 years and 29.5 ± 3.9 kg/m(2), respectively. The results of our study showed no significant effects of soybean flour fortified bread on metabolic profile. We found a reduction in serum triglycerides (change difference: -3.7, P = 0.82), serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (change difference: -11.2, P = 0.50), insulin (change difference: -3.6, P = 0.7), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (change differences: -0.57, P = 0.45) after 6 weeks but these changes were not statistically significant. No significant effects of soybean flour fortified bread on serum concentrations of fasting blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin, high-density lipoproteins and total cholesterol levels were found. Six weeks consumption of soybean flour fortified bread among diabetic patients had no significant effects on metabolic profile.

Robotic investigation on effect of stretch reflex and crossed inhibitory response on bipedal hopping

PubMed Central

Rosendo, Andre; Ikemoto, Shuhei; Shimizu, Masahiro; Hosoda, Koh

2018-01-01

To maintain balance during dynamic locomotion, the effects of proprioceptive sensory feedback control (e.g. reflexive control) should not be ignored because of its simple sensation and fast reaction time. Scientists have identified the pathways of reflexes; however, it is difficult to investigate their effects during locomotion because locomotion is controlled by a complex neural system and current technology does not allow us to change the control pathways in living humans. To understand these effects, we construct a musculoskeletal bipedal robot, which has similar body structure and dynamics to those of a human. By conducting experiments on this robot, we investigate the effects of reflexes (stretch reflex and crossed inhibitory response) on posture during hopping, a simple and representative bouncing gait with complex dynamics. Through over 300 hopping trials, we confirm that both the stretch reflex and crossed response can contribute to reducing the lateral inclination during hopping. These reflexive pathways do not use any prior knowledge of the dynamic information of the body such as its inclination. Beyond improving the understanding of the human neural system, this study provides roboticists with biomimetic ideas for robot locomotion control. PMID:29593088

Controlled irrigation of a structured packing as a method for increasing the efficiency of liquid mixture separation in the distillation column

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlenko, A. N.; Zhukov, V. E.; Pecherkin, N. I.; Nazarov, A. D.; Li, X.; Li, H.; Gao, X.; Sui, H.

2017-09-01

The use of modern structured packing in the distillation columns allows much more even distribution of the liquid film over the packing surface, but it does not completely solve the problem of uniform distribution of flow parameters over the entire height of the packing. Negative stratification of vapor along the packing height caused by different densities of vapor mixture components and higher temperature in the lower part of the column leads to formation of large-scale maldistributions of temperature and mixture composition over the column cross-section even under the conditions of uniform irrigation of packing with liquid. In these experiments, the idea of compensatory action of liquid distributor on the large-scale maldistribution of mixture composition over the column cross-section was implemented. The experiments were carried out in the distillation column with the diameter of 0.9 m on 10 layers of the Mellapak 350Y packing with the total height of 2.1 m. The mixture of R-21 and R-114 was used as the working mixture. To irrigate the packing, the liquid distributorr with 126 independently controlled solenoid valves overlapping the holes with the diameter of 5 mm, specially designed by the authors, was used. Response of the column to the action of liquid distributor was observed in real time according to the indications of 3 groups of thermometers mounted in 3 different cross-sections of the column. The experiments showed that the minimal correction of the drip point pattern in the controlled liquid distributor can significantly affect the pattern of flow parameter distribution over the cross-section and height of the mass transfer surface and increase separation efficiency of the column within 20%.

Spinal Cord Gray Matter Atrophy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

PubMed

Paquin, M-Ê; El Mendili, M M; Gros, C; Dupont, S M; Cohen-Adad, J; Pradat, P-F

2018-01-01

There is an emerging need for biomarkers to better categorize clinical phenotypes and predict progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This study aimed to quantify cervical spinal gray matter atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and investigate its association with clinical disability at baseline and after 1 year. Twenty-nine patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 22 healthy controls were scanned with 3T MR imaging. Standard functional scale was recorded at the time of MR imaging and after 1 year. MR imaging data were processed automatically to measure the spinal cord, gray matter, and white matter cross-sectional areas. A statistical analysis assessed the difference in cross-sectional areas between patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and controls, correlations between spinal cord and gray matter atrophy to clinical disability at baseline and at 1 year, and prediction of clinical disability at 1 year. Gray matter atrophy was more sensitive to discriminate patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from controls ( P = .004) compared with spinal cord atrophy ( P = .02). Gray matter and spinal cord cross-sectional areas showed good correlations with clinical scores at baseline ( R = 0.56 for gray matter and R = 0.55 for spinal cord; P < .01). Prediction at 1 year with clinical scores ( R 2 = 0.54) was improved when including a combination of gray matter and white matter cross-sectional areas ( R 2 = 0.74). Although improvements over spinal cord cross-sectional areas were modest, this study suggests the potential use of gray matter cross-sectional areas as an MR imaging structural biomarker to monitor the evolution of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Chorionic gonadotropin in weight control. A double-blind crossover study.

PubMed

Young, R L; Fuchs, R J; Woltjen, M J

1976-11-29

Two hundred two patients participated in a double-blind random cross-over study of the effectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) vs placebo in a wieght reduction program. Serial measurements were made of weight, skin-fold thickness, dropout rates, reasons for dropping out, and patient subjective response. There was no statistically significant difference between those receiving HCG vs placebo during any phase of this study (P greater than .1).

Experiential Avoidance and Rumination in Parents of Children on Cancer Treatment: Relationships with Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Symptoms of Depression.

PubMed

Cernvall, Martin; Skogseid, Ellen; Carlbring, Per; Ljungman, Lisa; Ljungman, Gustaf; von Essen, Louise

2016-03-01

We conducted a cross-sectional survey study to investigate whether there is a relationship between experiential avoidance (EA), rumination, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and symptoms of depression, in parents of children on cancer treatment. Data from 79 parents (55 mothers) of 79 children with a median of three months since their cancer diagnosis were included in cross-sectional analyses. EA and rumination were positively correlated with PTSS and symptoms of depression. EA and rumination did not provide incremental explained variance in PTSS over and above that explained by symptoms of depression, while controlling for symptoms of anxiety and demographic characteristics. However, EA and rumination provided incremental explained variance in symptoms of depression over and above that explained by PTSS, while controlling for symptoms of anxiety and demographic characteristics. Rumination and EA are important constructs in the understanding of PTSS and symptoms of depression in parents of children on cancer treatment. Future research should delineate the temporal relationships between these constructs.

Whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults.

PubMed

Costello, Joseph T; Baker, Philip R A; Minett, Geoffrey M; Bieuzen, Francois; Stewart, Ian B; Bleakley, Chris

2015-09-18

Recovery strategies are often used with the intention of preventing or minimising muscle soreness after exercise. Whole-body cryotherapy, which involves a single or repeated exposure(s) to extremely cold dry air (below -100 °C) in a specialised chamber or cabin for two to four minutes per exposure, is currently being advocated as an effective intervention to reduce muscle soreness after exercise. To assess the effects (benefits and harms) of whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults. We searched the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, the British Nursing Index and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. We also searched the reference lists of articles, trial registers and conference proceedings, handsearched journals and contacted experts.The searches were run in August 2015. We aimed to include randomised and quasi-randomised trials that compared the use of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) versus a passive or control intervention (rest, no treatment or placebo treatment) or active interventions including cold or contrast water immersion, active recovery and infrared therapy for preventing or treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults. We also aimed to include randomised trials that compared different durations or dosages of WBC. Our prespecified primary outcomes were muscle soreness, subjective recovery (e.g. tiredness, well-being) and adverse effects. Two review authors independently screened search results, selected studies, assessed risk of bias and extracted and cross-checked data. Where appropriate, we pooled results of comparable trials. The random-effects model was used for pooling where there was substantial heterogeneity. We assessed the quality of the evidence using GRADE. Four laboratory-based randomised controlled trials were included. These reported results for 64 physically active predominantly young adults (mean age 23 years). All but four participants were male. Two trials were parallel group trials (44 participants) and two were cross-over trials (20 participants). The trials were heterogeneous, including the type, temperature, duration and frequency of WBC, and the type of preceding exercise. None of the trials reported active surveillance of predefined adverse events. All four trials had design features that carried a high risk of bias, potentially limiting the reliability of their findings. The evidence for all outcomes was classified as 'very low' quality based on the GRADE criteria.Two comparisons were tested: WBC versus control (rest or no WBC), tested in four studies; and WBC versus far-infrared therapy, also tested in one study. No studies compared WBC with other active interventions, such as cold water immersion, or different types and applications of WBC.All four trials compared WBC with rest or no WBC. There was very low quality evidence for lower self-reported muscle soreness (pain at rest) scores after WBC at 1 hour (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.42 to -0.12; 20 participants, 2 cross-over trials); 24 hours (SMD -0.57, 95% CI -1.48 to 0.33) and 48 hours (SMD -0.58, 95% CI -1.37 to 0.21), both with 38 participants, 2 cross-over studies, 1 parallel group study; and 72 hours (SMD -0.65, 95% CI -2.54 to 1.24; 29 participants, 1 cross-over study, 1 parallel group study). Of note is that the 95% CIs also included either no between-group differences or a benefit in favour of the control group. One small cross-over trial (9 participants) found no difference in tiredness but better well-being after WBC at 24 hours post exercise. There was no report of adverse events.One small cross-over trial involving nine well-trained runners provided very low quality evidence of lower levels of muscle soreness after WBC, when compared with infrared therapy, at 1 hour follow-up, but not at 24 or 48 hours. The same trial found no difference in well-being but less tiredness after WBC at 24 hours post exercise. There was no report of adverse events. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) reduces self-reported muscle soreness, or improves subjective recovery, after exercise compared with passive rest or no WBC in physically active young adult males. There is no evidence on the use of this intervention in females or elite athletes. The lack of evidence on adverse events is important given that the exposure to extreme temperature presents a potential hazard. Further high-quality, well-reported research in this area is required and must provide detailed reporting of adverse events.

Aniracetam tested in chronic psychosyndrome after long-term exposure to organic solvents. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study with neuropsychological tests.

PubMed

Somnier, F E; Ostergaard, M S; Boysen, G; Bruhn, P; Mikkelsen, B O

1990-01-01

In order to examine if the nootropic drug, aniracetam, was capable of improving cognitive performance, 44 subjects suffering from chronic psychosyndrome after long-term exposure to organic solvents were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. The treatment periods were 3 months with aniracetam 1 g daily and 3 months with placebo. Neuropsychological tests as well as a physical and neurological examination were performed at entry into the study and after each treatment period, together with an evaluation of the subjects' overall condition. Neither the doctors' nor the subjects' own assessment of the overall condition indicated that the trial medication had had any effect. No significant changes in neuropsychological symptoms were observed. A statistically significant difference in favour of antiracetam was found in only 1 of the 19 neuropsychological test measures, namely a test for constructional ability. However, in another test on visuo-spatial function, a statistically significant result was found in favour of placebo. Thus, aniracetam was found to be ineffective in the treatment of subjects suffering from chronic psychosyndrome after long-term exposure to organic solvents.

Comparing the Course of Mental Health Over the First Year After Stroke With Healthy Controls in Colombia, South America.

PubMed

Sutter, Megan; Olabarrieta Landa, Laiene; Calderón Chagualá, Amilkar; Chacón Peralta, Helmer; Vergara Torres, Gina; Perrin, Paul B; Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos

2017-01-01

Stroke is a primary cause of death and disability in upper-middle-income countries such as Colombia. Given the lack of comprehensive rehabilitation for stroke patients in Colombia, there is a need to assess longitudinal mental health problems poststroke in this region. To compare the course of mental health in stroke patients to healthy controls over the first year poststroke in Ibague, Colombia. Cross-sectional study. The Psychological Attention Center of Antonio Nariño University in Ibague, Colombia. Stroke patients (n = 50) and age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n = 50). Patients and controls completed self-report Spanish versions of demographic information, injury-related characteristics, and mental health questionnaires MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Outcomes assessed included mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) at 3, 6, and 12 months poststroke. Hierarchical linear models suggested that stroke patients had worse depression and anxiety over time than controls (P < .001). Among patients, depression and anxiety decreased over time (P < .001), whereas stress increased over time (P < .01). The findings suggest that although anxiety and depression improved over time in stroke patients, their mental health remained significantly lower than that of controls. This is the first study to examine the course of mental health over the first year poststroke in Latin America, specifically in Ibague, Colombia. Despite the improvements in anxiety and depression over the first year poststroke, patient anxiety and depression were still worse in comparison to those in healthy controls. The current findings indicate a need for rehabilitation services in Colombia, especially targeting mental health issues. I. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gelatin Methacrylate Microspheres for Growth Factor Controlled Release

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Anh H.; McKinney, Jay; Miller, Tobias; Bongiorno, Tom; McDevitt, Todd C.

2014-01-01

Gelatin has been commonly used as a delivery vehicle for various biomolecules for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications due to its simple fabrication methods, inherent electrostatic binding properties, and proteolytic degradability. Compared to traditional chemical cross-linking methods, such as the use of glutaraldehyde (GA), methacrylate modification of gelatin offers an alternative method to better control the extent of hydrogel cross-linking. Here we examined the physical properties and growth factor delivery of gelatin methacrylate (GMA) microparticles formulated with a wide range of different cross-linking densities (15–90%). Less methacrylated MPs had decreased elastic moduli and larger mesh sizes compared to GA MPs, with increasing methacrylation correlating to greater moduli and smaller mesh sizes. As expected, an inverse correlation between microparticle cross-linking density and degradation was observed, with the lowest cross-linked GMA MPs degrading at the fastest rate, comparable to GA MPs. Interestingly, GMA MPs at lower cross-linking densities could be loaded with up to a 10-fold higher relative amount of growth factor over conventional GA cross-linked MPs, despite an order of magnitude greater gelatin content of GA MPs. Moreover, a reduced GMA cross-linking density resulted in more complete release of bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and accelerated release rate with collagenase treatment. These studies demonstrate that GMA MPs provide a more flexible platform for growth factor delivery by enhancing the relative binding capacity and permitting proteolytic degradation tunability, thereby offering a more potent controlled release system for growth factor delivery. PMID:25463489

Feeding styles, parenting styles and snacking behaviour in children attending primary schools in multiethnic neighbourhoods: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Wang, Lu; van de Gaar, Vivian M; Jansen, Wilma; Mieloo, Cathelijne L; van Grieken, Amy; Raat, Hein

2017-01-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate whether feeding styles and parenting styles are associated with children’s unhealthy snacking behaviour and whether the associations differ according to children’s ethnic background. Method Cross-sectional data from the population-based ‘Water Campaign’ study were used. Parents (n=644) of primary school children (6–13 years) completed a questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, feeding style dimensions (‘control over eating’, ‘emotional feeding’, ‘encouragement to eat’ and ‘instrumental feeding’), parenting style dimensions (‘involvement’ and ‘strictness’) and children’s unhealthy snacking behaviour. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether feeding styles and parenting styles were associated with children’s unhealthy snacking behaviour. Result Overall, children whose parents had a higher extent of ‘control over eating’ had a lower odds of eating unhealthy snacks more than once per day (OR, 0.57; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.76). Further stratified analysis showed that ‘control over eating’ was associated with less unhealthy snacking behaviour only in children with a Dutch (OR, 0.37; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.68) or a Moroccan/Turkish (OR, 0.44; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.77) ethnic background. ‘Encouragement to eat’ was associated with a lower odds of eating unhealthy snacks every day in children with a Dutch ethnic background only (OR, 0.48; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.90). ‘Instrumental feeding’ was associated with a higher odds of eating unhealthy snacks more than once a day in children with a Moroccan/Turkish ethnic background only (OR, 1.43; 95% CI 1.01 to 2.04). Conclusion Our results suggest that ‘control over eating’ may be associated with less unhealthy snack consumption in children. The associations of feeding styles and parenting styles with children’s unhealthy snacking behaviour differed between children with different ethnic backgrounds. PMID:28710213

Time Course of Treatment Effect of OROS[R] Methylphenidate in Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Robert B.; Damaraju, C. V.; Ascher, Steve; Schwarzman, Lesley; O'Neill, James; Starr, H. Lynn

2012-01-01

Objective: The authors evaluated the time course of the treatment effect of Osmotic-Release Oral System methylphenidate (OROS[R] MPH) HCl (Concerta[R], Raritan, NJ) CII in children with ADHD. Method: Data were combined from two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, analog classroom studies in children (9-12 years) with ADHD.…

Enzymatically cross-linked injectable alginate-g-pyrrole hydrogels for neovascularization.

PubMed

Devolder, Ross; Antoniadou, Eleni; Kong, Hyunjoon

2013-11-28

Microparticles capable of releasing protein drugs are often incorporated into injectable hydrogels to minimize their displacement at an implantation site, reduce initial drug burst, and further control drug release rates over a broader range. However, there is still a need to develop methods for releasing drug molecules over extended periods of time, in order to sustain the bioactivity of drug molecules at an implantation site. In this study, we hypothesized that a hydrogel formed through the cross-linking of pyrrole units linked to a hydrophilic polymer would release protein drugs in a more sustained manner, because of an enhanced association between cross-linked pyrrole groups and the drug molecules. To examine this hypothesis, we prepared hydrogels of alginate substituted with pyrrole groups, alginate-g-pyrrole, through a horse-radish peroxidase (HRP)-activated cross-linking of the pyrrole groups. The hydrogels were encapsulated with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles loaded with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The resulting hydrogel system released VEGF in a more sustained manner than Ca(2+) alginate or Ca(2+) alginate-g-pyrrole gel systems. Finally, implantations of the VEGF-releasing HRP-activated alginate-g-pyrrole hydrogel system on chicken chorioallantoic membranes resulted in the formation of blood vessels in higher densities and with larger diameters, compared to other control conditions. Overall, the drug releasing system developed in this study will be broadly useful for regulating release rates of a wide array of protein drugs, and further enhance the quality of protein drug-based therapies. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association between Social Relationship and Glycemic Control among Older Japanese: JAGES Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Kawachi, Ichiro; Kondo, Katsunori; Kondo, Naoki; Nagamine, Yuiko; Tani, Yukako; Shirai, Kokoro; Tazuma, Susumu

2017-01-01

Aim The present study examined whether social support, informal socializing and social participation are associated with glycemic control in older people. Methods Data for this population-based cross-sectional study was obtained from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) 2010 linked to the annual health check-up data in Japan. We analyzed 9,554 individuals aged ≥65 years without the certification of needed long-term care. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of social support, informal socializing and social participations on glycemic control. The outcome measure was HbA1c ≥8.4%. Results 1.3% of the participants had a level of HbA1c over 8.4%. Better glycemic control was significantly associated with meeting with friends one to four times per month (odds ratio [OR] 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]0.30–0.89, compared to meeting with friends a few times per year or less) and participation in sports groups (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.26–0.97) even after adjusting for other variables. Meeting with friends more than twice per week, receiving social support, and being married were not associated with better control of diabetes. Conclusions Meeting with friends occasionally is associated with better glycemic control among older people. PMID:28060887

Association between Social Relationship and Glycemic Control among Older Japanese: JAGES Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Yokobayashi, Kenichi; Kawachi, Ichiro; Kondo, Katsunori; Kondo, Naoki; Nagamine, Yuiko; Tani, Yukako; Shirai, Kokoro; Tazuma, Susumu

2017-01-01

The present study examined whether social support, informal socializing and social participation are associated with glycemic control in older people. Data for this population-based cross-sectional study was obtained from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) 2010 linked to the annual health check-up data in Japan. We analyzed 9,554 individuals aged ≥65 years without the certification of needed long-term care. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of social support, informal socializing and social participations on glycemic control. The outcome measure was HbA1c ≥8.4%. 1.3% of the participants had a level of HbA1c over 8.4%. Better glycemic control was significantly associated with meeting with friends one to four times per month (odds ratio [OR] 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]0.30-0.89, compared to meeting with friends a few times per year or less) and participation in sports groups (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.26-0.97) even after adjusting for other variables. Meeting with friends more than twice per week, receiving social support, and being married were not associated with better control of diabetes. Meeting with friends occasionally is associated with better glycemic control among older people.

Ego Depletion in Real-Time: An Examination of the Sequential-Task Paradigm.

PubMed

Arber, Madeleine M; Ireland, Michael J; Feger, Roy; Marrington, Jessica; Tehan, Joshua; Tehan, Gerald

2017-01-01

Current research into self-control that is based on the sequential task methodology is currently at an impasse. The sequential task methodology involves completing a task that is designed to tax self-control resources which in turn has carry-over effects on a second, unrelated task. The current impasse is in large part due to the lack of empirical research that tests explicit assumptions regarding the initial task. Five studies test one key, untested assumption underpinning strength (finite resource) models of self-regulation: Performance will decline over time on a task that depletes self-regulatory resources. In the aftermath of high profile replication failures using a popular letter-crossing task and subsequent criticisms of that task, the current studies examined whether depletion effects would occur in real time using letter-crossing tasks that did not invoke habit-forming and breaking, and whether these effects were moderated by administration type (paper and pencil vs. computer administration). Sample makeup and sizes as well as response formats were also varied across the studies. The five studies yielded a clear and consistent pattern of increasing performance deficits (errors) as a function of time spent on task with generally large effects and in the fifth study the strength of negative transfer effects to a working memory task were related to individual differences in depletion. These results demonstrate that some form of depletion is occurring on letter-crossing tasks though whether an internal regulatory resource reservoir or some other factor is changing across time remains an important question for future research.

Ego Depletion in Real-Time: An Examination of the Sequential-Task Paradigm

PubMed Central

Arber, Madeleine M.; Ireland, Michael J.; Feger, Roy; Marrington, Jessica; Tehan, Joshua; Tehan, Gerald

2017-01-01

Current research into self-control that is based on the sequential task methodology is currently at an impasse. The sequential task methodology involves completing a task that is designed to tax self-control resources which in turn has carry-over effects on a second, unrelated task. The current impasse is in large part due to the lack of empirical research that tests explicit assumptions regarding the initial task. Five studies test one key, untested assumption underpinning strength (finite resource) models of self-regulation: Performance will decline over time on a task that depletes self-regulatory resources. In the aftermath of high profile replication failures using a popular letter-crossing task and subsequent criticisms of that task, the current studies examined whether depletion effects would occur in real time using letter-crossing tasks that did not invoke habit-forming and breaking, and whether these effects were moderated by administration type (paper and pencil vs. computer administration). Sample makeup and sizes as well as response formats were also varied across the studies. The five studies yielded a clear and consistent pattern of increasing performance deficits (errors) as a function of time spent on task with generally large effects and in the fifth study the strength of negative transfer effects to a working memory task were related to individual differences in depletion. These results demonstrate that some form of depletion is occurring on letter-crossing tasks though whether an internal regulatory resource reservoir or some other factor is changing across time remains an important question for future research. PMID:29018390

Drug-Triggered and Cross-Linked Self-Assembling Nanofibrous Hydrogels

PubMed Central

Kumar, Vivek A.; Shi, Siyu; Wang, Benjamin K.; Li, I-Che; Jalan, Abhishek A.; Sarkar, Biplab; Wickremasinghe, Navindee C.; Hartgerink, Jeffrey D.

2015-01-01

Self-assembly of multidomain peptides (MDP) can be tailored to carry payloads that modulate the extracellular environment. Controlled release of growth factors, cytokines, and small-molecule drugs allows for unique control of in vitro and in vivo responses. In this study, we demonstrate this process of ionic cross-linking of peptides using multivalent drugs to create hydrogels for sustained long-term delivery of drugs. Using phosphate, heparin, clodronate, trypan, and suramin, we demonstrate the utility of this strategy. Although all multivalent anions result in good hydrogel formation, demonstrating the generality of this approach, suramin led to the formation of the best hydrogels per unit concentration and was studied in greater detail. Suramin ionically cross-linked MDP into a fibrous meshwork as determined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We measured material storage and loss modulus using rheometry and showed a distinct increase in G′ and G″ as a function of suramin concentration. Release of suramin from scaffolds was determined using UV spectroscopy and showed prolonged release over a 30 day period. Suramin bioavailability and function were demonstrated by attenuated M1 polarization of THP-1 cells compared to positive control. Overall, this design strategy has allowed for the development of a novel class of polymeric delivery vehicles with generally long-term release and, in the case of suramin, cross-linked hydrogels that can modulate cellular phenotype. PMID:25831137

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study to assess the efficacy of tadalafil (Cialis[reg]) in the treatment of erectile dysfunction following three-dimensional conformal external-beam radiotherapy for prostatic carcinoma

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

Incrocci, Luca; Slagter, Cleo; Slob, A. Koos

2006-10-01

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction after three-dimensional conformal external-beam radiotherapy (3DCRT) for prostatic carcinoma is reported in as many as 64% of those patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of the oral drug tadalafil (Cialis (registered) ) in patients with erectile dysfunction after radiotherapy for prostatic carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Patients (N = 358) who completed radiotherapy at least 12 months before the study were approached by mail. All patients had been treated by 3DCRT; 60 patients were included and entered a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study lasting 12 weeks. They received 20 mg of tadalafil or placebomore » for 6 weeks. Drug or placebo was taken on demand at patient's discretion, with no restrictions regarding the consumption of alcohol or food, at least once a week and no more than once daily. At 6 weeks patients crossed over to the alternative treatment. Data were collected using the Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaires. Side effects were also recorded. Results: Mean age at study entry was 69 years. All patients completed the study. For almost all questions of the IIEF questionnaire there was a significant increase in mean scores from baseline with tadalafil, but not with placebo. Sixty-seven percent of the patients reported an improvement of erectile function with tadalafil (placebo: 20%), and 48% reported successful intercourse with tadalafil (placebo: 9%) (p < 0.0001). Side effects were mild or moderate. Conclusions: Tadalafil is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction after 3DCRT for prostatic carcinoma with successful intercourse reported in almost 50% of the patients, and it is well tolerated.« less

A randomized, controlled cross-over trial of dermally-applied lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) oil as a treatment of agitated behaviour in dementia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Lavender essential oil shows evidence of sedative properties in neurophysiological and animal studies but clinical trials of its effectiveness as a treatment of agitation in people with dementia have shown mixed results. Study methods have varied widely, however, making comparisons hazardous. To help remedy previous methodological shortcomings, we delivered high grade lavender oil in specified amounts to nursing home residents whose agitated behaviours were recorded objectively. Methods 64 nursing home residents with frequent physically agitated behaviours were entered into a randomized, single-blind cross-over trial of dermally-applied, neurophysiologically active, high purity 30% lavender oil versus an inactive control oil. A blinded observer counted the presence or absence of target behaviours and rated participants’ predominant affect during each minute for 30 minutes prior to exposure and for 60 minutes afterwards. Results Lavender oil did not prove superior to the control oil in reducing the frequency of physically agitated behaviours or in improving participants’ affect. Conclusions Studies of essential oils are constrained by their variable formulations and uncertain pharmacokinetics and so optimal dosing and delivery regimens remain speculative. Notwithstanding this, topically delivered, high strength, pure lavender oil had no discernible effect on affect and behaviour in a well-defined clinical sample. Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12609000569202) PMID:24219098

Augmented-reality-based skills training for robot-assisted urethrovesical anastomosis: a multi-institutional randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Chowriappa, Ashirwad; Raza, Syed Johar; Fazili, Anees; Field, Erinn; Malito, Chelsea; Samarasekera, Dinesh; Shi, Yi; Ahmed, Kamran; Wilding, Gregory; Kaouk, Jihad; Eun, Daniel D; Ghazi, Ahmed; Peabody, James O; Kesavadas, Thenkurussi; Mohler, James L; Guru, Khurshid A

2015-02-01

To validate robot-assisted surgery skills acquisition using an augmented reality (AR)-based module for urethrovesical anastomosis (UVA). Participants at three institutions were randomised to a Hands-on Surgical Training (HoST) technology group or a control group. The HoST group was given procedure-based training for UVA within the haptic-enabled AR-based HoST environment. The control group did not receive any training. After completing the task, the control group was offered to cross over to the HoST group (cross-over group). A questionnaire administered after HoST determined the feasibility and acceptability of the technology. Performance of UVA using an inanimate model on the daVinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA) was assessed using a UVA evaluation score and a Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) score. Participants completed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA TLX) questionnaire for cognitive assessment, as outcome measures. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare outcomes among the groups (HoST group vs control group and control group vs cross-over group). A total of 52 individuals participated in the study. UVA evaluation scores showed significant differences in needle driving (3.0 vs 2.3; P = 0.042), needle positioning (3.0 vs 2.4; P = 0.033) and suture placement (3.4 vs 2.6; P = 0.014) in the HoST vs the control group. The HoST group obtained significantly higher scores (14.4 vs 11.9; P 0.012) on the GEARS. The NASA TLX indicated lower temporal demand and effort in the HoST group (5.9 vs 9.3; P = 0.001 and 5.8 vs 11.9; P = 0.035, respectively). In all, 70% of participants found that HoST was similar to the real surgical procedure, and 75% believed that HoST could improve confidence for carrying out the real intervention. Training in UVA in an AR environment improves technical skill acquisition with minimal cognitive demand. © 2014 The Authors. BJU International © 2014 BJU International.

A double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over clinical trial of DONepezil In Posterior cortical atrophy due to underlying Alzheimer's Disease: DONIPAD study.

PubMed

Ridha, Basil H; Crutch, Sebastian; Cutler, Dawn; Frost, Christopher; Knight, William; Barker, Suzie; Epie, Norah; Warrington, Elizabeth K; Kukkastenvehmas, Riitta; Douglas, Jane; Rossor, Martin N

2018-05-01

The study investigated whether donepezil exerts symptomatic benefit in patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), an atypical variant of Alzheimer's disease. A single-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial was performed to assess the efficacy of donepezil in patients with PCA. Each patient received either donepezil (5 mg once daily in the first 6 weeks and 10 mg once daily in the second 6 weeks) or placebo for 12 weeks. After a 2-week washout period, each patient received the other treatment arm during the following 12 weeks followed by another 2-week washout period. The primary outcome was the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at 12 weeks. Secondary outcome measures were five neuropsychological tests reflecting parieto-occipital function. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. For each outcome measure, carry-over effects were first assessed. If present, then analysis was restricted to the first 12-week period. Otherwise, the standard approach to the analysis of a 2 × 2 cross-over trial was used. Eighteen patients (13 females) were recruited (mean age 61.6 years). There was a protocol violation in one patient, who subsequently withdrew from the study due to gastrointestinal side effects. There was statistically significant (p < 0.05) evidence of a carry-over effect on MMSE. Therefore, the analysis of treatment effect on MMSE was restricted to the first 12-week period. Treatment effect at 6 weeks was statistically significant (difference = 2.5 in favour of donepezil, 95% CI 0.1 to 5.0, p < 0.05). Treatment effect at 12 weeks was close, but not statistically significant (difference = 2.0 in favour of donepezil, 95% CI -0.1 to 4.5, p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant treatment effects on any of the five neuropsychological tests, except for digit span at 12 weeks (higher by 0.5 digits in favour of placebo, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9). Gastrointestinal side effects occurred most frequently, affecting 13/18 subjects (72%), and were the cause of study discontinuation in one subject. Nightmares and vivid dreams occurred in 8/18 subjects (44%), and were statistically more frequent during treatment with donepezil. In this small study, there was no statistically significant treatment effect of donepezil on the primary outcome measure (MMSE score at 12 weeks) in PCA patients, who appear to be particularly susceptible to the development of nightmares and vivid dreams when treated. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN22636071 . Retrospectively registered 19 May 2010.

How do children learn to cross the street? The process of pedestrian safety training

PubMed Central

Schwebel, David C.; Shen, Jiabin; McClure, Leslie A.

2016-01-01

Objective Pedestrian injuries are a leading cause of child death, and may be reduced by training children to cross streets more safely. Such training is most effective when children receive repeated practice at the complex cognitive-perceptual task of judging moving traffic and selecting safe crossing gaps, but there is limited data on how much practice is required for children to reach adult levels of functioning. Using existing data, we examined how children’s pedestrian skill changed over the course of six pedestrian safety training sessions, each comprised of 45 crossings within a virtual pedestrian environment. Methods As part of a randomized controlled trial on pedestrian safety training, 59 children ages 7-8 crossed the street within a semi-immersive virtual pedestrian environment 270 times over a 3-week period (6 sessions of 45 crossings each). Feedback was provided after each crossing, and traffic speed and density was advanced as children’s skill improved. Post-intervention pedestrian behavior was assessed a week later in the virtual environment and compared to adult behavior with identical traffic patterns. Results Over the course of training, children entered traffic gaps more quickly and chose tighter gaps to cross within; their crossing efficiency appeared to increase. By the end of training, some aspects of children’s pedestrian behavior was comparable to adult behavior but other aspects were not, indicating the training was worthwhile but insufficient for most children to achieve adult levels of functioning. Conclusions Repeated practice in a simulated pedestrian environment helps children learn aspects of safe and efficient pedestrian behavior. Six twice-weekly training sessions of 45 crossings each were insufficient for children to reach adult pedestrian functioning, however, and future research should continue to study the trajectory and quantity of child pedestrian safety training needed for children to become competent pedestrians. PMID:26760077

Coherent Two-Mode Dynamics of a Nanowire Force Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braakman, Floris R.; Rossi, Nicola; Tütüncüoglu, Gözde; Morral, Anna Fontcuberta i.; Poggio, Martino

2018-05-01

Classically coherent dynamics analogous to those of quantum two-level systems are studied in the setting of force sensing. We demonstrate quantitative control over the coupling between two orthogonal mechanical modes of a nanowire cantilever through measurement of avoided crossings as we deterministically position the nanowire inside an electric field. Furthermore, we demonstrate Rabi oscillations between the two mechanical modes in the strong-coupling regime. These results give prospects of implementing coherent two-mode control techniques for force-sensing signal enhancement.

How does visual manipulation affect obstacle avoidance strategies used by athletes?

PubMed

Bijman, M P; Fisher, J J; Vallis, L A

2016-01-01

Research examining our ability to avoid obstacles in our path has stressed the importance of visual input. The aim of this study was to determine if athletes playing varsity-level field sports, who rely on visual input to guide motor behaviour, are more able to guide their foot over obstacles compared to recreational individuals. While wearing kinematic markers, eight varsity athletes and eight age-matched controls (aged 18-25) walked along a walkway and stepped over stationary obstacles (180° motion arc). Visual input was manipulated using PLATO visual goggles three or two steps pre-obstacle crossing and compared to trials where vision was given throughout. A main effect between groups for peak trail toe elevation was shown with greater values generated by the controls for all crossing conditions during full vision trials only. This may be interpreted as athletes not perceiving this obstacle as an increased threat to their postural stability. Collectively, findings suggest the athletic group is able to transfer their abilities to non-specific conditions during full vision trials; however, varsity-level athletes were equally reliant on visual cues for these visually guided stepping tasks as their performance was similar to the controls when vision is removed.

God and the Welfare State - Substitutes or Complements? An Experimental Test of the Effect of Belief in God's Control

PubMed Central

Be’ery, Gilad; Ben-Nun Bloom, Pazit

2015-01-01

Belief in God’s control of the world is common to many of the world’s religions, but there are conflicting predictions regarding its role in shaping attitudes toward the welfare state. While the devout are expected to support pro-social values like helping others, and thus might be supportive of the welfare state, the possibility of taking action is undermined by the belief in God’s absolute control over world affairs and in a morally perfect providence, who is responsible for the fates of individuals. As the literature provides mixed results on this question, this study examines the role of belief in God’s control on welfare attitudes using three priming experiments and two priming tasks, carried out with a design that is both cross-cultural (US vs. Israel) and cross-religious tradition (Judaism vs. Catholicism). We find evidence that, largely, belief in God’s control increases support for income redistribution among Israeli Jews (study 1), American Jews (study 2), and American Catholics (study 3). The findings suggest that the traditional and common political gap between the economic left and the religious, based on the evaluation that religious beliefs lead to conservative economic preferences, may be overstated. PMID:26061050

Effects of Subsensory Noise and Fatigue on Knee Landing and Cross-over Cutting Biomechanics in Male Athletes.

PubMed

Qu, Xingda; Jiang, Jianxin; Hu, Xinyao

2018-06-01

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of subsensory noise and fatigue on knee biomechanics during the athletic task of landing followed by cross-over cutting. A total of 32 healthy male athletes participated in the study. They were evenly divided into 2 groups: no fatigue group and fatigue group. Fatigue was induced to the lower extremity by a repetitive squatting exercise in the fatigue group. Subsensory noise was generated by linear miniature vibrators bilaterally placed around the knee joints. During data collection, the participants were instructed to perform landing followed by cross-over cutting in both the subsensory on and off conditions. Dependent variables were selected to assess knee biomechanics in the phases of landing and cross-over cutting, separately. Results showed that fatigue resulted in larger knee flexion during landing and larger knee internal rotation during cross-over cutting. Subsensory noise was found to reduce knee rotation impulse during cross-over cutting. These findings suggest that cross-over cutting is more dangerous than landing in the fatigue condition, and subsensory noise may lead to changes in knee biomechanics consistent with reduced risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries, but the changes may be task-specific.

X-ray investigation of cross-breed silk in cocoon, yarn and fabric forms

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

Radhalakshmi, Y. C.; Kariappa,; Siddaraju, G. N.

2012-06-05

Recently Central Sericulture Research and Training Institute, Mysore developed many improved cross breeds and bivoltine hybrids. Newly developed cross breeds recorded fibre characteristics which are significantly superior over existing control hybrids. This aspect has been investigated using X-ray diffraction technique. We have employed line profile analysis to compute microstructural parameters. These parameters are compared with physical parameters of newly developed cross breed silk fibers for a better understanding of structure-property relation in these samples.

Surface morphology control of cross-linked polymer particles via dispersion polymerization.

PubMed

Peng, Bo; Imhof, Arnout

2015-05-14

Cross-linked polymer colloids (poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene) with diverse shapes were prepared in polar solvents (ethanol, methanol and water) via dispersion polymerization, in which a linear addition of the cross-linker was used during reaction. Apart from spherical particles we found dented spheres or particles covered with nodules, or a combination of both. A comprehensive investigation was carried out, mainly concentrating on the effect of the experimental conditions (e.g., the addition start time and total addition time, cross-linker density and the solvency of the solvents) on particle morphologies. Consequently, we suggest a number of effective ways for the synthesis of regular (spherical) colloidal particles through maintaining a relatively low concentration of the cross-linker during the entire reaction, or forcing the co-polymerization (of monomer and cross-linker) locus to the continuous medium, or using a high quality or quantity of the stabilizer. Moreover, the size of the particles was also precisely manipulated by varying the polarity of the solvents, the concentration of the cross-linker, and the amount and average molecular weight of the stabilizer. In addition, the formation of the heavily dented particles with a very rough surface prepared under a pure or oxygen-'contaminated' nitrogen environment was monitored over time. The results accumulated in this article are of use for a better understanding of the mechanism of the polymerization and control over the structure and property of polymer particles.

Longitudinal modelling of academic buoyancy and motivation: do the '5Cs' hold up over time?

PubMed

Martin, Andrew J; Colmar, Susan H; Davey, Louise A; Marsh, Herbert W

2010-09-01

Academic buoyancy is students' ability to successfully deal with setbacks and challenges that are typical of academic life. The present study extends previous preliminary cross-sectional work that tentatively identified five motivational predictors of academic buoyancy - referred to as the '5Cs' of academic buoyancy: confidence (self-efficacy), coordination (planning), commitment (persistence), composure (low anxiety), and control (low uncertain control). The study seeks to more clearly ascertain the effects of motivation (and its mediating role) on academic buoyancy over and above prior academic buoyancy. The study comprised N=1,866 high school students from six schools. Longitudinal data were collected (1 year apart) and the hypothesized model exploring longitudinal effects was tested using structural equation modelling. After controlling for prior variance in academic buoyancy, the 5Cs were significant predictors of subsequent academic buoyancy. Furthermore, over and above the direct effects of prior academic buoyancy on subsequent academic buoyancy, the 5Cs significantly mediated this relationship. The study concludes with a discussion of the substantive, applied, and methodological implications for researchers and practitioners seeking to investigate and address the academic buoyancy of students who require the capacity to effectively function in an ever-challenging school environment.

A Longitudinal Study of Secondary Posttraumatic Growth in Wives of Ex-POWs.

PubMed

Greene, Talya; Lahav, Yael; Kanat-Maymon, Yaniv; Solomon, Zahava

2015-01-01

The current study aimed to investigate (a) "secondary" posttraumatic growth (PTG) in wives of former prisoners of war (ex-POWs) and its association to husbands' captivity, husbands' posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and husbands' PTSD trajectories; and (b) the bidirectional relationships over time between wives' posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and PTG. The study compared 116 wives of Israeli ex-POWs from the 1973 Yom Kippur War with 56 wives of a matched control group of non-POW combat veterans. Wives were divided into groups according to husbands' captivity status, husbands' PTSD status, and husbands' PTSD trajectories; and ANOVAs and MANOVAs were conducted to assess group differences in PTSS and PTG, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Autoregressive cross-lag modeling was also used to assess bidirectional relationships between wives' PTSS and PTG over time. Wives of ex-POWs with PTSD reported significantly higher PTG compared with wives of ex-POWs without PTSD and wives of controls. While PTG and PTSS remained stable over time, importantly, the Time 1 (T1) level of PTG predicted avoidance symptoms at Time 2 (T2); the higher the wives' PTG at T1, the higher their avoidance symptoms at T2, but not vice versa. These findings support the notion that "secondary PTG" exists. They also strengthen the theory that growth and distress can co-occur. Finally, the finding that PTG predicted subsequent avoidance symptoms suggests that PTG does not prevent the future development of distress.

Bioavailability of ambroxol sustained release preparations. Part II: Single and multiple oral dose studies in man.

PubMed

Janssen, T J; Guelen, P J; Vree, T B; Botterblom, M H; Valducci, R

1988-01-01

The bioavailability of a new ambroxol sustained release preparation (75 mg) based on a dialyzing membrane for controlled release was studied in healthy volunteers after single and multiple oral dose in comparison with a standard sustained release formulation in a cross-over study under carefully controlled conditions. Plasma concentrations of ambroxol were measured by means of a HPLC method. Based on AUC data both preparations are found to be bioequivalent, but show different plasma concentration profiles. The test preparation showed a more pronounced sustained release profile than the reference preparation (single dose) resulting in significantly higher steady state plasma levels.

Executive functioning independently predicts self-rated health and improvement in self-rated health over time among community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

McHugh, Joanna Edel; Lawlor, Brian A

2016-01-01

Self-rated health, as distinct from objective measures of health, is a clinically informative metric among older adults. The purpose of our study was to examine the cognitive and psychosocial factors associated with self-rated health. 624 participants over the age of 60 were assessed at baseline, and of these, 510 were contacted for a follow-up two years later. Measures of executive function and self-rated health were assessed at baseline, and self-rated health was assessed at follow-up. We employed multiple linear regression analyses to investigate the relationship between executive functioning and self-rated health, while controlling for demographic, psychosocial and biological variables. Controlling for other relevant variables, executive functioning independently and solely predicted self-rated health, both at a cross-sectional level, and also over time. Loneliness was also found to cross-sectionally predict self-rated health, although this relationship was not present at a longitudinal level. Older adults' self-rated health may be related to their executive functioning and to their loneliness. Self-rated health appeared to improve over time, and the extent of this improvement was also related to executive functioning at baseline. Self-rated health may be a judgement made of one's functioning, especially executive functioning, which changes with age and therefore may be particularly salient in the reflections of older adults.

Cortical plasticity and preserved function in early blindness

PubMed Central

Renier, Laurent; De Volder, Anne G.; Rauschecker, Josef P.

2013-01-01

The “neural Darwinism” theory predicts that when one sensory modality is lacking, as in congenital blindness, the target structures are taken over by the afferent inputs from other senses that will promote and control their functional maturation (Edelman, 1993). This view receives support from both cross-modal plasticity experiments in animal models and functional imaging studies in man, which are presented here. PMID:23453908

Preferences for technology versus human assistance and control over technology in the performance of kitchen and personal care tasks in baby boomers and older adults.

PubMed

Beach, Scott R; Schulz, Richard; Matthews, Judith T; Courtney, Karen; Dabbs, Annette DeVito

2014-11-01

Quality of Life technology (QoLT) stresses humans and technology as mutually dependent and aware, working together to improve task performance and quality of life. This study examines preferences for technology versus human assistance and control in the context of QoLT. Data are from a nationally representative, cross-sectional web-based sample of 416 US baby boomers (45-64) and 114 older adults (65+) on preferences for technology versus human assistance and control in the performance of kitchen and personal care tasks. Multinomial logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression were used to determine predictors of these preferences. Respondents were generally accepting of technology assistance but wanted to maintain control over its' operation. Baby boomers were more likely to prefer technology than older adults, and those with fewer QoLT privacy concerns and who thought they were more likely to need future help were more likely to prefer technology over human assistance and more willing to relinquish control to technology. Results suggest the need for design of person- and context-aware QoLT systems that are responsive to user desires for level of control over operation of the technology. The predictors of these preferences suggest potentially receptive markets for the targeting of QoLT systems.

Development and Long-Term Verification of Stereo Vision Sensor System for Controlling Safety at Railroad Crossing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosotani, Daisuke; Yoda, Ikushi; Hishiyama, Yoshiyuki; Sakaue, Katsuhiko

Many people are involved in accidents every year at railroad crossings, but there is no suitable sensor for detecting pedestrians. We are therefore developing a ubiquitous stereo vision based system for ensuring safety at railroad crossings. In this system, stereo cameras are installed at the corners and are pointed toward the center of the railroad crossing to monitor the passage of people. The system determines automatically and in real-time whether anyone or anything is inside the railroad crossing, and whether anyone remains in the crossing. The system can be configured to automatically switch over to a surveillance monitor or automatically connect to an emergency brake system in the event of trouble. We have developed an original stereovision device and installed the remote controlled experimental system applied human detection algorithm in the commercial railroad crossing. Then we store and analyze image data and tracking data throughout two years for standardization of system requirement specification.

Integrating vector control across diseases.

PubMed

Golding, Nick; Wilson, Anne L; Moyes, Catherine L; Cano, Jorge; Pigott, David M; Velayudhan, Raman; Brooker, Simon J; Smith, David L; Hay, Simon I; Lindsay, Steve W

2015-10-01

Vector-borne diseases cause a significant proportion of the overall burden of disease across the globe, accounting for over 10 % of the burden of infectious diseases. Despite the availability of effective interventions for many of these diseases, a lack of resources prevents their effective control. Many existing vector control interventions are known to be effective against multiple diseases, so combining vector control programmes to simultaneously tackle several diseases could offer more cost-effective and therefore sustainable disease reductions. The highly successful cross-disease integration of vaccine and mass drug administration programmes in low-resource settings acts a precedent for cross-disease vector control. Whilst deliberate implementation of vector control programmes across multiple diseases has yet to be trialled on a large scale, a number of examples of 'accidental' cross-disease vector control suggest the potential of such an approach. Combining contemporary high-resolution global maps of the major vector-borne pathogens enables us to quantify overlap in their distributions and to estimate the populations jointly at risk of multiple diseases. Such an analysis shows that over 80 % of the global population live in regions of the world at risk from one vector-borne disease, and more than half the world's population live in areas where at least two different vector-borne diseases pose a threat to health. Combining information on co-endemicity with an assessment of the overlap of vector control methods effective against these diseases allows us to highlight opportunities for such integration. Malaria, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, and dengue are prime candidates for combined vector control. All four of these diseases overlap considerably in their distributions and there is a growing body of evidence for the effectiveness of insecticide-treated nets, screens, and curtains for controlling all of their vectors. The real-world effectiveness of cross-disease vector control programmes can only be evaluated by large-scale trials, but there is clear evidence of the potential of such an approach to enable greater overall health benefit using the limited funds available.

Simulation of Cross-border Impacts Resulting from Classical Swine Fever Epidemics within the Netherlands and Germany.

PubMed

Hop, G E; Mourits, M C M; Oude Lansink, A G J M; Saatkamp, H W

2016-02-01

The cross-border region of the Netherlands (NL) and the two German states of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) and Lower Saxony (LS) is a large and highly integrated livestock production area. This region increasingly develops towards a single epidemiological area in which disease introduction is a shared veterinary and, consequently, economic risk. The objectives of this study were to examine classical swine fever (CSF) control strategies' veterinary and direct economic impacts for NL, NRW and LS given the current production structure and to analyse CSF's cross-border causes and impacts within the NL-NRW-LS region. The course of the epidemic was simulated by the use of InterSpread Plus, whereas economic analysis was restricted to calculating disease control costs and costs directly resulting from the control measures applied. Three veterinary control strategies were considered: a strategy based on the minimum EU requirements, a vaccination and a depopulation strategy based on NL and GER's contingency plans. Regardless of the veterinary control strategy, simulated outbreak sizes and durations for 2010 were much smaller than those simulated previously, using data from over 10 years ago. For example, worst-case outbreaks (50th percentile) in NL resulted in 30-40 infected farms and lasted for two to four and a half months; associated direct costs and direct consequential costs ranged from €24.7 to 28.6 million and €11.7 to 26.7 million, respectively. Both vaccination and depopulation strategies were efficient in controlling outbreaks, especially large outbreaks, whereas the EU minimum strategy was especially deficient in controlling worst-case outbreaks. Both vaccination and depopulation strategies resulted in low direct costs and direct consequential costs. The probability of cross-border disease spread was relatively low, and cross-border spread resulted in small, short outbreaks in neighbouring countries. Few opportunities for further cross-border harmonization and collaboration were identified, including the implementation of cross-border regions (free and diseased regions regardless of the border) in case of outbreaks within close proximity of the border, and more and quicker sharing of information across the border. It was expected, however, that collaboration to mitigate the market effects of an epidemic will create more opportunities to lower the impact of CSF outbreaks in a cross-border context. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Understanding adaptive gait in lower-limb amputees: insights from multivariate analyses

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In this paper we use multivariate statistical techniques to gain insights into how adaptive gait involving obstacle crossing is regulated in lower-limb amputees compared to able-bodied controls, with the aim of identifying underlying characteristics that differ between the two groups and consequently highlighting gait deficits in the amputees. Methods Eight unilateral trans-tibial amputees and twelve able-bodied controls completed adaptive gait trials involving negotiating various height obstacles; with amputees leading with their prosthetic limb. Spatiotemporal variables that are regularly used to quantify how gait is adapted when crossing obstacles were determined and subsequently analysed using multivariate statistical techniques. Results and discussion There were fundamental differences in the adaptive gait between the two groups. Compared to controls, amputees had a reduced approach velocity, reduced foot placement distance before and after the obstacle and reduced foot clearance over it, and reduced lead-limb knee flexion during the step following crossing. Logistic regression analysis highlighted the variables that best distinguished between the gait of the two groups and multiple regression analysis (with approach velocity as a controlling factor) helped identify what gait adaptations were driving the differences seen in these variables. Getting closer to the obstacle before crossing it appeared to be a strategy to ensure the heel of the lead-limb foot passed over the obstacle prior to the foot being lowered to the ground. Despite adopting such a heel clearance strategy, the lead-foot was positioned closer to the obstacle following crossing, which was likely a result of a desire to attain a limb/foot angle and orientation at instant of landing that minimised loads on the residuum (as evidenced by the reduced lead-limb knee flexion during the step following crossing). These changes in foot placement meant the foot was in a different part of swing at point of crossing and this explains why foot clearance was considerably reduced in amputees. Conclusions These results highlight that trans-tibial amputees use quite different gait adaptations to cross obstacles compared with controls (at least when leading with their prosthetic limb), indicating they are governed by different constraints; seemingly related to how they land on/load their prosthesis after crossing the obstacle. PMID:23958032

Are loss of control while eating and overeating valid constructs? A critical review of the literature

PubMed Central

Goldschmidt, Andrea B.

2017-01-01

Background Binge eating is a marker of weight gain and obesity, and a hallmark feature of eating disorders. Yet, its component constructs—overeating and loss of control (LOC) while eating—are poorly understood and difficult to measure. Objective To critically review the human literature concerning the validity of LOC and overeating across the age and weight spectrum. Data sources English-language articles addressing the face, convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of LOC and overeating were included. Results LOC and overeating appear to have adequate face validity. Emerging evidence supports the convergent and predictive validity of the LOC construct, given its unique cross-sectional and prospective associations with numerous anthropometric, psychosocial, and eating behavior-related factors. Overeating may be best conceptualized as a marker of excess weight status. Limitations Binge eating constructs, particularly in the context of subjectively large episodes, are challenging to measure reliably. Few studies addressed overeating in the absence of LOC, thereby limiting conclusions about the validity of the overeating construct independent of LOC. Additional studies addressing the discriminant validity of both constructs are warranted. Discussion Suggestions for future weight-related research and for appropriately defining binge eating in the eating disorders diagnostic scheme are presented. PMID:28165655

Reformulation of controlled-release oxycodone and pharmacy dispensing patterns near the US-Canada border.

PubMed

Gomes, Tara; Paterson, J Michael; Juurlink, David N; Dhalla, Irfan A; Mamdani, Muhammad M

2012-01-01

In August 2010, a tamper-resistant formulation of controlled-release oxycodone (OxyContin-OP) was introduced in the United States but not in Canada. Our objective was to determine whether introduction of OxyContin-OP in the United States influenced prescription volumes for the original controlled-release oxycodone formulation (OxyContin) at Canadian pharmacies near the international border. We conducted a population-based, serial, cross-sectional study of prescriptions dispensed from pharmacies in the 3 cities with the highest volume of US-Canada border crossings in Ontario: Niagara Falls, Windsor and Sarnia. We analyzed data on all outpatient prescriptions for OxyContin dispensed by Canadian pharmacies near each border crossing between 2010 Apr. 1 and 2012 Feb. 29. We calculated and compared monthly prescription rates, adjusted per 1000 population and stratified by tablet strength. The number of tablets dispensed near 4 border crossings in the 3 Canadian cities remained stable over the study period. However, the rate of dispensing at pharmacies near the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel increased roughly 4-fold between August 2010 and February 2011, from 505 to 1969 tablets per 1000 population. By April 2011, following warnings to prescribers and pharmacies regarding drug-seeking behaviour, the dispensing rate declined to 1683 tablets per 1000 population in this area. By November 2011, the rate had returned to levels observed in early 2010. Our analyses suggest that 242 075 excess OxyContin tablets were dispensed near the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel between August 2010 and October 2011. Prescribing of the original formulation of controlled-release oxycodone rose substantially near a major international border crossing following the introduction of a tamper-resistant formulation in the United States. It is possible that the restriction of this finding to the area surrounding the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel reflects specific characteristics of this border crossing, including its high traffic volume, direct access to the downtown core and drug-trafficking patterns in the Detroit area. Our findings highlight the potential impact of cross-border differences in medication availability on drug-seeking behaviour.

Energy Drink and Coffee Consumption and Psychopathology Symptoms Among Early Adolescents: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background: Little is known about possible links between energy drink use and psychopathology among youth. This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between energy drink consumption and psychopathology among early adolescents. In addition, associations between psychopathology and coffee consumption were examined to assess whether findings were specific to energy drinks or also applied to another commonly used caffeinated beverage. Methods: One hundred forty-four youth who participated in the Camden Youth Development Study (72 males; mean age 11.9 at wave 1; 65% Hispanic, 30% African American) were assessed using self-report measures of frequency of energy drink and coffee consumption and depression, anxiety, conduct disorder (CD) symptoms, and teacher reports of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Youth (92%) were reassessed 16 months later. Results: Concurrently, energy drink and coffee consumption were associated with similar psychopathology symptoms; when the other beverage was adjusted for, energy drinks remained associated with CD and coffee remained associated with panic anxiety. Initial energy drink consumption predicted increasing ADHD and CD over time, though the association with CD dropped to a trend level of significance when coffee was adjusted for. Initial levels of hyperactive ADHD predicted increasing coffee consumption over time; this association remained when energy drinks were controlled. Social anxiety was associated with less increase in energy drink consumption over time, controlling for coffee. Conclusion: Energy drink and coffee consumption among early adolescents are concurrently associated with similar psychopathology symptoms. Longitudinally, the associations between these beverages and psychopathology differ, indicating that these substances have differing implications for development over time. PMID:27274416

Energy Drink and Coffee Consumption and Psychopathology Symptoms Among Early Adolescents: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations.

PubMed

Marmorstein, Naomi R

2016-06-01

Background: Little is known about possible links between energy drink use and psychopathology among youth. This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between energy drink consumption and psychopathology among early adolescents. In addition, associations between psychopathology and coffee consumption were examined to assess whether findings were specific to energy drinks or also applied to another commonly used caffeinated beverage. Methods: One hundred forty-four youth who participated in the Camden Youth Development Study (72 males; mean age 11.9 at wave 1; 65% Hispanic, 30% African American) were assessed using self-report measures of frequency of energy drink and coffee consumption and depression, anxiety, conduct disorder (CD) symptoms, and teacher reports of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Youth (92%) were reassessed 16 months later. Results: Concurrently, energy drink and coffee consumption were associated with similar psychopathology symptoms; when the other beverage was adjusted for, energy drinks remained associated with CD and coffee remained associated with panic anxiety. Initial energy drink consumption predicted increasing ADHD and CD over time, though the association with CD dropped to a trend level of significance when coffee was adjusted for. Initial levels of hyperactive ADHD predicted increasing coffee consumption over time; this association remained when energy drinks were controlled. Social anxiety was associated with less increase in energy drink consumption over time, controlling for coffee. Conclusion: Energy drink and coffee consumption among early adolescents are concurrently associated with similar psychopathology symptoms. Longitudinally, the associations between these beverages and psychopathology differ, indicating that these substances have differing implications for development over time.

Motor vehicle driver injury severity study under various traffic control at highway-rail grade crossings in the United States.

PubMed

Hao, Wei; Daniel, Janice

2014-12-01

Based on the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) database, approximately 62% of the collisions at highway-rail crossings occurred at locations with active controls (gate and flashing lights), followed by passive controls (cross bucks and stop signs) with approximately 28% of accidents. The study applied an ordered probit model to explore the determinants of driver injury severity under various control measures at highway-rail grade crossing in the United States. The analysis found that schedule factor (peak hour), visibility, motor vehicle speed, train speed, driver's age, area type, traffic volume and highway pavement impact driver injury severity at both active and passive highway-rail crossings. For both active and passive control highway-rail grade crossings, speed control for both trains and vehicles will significantly reduce driver injury severity. However, the level of influence by vehicle speed and train speed at passive control is higher compared with active control. Paving highways at highway-rail grade crossings will also help to reduce driver injury severity at highway-rail crossing accidents. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Experimental scleral cross-linking increases glaucoma damage in a mouse model

PubMed Central

Kimball, Elizabeth C.; Nguyen, Cathy; Steinhart, Matthew R.; Nguyen, Thao D.; Pease, Mary E.; Oglesby, Ericka N.; Oveson, Brian C.; Quigley, Harry A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a scleral cross-linking agent on susceptibility to glaucoma damage in a mouse model. CD1 mice underwent 3 subconjunctival injections of 0.5 M glyceraldehyde (GA) in 1 week, then had elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) induced by bead injection. Degree of cross-linking was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), scleral permeability was measured by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), and the mechanical effects of GA exposure were measured by inflation testing. Control mice had buffer injection or no injection in 2 separate glaucoma experiments. IOP was monitored by Tonolab and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss was measured by histological axon counting. To rule out undesirable effects of GA, we performed electroretinography and detailed histology of the retina. GA exposure had no detectable effects on RGC number, retinal structure or function either histologically or electrophysiologically. GA increased cross-linking of sclera by 37% in an ELISA assay, decreased scleral permeability (FRAP, p = 0.001), and produced a steeper pressure—strain behavior by in vitro inflation testing. In two experimental glaucoma experiments, GA-treated eyes had greater RGC axon loss from elevated IOP than either buffer-injected or control eyes, controlling for level of IOP exposure over time (p = 0.01, and 0.049, multivariable regression analyses). This is the first report that experimental alteration of the sclera, by cross-linking, increases susceptibility to RGC damage in mice. PMID:25285424

Clinical relevance of IgG antibodies against food antigens in Crohn's disease: a double-blind cross-over diet intervention study.

PubMed

Bentz, S; Hausmann, M; Piberger, H; Kellermeier, S; Paul, S; Held, L; Falk, W; Obermeier, F; Fried, M; Schölmerich, J; Rogler, G

2010-01-01

Environmental factors are thought to play an important role in the development of Crohn's disease (CD). Immune responses against auto-antigens or food antigens may be a reason for the perpetuation of inflammation. In a pilot study, 79 CD patients and 20 healthy controls were examined for food immunoglobulin G (IgG). Thereafter, the clinical relevance of these food IgG antibodies was assessed in a double-blind cross-over study with 40 patients. Based on the IgG antibodies, a nutritional intervention was planned. The interferon (IFN)gamma secretion of T cells was measured. Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin was quantified in stool. The pilot study resulted in a significant difference of IgG antibodies in serum between CD patients and healthy controls. In 84 and 83% of the patients, respectively, IgG antibodies against processed cheese and yeast were detected. The daily stool frequency significantly decreased by 11% during a specific diet compared with a sham diet. Abdominal pain reduced and general well-being improved. IFNgamma secretion of T cells increased. No difference for eosinophil-derived neurotoxin in stool was detected. A nutritional intervention based on circulating IgG antibodies against food antigens showed effects with respect to stool frequency. The mechanisms by which IgG antibodies might contribute to disease activity remain to be elucidated.

Rationale and design of a long term follow-up study of women who did and did not receive HPV 16/18 vaccination in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Paula; Hildesheim, Allan; Herrero, Rolando; Katki, Hormuzd; Wacholder, Sholom; Porras, Carolina; Safaeian, Mahboobeh; Jimenez, Silvia; Darragh, Teresa M; Cortes, Bernal; Befano, Brian; Schiffman, Mark; Carvajal, Loreto; Palefsky, Joel; Schiller, John; Ocampo, Rebeca; Schussler, John; Lowy, Douglas; Guillen, Diego; Stoler, Mark H; Quint, Wim; Morales, Jorge; Avila, Carlos; Rodriguez, Ana Cecilia; Kreimer, Aimée R

2015-04-27

The Costa Rica Vaccine Trial (CVT) was a randomized clinical trial conducted between 2004 and 2010, which randomized 7466 women aged 18 to 25 to receive the bivalent HPV-16/18 vaccine or control Hepatitis-A vaccine. Participants were followed for 4 years with cross-over vaccination at the study end. In 2010 the long term follow-up (LTFU) study was initiated to evaluate the 10-year impact of HPV-16/18 vaccination, determinants of the immune response, and HPV natural history in a vaccinated population. Herein, the rationale, design and methods of the LTFU study are described, which actively follows CVT participants in the HPV-arm 6 additional years at biennial intervals (3 additional study visits for 10 years of total follow-up), or more often if clinically indicated. According to the initial commitment, women in the Hepatitis-A arm were offered HPV vaccination at cross-over; they were followed 2 additional years and exited from the study. 92% of eligible CVT women accepted participation in LTFU. To provide underlying rates of HPV acquisition and cervical disease among unvaccinated women to compare with the HPV-arm during LTFU, a new unvaccinated control group (UCG) of women who are beyond the age generally recommended for routine vaccination was enrolled, and will be followed by cervical cancer screening over 6 years. To form the UCG, 5000 women were selected from a local census, of whom 2836 women (61% of eligible women) agreed to participate. Over 90% of participants complied with an interview, blood and cervical specimen collection. Evaluation of comparability between the original (Hepatitis-A arm of CVT) and new (UCG) control groups showed that women's characteristics, as well as their predicted future risk for cervical HPV acquisition, were similar, thus validating use of the UCG. LTFU is poised to comprehensively address many important questions related to long-term effects of prophylactic HPV vaccines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The effect of ivermectin on geohelminth frequency (i.e. as used in the onchocerciasis control program in Colombia)].

PubMed

Knudson, Angélica; Ariza, Yoseth; López, Myriam C; Fajardo, Oscar S; Reyes, Patricia; Moncada, Ligia I; Duque, Sofía; Álvarez, Carlos A; Nicholls, Rubén S

2012-08-01

Evaluating the effect of ivermectin on soil-transmitted helminthes (STH) infection frequency in a Colombian population included in the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA). This was an impact evaluation study which adopted a longitudinal approach using the population of Naicioná (1996) as baseline for comparison to people from the same population as controls (2008). The cross-sectional approach involved comparing the reference population of Naicioná (2008) to the population of Dos Quebradas (2008) used as controls. Fecal samples were processed by a modified Ritchie-Frick method. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most frequently found parasite in Naicioná (60/121; 49.6 %: 37.8-63.895%CI) and in Dos Quebradas (36/76; 47.4 %: 33.2-65.6 95 % CI). Ivermectin's main effect on the population aged over 5 years was a decreased risk of Trichiuris trichiura infection in both longitudinal assessment (86 % reduction: 74-93 95 % CI) and cross-sectional assessment (63 %:24-82 95 % CI). A 93 % reduction (45-99 95 % CI) in Strongyloides stercoralis frequency was found in longitudinal assessment, compared to 85 % in cross-sectional assessment (-031-99 95 % CI). Ivermectin use in the OEPA is not sufficient for STH morbidity control. Integrated programs including education and basic sanitation are required.

Cue-induced smoking urges deplete cigarette smokers' self-control resources.

PubMed

Hagger, Martin S; Leaver, Eamonn; Esser, Kerstin; Leung, Chung-Ming; Te Pas, Nina; Keatley, David A; Chan, Derwin K-C; Chatzisarantis, Nikos L D

2013-12-01

Exposure to smoking-related cues leads to increased urge to smoke in regular cigarette smokers and resisting these urges requires considerable self-control. Adopting a resource depletion model, two studies tested the hypothesis that resisting smoking urges depletes self-control resources. Adopting a within-participants randomized cross-over design, participants (study 1, N = 19; study 2, N = 32) were exposed to smoking-related (study 1: smoking images; study 2: cigarette cue-exposure task) and neutral (study 1: neutral images; study 2: drinking-straw task) cues with presentation order randomized. After each cue set, participants completed self-control tasks (study 1: handgrip task; study 2: handgrip and Stroop tasks), performance on which constituted dependent measures of self-control. Self-control task performance was significantly impaired when exposed to smoking-related cues compared to neutral cues. No significant presentation-order effects, or interaction effects between stimulus and presentation order, were found. Findings corroborate our hypothesis that resisting smoking urges depletes cigarette smokers' self-control resources and suggests that self-control capacity is governed by a limited resource.

Illness perceptions or recurrence risk perceptions: What comes first? A longitudinal cross-lagged examination among cardiac patients.

PubMed

Peleg, Shira; Drori, Erga; Banai, Shmuel; Finkelstein, Ariel; Shiloh, Shoshana

2016-05-01

Previous research suggested that illness perceptions provide the basis for illness risk perceptions through an inductive reasoning process. This study aimed to assess the direction of relationships between illness and recurrence risk perceptions over time, among cardiac patients. A longitudinal study was conducted among 138 patients undergoing coronary angioplasty. Self-report questionnaires measured perceived recurrence risk and illness perceptions one day and one month after catheterisation. Cross-lagged Panel Model Analyses revealed that higher perceptions of timeline, consequences and emotional representations of illness at hospitalisation were associated with higher recurrence risk perceptions one month later. Perceived personal control was the only illness perception with bi-directional associations: higher perceived personal control at hospitalisation was associated with higher recurrence risk perceptions one month later; and higher recurrence risk perceptions at hospitalisation was associated with lower personal control one month later. The findings suggest that the associations between recurrence risk and illness perceptions can only partly be explained by inductive reasoning. Halo effects and defensive processes are suggested as complementary explanations for the observed associations between risk and illness perceptions.

Feeding styles, parenting styles and snacking behaviour in children attending primary schools in multiethnic neighbourhoods: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Wang, Lu; van de Gaar, Vivian M; Jansen, Wilma; Mieloo, Cathelijne L; van Grieken, Amy; Raat, Hein

2017-07-13

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether feeding styles and parenting styles are associated with children's unhealthy snacking behaviour and whether the associations differ according to children's ethnic background. Cross-sectional data from the population-based 'Water Campaign' study were used. Parents (n=644) of primary school children (6-13 years) completed a questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, feeding style dimensions ('control over eating', 'emotional feeding', 'encouragement to eat' and 'instrumental feeding'), parenting style dimensions ('involvement' and 'strictness') and children's unhealthy snacking behaviour. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether feeding styles and parenting styles were associated with children's unhealthy snacking behaviour. Overall, children whose parents had a higher extent of 'control over eating' had a lower odds of eating unhealthy snacks more than once per day (OR, 0.57; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.76). Further stratified analysis showed that 'control over eating' was associated with less unhealthy snacking behaviour only in children with a Dutch (OR, 0.37; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.68) or a Moroccan/Turkish (OR, 0.44; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.77) ethnic background. 'Encouragement to eat' was associated with a lower odds of eating unhealthy snacks every day in children with a Dutch ethnic background only (OR, 0.48; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.90). 'Instrumental feeding' was associated with a higher odds of eating unhealthy snacks more than once a day in children with a Moroccan/Turkish ethnic background only (OR, 1.43; 95% CI 1.01 to 2.04). Our results suggest that 'control over eating' may be associated with less unhealthy snack consumption in children. The associations of feeding styles and parenting styles with children's unhealthy snacking behaviour differed between children with different ethnic backgrounds. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

An energy harvesting solution based on the post-buckling response of non-prismatic slender beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Pengcheng; Borchani, Wassim; Hasni, Hassene; Alavi, Amir H.; Lajnef, Nizar

2017-04-01

Systems based on post-buckled structural elements have been extensively used in many applications such as actuation, remote sensing and energy harvesting thanks to their efficiency enhancement. The post-buckling snap- through behavior of bilaterally constrained beams has been used to create an efficient energy harvesting mechanism under quasi-static excitations. The conversion mechanism has been used to transform low-rate and low-frequency excitations into high-rate motions. Electric energy can be generated from such high-rate motions using piezoelectric transducers. However, lack of control over the post-buckling behavior severely limits the mechanism's efficiency. This study aims to maximize the levels of the harvestable power by controlling the location of the snapping point along the beam at different buckling transitions. Since the snap-through location cannot be controlled by tuning the geometry properties of a uniform cross-section beam, non-uniform cross sections are examined. An energy-based theoretical model is herein developed to predict the post-buckling response of non-uniform cross-section beams. The total potential energy is minimized under constraints that represent the physical confinement of the beam between the lateral boundaries. Experimentally validated results show that changing the shape and geometry dimensions of non- uniform cross-section beams allows for the accurate control of the snap-through location at different buckling transitions. A 78.59% increase in harvested energy levels is achieved by optimizing the beam's shape.

Small Amounts of Gluten in Subjects With Suspected Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Trial.

PubMed

Di Sabatino, Antonio; Volta, Umberto; Salvatore, Chiara; Biancheri, Paolo; Caio, Giacomo; De Giorgio, Roberto; Di Stefano, Michele; Corazza, Gino R

2015-09-01

There is debate over the existence of nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms in response to ingestion of gluten-containing foods by people without celiac disease or wheat allergy. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial to determine the effects of administration of low doses of gluten to subjects with suspected NCGS. We enrolled 61 adults without celiac disease or a wheat allergy who believed ingestion of gluten-containing food to be the cause of their intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms. Participants were assigned randomly to groups given either 4.375 g/day gluten or rice starch (placebo) for 1 week, each via gastrosoluble capsules. After a 1-week gluten-free diet, participants crossed over to the other group. The primary outcome was the change in overall (intestinal and extraintestinal) symptoms, determined by established scoring systems, between gluten and placebo intake. A secondary outcome was the change in individual symptom scores between gluten vs placebo. According to the per-protocol analysis of data from the 59 patients who completed the trial, intake of gluten significantly increased overall symptoms compared with placebo (P = .034). Abdominal bloating (P = .040) and pain (P = .047), among the intestinal symptoms, and foggy mind (P = .019), depression (P = .020), and aphthous stomatitis (P = .025), among the extraintestinal symptoms, were significantly more severe when subjects received gluten than placebo. In a cross-over trial of subjects with suspected NCGS, the severity of overall symptoms increased significantly during 1 week of intake of small amounts of gluten, compared with placebo. Clinical trial no: ISRCTN72857280. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of physical therapy with neuromuscular electrical stimulation in patients with septic shock: Study protocol for a randomized cross-over design.

PubMed

Lago, Alessandra Fabiane; de Oliveira, Anamaria Siriani; de Souza, Hugo Celso Dutra; da Silva, João Santana; Basile-Filho, Anibal; Gastaldi, Ada Clarice

2018-02-01

Septic shock is a potentially fatal organ dysfunction caused by an imbalance of the host response to infection. The changes in microcirculation during sepsis can be explained by the alterations in the endothelial barrier function. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a potential recovery index of endothelial function and it an increase in response to neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) was demonstrated. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effects of NMES in patients with septic shock. It is a study protocol for a randomized cross-over design in an intensive care unit of a tertiary University hospital. Thirty-one patients aged 18 to 65 years. The study will be divided in 2 phases: the phase one will be held in the first 72 hours of septic shock and the phase two after 3 days of first assessment. Patients will be randomly selected to the intervention protocol (decubitus position with the limbs raised and NMES) and control protocol (decubitus position with the limbs raised without NMES). After this procedure, the patients will be allocated in group 1 (intervention and control protocol) or group 2 (control and intervention protocol) with a wash-out period of 4 to 6 hours between them. The main outcome is mobilization of EPCs. The secondary outcome is metabolic and hemodynamic data. A linear mixed model will be used for analysis of dependent variables and estimated values of the mean of the differences of each effect.

Evaluation of data analytic approaches to generating cross-domain mappings of controlled science vocabularies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zednik, S.

2015-12-01

Recent data publication practices have made increasing amounts of diverse datasets available online for the general research community to explore and integrate. Even with the abundance of data online, relevant data discovery and successful integration is still highly dependent upon the data being published with well-formed and understandable metadata. Tagging a dataset with well-known or controlled community terms is a common mechanism to indicate the intended purpose, subject matter, or other relevant facts of a dataset, however controlled domain terminology can be difficult for cross-domain researchers to interpret and leverage. It is also a challenge for integration portals to successfully provide cross-domain search capabilities over data holdings described using many different controlled vocabularies. Mappings between controlled vocabularies can be challenging because communities frequently develop specialized terminologies and have highly specific and contextual usages of common words. Despite this specificity it is highly desirable to produce cross-domain mappings to support data integration. In this contribution we evaluate the applicability of several data analytic techniques for the purpose of generating mappings between hierarchies of controlled science terms. We hope our efforts initiate more discussion on the topic and encourage future mapping efforts.

Modelling the human operator of slowly responding systems using linear models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veldhuyzen, W.

1977-01-01

Control of slowly responding systems, such as, helmsman steering a large ship, is examined. It is shown that the describing function techniques are useful in analyzing the control behavior of the helmsman. Models are developed to describe the helmsman's control behavior. It is shown that the cross over model is applicable to the analysis of control of slowly responding systems.

Rubbing ointments and asthma morbidity in adolescents.

PubMed

Reznik, Marina; Sharif, Iman; Ozuah, Philip O

2004-12-01

To determine the relationship between the use of rubbing ointments and asthma morbidity in adolescents. Cross-sectional study. Inner-city high school in the Bronx, New York. 165 adolescents with asthma. Asthma morbidity, defined as emergency department (ED) use for asthma in the past year and over the lifetime. While 127 (77%) of subjects used albuterol as the first treatment for their last asthma attack, 18 (11%) used rubbing ointments. The rubs and albuterol groups were similar in asthma severity, mean age, gender, and ethnicity. However, subjects in the the rubs group were less likely than subjects in the albuterol group to have made an ED visit over the past 12 months or over their lifetime. Regression analysis revealed that, after controlling for asthma severity, use of rubs independently predicted less lifetime ED use. After controlling for asthma severity, use of rubs by adolescents with asthma was associated with lower asthma morbidity as measured by ED use.

Methodological considerations in a pilot study on the effects of a berry enriched smoothie on children’s performance in school

PubMed Central

Rosander, Ulla; Rumpunen, Kimmo; Olsson, Viktoria; Åström, Mikael; Rosander, Pia; Wendin, Karin

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Berries contain bioactive compounds that may affect children’s cognitive function positively, while hunger and thirst during lessons before lunch affect academic performance negatively. This pilot study addresses methodological challenges in studying if a berry smoothie, offered to schoolchildren as a mid-morning beverage, affects academic performance. The objective was to investigate if a cross-over design can be used to study these effects in a school setting. Therefore, in order to investigate assay sensitivity, 236 Swedish children aged 10–12 years were administered either a berry smoothie (active) or a fruit-based control beverage after their mid-morning break. Both beverages provided 5% of child daily energy intake. In total, 91% of participants completed the study. Academic performance was assessed using the d2 test of attention. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test in StatXact v 10.3. The results showed that the children consumed less of the active berry smoothie than the control (154 g vs. 246 g). Both beverages increased attention span and concentration significantly (p = 0.000). However, as there was no significant difference (p = 0.938) in the magnitude of this effect between the active and control beverages, the assay sensitivity of the study design was not proven. The effect of the beverages on academic performance was attributed the supplementation of water and energy. Despite careful design, the active smoothie was less accepted than the control. This could be explained by un-familiar sensory characteristics and peer influence, stressing the importance of sensory similarity and challenges to perform a study in school settings. The employed cross-over design did not reveal any effects of bioactive compound consumption on academic performance. In future studies, the experimental set up should be modified or replaced by e.g. the parallel study design, in order to provide conclusive results. PMID:29230155

Methodological considerations in a pilot study on the effects of a berry enriched smoothie on children's performance in school.

PubMed

Rosander, Ulla; Rumpunen, Kimmo; Olsson, Viktoria; Åström, Mikael; Rosander, Pia; Wendin, Karin

2017-01-01

Berries contain bioactive compounds that may affect children's cognitive function positively, while hunger and thirst during lessons before lunch affect academic performance negatively. This pilot study addresses methodological challenges in studying if a berry smoothie, offered to schoolchildren as a mid-morning beverage, affects academic performance. The objective was to investigate if a cross-over design can be used to study these effects in a school setting. Therefore, in order to investigate assay sensitivity, 236 Swedish children aged 10-12 years were administered either a berry smoothie (active) or a fruit-based control beverage after their mid-morning break. Both beverages provided 5% of child daily energy intake. In total, 91% of participants completed the study. Academic performance was assessed using the d2 test of attention. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test in StatXact v 10.3. The results showed that the children consumed less of the active berry smoothie than the control (154 g vs. 246 g). Both beverages increased attention span and concentration significantly (p = 0.000). However, as there was no significant difference (p = 0.938) in the magnitude of this effect between the active and control beverages, the assay sensitivity of the study design was not proven. The effect of the beverages on academic performance was attributed the supplementation of water and energy. Despite careful design, the active smoothie was less accepted than the control. This could be explained by un-familiar sensory characteristics and peer influence, stressing the importance of sensory similarity and challenges to perform a study in school settings. The employed cross-over design did not reveal any effects of bioactive compound consumption on academic performance. In future studies, the experimental set up should be modified or replaced by e.g. the parallel study design, in order to provide conclusive results.

Infection control procedures used in conjunction with computed dental radiography.

PubMed

Hubar, J S; Gardiner, D M

2000-10-01

Infection control guidelines for dental radiography have been modified since 1986, when the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supported the concept of "universal blood and body fluid precautions." With the introduction of computed digital radiography, hardware manufacturers recommend that alternative infection control techniques are necessary to prevent potential damage to the digital x-ray sensors placed inside the patient's mouth. Thirty first-year dental hygiene students were asked to insert and remove a Schick CDR number 2 size intraoral digital x-ray sensor into modified Rinn XCP bitewing bite blocks and a modified Rinn Snap-a-ray five times with each of the recommended infection control covers. Reduced rates of cross contamination are possible if the plastic barrier envelope has an additional latex finger cot stretched over it and the x-ray sensor. Sole usage of a latex finger cot will result in a reduced incidence of contamination, but still not to acceptable levels. However, a plastic barrier envelope placed over the x-ray sensor and over the modified XCP bite block together or a covered sensor in a Snap-a-ray under normal conditions does not result in a perforation and is least likely to result in cross contamination.

Social context modulates cognitive markers in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

PubMed

Santamaría-García, Hernando; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Burgaleta, Miguel; Ayneto, Alba; Alonso, Pino; Menchón, José M; Cardoner, Narcis; Sebastián-Gallés, Nuria

2017-08-03

Error monitoring, cognitive control and motor inhibition control are proposed as cognitive alterations disrupted in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD has also been associated with an increased sensitivity to social evaluations. The effect of a social simulation over electrophysiological indices of cognitive alterations in OCD was examined. A case-control cross-sectional study measuring event-related potentials (ERP) for error monitoring (Error-Related Negativity), cognitive control (N2) and motor control (LRP) was conducted. We analyzed twenty OCD patients and twenty control participants. ERP were recorded during a social game consisting of a visual discrimination task, which was performed in the presence of a simulated superior or an inferior player. Significant social effects (different ERP amplitudes in Superior vs. Inferior player conditions) were found for OCD patients, but not for controls, in all ERP components. Performing the task against a simulated inferior player reduced abnormal ERP responses in OCD to levels observed in controls. The hierarchy-induced ERP effects were accompanied effects over reaction times in OCD patients. Social context modulates signatures of abnormal cognitive functioning in OCD, therefore experiencing a social superiority position impacts over cognitive processes in OCD such as error monitoring mechanisms. These results open the door for the research of new therapeutic choices.

Consumption of high-fat meal containing cheese compared with vegan alternative lowers postprandial C-reactive protein in overweight and obese individuals with metabolic abnormalities: a randomized controlled cross-over study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dietary recommendations suggest decreased consumption of SFA to minimize CVD risk; however, not all foods rich in SFA are equivalent. To evaluate the effects of SFA in a dairy food matrix, as Cheddar cheese, v. SFA from a vegan-alternative test meal on postprandial inflammatory markers, a randomized...

A randomized cross-over controlled study on cognitive rehabilitation of instrumental activities of daily living in Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Thivierge, Stéphanie; Jean, Léonie; Simard, Martine

2014-11-01

The goal of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a memory rehabilitation program to re-learn instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). This was a 6-month block-randomized cross-over controlled study. All evaluation and training sessions were performed at each patient's home. Twenty participants with mild to moderate AD. The trained IADL was chosen by the patient and his/her caregiver in order to target the patient's needs and interests. Participants were trained twice a week for 4 weeks with the errorless learning (ELL) and spaced retrieval (SR) cognitive techniques. After training, there were several follow-ups over a period of at least 3 months. Performance on the trained IADL was assessed by a Direct Measure of Training (DMT), an observational instrument adapted from a well-validated scale. General cognitive function, everyday memory functioning, quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms and ADL/IADL of patients, as well as the caregiver's burden were assessed as secondary outcomes. A statistical significant difference was found between the trained and untrained groups on the DMT immediately following the intervention. Improvements were maintained for a 3-month period. The training did not have effects on any other measures. The present study showed that it is possible for AD patients to relearn significant IADLs with the ELL and SR techniques and to maintain these gains during at least 3 months. The findings of this study emphasize the importance to design robust but individualized intervention tailored on patients' particular needs. Copyright © 2014 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The amelioration of plasma lipids by Korean traditional confectionery in middle-aged women: A cross-over study with western cookie

PubMed Central

Hong, Sun Hee; Kim, Mijeong; Woo, Minji; Noh, Jeong Sook; Lee, JaeHwan; Chung, Lana

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine whether plasma lipid profiles are affected differently by snack kinds with equal calorific values. SUBJECTS/METHODS We compared a Korean traditional confectionery (dasik) with Western confectionery (cookie) in this regard. Controlled cross-over study consisted of two 3-week snack intake phases and for separating, a 2-week washout period (3–2–3) was carried out with 30 healthy women aged between 40-59 years old. Brown rice based Korean traditional confectionery and wheat flour based Western confectionery were used. The participants consumed either dasik or cookie every day for 3 weeks, providing 93 kcal a day. RESULTS The total cholesterol (TC) in the dasik group had decreased significantly after 3 weeks (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in the dasik group, reduction in TC and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were greater than those in the cookie group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Prioritizing functional snacks like dasik improves plasma lipid profiles; this may be useful information for individuals who cannot refrain from snacking. PMID:27909556

H. pylori seroprevalence and risk of diabetes: An ancillary case-control study nested in the diabetes prevention program.

PubMed

Alzahrani, Saud; Nelson, Jason; Moss, Steven F; Paulus, Jessica K; Knowler, William C; Pittas, Anastassios G

2017-10-01

To determine the association between H. pylori infection and risk of incident diabetes in adults at high risk for diabetes who participated in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study. In a nested case-control study conducted among 421 adults with newly diagnosed diabetes and 421 matched controls, we examined the association between serological status of H. pylori at baseline and risk of incident diabetes over a mean follow-up period of 2.6years. Using data from the baseline visit of the DPP, we also examined the cross-sectional association between presence of H. pylori antibodies and insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and the disposition index-like measure after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). At baseline, H. pylori antibodies were present in 40% of participants who developed diabetes and 39% of controls. After adjusting for matching factors, there was no association between exposure to H. pylori and incident diabetes (odds ratio [OR] of 1.04 (95% CI, 0.77 to 1.40). In cross-sectional analyses, H. pylori status was not significantly associated with insulin sensitivity and disposition index-like measure from OGTT. In adults at high risk for diabetes, H. pylori seropositivity was not associated with risk of developing diabetes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reciprocal Influences Between Maternal Parenting and Child Adjustment in a High-risk Population: A Five-Year Cross-Lagged Analysis of Bidirectional Effects

PubMed Central

Barbot, Baptiste; Crossman, Elizabeth; Hunter, Scott R.; Grigorenko, Elena L.; Luthar, Suniya S.

2014-01-01

This study examines longitudinally the bidirectional influences between maternal parenting (behaviors and parenting stress) and mothers' perceptions of their children's adjustment, in a multivariate approach. Data was gathered from 361 low-income mothers (many with psychiatric diagnoses) reporting on their parenting behavior, parenting stress and their child's adjustment, in a two-wave longitudinal study over 5 years. Measurement models were developed to derive four broad parenting constructs (Involvement, Control, Rejection, and Stress) and three child adjustment constructs (Internalizing problems, Externalizing problems, and Social competence). After measurement invariance of these constructs was confirmed across relevant groups and over time, both measurement models were integrated in a single crossed-lagged regression analysis of latent constructs. Multiple reciprocal influence were observed between parenting and perceived child adjustment over time: Externalizing and internalizing problems in children were predicted by baseline maternal parenting behaviors, while child social competence was found to reduce parental stress and increase parental involvement and appropriate monitoring. These findings on the motherhood experience are discussed in light of recent research efforts to understand mother-child bi-directional influences, and their potential for practical applications. PMID:25089759

Sex-specific effects of intranasal oxytocin on thermal pain perception: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study.

PubMed

Tracy, Lincoln M; Labuschagne, Izelle; Georgiou-Karistianis, Nellie; Gibson, Stephen J; Giummarra, Melita J

2017-09-01

Chronic neck and shoulder pain (CNSP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder in adults, which is linked to hypersensitivity to noxious stimuli. The hormone oxytocin has been implicated as a potential therapeutic for the management of chronic pain disorders, and has been suggested to have sex-specific effects on the salience of threatening stimuli. This study investigated the influence of intranasal oxytocin on the perception of noxious thermal stimuli. Participants were 24 individuals with CNSP lasting >12months (eight women), and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy, pain-free controls. In a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, participants attended two sessions, self-administering intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) in one session, and placebo in another. Participants rated intensity and unpleasantness of thermal heat stimuli at three body sites: the cervical spine, deltoid, and tibialis anterior, on 11-point numerical rating scales. Compared with placebo, intranasal oxytocin increased the perceived intensity of noxious heat stimuli in women with CNSP (Cohen's d=0.71), but not in men with CNSP, or healthy, pain-free controls. Men and women displayed divergent sensitivity across target sites for ratings of pain intensity (partial eta squared=0.12) and pain unpleasantness (partial eta squared=0.24), irrespective of drug condition. Men were more sensitive at the cervical spine and deltoid, whereas women were more sensitive at the tibialis. These findings suggest that oxytocin and endogenous sex hormones may interact to influence the salience of noxious stimuli. The hyperalgesic effects of oxytocin in women suggest that caution should be taken when considering oxytocin in the management of chronic pain. CT-2016-CTN-01313-1; ACTRN12616000532404. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The case-case-time-control study design].

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Zhuo, Lin; Zhan, Siyan

2014-12-01

Although the 'self-matched case-only studies' (such as the case-cross-over or self-controlled case-series method) can control the time-invariant confounders (measured or unmeasured) through design of the study, however, they can not control those confounders that vary with time. A bidirectional case-crossover design can be used to adjust the exposure-time trends. In the areas of pharmaco-epidemiology, illness often influence the future use of medications, making a bidirectional study design problematic. Suissa's case-time-control design combines the case-crossover and the case-control design which could adjust for exposure-trend bias, but the control group may reintroduce selection bias, if the matching does not go well. We propose a "case-case-time-control" design which is an extension of the case-time-control design. However, rather than using a sample of external controls, we choose those future cases as controls for current cases to counter the bias that arising from temporal trends caused by exposure to the target of interest. In the end of this article we will discuss the strength and limitations of this design based on an applied example.

Study protocol for improving asthma outcomes through cross-cultural communication training for physicians: a randomized trial of physician training.

PubMed

Patel, Minal R; Thomas, Lara J; Hafeez, Kausar; Shankin, Matthew; Wilkin, Margaret; Brown, Randall W

2014-06-16

Massive resources are expended every year on cross-cultural communication training for physicians. Such training is a focus of continuing medical education nationwide and is part of the curriculum of virtually every medical school in America. There is a pressing need for evidence regarding the effects on patients of cross-cultural communication training for physicians. There is a need to understand the added benefit of such training compared to more general communication. We know of no rigorous study that has assessed whether cross-cultural communication training for physicians results in better health outcomes for their patients. The current study aims to answer this question by enhancing the Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) program to cross cultural communication (PACE Plus), and comparing the effect of the enhanced program to PACE on the health outcomes of African American and Latino/Hispanic children with asthma. A three-arm randomized control trial is used to compare PACE Plus, PACE, and usual care. Both PACE and PACE Plus are delivered in two, two-hour sessions over a period of two weeks to 5-10 primary care physicians who treat African American and Latino/Hispanic children with asthma. One hundred twelve physicians and 1060 of their pediatric patients were recruited who self-identify as African American or Latino/Hispanic and experience persistent asthma. Physicians were randomized into receiving either the PACE Plus or PACE intervention or into the control group. The comparative effectiveness of PACE and PACE Plus on clinician's therapeutic and communication practices with the family/patient, children's urgent care use for asthma, asthma control, and quality of life, and parent/caretaker satisfaction with physician performance will be assessed. Data are collected via telephone survey and medical record review at baseline, 9 months following the intervention, and 21 months following the intervention. This study aims to reduce disparities in asthma outcomes among African American and Latino/Hispanic children through cross-cultural communication training of their physicians and assessing the added value of this training compared to general communication. The results of this study will provide important information about the value of cross-cultural training in helping to address persistent racial disparities in outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01251523 December 1, 2010.

Knowledge, adherence and control among patients with hypertension attending a peri-urban primary health care clinic, KwaZulu-Natal

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Despite hypertension being a common condition among patients attending primary health care (PHC) clinics, blood pressure (BP) control is often poor. Greater insight into patient-related factors that influence the control of hypertension will assist in the development of an intervention to address the issues identified. Aim The aim of the study was to assess patient-related variables associated with hypertension control among patients attending a peri-urban PHC clinic. Setting The setting for this study was a peri-urban PHC clinic in KwaZulu-Natal. Method This was an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study with 348 patients selected over a 1-month period. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data on patients’ hypertension knowledge and self-reported adherence, and BP recordings from their medical record were recorded to ascertain control. Results Of the 348 participants, only 49% had good BP control and 44% (152/348) had concurrent diabetes mellitus. The majority of patients had moderate levels of knowledge on hypertension and exhibited moderate adherence. There was a significant relationship between knowledge and reported adherence, between reported adherence and control, but not between reported knowledge and control. Conclusion Despite over 90% of the study population having moderate knowledge, and 62% with moderate reported adherence, BP was well controlled in only less than 50% of the study population. These findings suggest a need to emphasise adherence and explore new ways of approaching adherence. PMID:29113443

Intracycle angular velocity control of cross-flow turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strom, Benjamin; Brunton, Steven L.; Polagye, Brian

2017-08-01

Cross-flow turbines, also known as vertical-axis turbines, are attractive for power generation from wind and water currents. Some cross-flow turbine designs optimize unsteady fluid forces and maximize power output by controlling blade kinematics within one rotation. One established method is to dynamically pitch the blades. Here we introduce a mechanically simpler alternative: optimize the turbine rotation rate as a function of angular blade position. We demonstrate experimentally that this approach results in a 59% increase in power output over standard control methods. Analysis of fluid forcing and blade kinematics suggest that power increase is achieved through modification of the local flow conditions and alignment of fluid force and rotation rate extrema. The result is a low-speed, structurally robust turbine that achieves high efficiency and could enable a new generation of environmentally benign turbines for renewable power generation.

Controlling destructive quantum interference in tunneling junctions comprising self-assembled monolayers via bond topology and functional groups† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c8sc00165k

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanxi; Ye, Gang; Soni, Saurabh; Qiu, Xinkai; Krijger, Theodorus L.; Jonkman, Harry T.; Carlotti, Marco; Sauter, Eric; Zharnikov, Michael

2018-01-01

Quantum interference effects (QI) are of interest in nano-scale devices based on molecular tunneling junctions because they can affect conductance exponentially through minor structural changes. However, their utilization requires the prediction and deterministic control over the position and magnitude of QI features, which remains a significant challenge. In this context, we designed and synthesized three benzodithiophenes based molecular wires; one linearly-conjugated, one cross-conjugated and one cross-conjugated quinone. Using eutectic Ga–In (EGaIn) and CP-AFM, we compared them to a well-known anthraquinone in molecular junctions comprising self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). By combining density functional theory and transition voltage spectroscopy, we show that the presence of an interference feature and its position can be controlled independently by manipulating bond topology and electronegativity. This is the first study to separate these two parameters experimentally, demonstrating that the conductance of a tunneling junction depends on the position and depth of a QI feature, both of which can be controlled synthetically. PMID:29896382

Is performance on the Wechsler test of adult reading affected by traumatic brain injury?

PubMed

Mathias, J L; Bowden, S C; Bigler, E D; Rosenfeld, J V

2007-11-01

The validity of the National Adult Reading Test (NART) as a predictor of premorbid IQ when used with patients who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been questioned in recent years. This study examined whether performance on the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR) is similarly affected by TBI in the first year after an injury. The WTAR scores of participants who had sustained a mild TBI (N=82), moderate TBI (N=73), severe TBI (N=61) or an orthopaedic injury (N=95) were compared (cross-sectional study). A subset of 21 mild TBI, 31 moderate TBI, 26 severe TBI and 21 control group participants were additionally reassessed 6 months later to assess the impact of recovery on WTAR scores (longitudinal study). The severe TBI group had significantly lower scores on the WTAR than the mild TBI, moderate TBI and control groups in the cross-sectional study, despite being matched demographically. The findings from the longitudinal study revealed a significant group difference and a small improvement in performance over time but the interaction between group and time was not significant, suggesting that the improvements in WTAR performance over time were not restricted to more severely injured individuals whose performance was temporarily suppressed. These findings suggest that reading performance may be affected by severe TBI and that the WTAR may underestimate premorbid IQ when used in this context, which may cause clinicians to underestimate the cognitive deficits experienced by these patients.

Public perception of drinking water safety in South Africa 2002–2009: a repeated cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In low and middle income countries, public perceptions of drinking water safety are relevant to promotion of household water treatment and to household choices over drinking water sources. However, most studies of this topic have been cross-sectional and not considered temporal variation in drinking water safety perceptions. The objective of this study is to explore trends in perceived drinking water safety in South Africa and its association with disease outbreaks, water supply and household characteristics. Methods This repeated cross-sectional study draws on General Household Surveys from 2002–2009, a series of annual nationally representative surveys of South African households, which include a question about perceived drinking water safety. Trends in responses to this question were examined from 2002–2009 in relation to reported cholera cases. The relationship between perceived drinking water safety and organoleptic qualities of drinking water, supply characteristics, and socio-economic and demographic household characteristics was explored in 2002 and 2008 using hierarchical stepwise logistic regression. Results The results suggest that perceived drinking water safety has remained relatively stable over time in South Africa, once the expansion of improved supplies is controlled for. A large cholera outbreak in 2000–02 had no apparent effect on public perception of drinking water safety in 2002. Perceived drinking water safety is primarily related to water taste, odour, and clarity rather than socio-economic or demographic characteristics. Conclusion This suggests that household perceptions of drinking water safety in South Africa follow similar patterns to those observed in studies in developed countries. The stability over time in public perception of drinking water safety is particularly surprising, given the large cholera outbreak that took place at the start of this period. PMID:22834485

Public perception of drinking water safety in South Africa 2002-2009: a repeated cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Wright, Jim A; Yang, Hong; Rivett, Ulrike; Gundry, Stephen W

2012-07-27

In low and middle income countries, public perceptions of drinking water safety are relevant to promotion of household water treatment and to household choices over drinking water sources. However, most studies of this topic have been cross-sectional and not considered temporal variation in drinking water safety perceptions. The objective of this study is to explore trends in perceived drinking water safety in South Africa and its association with disease outbreaks, water supply and household characteristics. This repeated cross-sectional study draws on General Household Surveys from 2002-2009, a series of annual nationally representative surveys of South African households, which include a question about perceived drinking water safety. Trends in responses to this question were examined from 2002-2009 in relation to reported cholera cases. The relationship between perceived drinking water safety and organoleptic qualities of drinking water, supply characteristics, and socio-economic and demographic household characteristics was explored in 2002 and 2008 using hierarchical stepwise logistic regression. The results suggest that perceived drinking water safety has remained relatively stable over time in South Africa, once the expansion of improved supplies is controlled for. A large cholera outbreak in 2000-02 had no apparent effect on public perception of drinking water safety in 2002. Perceived drinking water safety is primarily related to water taste, odour, and clarity rather than socio-economic or demographic characteristics. This suggests that household perceptions of drinking water safety in South Africa follow similar patterns to those observed in studies in developed countries. The stability over time in public perception of drinking water safety is particularly surprising, given the large cholera outbreak that took place at the start of this period.

Cross-linked high amylose starch derivatives for drug release III. Diffusion properties.

PubMed

Mulhbacher, Jérôme; Mateescu, Mircea Alexandru

2005-06-13

Acetate (Ac-), aminoethyl (AE-) and carboxymethyl (CM-) derivatives of cross-linked high amylose starch (HASCL-6) were previously shown to control the release of drugs over 20 h from highly loaded (up to 60% drug) monolithic tablets. This report presents a diffusion analysis, aimed to facilitate a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the control of the drug release from these hydrogels. The diffusion was found to depend on the molecular weight of the diffusant, whereas the partition coefficient depended on the affinities of the diffusant for the polymers and for the dissolution media via attractive or repulsive ionic interactions. The diffusion was also affected by the swelling of CM-HASCL-6, which, unexpectedly, increased with the decrease of the ionic strength. This diffusion analysis completes the swelling studies of HASCL-6 and of its derivatives, allowing the prediction of release kinetics of various active agents.

Curcuma decreases serum hepcidin levels in healthy volunteers: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, cross-over study.

PubMed

Lainé, Fabrice; Laviolle, Bruno; Bardou-Jacquet, Edouard; Fatih, Nadia; Jezequel, Caroline; Collet, Nicolas; Ropert, Martine; Morcet, Jeff; Hamon, Catherine; Reymann, Jean-Michel; Loréal, Olivier

2017-10-01

Hepcidin, secreted by hepatocytes, controls iron metabolism by limiting iron egress in plasma. Hepcidin is upregulated during inflammation through the activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) transduction pathway, which decreases iron bioavailability and may explain the anemia of chronic inflammatory disease. In vitro, it has been shown that curcumin can decrease hepcidin synthesis by decreasing STAT3 activity. We conducted a proof-of-concept study to assess the effect of curcuma on hepcidin synthesis in human. This was a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, cross-over, two-period study performed in 18 healthy male volunteers. Subjects received a single oral dose of 6 g curcuma containing 2% of curcumin or placebo. Serum hepcidin and iron parameters were assessed repeatedly until 48 h after dosing. When compared with a placebo curcuma decreased hepcidin levels significantly at 6 h (-19%, P = 0.004), 8 h (-17%, P = 0.009), and 12 h (-17%, P = 0.007) and tended to decrease hepcidin at 24 h (-15%, P = 0.076). Curcuma also significantly increased serum ferritin levels at 6 and 8 h (+7% for both times, P = 0.018, 0.030, respectively) and had no effects on serum iron, transferrin, and transferrin saturation. This pilot study showed that curcuma decreases serum hepcidin levels in human and supports the idea that curcuma could be useful in treating hepcidin overproduction during inflammatory processes. Confirmatory studies in patients with chronic inflammation are now required to determine the optimal dose and therapeutic scheme of curcuma. © 2017 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

No effects of gluten in patients with self-reported non-celiac gluten sensitivity after dietary reduction of fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates.

PubMed

Biesiekierski, Jessica R; Peters, Simone L; Newnham, Evan D; Rosella, Ourania; Muir, Jane G; Gibson, Peter R

2013-08-01

Patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) do not have celiac disease but their symptoms improve when they are placed on gluten-free diets. We investigated the specific effects of gluten after dietary reduction of fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates (fermentable, oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols [FODMAPs]) in subjects believed to have NCGS. We performed a double-blind cross-over trial of 37 subjects (aged 24-61 y, 6 men) with NCGS and irritable bowel syndrome (based on Rome III criteria), but not celiac disease. Participants were randomly assigned to groups given a 2-week diet of reduced FODMAPs, and were then placed on high-gluten (16 g gluten/d), low-gluten (2 g gluten/d and 14 g whey protein/d), or control (16 g whey protein/d) diets for 1 week, followed by a washout period of at least 2 weeks. We assessed serum and fecal markers of intestinal inflammation/injury and immune activation, and indices of fatigue. Twenty-two participants then crossed over to groups given gluten (16 g/d), whey (16 g/d), or control (no additional protein) diets for 3 days. Symptoms were evaluated by visual analogue scales. In all participants, gastrointestinal symptoms consistently and significantly improved during reduced FODMAP intake, but significantly worsened to a similar degree when their diets included gluten or whey protein. Gluten-specific effects were observed in only 8% of participants. There were no diet-specific changes in any biomarker. During the 3-day rechallenge, participants' symptoms increased by similar levels among groups. Gluten-specific gastrointestinal effects were not reproduced. An order effect was observed. In a placebo-controlled, cross-over rechallenge study, we found no evidence of specific or dose-dependent effects of gluten in patients with NCGS placed diets low in FODMAPs. Copyright © 2013 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Internalised homonegativity predicts HIV-associated risk behavior in European men who have sex with men in a 38-country cross-sectional study: some public health implications of homophobia

PubMed Central

Ross, Michael W; Berg, Rigmor C; Schmidt, Axel J; Hospers, Harm J; Breveglieri, Michele; Furegato, Martina; Weatherburn, Peter

2013-01-01

Objectives Internalised homonegativity (IH) is hypothesised to be associated with HIV risk behaviour and HIV testing in men who have sex with men (MSM). We sought to determine the social and individual variables associated with IH and the associations between IH and HIV-related behaviours. Design and setting We examined IH and its predictors as part of a larger Internet-delivered, cross-sectional study on HIV and health in MSM in 38 European countries. Participants 181 495 MSM, IH data analysis subsample 144 177. All participants were male, over the age of consent for homosexual activity in their country of domicile, and have had at least one homosexual contact in the past 6 months. Methodology An anonymous Internet-based questionnaire was disseminated in 25 languages through MSM social media, websites and organisations and responses saved to a UK-based server. IH was measured using a standardised, cross-culturally appropriate scale. Results Three clusters of European countries based on the level of experienced discrimination emerged. IH was predicted by country LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) legal climate, Gini coefficient and size of place of settlement. Lower IH was associated with degree the respondent was ‘out’ as gay to others and older age. ‘Outness’ was associated with ever having an HIV test and age, education and number of gay friends, while IH (controlling for the number of non-steady unprotected sex partners and perceived lack of control over safe sex) was associated with condom use for anal intercourse. Conclusions IH is associated with LGB legal climate, economic development indices and urbanisation. It is also associated with ‘outness’ and with HIV risk and preventive behaviours including HIV testing, perceived control over sexual risk and condom use. Homonegative climate is associated with IH and higher levels of HIV-associated risk in MSM. Reducing IH through attention to LGB human rights may be appropriate HIV reduction intervention for MSM. PMID:23386580

Effect of L-methionine supplementation on plasma homocysteine and other free amino acids: a placebo-controlled double-blind cross-over study.

PubMed

Ditscheid, B; Fünfstück, R; Busch, M; Schubert, R; Gerth, J; Jahreis, G

2005-06-01

The essential amino acid L-methionine is a potential compound in the prophylaxis of recurrent or relapsing urinary tract infection due to acidification of urine. As an intermediate of L-methionine metabolism, homocysteine is formed. The objective was to study the metabolism of L-methionine and homocysteine, and to assess whether there are differences between patients with chronic urinary tract infection and healthy control subjects. A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind intervention study with cross-over design. Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutrition in cooperation with the Department of Internal Medicine III, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany. Eight female patients with chronic urinary tract infection and 12 healthy women (controls). After a methionine-loading test, the volunteers received 500 mg L-methionine or a placebo three times daily for 4 weeks. Serum and urinary concentrations of methionine, homocysteine, cystathionine, cystine, serine, glycine and serum concentrations of vitamin B12, B6 and the state of folate. Homocysteine plasma concentrations increased from 9.4+/-2.7 micromol/l (patients) and 8.9+/-1.8 micromol/l (controls) in the placebo period to 11.2+/-4.1 micromol/l (P=0.031) and 11.0+/-2.3 micromol/l (P=0.000), respectively, during L-methionine supplementation. There were significant increases in serum methionine (53.6+/-22.0 micromol/l; P=0.003; n=20) and cystathionine (0.62+/-0.30 micromol/l; P=0.000; n=20) concentrations compared with the placebo period (33.0+/-12.0 and 0.30+/-0.10 micromol/l; n=20). Simultaneously, renal excretion of methionine and homocysteine was significantly higher during L-methionine intake. Despite an adequate vitamin status, the supplementation of 1500 mg of L-methionine daily significantly increases homocysteine plasma concentrations by an average of 2.0 micromol/l in patients and in control subjects. An optimal vitamin supplementation, especially with folate, might prevent such an increase.

Cross-resistance and baseline susceptibility of spirotetramat in Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae).

PubMed

Guillén, Juan; Navarro, Miguel; Bielza, Pablo

2014-06-01

Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an economically important pest all over the world. New products against thrips are necessary, as there are few effective compounds exhibiting cross-resistance among them. Lethal effects, cross-resistance, and baseline susceptibility to spirotetramat were evaluated in this study. A new bioassay method for testing thrips against spirotetramat was developed. Spirotetramat showed a significant mortality effect on larvae after 7 d of exposure, but a low effect was observed on adults. Baseline results for larval instars showed LC50 values ranging from 11.59 to 49.81 mg AI/liter, with a low natural variability (3.2-fold). Cross-resistance studies showed overlapping confidence limits of the LC50 values for laboratory-selected (against acrinathrin, methiocarb, formetanate, and spinosad) resistant and susceptible strains, and low resistance factors, from 0.5 to 1.9, suggesting no cross-resistance to conventional insecticides previously used. A slight ovicidal effect (21-40% reduction) was also detected. Despite presenting low effects on adults, spirotetramat showed high but slow efficacy on F. occidentalis larvae. Field populations in southeast Spain showed a consistent susceptibility to spirotetramat. Given the scarcity of effective products and the lack of cross-resistance to other insecticides, spirotetramat can be considered as a good chemical tool to control F. occidentalis.

A meta-analysis on progressive atrophy in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy

PubMed Central

Caciagli, Lorenzo; Bernasconi, Andrea; Wiebe, Samuel; Koepp, Matthias J.; Bernasconi, Neda

2017-01-01

Objective: It remains unclear whether drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is associated with cumulative brain damage, with no expert consensus and no quantitative syntheses of the available evidence. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of MRI studies on progressive atrophy, searching PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE databases for cross-sectional and longitudinal quantitative MRI studies on drug-resistant TLE. Results: We screened 2,976 records and assessed eligibility of 248 full-text articles. Forty-two articles met the inclusion criteria for quantitative evaluation. We observed a predominance of cross-sectional studies, use of different clinical indices of progression, and high heterogeneity in age-control procedures. Meta-analysis of 18/1 cross-sectional/longitudinal studies on hippocampal atrophy (n = 979 patients) yielded a pooled effect size of r = −0.42 for ipsilateral atrophy related to epilepsy duration (95% confidence interval [CI] −0.51 to −0.32; p < 0.0001; I2 = 65.22%) and r = −0.35 related to seizure frequency (95% CI −0.47 to −0.22; p < 0.0001; I2 = 61.97%). Sensitivity analyses did not change the results. Narrative synthesis of 25/3 cross-sectional/longitudinal studies on whole brain atrophy (n = 1,504 patients) indicated that >80% of articles reported duration-related progression in extratemporal cortical and subcortical regions. Detailed analysis of study design features yielded low to moderate levels of evidence for progressive atrophy across studies, mainly due to dominance of cross-sectional over longitudinal investigations, use of diverse measures of seizure estimates, and absence of consistent age control procedures. Conclusions: While the neuroimaging literature is overall suggestive of progressive atrophy in drug-resistant TLE, published studies have employed rather weak designs to directly demonstrate it. Longitudinal multicohort studies are needed to unequivocally differentiate aging from disease progression. PMID:28687722

The effects of Nordic school meals on concentration and school performance in 8- to 11-year-old children in the OPUS School Meal Study: a cluster-randomised, controlled, cross-over trial.

PubMed

Sørensen, Louise B; Dyssegaard, Camilla B; Damsgaard, Camilla T; Petersen, Rikke A; Dalskov, Stine-Mathilde; Hjorth, Mads F; Andersen, Rikke; Tetens, Inge; Ritz, Christian; Astrup, Arne; Lauritzen, Lotte; Michaelsen, Kim F; Egelund, Niels

2015-04-28

It is widely assumed that nutrition can improve school performance in children; however, evidence remains limited and inconclusive. In the present study, we investigated whether serving healthy school meals influenced concentration and school performance of 8- to 11-year-old Danish children. The OPUS (Optimal well-being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy New Nordic Diet) School Meal Study was a cluster-randomised, controlled, cross-over trial comparing a healthy school meal programme with the usual packed lunch from home (control) each for 3 months (NCT 01457794). The d2 test of attention, the Learning Rating Scale (LRS) and standard tests on reading and mathematics proficiency were administered at baseline and at the end of each study period. Intervention effects were evaluated using hierarchical mixed models. The school meal intervention did not influence concentration performance (CP; primary outcome, n 693) or processing speed; however, the decrease in error percentage was 0·18 points smaller (P<0·001) in the intervention period than in the control period (medians: baseline 2·03%; intervention 1·46%; control 1·37%). In contrast, the intervention increased reading speed (0·7 sentence, P=0·009) and the number of correct sentences (1·8 sentences, P<0·001), which corresponded to 11 and 25%, respectively, of the effect of one school year. The percentage of correct sentences also improved (P<0·001), indicating that the number correct improved relatively more than reading speed. There was no effect on overall math performance or outcomes from the LRS. In conclusion, school meals did not affect CP, but improved reading performance, which is a complex cognitive activity that involves inference, and increased errors related to impulsivity and inattention. These findings are worth examining in future trials.

Health and well-being in midlife parents of children with special health needs.

PubMed

Smith, Amy M; Grzywacz, Joseph G

2014-09-01

The objectives of this study were to delineate variation in mental and physical health outcomes over a 10-year period among parents with a child with special health needs as compared to parents of a typically developing child; and evaluate the possible protective effects of parental perceived control and social support. The sample consisted of 646 parents from the longitudinal Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study. Nearly one-quarter of the sample (n = 128; 22.3%) reported having a child with a special health care need. Cross-sectional analyses indicated that parents of a child with special care needs reported poorer self-rated mental health, greater depressive symptoms, and more restrictions in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Parents of a child with special health care needs had greater increases in depressive symptoms over time and greater declines in instrumental activities of daily living than parents of typically developing children. Perceived control was a robust predictor of all health outcomes over time. The added stressors of parenting a child with special health needs may undermine the long-term health of parents. Behavioral interventions and clinical practices that facilitate parental perceived control may enable resilience and better health.

Eradication of early P. aeruginosa infection in children <7 years of age with cystic fibrosis: The early study.

PubMed

Ratjen, Felix; Moeller, Alexander; McKinney, Martha L; Asherova, Irina; Alon, Nipa; Maykut, Robert; Angyalosi, Gerhild

2018-04-20

Antibiotic eradication treatment is the standard-of-care for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with early Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa)-infection; however, evidence from placebo-controlled trials is limited. This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomised CF patients <7 years (N = 51) with early Pa-infection to tobramycin inhalation solution (TOBI 300 mg) or placebo (twice daily) for 28 days with an optional cross-over on Day 35. Primary endpoint was proportion of patients having throat swabs/sputum free of Pa on Day 29. On Day 29, 84.6% patients in the TOBI versus 24.0% in the placebo group were Pa-free (p < 0.001). At the end of the cross-over period, 76.0% patients receiving TOBI in the initial 28 days were Pa-free compared to 47.8% receiving placebo initially. Adverse events were consistent with the TOBI safety profile with no differences between TOBI and placebo. TOBI was effective in eradicating early Pa-infection with a favourable safety profile in young CF patients. NCT01082367. Copyright © 2018 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli modulations in young children on consumption of probiotic ice-cream containing Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La5.

PubMed

Singh, Richa Polka; Damle, Satyawan Gangaram; Chawla, Amrita

2011-11-01

To compare the levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in saliva of school children, before and after consumption of probiotic and control ice-cream. A double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled trial was carried out in forty, 12-14 year-old children, with no clinically detectable caries. The selected children were randomized equally into two groups I and II. Following an initial run-in period of 1 week, children in group I and II were given ice-creams 'A' and 'B', respectively, for 10 days. Being a cross-over study, the ice-creams were interchanged in the two groups after a 2-week wash-out period. Saliva samples at baseline and follow-up were assessed using Dentocult SM and Dentocult LB kits. On statistical evaluation, it was seen that probiotic ice-cream brought about a statistically significant reduction (p-value = 0.003) in salivary mutans streptococci levels with no significant effect on lactobacilli levels. In conclusion, probiotic ice-cream containing Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 ATCC27536 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 can reduce the levels of certain caries-associated micro-organisms in saliva.

A randomised trial to investigate the effects of acute consumption of a blackcurrant juice drink on markers of vascular reactivity and bioavailability of anthocyanins in human subjects.

PubMed

Jin, Y; Alimbetov, D; George, T; Gordon, M H; Lovegrove, J A

2011-07-01

To study the bioavailability of anthocyanins and the effects of a 20% blackcurrant juice drink on vascular reactivity, plasma antioxidant status and other cardiovascular disease risk markers. The study was a randomised, cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled acute meal study. Twenty healthy volunteers (11 females and 9 males) were recruited, and all subjects completed the study. Fasted volunteers consumed a 20% blackcurrant juice drink (250 ml) or a control drink following a low-flavonoid diet for the previous 72 h. Vascular reactivity was assessed at baseline and 120 min after juice consumption by laser Doppler imaging (LDI). Plasma and urine samples were collected periodically over an 8-h period for analysis, with a final urine sample collected at 24 h. The cross-over was performed after a 4-week washout. There were no significant effects of the 20% blackcurrant juice drink on acute measures of vascular reactivity, biomarkers of endothelial function or lipid risk factors. Consumption of the test juice caused increases in plasma vitamin C (P=0.006), and urinary anthocyanins (P<0.001). Delphinidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside were the main anthocyanins excreted in urine with delphinidin-3-glucoside also detected. The yield of anthocyanins in urine was 0.021±0.003% of the dietary intake of delphinidin glycosides and 0.009±0.002% of the dietary intake of cyanidin glycosides. The juice consumption did not have a significant effect on vascular reactivity. Anthocyanins were present at low concentrations in the urine, and microbial metabolites of flavonoids were detected in plasma after juice consumption.

Mosquito larval source management for controlling malaria

PubMed Central

Tusting, Lucy S; Thwing, Julie; Sinclair, David; Fillinger, Ulrike; Gimnig, John; Bonner, Kimberly E; Bottomley, Christian; Lindsay, Steven W

2015-01-01

Background Malaria is an important cause of illness and death in people living in many parts of the world, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) reduce malaria transmission by targeting the adult mosquito vector and are key components of malaria control programmes. However, mosquito numbers may also be reduced by larval source management (LSM), which targets mosquito larvae as they mature in aquatic habitats. This is conducted by permanently or temporarily reducing the availability of larval habitats (habitat modification and habitat manipulation), or by adding substances to standing water that either kill or inhibit the development of larvae (larviciding). Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of mosquito LSM for preventing malaria. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); MEDLINE; EMBASE; CABS Abstracts; and LILACS up to 24 October 2012. We handsearched the Tropical Diseases Bulletin from 1900 to 2010, the archives of the World Health Organization (up to 11 February 2011), and the literature database of the Armed Forces Pest Management Board (up to 2 March 2011). We also contacted colleagues in the field for relevant articles. Selection criteria We included cluster randomized controlled trials (cluster-RCTs), controlled before-and-after trials with at least one year of baseline data, and randomized cross-over trials that compared LSM with no LSM for malaria control. We excluded trials that evaluated biological control of anopheline mosquitoes with larvivorous fish. Data collection and analysis At least two authors assessed each trial for eligibility. We extracted data and at least two authors independently determined the risk of bias in the included studies. We resolved all disagreements through discussion with a third author. We analyzed the data using Review Manager 5 software. Main results We included 13 studies; four cluster-RCTs, eight controlled before-and-after trials, and one randomized cross-over trial. The included studies evaluated habitat modification (one study), habitat modification with larviciding (two studies), habitat manipulation (one study), habitat manipulation plus larviciding (two studies), or larviciding alone (seven studies) in a wide variety of habitats and countries. Malaria incidence In two cluster-RCTs undertaken in Sri Lanka, larviciding of abandoned mines, streams, irrigation ditches, and rice paddies reduced malaria incidence by around three-quarters compared to the control (RR 0.26, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.31, 20,124 participants, two trials, moderate quality evidence). In three controlled before-and-after trials in urban and rural India and rural Kenya, results were inconsistent (98,233 participants, three trials, very low quality evidence). In one trial in urban India, the removal of domestic water containers together with weekly larviciding of canals and stagnant pools reduced malaria incidence by three quarters. In one trial in rural India and one trial in rural Kenya, malaria incidence was higher at baseline in intervention areas than in controls. However dam construction in India, and larviciding of streams and swamps in Kenya, reduced malaria incidence to levels similar to the control areas. In one additional randomized cross-over trial in the flood plains of the Gambia River, where larval habitats were extensive and ill-defined, larviciding by ground teams did not result in a statistically significant reduction in malaria incidence (2039 participants, one trial). Parasite prevalence In one cluster-RCT from Sri Lanka, larviciding reduced parasite prevalence by almost 90% (RR 0.11, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.22, 2963 participants, one trial, moderate quality evidence). In five controlled before-and-after trials in Greece, India, the Philippines, and Tanzania, LSM resulted in an average reduction in parasite prevalence of around two-thirds (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.55, 8041 participants, five trials, moderate quality evidence). The interventions in these five trials included dam construction to reduce larval habitats, flushing of streams, removal of domestic water containers, and larviciding. In the randomized cross-over trial in the flood plains of the Gambia River, larviciding by ground teams did not significantly reduce parasite prevalence (2039 participants, one trial). Authors’ conclusions In Africa and Asia, LSM is another policy option, alongside LLINs and IRS, for reducing malaria morbidity in both urban and rural areas where a sufficient proportion of larval habitats can be targeted. Further research is needed to evaluate whether LSM is appropriate or feasible in parts of rural Africa where larval habitats are more extensive. PMID:23986463

Forestry best management practices and sediment control at skidder stream crossings

Treesearch

Laura R. Wear; W. Michael Aust; M. Chad Bolding; Brian D. Strahm; Andrew C. Dolloff

2015-01-01

Stream crossings for skid trails have high sediment delivery ratios. Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have proven to be effective for erosion control, but few studies have quantified the impact of various levels of BMPs on sedimentation. In this study, three skid-trail stream-crossing BMP treatments were installed on nine operational stream crossings (three...

Role of heparanase on hepatic uptake of intestinal derived lipoprotein and fatty streak formation in mice.

PubMed

Planer, David; Metzger, Shulamit; Zcharia, Eyal; Wexler, Isaiah D; Vlodavsky, Israel; Chajek-Shaul, Tova

2011-04-04

Heparanase modulates the level of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) which have an important role in multiple cellular processes. Recent studies indicate that HSPGs have an important function in hepatic lipoprotein handling and processes involving removal of lipoprotein particles. To determine the effects of decreased HSPGs chain length on lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis, transgenic mice over-expressing the human heparanase gene were studied. Hepatic lipid uptake in hpa-Tg mice were evaluated by giving transgenic mice oral fat loads and labeled retinol. Sections of aorta from mice over-expressing heparanase (hpa-Tg) and controls (C57/BL6) fed an atherogenic diet were examined for evidence of atherosclerosis. Heparanase over-expression results in reduced hepatic clearance of postprandial lipoproteins and higher levels of fasting and postprandial serum triglycerides. Heparanase over-expression also induces formation of fatty streaks in the aorta. The mean lesion cross-sectional area in heparanase over-expressing mice was almost 6 times higher when compared to control mice (23,984 µm(2)±5,922 vs. 4,189 µm(2)±1,130, p<0.001). Over-expression of heparanase demonstrates the importance of HSPGs for the uptake of intestinal derived lipoproteins and its role in the formation of fatty streaks.

Role of Heparanase on Hepatic Uptake of Intestinal Derived Lipoprotein and Fatty Streak Formation in Mice

PubMed Central

Planer, David; Metzger, Shulamit; Zcharia, Eyal; Wexler, Isaiah D.; Vlodavsky, Israel; Chajek-Shaul, Tova

2011-01-01

Background Heparanase modulates the level of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) which have an important role in multiple cellular processes. Recent studies indicate that HSPGs have an important function in hepatic lipoprotein handling and processes involving removal of lipoprotein particles. Principal Findings To determine the effects of decreased HSPGs chain length on lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis, transgenic mice over-expressing the human heparanase gene were studied. Hepatic lipid uptake in hpa-Tg mice were evaluated by giving transgenic mice oral fat loads and labeled retinol. Sections of aorta from mice over-expressing heparanase (hpa-Tg) and controls (C57/BL6) fed an atherogenic diet were examined for evidence of atherosclerosis. Heparanase over-expression results in reduced hepatic clearance of postprandial lipoproteins and higher levels of fasting and postprandial serum triglycerides. Heparanase over-expression also induces formation of fatty streaks in the aorta. The mean lesion cross-sectional area in heparanase over-expressing mice was almost 6 times higher when compared to control mice (23,984 µm2±5,922 vs. 4,189 µm2±1,130, p<0.001). Conclusions Over-expression of heparanase demonstrates the importance of HSPGs for the uptake of intestinal derived lipoproteins and its role in the formation of fatty streaks. PMID:21483695

Somatic Crossing over in GLYCINE MAX (L.) Merrill: Effect of Some Inhibitors of DNA Synthesis on the Induction of Somatic Crossing over and Point Mutations.

PubMed

Vig, B K

1973-04-01

Glycine max (soybean) is the only known higher plant with a definitely established occurrence of somatic crossing over. This material lends itself to the analysis of somatic crossing over, gross chromosomal aberrations and mutations, all of which may be induced by the same treatment of the mutagen given to seeds. This is made possible because gene Y(11) for chlorophyll development in the variety L65-1237 is incompletely dominant over its allele y(11), so that twin or double spots composed of a dark green (Y(11)Y(11)) and a yellow (y(11)y(11)) component can be observed adjacent to and as mirror images of each other on the light green Y(11)y(11) leaves in the areas of complementary exchange for these genes. Lack of growth of either component of this double spot as well as several types of chromosomal disturbances give rise to single spots resembling phenotypes of y(11)y(11) or Y(11)Y(11) leaves. Point mutations can be studied by looking for green sectors originating from Y(11)y(11) genotype on the y(11)y(11) plants. Seeds obtained from heterozygous plants were treated with caffeine, cytosine arabinoside, actinomycin D and 5-fluoro-deoxyuridine, all known inhibitors of DNA synthesis, and puromycin, an inhibitor of synthesis of proteins. The treatments with caffeine and actinomycin D increased the frequency of somatic crossing over as measured by the frequency of double spots on Y(11)y(11) leaves, but cytosine arabinoside, 5-fluorodeoxyuridine and puromycin did not. Thus somatic crossing over was induced only by those chemicals which are known to allow rejoining of chromosomes, thereby suggesting a correlation between the two phenomena. These observations indicate that it is not the mere inhibition of DNA synthesis, but some rather more specific event in DNA repair which is responsible for complementary exchanges. Some of these results differ from studies carried out with fungi. The main effect of all chemicals tested, except caffeine and actinomycin D, was inferred to be the production of deletions in Y(11)y(11) plants which raised the frequency of single (dark green or yellow) spots relative to the doubles. Caffeine was the only chemical which constantly increased the frequency of specific point mutations. In the control material, the great majority of spots are found on the upper surface of the leaf. This picture could not be changed in any of the treated materials, thus indicating uniform resistance of spongy mesophyll tissue to the mutagens applied.

Microdroplet-etched highly birefringent low-loss fiber tapers.

PubMed

Mikkelsen, Jared C; Poon, Joyce K S

2012-07-01

We use hydrofluoric acid microdroplets to directly etch highly birefringent biconical fiber tapers from standard single-mode fibers. The fiber tapers have micrometer-sized cross sections, which are controlled by the etching condition. The characteristic teardrop cross section leads to a high group birefringence of B(G)≈0.017 and insertion losses <0.7 dB over waist lengths of about 2.1 mm.

Effects of subacute ingestion of chlorogenic acids on sleep architecture and energy metabolism through activity of the autonomic nervous system: a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded cross-over trial.

PubMed

Park, Insung; Ochiai, Ryuji; Ogata, Hitomi; Kayaba, Momoko; Hari, Sayaka; Hibi, Masanobu; Katsuragi, Yoshihisa; Satoh, Makoto; Tokuyama, Kumpei

2017-04-01

Chlorogenic acids (CGA) are the most abundant polyphenols in coffee. Continuous consumption of CGA reduces body fat and body weight. Since energy metabolism and sleep are controlled by common regulatory factors, consumption of CGA might modulate sleep. Lack of sleep has been identified as a risk factor for obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of ingesting CGA over 5 d on energy metabolism and sleep quality in humans. A total of nine healthy subjects (four male and five female) completed a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, cross-over intervention study. Subjects consumed a test beverage containing 0 or 600 mg of CGA for 5 d. On the fifth night, subjects stayed in a whole-room metabolic chamber to measure energy metabolism; sleep was evaluated using polysomnographic recording. It was found that CGA shortened sleep latency (9 (sem 2) v. 16 (sem 4) min, P<0·05) compared with the control, whereas no effect on sleep architecture, such as slow-wave sleep, rapid eye movement or waking after sleep onset, was observed. Indirect calorimetry revealed that consumption of CGA increased fat oxidation (510 (sem 84) kJ/8 h (122 (sem 20) kcal/8 h) v. 331 (sem 79) kJ/8 h (81 (sem 19) kcal/8 h), P<0·05) but did not affect energy expenditure during sleep. Consumption of CGA enhanced parasympathetic activity assessed from heart-rate variability during sleep (999 (sem 77) v. 919 (sem 54), P<0·05). A period of 5-d CGA consumption significantly increased fat oxidation during sleep, suggesting that beverages containing CGA may be beneficial to reduce body fat and prevent obesity. Consumption of CGA shortened sleep latency and did not adversely affect sleep quality.

Potential risk factors associated with human alveolar echinococcosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Conraths, Franz J; Probst, Carolina; Possenti, Alessia; Boufana, Belgees; Saulle, Rosella; La Torre, Giuseppe; Busani, Luca; Casulli, Adriano

2017-07-01

Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a severe zoonotic disease caused by the metacestode stage of Echinococcus multilocularis. AE is commonly associated with a long incubation period that may last for more than ten years. The objective of this systematic literature review was to identify and summarize the current knowledge on statistically relevant potential risk factors (PRFs) associated with AE in humans. Six bibliographic databases were searched, generating a total of 1,009 publications. Following the removal of duplicate records and the exclusion of papers that failed to meet the criteria of a previously agreed a priori protocol, 23 publications were retained; however, 6 of these did not contain data in a format that allowed their inclusion in the meta-analysis. The remaining 17 publications (6 case-control and 11 cross-sectional studies) were meta-analysed to investigate associations between AE and PRFs. Pooled odds ratios (OR) were used as a measure of effect and separately analysed for case-control and cross-sectional studies. In the case-control studies, the following PRFs for human AE showed higher odds of outcome: "dog ownership", "cat ownership", "have a kitchen garden", "occupation: farmer", "haymaking in meadows not adjacent to water", "went to forests for vocational reasons", "chewed grass" and "hunting / handling foxes". In the cross-sectional studies, the following PRFs showed higher odds of outcome: "dog ownership", "play with dogs", "gender: female", "age over 20 years", "ethnic group: Tibetan", "low income", "source of drinking water other than well or tap", "occupation: herding" and "low education". Our meta-analysis confirmed that the chance of AE transmission through ingestion of food and water contaminated with E. multilocularis eggs exists, but showed also that food- and water-borne PRFs do not significantly increase the risk of infection. This systematic review analysed international peer-reviewed articles that have over the years contributed to our current understanding of the epidemiology of human AE. The identification of potential risk factors may help researchers and decision makers improve surveillance and/or preventive measures that aim at decreasing human infection with E. multilocularis. More primary studies are needed to confirm potential risk factors and their role in the epidemiology of human AE.

Unsupervised Metric Fusion Over Multiview Data by Graph Random Walk-Based Cross-View Diffusion.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Zhang, Wenjie; Wu, Lin; Lin, Xuemin; Zhao, Xiang

2017-01-01

Learning an ideal metric is crucial to many tasks in computer vision. Diverse feature representations may combat this problem from different aspects; as visual data objects described by multiple features can be decomposed into multiple views, thus often provide complementary information. In this paper, we propose a cross-view fusion algorithm that leads to a similarity metric for multiview data by systematically fusing multiple similarity measures. Unlike existing paradigms, we focus on learning distance measure by exploiting a graph structure of data samples, where an input similarity matrix can be improved through a propagation of graph random walk. In particular, we construct multiple graphs with each one corresponding to an individual view, and a cross-view fusion approach based on graph random walk is presented to derive an optimal distance measure by fusing multiple metrics. Our method is scalable to a large amount of data by enforcing sparsity through an anchor graph representation. To adaptively control the effects of different views, we dynamically learn view-specific coefficients, which are leveraged into graph random walk to balance multiviews. However, such a strategy may lead to an over-smooth similarity metric where affinities between dissimilar samples may be enlarged by excessively conducting cross-view fusion. Thus, we figure out a heuristic approach to controlling the iteration number in the fusion process in order to avoid over smoothness. Extensive experiments conducted on real-world data sets validate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.

Efficacy of topical Rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) oil for migraine headache: A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled cross-over trial.

PubMed

Niazi, Maria; Hashempur, Mohammad Hashem; Taghizadeh, Mohsen; Heydari, Mojtaba; Shariat, Abdolhamid

2017-10-01

To evaluate the effect of topical formulation of Rosa damascena Mill. (R. damascena) oil on migraine headache, applying syndrome diffrentiation model. Forty patients with migraine headache were randomly assigned to 2 groups of this double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial. The patients were treated for the first 2 consecutive migraine headache attacks by topical R. damascena oil or placebo. Then, after one week of washout period, cross-over was done. Pain intensity of the patients' migraine headache was recorded at the beginnig and ten-sequence time schadule of attacks up to 24h. In addition, photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea and/or vomitting (N/V) of the patients were recorded as secondary outcomes. Finally, gathered data were analysed in a syndrome differentiation manner to assess the effect of R. damascena oil on Hot- and Cold-type migraine headache. Mean pain intensity of the patients' migraine headache in the different time-points after R. damascena oil or placebo use, was not significantly different. Additionally, regarding mean scores of N/V, photophobia, and phonophobia severity of the patients, no significant differences between the two groups were observed. Finally, applying syndrome differentiation model, the mean score of migraine headache pain intensity turned out to be significantly lower in patients with "hot" type migraine syndrome at in 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120min after R. damascena oil application compared to "cold" types (P values: 0.001, 0.001, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.02; respectively). It seems that syndrome differentiation can help in selection of patients who may benefit from the topical R. damascena oil in short-term relief of pain intensity in migraine headache. Further studies of longer follow-up and larger study population, however, are necessitated for more scientifically rigorous judgment on efficacy of R. damascena oil for patients with migraine headache. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Tulip GT® airway versus the facemask and Guedel airway: a randomised, controlled, cross-over study by Basic Life Support-trained airway providers in anaesthetised patients.

PubMed

Shaikh, A; Robinson, P N; Hasan, M

2016-03-01

We performed a randomised, controlled, cross-over study of lung ventilation by Basic Life Support-trained providers using either the Tulip GT® airway or a facemask with a Guedel airway in 60 anaesthetised patients. Successful ventilation was achieved if the provider produced an end-tidal CO2 > 3.5 kPa and a tidal volume > 250 ml in two of the first three breaths, within 60 sec and within two attempts. Fifty-seven (95%) providers achieved successful ventilation using the Tulip GT compared with 35 (58%) using the facemask (p < 0.0001). Comparing the Tulip GT and facemask, the mean (SD) end-tidal CO2 was 5.0 (0.7) kPa vs 2.5 (1.5) kPa, tidal volume was 494 (175) ml vs 286 (186) ml and peak inspiratory pressure was 18.3 (3.4) cmH2 O vs 13.6 (7) cmH2 O respectively (all p < 0.0001). Forty-seven (78%) users favoured the Tulip GT airway. These results are similar to a previous manikin study using the same protocol, suggesting a close correlation between human and manikin studies for this airway device. We conclude that the Tulip GT should be considered as an adjunct to airway management both within and outside hospitals when ventilation is being undertaken by Basic Life Support-trained airway providers. © 2015 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

Separation control in adverse pressure gradients using high-speed microjets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Vikas

Inlets to aircraft propulsion systems must supply flow to the compressor with minimal pressure loss, flow distortion or unsteadiness. Flow separation in internal flows such as inlets and ducts in aircraft propulsion systems and external flows such as over aircraft wings, is undesirable as it reduces the overall system performance. The objective of present study is to understand the nature of separation and more importantly, to explore the applicability of high-speed microjets to actively control this flow separation. The geometry used for this experimental study was a generic backward facing "Stratford Ramp" equipped with arrays of high-speed microjets. The incoming flow was examined over a freestream velocity range of 10-65m/s and at ramp angle in range of 0-10°. It was observed that the flow separates at 30m/s and beyond for all angle of attack. The magnitude and extent of separation bubble increases with increasing adverse pressure gradients and/or increase in free-stream velocity. The separated flow for all the examined conditions was completely attached using suitable array of high-speed microjets. The most notable fact was that elimination of reverse velocity regions was accompanied by a reduction in flow unsteadiness and increased two-dimensionality in the flow. In particular, these gains were achieved with a minimal mass flux, less than 0.2% of the primary flow based on 30% Boundary Layer Ingesting duct. Detailed measurements were obtained to understand the flow control dynamics. The control effectiveness was found to be dependent on the actuation location with respect to separation, jet to cross-flow momentum ratio and the angle at which microjets supply the momentum. It was also determined that the control effect of the microjets, in part, is due to creation of strong stream-wise vortices which enhance the mixing between low-momentum fluid closer to the surface and high-momentum fluid further away from the surface. The penetration depth of microjets was found to be much higher than that of a jet exiting in to uniform cross-flow and correlations were developed to predict this. Subsequently, means for identification of the flow conditions were sought to develop a simple, robust, complete control strategy. It was observed that the flow conditions were very well represented in unsteady surface pressure measurements. The unsteady surface pressure and velocity field were correlated to develop a simple scheme to predict the peak unsteadiness location over the surface. The results from this model and knowledge of microjet in cross flow was used to provide guidelines for an active control strategy. A case study was then undertaken to validate the results obtained using the model. The results show that the model is a good first step towards developing a simple, robust, active-adaptive separation control strategy using microjets.

A brief history of infection control - past and present.

PubMed

Forder, A A

2007-11-01

The scientific study of hospital or nosocomial cross-infection began during the first half of the 18th century, and from that time until the start of the 'Bacteriological Era' many of the most notable contributions originated in Scotland. However it was only 100 years later in 1858 that Florence Nightingale promoted the case for hospital reform. The real understanding of hospital infection followed upon the discoveries of Pasteur, Koch and Lister and the beginning of the 'Bacteriological Era'. The close of the 19th century saw the triumphs of hospital reform and asepsis and seemed to herald the final victory over hospital cross-infection. However, the victory was short-lived. It was soon realised that infections occurred not only in obstetric and surgical patients, but in medical patients as well, and that air could also be a source of infection. Streptococcal, staphylococcal and then Gram-negative bacilli as a cause of hospital infection became a focus of attention, as did antibiotic-resistant organisms. This paper looks briefly at the establishment of the control of infection doctor, infection control committee and infection control nurse as well as summarising the changes, problems and advances in infection control up to the present time.

Effects of lipid emulsion particle size on satiety and energy intake: a randomised cross-over trial.

PubMed

Poppitt, Sally D; Budgett, Stephanie C; MacGibbon, Alastair K; Quek, Siew-Young; Kindleysides, Sophie; Wiessing, Katy R

2018-03-01

Emulsified lipids, with central lipid core surrounded by polar lipid 'protective coat', have been proposed to stimulate the ileal brake, alter appetite, food intake and aid weight control. In addition to lipid composition, emulsion particle size may contribute to efficacy with small droplets providing a larger surface area for gastrointestinal (GI) lipase action and larger droplets prolonging and delaying digestion in the GI tract. Tube feeding studies delivering emulsions directly into the small intestine show clear effects of smaller particle size on appetite and food intake, but evidence from oral feeding studies is sparse. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of lipid emulsion particle size on appetite response and food intake. In a three-arm randomised cross-over, high-phospholipid (PL) dairy lipid emulsions or matched control were consumed at breakfast within a yoghurt smoothie: (i) large-particle size emulsion, LPE (diameter 0.759 µm, 10 g lipid emulsion, 190 g yoghurt), (ii) small-particle size emulsion, SPE (diameter 0.290 µm, 10 g lipid emulsion, 190 g yoghurt), (iii) control non-emulsion, NE (10 g non-emulsion lipid, 190 g yoghurt). Twenty male participants completed the study, where postprandial appetite response was rated using visual analogue scales (VAS) and ad libitum energy intake at a lunch meal measured 3 h later. There was a trend for LPE to suppress hunger (P = 0.08) and enhance fullness (P = 0.24) relative to both SPE and NE but not statistically significant, and no significant effect of either emulsion on food intake at the lunch meal (P > 0.05). Altering particle size of a high-PL emulsion did not enhance satiety or alter eating behaviour in a group of lean men.

Area-specific modulation of neural activation comparing escitalopram and citalopram revealed by pharmaco-fMRI: a randomized cross-over study.

PubMed

Windischberger, Christian; Lanzenberger, Rupert; Holik, Alexander; Spindelegger, Christoph; Stein, Patrycja; Moser, Ulrike; Gerstl, Florian; Fink, Martin; Moser, Ewald; Kasper, Siegfried

2010-01-15

Area-specific and stimulation-dependent changes of human brain activation by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are an important issue for improved understanding of treatment mechanisms, given the frequent prescription of these drugs in depression and anxiety disorders. The aim of this neuroimaging study was to investigate differences in BOLD-signal caused by administration of the SSRIs escitalopram and citalopram using pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging (pharmaco-fMRI). Eighteen healthy subjects participated in a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study in cross-over repeated measures design. Each volunteer performed facial emotional discrimination and a sensorimotor control paradigm during three scanning sessions. Citalopram (20 mg/d), escitalopram (10 mg/d) and placebo were administered for 10 days each with a drug-free period of at least 21 days. Significant pharmacological effects on BOLD-signal were found in the amygdala, medial frontal gyrus, parahippocampal, fusiform and middle temporal gyri. Post-hoc t-tests revealed decreased BOLD-signal in the right amygdala and left parahippocampal gyrus in both pharmacological conditions, compared to placebo. Escitalopram, compared to citalopram, induced a decrease of BOLD-signal in the medial frontal gyrus and an increase in the right fusiform and left parahippocampal gyri. Drug effects were concentrated in brain regions with dense serotonergic projections. Both escitalopram and citalopram attenuated BOLD-signal in the amygdala and parahippocampal cortex to emotionally significant stimuli compared to control stimuli. We believe that reduced reactivity in the medial frontal gyrus found for escitalopram compared to citalopram administration might explain the response differences between study drugs as demonstrated in previous clinical trials.

Effects of Silexan on the Serotonin-1A Receptor and Microstructure of the Human Brain: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Cross-Over Study with Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging

PubMed Central

Baldinger, Pia; Höflich, Anna S.; Mitterhauser, Markus; Hahn, Andreas; Rami-Mark, Christina; Spies, Marie; Wadsak, Wolfgang; Lanzenberger, Rupert

2015-01-01

Background: Recently, Silexan, a patented active substance comprised of an essential oil produced from Lavandula angustifolia flowers, has been authorized in Germany as a medicinal product for the treatment of states of restlessness related to anxious mood. Its efficacy has been shown in several forms of anxiety disorders. Findings from preclinical and clinical studies attribute a major role to the serotonin-1A receptor in the pathogenesis and treatment of anxiety. Methods: To elucidate the effect of Silexan on serotonin-1A receptor binding, 17 healthy men underwent 2 positron emission tomography measurements using the radioligand [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635 following the daily intake of 160mg Silexan or placebo for a minimum of 8 weeks (randomized, double-blind, cross-over design). Additionally, structural magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed to determine potential effects on gray matter microstructure. Results: Serotonin-1A receptor binding potential was shown to be significantly reduced following the intake of Silexan compared with placebo in 2 large clusters encompassing the temporal gyrus, the fusiform gyrus and the hippocampus on one hand as well as the insula and anterior cingulate cortex on the other hand. No effects of Silexan on gray matter volume could be detected in this investigation. Conclusion: This positron emission tomography study proposes an involvement of the serotonin-1A receptor in the anxiolytic effects of Silexan. The study was registered in the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register as ISRCTN30885829 (http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/). PMID:25522403

Depressed mood during early to middle adolescence: A bi-national longitudinal study of the unique impact of family conflict

PubMed Central

Kelly, Adrian B.; Mason, W. Alex; Chmelka, Mary B.; Herrenkohl, Todd I.; Kim, Min Jung; Patton, George C.; Hemphill, Sheryl A.; Toumbourou, John W.; Catalano, Richard F.

2016-01-01

Adolescent depressed mood is related to the development of subsequent mental health problems, and family problems have been linked to adolescent depression. Longitudinal research on adolescent depressed mood is needed to establish the unique impact of family problems independent of other potential drivers. This study tested the extent to which family conflict exacerbates depressed mood during adolescence, independent of changes in depressed mood over time, academic performance, bullying victimization, negative cognitive style, and gender. Students (13 years old) participated in a three-wave bi-national study (n = 961 from Washington State, United States, n = 981 from Victoria, Australia, 98% retention, 51% females in each sample). The model was cross-lagged and controlled for the autocorrelation of depressed mood, negative cognitive style, academic failure, and bullying victimization. Family conflict partially predicted changes in depressed mood independent of changes in depressed mood over time and the other controls. There was also evidence that family conflict and adolescent depressed mood are reciprocally related over time. Findings were closely replicated across the two samples. The study identifies potential points of intervention to interrupt the progression of depressed mood in early to middle adolescence. PMID:26861643

49 CFR 222.57 - Can parties seek review of the Associate Administrator's actions?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... the Associate Administrator granting or denying an application for approval of a new SSM or ASM under... demonstration of the proposed new SSM or ASM , the highway or traffic control authority or law enforcement authority having control over vehicular traffic at the crossings affected by the new SSM/ASM demonstration...

49 CFR 222.57 - Can parties seek review of the Associate Administrator's actions?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... the Associate Administrator granting or denying an application for approval of a new SSM or ASM under... demonstration of the proposed new SSM or ASM , the highway or traffic control authority or law enforcement authority having control over vehicular traffic at the crossings affected by the new SSM/ASM demonstration...

49 CFR 222.57 - Can parties seek review of the Associate Administrator's actions?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... the Associate Administrator granting or denying an application for approval of a new SSM or ASM under... demonstration of the proposed new SSM or ASM , the highway or traffic control authority or law enforcement authority having control over vehicular traffic at the crossings affected by the new SSM/ASM demonstration...

Material Hardship and Internal Locus of Control Over the Prevention of Child Obesity in Low-Income Hispanic Pregnant Women.

PubMed

Gross, Rachel S; Mendelsohn, Alan L; Gross, Michelle B; Scheinmann, Roberta; Messito, Mary Jo

2016-07-01

To determine the relations between household material hardships and having a low internal locus of control over the prevention of child obesity in low-income Hispanic pregnant women. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collected during a third trimester prenatal visit from women participating in the Starting Early Study, a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a primary care-based family-centered early child obesity prevention intervention. Using multiple logistic regression analyses, we determined whether 4 domains of material hardship (food insecurity, difficulty paying bills, housing disrepair, neighborhood stress), considered individually and also cumulatively, were associated with having a low internal locus of control over the prevention of child obesity. The sample included 559 low-income Hispanic pregnant women, with 60% having experienced at least 1 hardship. Food insecurity was independently associated with a low internal locus of control over the prevention of child obesity (adjusted odds ratio, 2.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.50-3.77), controlling for other hardships and confounders. Experiencing a greater number of material hardships was associated in a dose-dependent relationship with an increased odds of having a low internal locus of control. Prenatal material hardships, in particular food insecurity, were associated with having a lower prenatal internal locus of control over the prevention of child obesity. Longitudinal follow-up of this cohort is needed to determine how relations between material hardships and having a low internal locus of control will ultimately affect infant feeding practices and child weight trajectories. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Active cycle of breathing technique for cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Mckoy, Naomi A; Wilson, Lisa M; Saldanha, Ian J; Odelola, Olaide A; Robinson, Karen A

2016-07-05

People with cystic fibrosis experience chronic airway infections as a result of mucus build up within the lungs. Repeated infections often cause lung damage and disease. Airway clearance therapies aim to improve mucus clearance, increase sputum production, and improve airway function. The active cycle of breathing technique (also known as ACBT) is an airway clearance method that uses a cycle of techniques to loosen airway secretions including breathing control, thoracic expansion exercises, and the forced expiration technique. This is an update of a previously published review. To compare the clinical effectiveness of the active cycle of breathing technique with other airway clearance therapies in cystic fibrosis. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearching of journals and conference abstract books. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles and reviews.Date of last search: 25 April 2016. Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled clinical studies, including cross-over studies, comparing the active cycle of breathing technique with other airway clearance therapies in cystic fibrosis. Two review authors independently screened each article, abstracted data and assessed the risk of bias of each study. Our search identified 62 studies, of which 19 (440 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Five randomised controlled studies (192 participants) were included in the meta-analysis; three were of cross-over design. The 14 remaining studies were cross-over studies with inadequate reports for complete assessment. The study size ranged from seven to 65 participants. The age of the participants ranged from six to 63 years (mean age 22.33 years). In 13 studies, follow up lasted a single day. However, there were two long-term randomised controlled studies with follow up of one to three years. Most of the studies did not report on key quality items, and therefore, have an unclear risk of bias in terms of random sequence generation, allocation concealment, and outcome assessor blinding. Due to the nature of the intervention, none of the studies blinded participants or the personnel applying the interventions. However, most of the studies reported on all planned outcomes, had adequate follow up, assessed compliance, and used an intention-to-treat analysis.Included studies compared the active cycle of breathing technique with autogenic drainage, airway oscillating devices, high frequency chest compression devices, conventional chest physiotherapy, and positive expiratory pressure. Preference of technique varied: more participants preferred autogenic drainage over the active cycle of breathing technique; more preferred the active cycle of breathing technique over airway oscillating devices; and more were comfortable with the active cycle of breathing technique versus high frequency chest compression. No significant difference was seen in quality of life, sputum weight, exercise tolerance, lung function, or oxygen saturation between the active cycle of breathing technique and autogenic drainage or between the active cycle of breathing technique and airway oscillating devices. There was no significant difference in lung function and the number of pulmonary exacerbations between the active cycle of breathing technique alone or in conjunction with conventional chest physiotherapy. All other outcomes were either not measured or had insufficient data for analysis. There is insufficient evidence to support or reject the use of the active cycle of breathing technique over any other airway clearance therapy. Five studies, with data from eight different comparators, found that the active cycle of breathing technique was comparable with other therapies in outcomes such as participant preference, quality of life, exercise tolerance, lung function, sputum weight, oxygen saturation, and number of pulmonary exacerbations. Longer-term studies are needed to more adequately assess the effects of the active cycle of breathing technique on outcomes important for people with cystic fibrosis such as quality of life and preference.

A double blind, placebo controlled, phase II randomised cross-over trial investigating the use of duloxetine for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

Battaglini, Eva; Park, Susanna B; Barnes, Elizabeth H; Goldstein, David

2018-04-20

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a significant side effect of cancer treatment, potentially leading to early cessation of chemotherapy, enduring symptoms and long-lasting disability. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies suggests that duloxetine, a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, may be effective in the symptomatic treatment of CIPN. This double blind, placebo controlled, phase II randomised cross-over trial aims to determine whether treatment with duloxetine results in a reduction in chronic neuropathic symptoms experienced as a result of neurotoxic chemotherapy treatment. Participants who have received neurotoxic chemotherapy and experience daily symptoms as a consequence of peripheral neuropathy will be randomly allocated to control or experimental group with a 1:1 allocation, stratified by chemotherapy type. The primary endpoint will be patient-reported CIPN symptoms, as assessed via the FACT/GOG-Ntx. As a secondary objective, the trial will investigate whether duloxetine improves neurophysiological parameters and functional status in patients who have received neurotoxic chemotherapy treatment. This trial will investigate the effectiveness of duloxetine in reducing neuropathic symptoms following chemotherapy treatment, and aims to provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the symptomatic relief that duloxetine may provide. These results will be informative in advancing clinical knowledge regarding the treatment of CIPN. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design, Analysis, and On-Sun Evaluation of Reflective Strips Under Controlled Buckling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaworske, Donald A.; Sechkar, Edward A.; Colozza, Anthony J.

2014-01-01

Solar concentrators are envisioned for use in a variety of space-based applications, including applications involving in situ resource utilization. Identifying solar concentrators that minimize mass and cost are of great interest, especially since launch cost is driven in part by the mass of the payload. Concentrators must also be able to survive the wide temperature excursions on the lunar surface. Identifying smart structures which compensate for changes in concentrator geometry brought about by temperature extremes are of interest. Some applications may benefit from the ability to change the concentrators focal pattern at will. This paper addresses a method of designing a single reflective strip to produce a desired focal pattern through the use of controlled buckling. Small variations in the cross section over the length of the reflective strip influence the distribution of light in the focal region. A finite element method of analysis is utilized here which calculates the curve produced for a given strip cross section and axial load. Varying axial force and strip cross section over the length of the reflective strip provide a means of optimizing ray convergence in the focal region. Careful selection of a tapered cross section yields a reflective strip that approximates a parabola. An array of reflective strips under controlled buckling produces a light weight concentrator and adjustments in the compression of individual strips provide a means of compensating for temperature excursions or changing the focal pattern at will.

Design, Analysis, and On-Sun Evaluation of Reflective Strips Under Controlled Buckling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaworske, D. A.; Sechkar, E. A.; Colozza, A. J.

2014-01-01

Solar concentrators are envisioned for use in a variety of space-based applications, including applications involving in situ resource utilization. Identifying solar concentrators that minimize mass and cost are of great interest, especially since launch cost is driven in part by the mass of the payload. Concentrators must also be able to survive the wide temperature excursions on the lunar surface. Identifying smart structures which compensate for changes in concentrator geometry brought about by temperature extremes are of interest. Some applications may benefit from the ability to change the concentrator's focal pattern at will. This paper addresses a method of designing a single reflective strip to produce a desired focal pattern through the use of controlled buckling. Small variations in the cross section over the length of the reflective strip influence the distribution of light in the focal region. A finite element method of analysis is utilized here which calculates the curve produced for a given strip cross section and axial load. Varying axial force and strip cross section over the length of the reflective strip provide a means of optimizing ray convergence in the focal region. Careful selection of a tapered cross section yields a reflective strip that approximates a parabola. An array of reflective strips under controlled buckling produces a light weight concentrator and adjustments in the compression of individual strips provide a means of compensating for temperature excursions or changing the focal pattern at will.

Relationships between attitudes toward and achievement in science for rural middle school students: Patterns across gender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattern, Nancy Page Garland

Four causal models describing the relationships between attitudes and achievement have been proposed in the literature. The cross-effects, or reciprocal effects, model highlights the effects of prior attitudes on later achievement (over and above the effect of previous achievement) and of prior achievement on later attitudes (above the effect of previous attitudes). In the achievement predominant model, the effect of prior achievement on later attitudes is emphasized, controlling for the effect of previous attitudes. The effect of prior attitudes on later achievement, controlling for the effect of previous achievement, is emphasized in the attitudes predominant model. In the no cross-effects model there are no significant cross paths from prior attitudes to later achievement or from prior achievement to later attitudes. To determine the best-fitting model for rural seventh and eighth grade science girls and boys, the causal relationships over time between attitudes toward science and achievement in science were examined by gender using structural equation modeling. Data were collected in two waves, over one school year. A baseline measurement model was estimated in simultaneous two-group solutions and was a good fit to the data. Next, the four structural models were estimated and model fits compared. The three models nested within the structural cross-effects model showed significant decay of fit when compared to the fit of the cross-effects model. The cross-effects model was the best fit overall for middle school girls and boys. The cross-effects model was then tested for invariance across gender. There was significant decay of fit when model form, factor path loadings, and structural paths were constrained to be equal for girls and boys. Two structural paths, the path from prior achievement to later attitudes, and the path from prior attitudes to later attitudes, were the sources of gender non-invariance. Separate models were estimated for girls and boys, and the fits of nested models were compared. The no cross-effects model was the best-fitting model for rural middle school girls. The new no attitudes-path model was the best-fitting model for boys. Implications of these findings for teaching middle school students were discussed.

Restricting night-time eating reduces daily energy intake in healthy young men: a short-term cross-over study.

PubMed

LeCheminant, James D; Christenson, Ed; Bailey, Bruce W; Tucker, Larry A

2013-12-14

Few experimental data are available to support the notion that reducing night-time eating changes total daily energy intake (EI) or body weight in healthy adults. The present study primarily examined the short-term effect of night eating restriction (NER) on daily EI in healthy young men. It secondarily examined body weight and moods associated with NER. Using a cross-over design, twenty-nine men (20·9 (sd 2·5) years; 24·4 (sd 2·5) kg/m²) initiated a 2-week NER intervention (elimination of EI from 19.00 to 06.00 hours) and a 2-week control condition, counterbalanced and separated by a 1-week washout period. EI and macronutrient intake were assessed using computerised, multiple-pass 24 h food recalls, body weight via a digital scale and mood using the Profile of Mood States survey. Of the twenty-nine participants, twenty-seven (93 %) completed all aspects of the study. During the NER condition, the participants consumed less total energy per d than during the control condition (10 125 v. 11 146 kJ/d; F= 6·41; P= 0·018). During the NER condition, no energy was reported consumed between 19.00 and 06.00 hours; however, during the control condition, the energy intake of participants was 2920 (sd 1347) kJ/d between 19.00 and 06.00 hours. There was a significant difference in weight change between the NER (-0·4 (sd 1·1) kg) and control (+0·6 (sd 0·9) kg) conditions (F= 22·68; P< 0·001). Differences in total mood score or mood subscales between the NER and control conditions were not apparent (P>0·05). These findings provide support for NER decreasing short-term EI in healthy young men.

The effects of flavanone-rich citrus juice on cognitive function and cerebral blood flow: an acute, randomised, placebo-controlled cross-over trial in healthy, young adults.

PubMed

Lamport, Daniel J; Pal, Deepa; Macready, Anna L; Barbosa-Boucas, Sofia; Fletcher, John M; Williams, Claire M; Spencer, Jeremy P E; Butler, Laurie T

2016-12-01

A plausible mechanism underlying flavonoid-associated cognitive effects is increased cerebral blood flow (CBF). However, behavioural and CBF effects following flavanone-rich juice consumption have not been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate whether consumption of flavanone-rich juice is associated with acute cognitive benefits and increased regional CBF in healthy, young adults. An acute, single-blind, randomised, cross-over design was applied with two 500-ml drink conditions - high-flavanone (HF; 70·5 mg) drink and an energy-, and vitamin C- matched, zero-flavanone control. A total of twenty-four healthy young adults aged 18-30 years underwent cognitive testing at baseline and 2-h after drink consumption. A further sixteen, healthy, young adults were recruited for functional MRI assessment, whereby CBF was measured with arterial spin labelling during conscious resting state at baseline as well as 2 and 5 h after drink consumption. The HF drink was associated with significantly increased regional perfusion in the inferior and middle right frontal gyrus at 2 h relative to baseline and the control drink. In addition, the HF drink was associated with significantly improved performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test at 2 h relative to baseline and the control drink, but no effects were observed on any other behavioural cognitive tests. These results demonstrate that consumption of flavanone-rich citrus juice in quantities commonly consumed can acutely enhance blood flow to the brain in healthy, young adults. However, further studies are required to establish a direct causal link between increased CBF and enhanced behavioural outcomes following citrus juice ingestion.

Neck motion, motor control, pain and disability: A longitudinal study of associations in neck pain patients in physiotherapy treatment.

PubMed

Meisingset, Ingebrigt; Stensdotter, Ann-Katrin; Woodhouse, Astrid; Vasseljen, Ottar

2016-04-01

Neck pain is associated with several alterations in neck motion and motor control, but most of the findings are based on cross-sectional studies. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between changes in neck motion and motor control, and changes in neck pain and disability in physiotherapy patients during a course of treatment. Prospective cohort study. Subjects with non-specific neck pain (n = 71) participated in this study. Neck flexibility, joint position error (JPE), head steadiness, trajectory movement control and postural sway were recorded before commencement of physiotherapy (baseline), at 2 weeks, and at 2 months. Numerical Rating Scale and Neck Disability Index were used to measure neck pain and disability at the day of testing. To analyze within subjects effects in neck motion and motor control, neck pain, and disability over time we used fixed effects linear regression analysis. Changes in neck motion and motor control occurred primarily within 2 weeks. Reduction in neck pain was associated with increased cervical range of motion in flexion-/extension and increased postural sway when standing with eyes open. Decreased neck disability was associated with some variables for neck flexibility and trajectory movement control. Cervical range of motion in flexion-/extension was the only variable associated with changes in both neck pain and neck disability. This study shows that few of the variables for neck motion and motor control were associated with changes neck pain and disability over a course of 2 months with physiotherapy treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting the Intention to Use Condoms and Actual Condom Use Behaviour: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study in Ghana

PubMed Central

Teye-Kwadjo, Enoch; Kagee, Ashraf; Swart, Hermann

2017-01-01

Background Growing cross-sectional research shows that the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is robust in predicting intentions to use condoms and condom use behaviour. Yet, little is known about the TPB’s utility in explaining intentions to use condoms and condom use behaviour over time. Methods This study used a longitudinal design and latent variable structural equation modelling to test the longitudinal relationships postulated by the TPB. School-going youths in Ghana provided data on attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, intentions, and behaviour regarding condom use at three-time points, spaced approximately three-months apart. Results As predicted by the TPB, the results showed that attitudes were significantly positively associated with intentions to use condoms over time. Contrary to the TPB, subjective norms were not significantly associated with intentions to use condoms over time. Perceived control did not predict intentions to use condoms over time. Moreover, intentions to use condoms were not significantly associated with self-reported condom use over time. Conclusion These results suggest that school-going youths in Ghana may benefit from sex education programmes that focus on within-subject attitude formation and activation. The theoretical and methodological implications of these results are discussed. PMID:27925435

Overeating styles and adiposity among multiethnic youth.

PubMed

Ledoux, Tracey; Watson, Kathy; Baranowski, Janice; Tepper, Beverly J; Baranowski, Tom

2011-02-01

Reasons for inconsistent associations between overeating styles and adiposity among youth may include differences in effects by age, gender, or ethnicity; failure to control for social desirability of response; or adiposity measurement limitations. This study examined the relationship between overeating styles and multiple measures of adiposity, after controlling for social desirability and testing for moderation by ethnicity, age, and gender. Data from 304 9-10 year old children and 264 17-18 year old adolescents equally representing African American, Hispanic, and White ethnic groups were extracted from a larger cross-sectional study. Measures included the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (restrained, external, and emotional overeating subscales), the "Lie Scale" from the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, and measured weight, height, waist circumference, and triceps skinfold. BMI z-score and a global adiposity index were calculated. Mixed model linear regression showed restraint was positively and external eating was negatively related to measures of adiposity. African American youth had a stronger inverse association between emotional eating and adiposity than White or Hispanic youth. Relationships were not influenced by social desirability nor moderated by age or gender. Overeating styles are related to adiposity in nearly all youth but the nature of these associations are moderated by ethnicity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Pelvic and Core Strength Training on High School Cross-Country Race Times.

PubMed

Clark, Anne W; Goedeke, Maggie K; Cunningham, Saengchoy R; Rockwell, Derek E; Lehecka, Bryan J; Manske, Robert C; Smith, Barbara S

2017-08-01

Clark, AW, Goedeke, MK, Cunningham, SR, Rockwell, DE, Lehecka, BJ, Manske, RC, and Smith, BS. Effects of pelvic and core strength training on high school cross-country race times. J Strength Cond Res 31(8): 2289-2295, 2017-There is only limited research examining the effect of pelvic and core strength training on running performance. Pelvic and core muscle fatigue is believed to contribute to excess motion along frontal and transverse planes which decreases efficiency in normal sagittal plane running motions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adding a 6-week pelvic and core strengthening program resulted in decreased race times in high school cross-country runners. Thirty-five high school cross-country runners (14-19 years old) from 2 high schools were randomly assigned to a strengthening group (experimental) or a nonstrengthening group (control). All participants completed 4 standardized isometric strength tests for hip abductors, adductors, extensors, and core musculature in a test-retest design. The experimental group performed a 6-week pelvic and core strengthening program along with their normal training. Participants in the control group performed their normal training without additional pelvic and core strengthening. Baseline, 3-week, and 6-week race times were collected using a repeated measures design. No significant interaction between experimental and control groups regarding decreasing race times and increasing pelvic and core musculature strength occurred over the 6-week study period. Both groups increased strength and decreased overall race times. Clinically significant findings reveal a 6-week pelvic and core stability strengthening program 3 times a week in addition to coach led team training may help decrease race times.

A High Fiber Cookie Made with Resistant Starch Type 4 Reduces Post-Prandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults.

PubMed

Stewart, Maria L; Zimmer, J Paul

2017-03-05

Distarch phosphate is a resistant starch type 4 (RS4) containing phosphodiester cross-links within and between starch molecules. This study examined the glycemic effects of VERSAFIBE 1490™ resistant starch, a distarch phosphate derived from potato, containing 90% total dietary fiber (TDF, AOAC 991.43 method). In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, 28 healthy adults consumed a cookie containing 24 g fiber from distarch phosphate (fiber cookie) or a control cookie containing 0.5 g fiber that was matched for fat, protein, and total carbohydrate content. Intravenous blood glucose, intravenous blood insulin, and capillary glucose were measured for two hours after cookie consumption. The fiber cookie reduced the post-prandial blood glucose incremental area under the curve from 0 to 120 minutes (iAUC 0-120min ) by 44% ( p = 0.004) and reduced the maximum glucose concentration (C max0-120min ) by 8% ( p = 0.001) versus the control cookie. Consumption of the fiber cookie resulted in a significant 46% reduction of the post-prandial serum insulin iAUC 0-120min ( p < 0.001) and a 23% reduction in Cmax 0-120min ( p = 0.007) versus the control cookie. This study shows that distarch phosphate RS4 can be incorporated into a cookie and significantly reduce post-prandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy adults.

Musculoskeletal morbidity: the growing burden of shoulder pain and disability and poor quality of life in diabetic outpatients.

PubMed

Laslett, L L; Burnet, S P; Jones, J A; Redmond, C L; McNeil, J D

2007-01-01

To investigate shoulder pain and disability and quality of life (QoL) over 12 months in patients with diabetes and in a non-diabetic control group. Cross-sectional study with 12-month follow-up in diabetic (n=189) and medical (n=99) outpatients employing the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and SF-36 version 2. The results were analysed using restricted maximum likelihood (REML). The prevalence of current shoulder symptoms was 35% in diabetics and 17% in controls. Shoulder pain and disability as calculated by the SPADI were independently associated with diabetes (vs controls) and current shoulder symptoms, and worsened over 12 months. Disability scores worsened with age in diabetics, and pain scores were higher in diabetics than controls among patients reporting current shoulder symptoms. Poor physical QoL worsened over time in patients with diabetes and was worse in patients with current shoulder symptoms, whether they had diabetes or not. Mental QoL was worse only in patients with current shoulder symptoms. Shoulder symptoms are common, affecting 1 in every 3 diabetic patients and 1 in every 6 control patients. In this study shoulder pain, disability and physical QoL were poorer among diabetics and patients reporting current shoulder symptoms, and worsened over time. Mental QoL was worse in patients reporting current shoulder symptoms and was independent of diabetes. Therefore, shoulder symptoms are common, are associated with poor physical and mental QoL in addition to shoulder pain and disability, and are worse in patients with diabetes, even in a population with relatively moderate shoulder pain and disability.

Planetary Boundary Layer Patterns, Height Variability and their Controls over the Indian Subcontinent with respect to Monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathyanadh, A.; Karipot, A.; Prabhakaran, T.

2016-12-01

Planetary boundary layer (PBL) height and its controlling factors undergo large variations at different spatio-temporal scales over land regions. In the present study, Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) data products are used to investigate variations of PBL height and its controls in relation to different phases of Indian monsoon. MERRA PBL height validations carried out against those estimated from radiosonde and Global Positioning System Radio Occultation atmospheric profiles revealed fairly good agreement. Different PBL patterns are identified in terms of maximum height, its time of occurrence and growth rate, and they vary with respect to geographical locations, terrain characteristics and monsoon circulation. The pre-monsoon boundary layers are the deepest over the region, often exceeding 4 km and grow at a rate of approximately 400 m hr-1. Large nocturnal BL depths, possibly related to weakly convective residual layers, are another feature noted during dry conditions. Monsoon BLs are generally shallower, except where rainfall is scanty. The break-monsoon periods have slightly deeper BLs than the active monsoon phase. The controlling factors for the observed boundary layer behaviour are investigated using supplementary MERRA datasets. Evaporative fraction is found to have dominant control on the PBL height varying with seasons and regions. The characteristics and controls of wet and dry boundary layer regimes over inland and coastal locations are different. The fractional diffusion (ratio of non-local and total diffusion) coefficient analyses indicated that enhanced entrainment during monsoon contributes to reduction in PBLH unlike in the dry period. The relationship between controls and PBLH are better defined over inland than coastal regions. The wavelet cross spectral analysis revealed temporal variations in dominant contributions from the controlling factors at different periodicities during the course of the year.

A randomized controlled trial investigation of a non-stimulant in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ACTION): rationale and design.

PubMed

Tsang, Tracey W; Kohn, Michael R; Hermens, Daniel F; Clarke, Simon D; Clark, C Richard; Efron, Daryl; Cranswick, Noel; Lamb, Chris; Williams, Leanne M

2011-03-13

The ACTION study (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Controlled Trial Investigation Of a Non-stimulant) is a multi-center, double-blind, randomized cross-over trial of the non-stimulant medication, Atomoxetine, in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The primary aims are to examine the efficacy of atomoxetine for improving cognition and emotional function in ADHD and whether any improvements in these outcomes are more pronounced in participants with comorbid anxiety; and to determine if changes in these outcomes after atomoxetine are more reliable than changes in diagnostic symptoms of ADHD. This manuscript will describe the methodology and rationale for the ACTION study. Children and adolescents aged 6 - 17 y with ADHD will be enrolled. Clinical interview and validated scales will be used to confirm diagnosis and screen for exclusion criteria, which include concurrent stimulant use, and comorbid psychiatric or neurological conditions other than anxiety. Three assessment sessions will be conducted over the 13-week study period: Session 1 (Baseline, pre-treatment), Session 2 (six weeks, atomoxetine or placebo), and Session 3 (13 weeks, cross-over after one-week washout period). The standardized touch-screen battery, "IntegNeuro™", will be used to assess cognitive and emotional function. The primary measure of response will be symptom ratings, while quality of life will be a secondary outcome. Logistic regression will be used to determine predictors of treatment response, while repeated measures of analysis will determine any differences in effect of atomoxetine and placebo. The methodology for the ACTION study has been detailed. The ACTION study is the first controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of atomoxetine using objective cognitive and emotional function markers, and whether these objective measures predict outcomes with atomoxetine in ADHD with and without comorbid anxiety. First enrollment was in March 2008. The outcomes of this study will be a significant step towards a 'personalized medicine' (and therefore a more efficient) approach to ADHD treatment. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ANZCTRN12607000535471.

Control of laminar separation over airfoils by acoustic excitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaman, K. B. M. Q.; Mckinzie, D. J.

1988-01-01

The effect of acoustic excitation in reducing laminar separation over two-dimensional airfoils at low angles of attack is investigated experimentally. Airfoils of two different cross sections, each with two different chord lengths, are studied in the chord Reynolds number range of 25,000 is less than R sub c is less than 100,000. While keeping the amplitude of the excitation induced velocity perturbation a constant, it is found that the most effective frequency scales as U (sup 3/2)(sub infinity). The parameter St/R (sup 1/2)(sub c), corresponding to the most effective f sub p for all the cases studied, falls in the range of 0.02 to 0.03, St being the Strouhal number based on the chord.

Anxiolytic effect of BPC-157, a gastric pentadecapeptide: shock probe/burying test and light/dark test.

PubMed

Sikiric, P; Jelovac, N; Jelovac-Gjeldum, A; Dodig, G; Staresinic, M; Anic, T; Zoricic, I; Ferovic, D; Aralica, G; Buljat, G; Prkacin, I; Lovric-Bencic, M; Separovic, J; Seiwerth, S; Rucman, R; Petek, M; Turkovic, B; Ziger, T

2001-03-01

To study anxiolytic effect of a gastric pentadecapeptide, BPC-157. In shock probe/burying test, pentadecapeptide BPC-157 (10 microg/kg, 10 ng/kg, ip), diazepam (0.075, 0.0375 mg/kg, ip), and an equivolume of saline (5 mL/kg, ip) were given at 30 min prior test. In light/dark test, the same dosage of diazepam, BPC-157, and saline were given at 45 min prior procedure. Shock probe/burying test: rats treated with either diazepam or pentadecapeptide BPC-157 were much less afraid after the shock: almost not burying and the total time spent in burying was clearly less than in controls. However, while in the diazepam treated rats the number of shocks received increased over control values, in pentadecapeptide BPC-157 treated groups the number of shocks remained not modified compared with the control values. Light/dark test: after exposure to the intense light, diazepam treated mice had longer latencies of crossing to the dark compartment, a greater number of crossing and a greater number of exploratory rearing, and spent longer time in the light compartment, as compared to the control mice, while BPC-157 mice had a similar behavior to that of the control mice. In contrast with the effect in light area, in dark zone diazepam produced no change with respect to controls, while BPC-157 (10 microg/kg) mice had a greater number of crossing and a greater number of exploratory rearing. Both diazepam and BPC-157 displayed a bidirectional effect, but the activity of pentadecapeptide BPC-157 was particular, and different from diazepam.

Independent control of beam astigmatism and ellipticity using a SLM for fs-laser waveguide writing.

PubMed

Ruiz de la Cruz, A; Ferrer, A; Gawelda, W; Puerto, D; Sosa, M Galván; Siegel, J; Solis, J

2009-11-09

We have used a low repetition rate (1 kHz), femtosecond laser amplifier in combination with a spatial light modulator (SLM) to write optical waveguides with controllable cross-section inside a phosphate glass sample. The SLM is used to induce a controllable amount of astigmatism in the beam wavefront while the beam ellipticity is controlled through the propagation distance from the SLM to the focusing optics of the writing set-up. The beam astigmatism leads to the formation of two separate disk-shaped foci lying in orthogonal planes. Additionally, the ellipticity has the effect of enabling control over the relative peak irradiances of the two foci, making it possible to bring the peak irradiance of one of them below the material transformation threshold. This allows producing a single waveguide with controllable cross-section. Numerical simulations of the irradiance distribution at the focal region under different beam shaping conditions are compared to in situ obtained experimental plasma emission images and structures produced inside the glass, leading to a very satisfactory agreement. Finally, guiding structures with controllable cross-section are successfully produced in the phosphate glass using this approach.

Glycaemic, Blood Pressure and Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Control in Adult Patients with Diabetes in Singapore: A Review of Singapore Literature Over Two Decades.

PubMed

Poh, Zhongxian; Venkataraman, Kavita; Toh, Sue-Anne Es; Low, Lian Leng

2017-10-01

Diabetes mellitus is a burgeoning global health epidemic, with an estimated 422 million people living with diabetes in 2014. The number of adult diabetic patients in Singapore is expected to rise to 1 million in 2050. Despite advances made in the management of diabetes and improvements in healthcare accessibility and delivery, the rate and complications of diabetes (myocardial infarction, stroke, kidney failure and lower limb amputation) in Singapore have not decreased. Gaps between guidelines and practice have been reported in several parts of the world. In this narrative review, we aimed to describe the control of diabetes in Singapore over the past 20 years. We reviewed studies describing, or trials intervening in, the glycaemic, blood pressure (BP) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) control of adult diabetic patients in Singapore published over the past 20 years (1997-2016). Studies selected from comprehensive electronic databases searches were reviewed by 4 reviewers (2 primary care physicians, 1 diabetologist and 1 public health epidemiologist). The GRADE approach was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. We included 23 articles involving 257,097 subjects. There were 9 longitudinal, 12 cross-sectional and 2 case-control studies. All studies reported mean/median HbA1c between 7.2%-8.6%. BP ranged between 126.5-144 mmHg (systolic) and 70-84 mmHg (diastolic) in 9 studies. Nine studies reported LDL-C between 2.4-3.3 mmol/L. Mirroring global patterns, the glycaemic, BP and LDL-C control in adult diabetic patients in Singapore do not appear to be treated to target in the majority of patients.

Empirically Derived Personality Subtyping for Predicting Clinical Symptoms and Treatment Response in Bulimia Nervosa

PubMed Central

Haynos, Ann F.; Pearson, Carolyn M.; Utzinger, Linsey M.; Wonderlich, Stephen A.; Crosby, Ross D.; Mitchell, James E.; Crow, Scott J.; Peterson, Carol B.

2016-01-01

Objective Evidence suggests that eating disorder subtypes reflecting under-controlled, over-controlled, and low psychopathology personality traits constitute reliable phenotypes that differentiate treatment response. This study is the first to use statistical analyses to identify these subtypes within treatment-seeking individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) and to use these statistically derived clusters to predict clinical outcomes. Methods Using variables from the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology–Basic Questionnaire, K-means cluster analyses identified under-controlled, over-controlled, and low psychopathology subtypes within BN patients (n = 80) enrolled in a treatment trial. Generalized linear models examined the impact of personality subtypes on Eating Disorder Examination global score, binge eating frequency, and purging frequency cross-sectionally at baseline and longitudinally at end of treatment (EOT) and follow-up. In the longitudinal models, secondary analyses were conducted to examine personality subtype as a potential moderator of response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E) or Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy for BN (ICAT-BN). Results There were no baseline clinical differences between groups. In the longitudinal models, personality subtype predicted binge eating (p = .03) and purging (p = .01) frequency at EOT and binge eating frequency at follow-up (p = .045). The over-controlled group demonstrated the best outcomes on these variables. In secondary analyses, there was a treatment by subtype interaction for purging at follow-up (p = .04), which indicated a superiority of CBT-E over ICAT-BN for reducing purging among the over-controlled group. Discussion Empirically derived personality subtyping is appears to be a valid classification system with potential to guide eating disorder treatment decisions. PMID:27611235

A Pilot Study of Pedestrians with Visual Impairments Detecting Traffic Gaps and Surges Containing Hybrid Vehicles

PubMed Central

Emerson, Robert Wall; Naghshineh, Koorosh; Hapeman, Julie; Wiener, William

2010-01-01

The increasing number of hybrid and quiet internal combustion engine vehicles may impact the travel abilities of pedestrians who are blind. Pedestrians who rely on auditory cues for structuring their travel may face challenges in making crossing decisions in the presence of quiet vehicles. This article describes results of initial studies looking at the crossing decisions of pedestrians who are blind at an uncontrolled crossing (no traffic control) and a light controlled intersection. The presence of hybrid vehicles was a factor in each situation. At the uncontrolled crossing, Toyota hybrids were most difficult to detect but crossing decisions were made more often in small gaps ended by a Honda hybrid. These effects were seen only at speed under 20 mph. At the light controlled intersection, parallel surges of traffic were most difficult to detect when made up only of a Ford Escape hybrid. Results suggest that more controlled studies of vehicle characteristics impacting crossing decisions of pedestrians who are blind are warranted. PMID:21379367

A Pilot Study of Pedestrians with Visual Impairments Detecting Traffic Gaps and Surges Containing Hybrid Vehicles.

PubMed

Emerson, Robert Wall; Naghshineh, Koorosh; Hapeman, Julie; Wiener, William

2011-03-01

The increasing number of hybrid and quiet internal combustion engine vehicles may impact the travel abilities of pedestrians who are blind. Pedestrians who rely on auditory cues for structuring their travel may face challenges in making crossing decisions in the presence of quiet vehicles. This article describes results of initial studies looking at the crossing decisions of pedestrians who are blind at an uncontrolled crossing (no traffic control) and a light controlled intersection. The presence of hybrid vehicles was a factor in each situation. At the uncontrolled crossing, Toyota hybrids were most difficult to detect but crossing decisions were made more often in small gaps ended by a Honda hybrid. These effects were seen only at speed under 20 mph. At the light controlled intersection, parallel surges of traffic were most difficult to detect when made up only of a Ford Escape hybrid. Results suggest that more controlled studies of vehicle characteristics impacting crossing decisions of pedestrians who are blind are warranted.

Perceived addiction to Internet pornography and psychological distress: Examining relationships concurrently and over time.

PubMed

Grubbs, Joshua B; Stauner, Nicholas; Exline, Julie J; Pargament, Kenneth I; Lindberg, Matthew J

2015-12-01

In the United States, Internet pornography use is a common behavior that has risen in popularity in recent years. The present study sought to examine potential relationships between pornography use and well-being, with a particular focus on individual perceptions of pornography use and feelings of addiction. Using a large cross-sectional sample of adults (N = 713), perceived addiction to Internet pornography predicted psychological distress above and beyond pornography use itself and other relevant variables (e.g., socially desirable responding, neuroticism). This model was replicated using a large cross-sectional sample of undergraduates (N = 1,215). Furthermore, a 1-year, longitudinal follow-up with a subset of this sample (N = 106) revealed a relationship between perceived addiction to Internet pornography and psychological distress over time, even when controlling for baseline psychological distress and pornography use. Collectively, these findings suggest that perceived addiction to Internet pornography, but not pornography use itself, is uniquely related to the experience of psychological distress. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Randomised controlled cross-over comparison of continuous positive airway pressure through the Hamilton Galileo ventilator with a Dräger CF 800 device.

PubMed

Sutton, P J; Perkins, C L; Giles, S P; McAuley, D F; Gao, F

2005-01-01

In this controlled, randomised cross-over trial on 26 intensive care patients, we compared the effects on haemodynamic and respiratory profiles of continuous positive airway pressure delivered through the Hamilton Galileo ventilator or a Drager CF 800 device. We also compared the nursing time saved using the two approaches when weaning patients from mechanical ventilation. We did not find significant differences in haemodynamics, respiratory rate, physiological dead space, oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide production between the continuous positive airway pressure generated by the Galileo and Drager machines. However, there was a 10-fold reduction in nursing time using the Galileo ventilator compared with the Drager generator. We conclude that continuous positive airway pressure delivered through the Galileo ventilator is as efficient as a Drager device but consumes less nursing time.

Improvement in health-related quality of life after therapy with omeprazole in patients with coronary artery disease and recurrent angina-like chest pain. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the SF-36 survey

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Many patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have overlapping gastroenterological causes of recurrent chest pain, mainly due to gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and aspirin-induced gastrointestinal tract damage. These symptoms can be alleviated by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). The study addressed whether omeprazole treatment also affects general health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with CAD. Study 48 patients with more than 50% narrowing of the coronary arteries on angiography without clinically overt gastrointestinal symptoms were studied. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study design, patients were randomized to take omeprazole 20 mg bid or a placebo for two weeks, and then crossed over to the other study arm. The SF-36 questionnaire was completed before treatment and again after two weeks of therapy. Results Patients treated with omeprazole in comparison to the subjects taking the placebo had significantly greater values for the SF-36 survey (which relates to both physical and mental health), as well as for bodily pain, general health perception, and physical health. In comparison to the baseline values, therapy with omeprazole led to a significant increase in the three summarized health components: total SF-36; physical and mental health; and in the following detailed health concept scores: physical functioning, limitations due to physical health problems, bodily pain and emotional well-being. Conclusions A double dose of omeprazole improved the general HRQL in patients with CAD without severe gastrointestinal symptoms more effectively than the placebo. PMID:21939510

Choosing Money over Drugs: The Neural Underpinnings of Difficult Choice in Chronic Cocaine Users.

PubMed

Wesley, Michael J; Lohrenz, Terry; Koffarnus, Mikhail N; McClure, Samuel M; De La Garza, Richard; Salas, Ramiro; Thompson-Lake, Daisy G Y; Newton, Thomas F; Bickel, Warren K; Montague, P Read

2014-01-01

Addiction is considered a disorder that drives individuals to choose drugs at the expense of healthier alternatives. However, chronic cocaine users (CCUs) who meet addiction criteria retain the ability to choose money in the presence of the opportunity to choose cocaine. The neural mechanisms that differentiate CCUs from non-cocaine using controls (Controls) while executing these preferred choices remain unknown. Thus, therapeutic strategies aimed at shifting preferences towards healthier alternatives remain somewhat uninformed. This study used BOLD neuroimaging to examine brain activity as fifty CCUs and Controls performed single- and cross-commodity intertemporal choice tasks for money and/or cocaine. Behavioral analyses revealed preferences for each commodity type. Imaging analyses revealed the brain activity that differentiated CCUs from Controls while choosing money over cocaine. We observed that CCUs devalued future commodities more than Controls. Choices for money as opposed to cocaine correlated with greater activity in dorsal striatum of CCUs, compared to Controls. In addition, choices for future money as opposed to immediate cocaine engaged the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of CCUs more than Controls. These data suggest that the ability of CCUs to execute choices away from cocaine relies on activity in the dorsal striatum and left DLPFC.

Medio-lateral Knee Fluency in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Injured Athletes During Dynamic Movement Trials

PubMed Central

Panos, Joseph A.; Hoffman, Joshua T.; Wordeman, Samuel C.; Hewett, Timothy E.

2016-01-01

Background Correction of neuromuscular impairments after anterior cruciate ligament injury is vital to successful return to sport. Frontal plane knee control during landing is a common measure of lower-extremity neuromuscular control and asymmetries in neuromuscular control of the knee can predispose injured athletes to additional injury and associated morbidities. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of anterior cruciate ligament injury on knee biomechanics during landing. Methods Two-dimensional frontal plane video of single leg drop, cross over drop, and drop vertical jump dynamic movement trials was analyzed for twenty injured and reconstructed athletes. The position of the knee joint center was tracked in ImageJ software for 500 milliseconds after landing to calculate medio-lateral knee motion velocities and determine normal fluency, the number of times per second knee velocity changed direction. The inverse of this calculation, analytical fluency, was used to associate larger numerical values with fluent movement. Findings Analytical fluency was decreased in involved limbs for single leg drop trials (P=0.0018). Importantly, analytical fluency for single leg drop differed compared to cross over drop trials for involved (P<0.001), but not uninvolved limbs (P=0.5029). For involved limbs, analytical fluency values exhibited a stepwise trend in relative magnitudes. Interpretation Decreased analytical fluency in involved limbs is consistent with previous studies. Fluency asymmetries observed during single leg drop tasks may be indicative of abhorrent landing strategies in the involved limb. Analytical fluency differences in unilateral tasks for injured limbs may represent neuromuscular impairment as a result of injury. PMID:26895446

Short-term effect of strontium- and zinc-containing toothpastes and mouthrinses on volatile sulphur compounds in morning breath: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over clinical study.

PubMed

Soares, Léo G; Jonski, Grazyna; Tinoco, Eduardo M B; Young, Alix

2015-04-01

Zinc (Zn) reduces the formation of volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) associated with oral malodour. Although strontium (Sr) is included in some products for reducing dental hypersensitivity, it may also have anti-halitosis properties. This randomized, double-blind, cross-over clinical study compared the anti-VSC effect of brushing with commercial toothpastes and rinses containing Zn and Sr. The volunteers (n = 30) either brushed/rinsed with/without tongue brushing using Zn-containing toothpaste/rinse, Sr-containing toothpaste/rinse, or placebo (control). Volatile sulphur compounds [hydrogen sulphide (H2 S) and methyl mercaptan (CH3 SH)] were measured, in morning breath, using gas chromatography. The anti-VSC effects of the test toothpastes and test rinses were significantly better than the anti-VSC effects of the respective controls. Toothbrushing with test toothpastes gave median reductions, compared with the control, of 70% for H2 S and 55-57% for CH3 SH. Rinsing with the Sr- and Zn-containing solutions had the same anti-VSC effect as toothbrushing and tooth- and tongue brushing with the Sr- and Zn-containing toothpastes. Zinc-containing rinse resulted in a significantly higher median salivary level of Zn compared with brushing with Zn-containing toothpaste, although this effect did not correlate with the anti-VSC effect. It can be concluded that the Sr- and Zn-containing toothpastes and the Zn- and Sr-containing rinses, when used in the evening, are equally effective in reducing morning-breath VSCs the following day. © 2015 Eur J Oral Sci.

A single-blind cross over study investigating the efficacy of standard and controlled release levodopa in combination with entacapone in the treatment of end-of-dose effect in people with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Iansek, R; Danoudis, M

2011-08-01

To determine the efficacy of standard levodopa combined with controlled release levodopa and entacapone in controlling end-of-dose symptoms in Parkinson's disease. A single-blind cross over design was used to compare the duration of action for three pharmacological combinations: standard levodopa (L/DDC); standard levodopa combined with entacapone (L/DDC/E); and standard levodopa combined with controlled release levodopa (CR) and entacapone (L/DDC/CR/E). Thirty two participants with wearing-off symptoms and inadequate symptom control with L/DDC/E had their optimum dose of L/DDC determined at base line. Entacapone was added to the optimal L/DDC dose and duration of action determined. Levodopa CR dosage was adjusted to match the optimal L/DDC dose for each participant. All participants were then trialed on L/DDC/CR/E and duration of response calculated. Timed Up and Go (TUG) times and magnitude of extra movements were recorded hourly throughout the day over several days to determine the optimum interval between doses for each combination. The UPDRS (Sections 2 and 3), PDQ39 and fatigue scale, the PDF-16, were recorded at base line and when dosage intervals had stabilized on L/DDC/CR/E. Duration of response was greatest with L/DDC/CR/E compared to L/DDC/E (p < 0.001) and number of daily doses were less on L/DDC/CR/E compared to L/DDC/E (p < 0.001). UPDRS, PDQ39 and fatigue scores also improved on L/DDC/CR/E compared to L/DDC (p < 0.001). Dyskinesia increased on L/DDC/CR/E (p = 0.001) however magnitude was mild. Combining standard levodopa and levodopa CR preparations with entacapone is an additional treatment strategy to manage motor fluctuations in advanced PD. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Muscle ultrasound quantifies disease progression over time in infants and young boys with duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Zaidman, Craig M; Malkus, Elizabeth C; Connolly, Anne M

2015-09-01

Quantitative muscle ultrasound (QUS) in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) shows increased echointensity as muscle is replaced with fat and fibrosis. Studies of quantitative ultrasound in infants/young boys with DMD over time have not been reported. We used calibrated muscle backscatter (cMB), a reproducible measure of ultrasound echointensity, to quantify muscle pathology in 5 young boys with DMD (ages 0.5-2.8 years) over 17-29 months. We compared the results with repeated assessments of function (n = 4) and with muscle ultrasound images from a cross-section of 6 male controls (0.6-3.1 years). cMB in boys with DMD increased (worsened) over time (P < 0.001), whereas function improved. After age 2 years, cMB in most (4 of 5) boys with DMD was higher than in any control. QUS measures disease progression in young boys with DMD despite functional improvements. QUS could be employed as an outcome measure for serial assessment of young boys with DMD. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Are Changes in Neighbourhood Perceptions Associated with Changes in Self-Rated Mental Health in Adults? A 13-Year Repeat Cross-Sectional Study, UK.

PubMed

Olsen, Jonathan R; Dundas, Ruth; Ellaway, Anne

2017-11-29

The aim of this study was to examine changes in neighbourhood perceptions on self-rated mental health problems over time, and to explore demographic, geographic and socio-economic factors as determinants of increased or decreased anxiety and depression symptoms. We conducted a repeat cross-sectional study of individuals (N: 4480) living in the same areas of west central Scotland in 1997 and 2010. Individuals were asked to complete a questionnaire at both time-points, containing 14 questions relating to neighbourhood perceptions and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A three-level linear regression model was fitted to HADS scores and changes in neighbourhood perceptions over time; controlling for a number of individual and area-level variables. Overall, area-level mean HADS scores decreased from 1997 to 2010. When adjusted for individual and area-level variables, this decrease did not remain for HADS anxiety. Applying an overall 14-scale neighbourhood perception measure, worsening neighbourhood perceptions were associated with small increases in depression (0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01 to 0.07) and anxiety (0.04, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.08) scores over time. This highlights a need for local and national policy to target areas where neighbourhood characteristics are substantially deteriorating in order to ensure the mental health of individuals does not worsen.

Are Changes in Neighbourhood Perceptions Associated with Changes in Self-Rated Mental Health in Adults? A 13-Year Repeat Cross-Sectional Study, UK

PubMed Central

Ellaway, Anne

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine changes in neighbourhood perceptions on self-rated mental health problems over time, and to explore demographic, geographic and socio-economic factors as determinants of increased or decreased anxiety and depression symptoms. We conducted a repeat cross-sectional study of individuals (N: 4480) living in the same areas of west central Scotland in 1997 and 2010. Individuals were asked to complete a questionnaire at both time-points, containing 14 questions relating to neighbourhood perceptions and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A three-level linear regression model was fitted to HADS scores and changes in neighbourhood perceptions over time; controlling for a number of individual and area-level variables. Overall, area-level mean HADS scores decreased from 1997 to 2010. When adjusted for individual and area-level variables, this decrease did not remain for HADS anxiety. Applying an overall 14-scale neighbourhood perception measure, worsening neighbourhood perceptions were associated with small increases in depression (0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01 to 0.07) and anxiety (0.04, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.08) scores over time. This highlights a need for local and national policy to target areas where neighbourhood characteristics are substantially deteriorating in order to ensure the mental health of individuals does not worsen. PMID:29186035

Concise Syntheses of Insect Pheromones Using Z-Selective Cross Metathesis**

PubMed Central

Herbert, Myles B.; Marx, Vanessa M.; Pederson, Richard L.; Grubbs, Robert H.

2013-01-01

The shortest synthetic routes to nine cis-pheromones containing a variety of functionality, including an unconjugated (E,Z) diene, are reported. These lepidopteran pheromones are used extensively for pest control, and were easily prepared using ruthenium-based Z-selective cross metathesis, highlighting the advantages of this method over less efficient ways to form Z-olefins. Important insight into the mechanism of Z-selective metathesis was uncovered during experimentation and subsequently explored. PMID:23055437

Method of sustaining a radial electric field and poloidal plasma rotation over most of the cross-section of a tokamak

DOEpatents

Darrow, Douglass S.; Ono, Masayuki

1990-03-06

A radial electric field of a desired magnitude and configuration is created throughout a substantial portion of the cross-section of the plasma of a tokamak. The radial electric field is created by injection of a unidirectional electron beam. The magnitude and configuration of the radial electric field may be controlled by the strength of the toroidal magnetic field of the tokamak.

Method of sustaining a radial electric field and poloidal plasma rotation over most of the cross-section of a tokamak

DOEpatents

Darrow, Douglass S.; Ono, Masayuki

1990-01-01

A radial electric field of a desired magnitude and configuration is created hroughout a substantial portion of the cross-section of the plasma of a tokamak. The radial electric field is created by injection of a unidirectional electron beam. The magnitude and configuration of the radial electric field may be controlled by the strength of the toroidal magnetic field of the tokamak.

Body mass index, immune status, and virological control in HIV-infected men who have sex with men.

PubMed

Blashill, Aaron J; Mayer, Kenneth H; Crane, Heidi M; Grasso, Chris; Safren, Steven A

2013-01-01

Prior cross-sectional studies have found inconsistent relationships between body mass index (BMI) and disease progression in HIV-infected individuals. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted on data from a sample of 864 HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) obtained from a large, nationally distributed HIV clinical cohort. Of the 864 HIV-infected MSM, 394 (46%) were of normal weight, 363 (42%) were overweight, and 107 (12%) were obese at baseline. The baseline CD4 count was 493 (standard error [SE] = 9), with viral load (log10) = 2.4 (SE = .04), and 561 (65%) were virologically suppressed. Over time, controlling for viral load, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) adherence, age, and race/ethnicity, overweight and obese HIV-infected men possessed higher CD4 counts than that of normal weight HIV-infected men. Further, overweight and obese men possessed lower viral loads than that of normal weight HIV-infected men. For HIV-infected MSM, in this longitudinal cohort study, possessing a heavier than normal BMI is longitudinally associated with improved immunological health.

Putting it altogether: improving performance in heart failure outcomes, part 2.

PubMed

Clancy, Thomas R

2009-09-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 10th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. As follow-up to the case study in this column's June 2009 article, this article highlights the interventions and outcomes of the study.

Adaptation of Diaphyseal Structure with Aging and Increased Mechanical Usage in the Adult Rat: A Histomorphometrical and Biomechanical Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jee, Webster S. S.; Li, Xiao Jian; Schaffler, Mitchell B.

1991-01-01

The experimental increase in mechanical usage or overloading of the left hindlimb was produced by immobilization of the contralateral hindlimb. The right hindlimb was placed in a flexed position against the body and was immobilized using an elastic bandage. Some control animals were sacrificed initially at time zero and increased mechanical usage and age-matched control animals were sacrificed after 2, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of treatment. All animals received double bone fluorochrome labeling prior to sacrifice. Cortical bone histomorphometry and cross-sectional moments of inertia were determined. Marrow cavity enlargement and total cross-sectional area expansion represented the age-related cortical bone changes. Increased mechanical usage enhanced periosteal bone modeling in the formation mode and dampened endocortical bone remodeling and bone modeling in the resorption mode (resorption drift) to create a slight positive bone balance. These observations are in general agreement with Frost's postulate for mechanical effects on bone modeling and remodeling. The maximum moment of inertia did not change significantly in either control or overloaded tibial shafts. The minimum and polar moment of inertias in overloaded bones increases over those of controls at 18 and 26 weeks of the experiment.

Adaptation of Diaphyseal Structure With Aging and Increased Mechanical Usage in the Adult Rat: A Histomorphometrical and Biomechanical Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jee, Webster S. S.; Li, Xiao Jian; Schaffler, Mitchell B.

1991-01-01

The experimental increase in mechanical usage or overloading of the left hindlimb was produced by immobilization of the contralateral hindlimb. The right hindlimb was placed in a flexed position against the body and was immobilized using an elastic bandage. Some control animals were sacrificed initially at time zero and increased mechanical usage and age-matched control animals were sacrificed after 2, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of treatment. All animals received double bone fluorochrome labeling prior to sacrifice. Cortical bone histomorphometry and cross-sectional moments of inertia were determined. Marrow cavity enlargement and total cross-sectional area expansion represented the age-related cortical bone changes. Increased mechanical usage enhanced periosteal bone modeling in the formation mode and dampened endocortical bone remodeling and bone modeling in the resorption mode (resorption drift) to create a slight positive bone balance. These observations are in general agreement with Frost's postulate for mechanical effects on bone modeling and remodeling. The maximum moment of inertia did not change significantly in either control or overloaded tibial shafts. The minimum and polar moment of inertias in overloaded bones increases over those of controls at 18 and 26 weeks of the experiment.

Decreased physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with ankylosing spondylitis: a cross-sectional controlled study.

PubMed

O'Dwyer, Tom; O'Shea, Finbar; Wilson, Fiona

2015-11-01

The health benefits of physical activity (PA) in the general population are numerous; however, few studies have measured PA among adults with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The aims of this study were to: (1) objectively measure the PA levels and cardiorespiratory fitness of adults with AS and compare these to population controls, and (2) examine the relationships between PA, cardiorespiratory function and condition-specific outcomes. This cross-sectional study included participants (>18 years) meeting the modified New York criteria for AS, and matched population controls. Exclusion criteria were the presence of comorbidities limiting PA, or recent changes in medication usage. Participants completed clinical questionnaires assessing disease activity, physical function and quality of life. Tri-axial accelerometers recorded habitual PA over 1 week. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by submaximal treadmill test with breath-by-breath gas analysis and heart rate monitoring. Thirty-nine adults with AS and 39 controls were recruited. The AS group spent significantly less time performing vigorous-intensity PA than controls [mean difference (95 % CI) 1.8 min/day (1.2-2.7)] and performed significantly fewer bouts of health-enhancing PA [1.7 min/day (1.1-2.5)]. The AS group had significantly lower predicted VO(2MAX) than controls [6.0 mL kg(-1) min(-1) (1.8-10.1)]. PA was associated with aerobic capacity. Sedentary time was associated with disease activity and physical function. Adults with AS participate in less health-enhancing PA than population controls. Fewer than half meet PA recommendations, despite exercise being a key component of AS management. Explorations of PA behaviour and strategies to increase PA participation are needed.

Anti-mite measurements in mite-sensitive adult asthma. A controlled trial.

PubMed

Burr, M L; St Leger, A S; Neale, E

1976-02-14

A cross-over controlled trial has been conducted among 32 adult patients with mite-sensitive asthma. The bedclothes and pillows of each subject were laundered and vacuum-cleaned and a plastic cover applied to the mattress for six weeks in an attempt to reduce exposure to mites. No improvement in daily peak-flow reading or drug usage was found in comparison with a control period.

Reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in hospitals: study protocol for a multi-site randomised controlled study.

PubMed

Mitchell, Brett G; Fasugba, Oyebola; Gardner, Anne; Koerner, Jane; Collignon, Peter; Cheng, Allen C; Graves, Nicholas; Morey, Peter; Gregory, Victoria

2017-11-28

Despite advances in infection prevention and control, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are common and remain problematic. A number of measures can be taken to reduce the risk of CAUTI in hospitals. Appropriate urinary catheter insertion procedures are one such method. Reducing bacterial colonisation around the meatal or urethral area has the potential to reduce CAUTI risk. However, evidence about the best antiseptic solutions for meatal cleaning is mixed, resulting in conflicting recommendations in guidelines internationally. This paper presents the protocol for a study to evaluate the effectiveness (objective 1) and cost-effectiveness (objective 2) of using chlorhexidine in meatal cleaning prior to catheter insertion, in reducing catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria and CAUTI. A stepped wedge randomised controlled trial will be undertaken in three large Australian hospitals over a 32-week period. The intervention in this study is the use of chlorhexidine (0.1%) solution for meatal cleaning prior to catheter insertion. During the first 8 weeks of the study, no hospital will receive the intervention. After 8 weeks, one hospital will cross over to the intervention with the other two participating hospitals crossing over to the intervention at 8-week intervals respectively based on randomisation. All sites complete the trial at the same time in 2018. The primary outcomes for objective 1 (effectiveness) are the number of cases of CAUTI and catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria per 100 catheter days will be analysed separately using Poisson regression. The primary outcome for objective 2 (cost-effectiveness) is the changes in costs relative to health benefits (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio) from adoption of the intervention. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journals and presentations at relevant conferences.A dissemination plan it being developed. Results will be published in the peer review literature, presented at relevant conferences and communicated via professional networks. Ethics approval has been obtained. 12617000373370, approved 13/03/2017. Protocol version 1.1. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A longitudinal analysis of alcohol outlet density and domestic violence.

PubMed

Livingston, Michael

2011-05-01

A small number of studies have identified a positive relationship between alcohol outlet density and domestic violence. These studies have all been based on cross-sectional data and have been limited to the assessment of ecological correlations between outlet density and domestic violence rates. This study provides the first longitudinal examination of this relationship. Cross-sectional time-series using aggregated data from small areas. The relationships between alcohol outlet density and domestic violence were assessed over time using a fixed-effects model. Controls for the spatial autocorrelation of the data were included in the model. The study uses data for 186 postcodes from within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Australia for the years 1996 to 2005. Alcohol outlet density measures for three different types of outlets (hotel/pub, packaged liquor, on-premise) were derived from liquor licensing records and domestic violence rates were calculated from police-recorded crime data, based on the victim's postcode. Alcohol outlet density was associated significantly with rates of domestic violence, over time. All three licence categories were positively associated with domestic violence rates, with small effects for general (pub) and on-premise licences and a large effect for packaged liquor licences. In Melbourne, the density of liquor licences is positively associated with rates of domestic violence over time. The effects were particularly large for packaged liquor outlets, suggesting a need for licensing policies that pay more attention to o off-premise alcohol availability. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Fan-shaped antennas: Realization of wideband characteristics and generation of stop bands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakano, H.; Morishita, K.; Iitsuka, Y.; Mimaki, H.; Yoshida, T.; Yamauchi, J.

2008-08-01

This paper presents four fan-shaped antennas: U.S.-FAN, CROSS-FAN, CROSS-FAN-W, and CROSS-FAN-S. Each of these antennas stands upright above a ground plane, and has edges expressed by an exponential function and a circle function. The four antennas are investigated using frequencies from 1.5 GHz to 11 GHz. The CROSS-FAN is found to have a lower VSWR over a wide frequency band compared to the U.S.-FAN. The CROSS-FAN-W and CROSS-FAN-S are modified versions of the CROSS-FAN, each designed to have a stop band (a high VSWR frequency range) for interference cancellation. The stop band for the CROSS-FAN-W is controlled by a wire (total length 4Lwire) that connects the fan-shaped elements. The center frequency of the stop band fstop is close to the frequency corresponding to a wire segment length Lwire of half the wavelength. It is also found that the stop band in the CROSS-FAN-S can be controlled by four slots, one cut into each of the fan-shaped elements. The center frequency of the stop band fstop is close to the frequency corresponding to a slot length Lslot of one-quarter of the wavelength. Experimental work is performed to confirm the theoretical results, using the CROSS-FAN-S.

Tranexamic acid therapy in ulcerative colitis

PubMed Central

Hollanders, D.; Thomson, Jean M.; Schofield, Phillip F.

1982-01-01

The antifibrinolytic drug tranexamic acid was assessed in controlling bleeding in 12 patients with left-sided proctocolitis. The study was designed as a double-blind cross-over trial employing a dose of 4·5 g of tranexamic acid/day together with identical placebo. A statistically significant reduction in rectal bleeding was achieved in 50% of cases with a minimum of side effects. Sigmoidoscopic grading of rectal mucosal appearances was improved. Frequency of diarrhoea and stool consistency were not altered. Tranexamic acid may have a part to play in the management of selected patients with ulcerative colitis in whom bleeding is difficult to control with orthodox treatment. PMID:6980404

Determination of channel change for selected streams, Maricopa County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Capesius, Joseph P.; Lehman, Ted W.

2002-01-01

In Maricopa County, Arizona, 10 sites on seven streams were studied to determine the lateral and vertical change of the channel. Channel change was studied over time scales ranging from individual floods to decades using cross-section surveys, discharge measurements, changes in the point of zero flow, and repeat photography. All of the channels showed some change in cross-section area or hydraulic radius over the time scales studied, but the direction and mag-nitude of change varied considerably from one flow, or series of flows, to another. The documentation of cross-section geometry for streams in Maricopa County for long-term monitoring was begun in this study.

What Can Repeated Cross-Sectional Studies Tell Us about Student Growth? Research Report. ETS RR-12-17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almond, Russell G.; Sinharay, Sandip

2012-01-01

To answer questions about how students' proficiencies are changing over time, educational researchers are looking for data sources that span many years. Clearly, for answering questions about student growth, a longitudinal study--in which a single sample is followed over many years--is preferable to repeated cross-sectional samples--in which a…

Comparison of standing postural control and gait parameters in people with and without chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional case-control study.

PubMed

MacRae, Catharine Siân; Critchley, Duncan; Lewis, Jeremy S; Shortland, Adam

2018-01-01

Differences in postural control and gait have been identified between people with and without chronic low back pain (CLBP); however, many previous studies present data from small samples, or have used methodologies with questionable reliability. This study, employing robust methodology, hypothesised that there would be a difference in postural control, and spatiotemporal parameters of gait in people with CLBP compared with asymptomatic individuals. This cross-sectional case-control study age-matched and gender-matched 16 CLBP and 16 asymptomatic participants. Participants were assessed barefoot (1) standing, over three 40 s trials, under four posture challenging conditions (2) during gait. Primary outcome was postural stability (assessed by root mean squared error of centre of pressure (CoP) displacement (CoP RMSEAP ) and mean CoP velocity (CoP VELAP ), both in the anteroposterior direction); gait outcomes were hip range of movement and peak moments, walking speed, cadence and stride length, assessed using force plates and a motion analysis system. There were no differences between groups in CoP RMSEAP (P=0.26), or CoP VELAP (P=0.60) for any standing condition. During gait, no differences were observed between groups for spatiotemporal parameters, maximum, minimum and total ranges of hip movement, or peak hip flexor or extensor moments in the sagittal plane. In contrast to previous research, this study suggests that people with mild to moderate CLBP present with similar standing postural control, and parameters of gait to asymptomatic individuals. Treatments directed at influencing postural stability (eg, standing on a wobble board) or specific parameters of gait may be an unnecessary addition to a treatment programme.

Trends in Daily Newspaper and Broadcast Ownership, 1922-1970

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterling, Christopher H.

1975-01-01

Seeks to answer the question of how much media control has been concentrated in the top 100 markets over the past half century, examining the trends in broadcasting and cross-media (newspaper-broadcasting) ownership within those markets. (RB)

Work ability in nursing: relationship with psychological demands and control over the work.

PubMed

Prochnow, Andrea; Magnago, Tânia Solange Bosi de Souza; Urbanetto, Janete de Souza; Beck, Carmem Lúcia Colomé; Lima, Suzinara Beatriz Soares de; Greco, Patrícia Bitencourt Toscani

2013-01-01

to evaluate the association between psychological demands, control over the work and the reduction of work ability of nursing professionals. this cross-sectional study involved 498 nursing professionals of a university hospital in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data collection was carried out in 2009 using the Brazilian versions of the Work Ability Index and Job Stress Scale, with logistic regression models used for the data analysis. the prevalence of 43.3% for reduced work ability and 29.7% for high-strain in the job (high psychological demand and low control) were observed. The chances for professionals presenting reduced work ability under high-strain were higher and significant when compared to those classified as being under low-strain, even after adjusting for potential confounders, except for age and gender. a high prevalence of reduced work ability was observed. This evidence indicates the need for investigation and detailed analysis of the psychosocial aspects of the professionals with regard to the health/disease process of nursing professionals.

Military and Security Developments Involving the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report to Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

underground, cross-border tunnels to attack high-value targets like command and control nodes or air bases. Theater Ballistic Missiles. North Korea has...fomenting unrest and revolution. Command and Control. The DPRK National Defense Commission ( NDC ) is the symbolic nominal authority over the North’s...and control is exercised by its subordinate General Staff Department. The 1992 constitution gives control of the North’s military to the NDC , and

Sinonasal inhalation of dornase alfa administered by vibrating aerosol to cystic fibrosis patients: a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over trial.

PubMed

Mainz, Jochen G; Schien, Claudia; Schiller, Isabella; Schädlich, Katja; Koitschev, Assen; Koitschev, Christiane; Riethmüller, Joachim; Graepler-Mainka, Uta; Wiedemann, Bärbel; Beck, James F

2014-07-01

Chronic rhinosinusitis significantly impairs CF patients' quality of life and overall health. The Pari-Sinus™ device delivers vibrating aerosol effectively to paranasal sinuses. After a small pilot study to assess sinonasal inhalation of dornase alfa and placebo (isotonic saline) on potential sinonasal outcome measures, we present the subsequent prospective double-blind placebo-controlled crossover-trial. 23 CF patients were randomised to inhale either dornase alfa or isotonic saline for 28 days with the Pari-Sinus™ and after 28 days (wash-out) crossed over to the alternative treatment. The primary outcome parameter was primary nasal symptom score in the disease-specific quality of life Sino-Nasal Outcome-Test-20 (SNOT-20: nasal obstruction/sneezing/runny nose/thick nasal discharge/reduced smelling). Primary nasal symptoms improved significantly with dornase alfa compared with no treatment, while small improvements with isotonic saline did not reach significance. SNOT-20 overall scores improved significantly after dornase alfa compared with isotonic saline (p=0.017). Additionally, sinonasal dornase alfa but not isotonic saline significantly improved pulmonary function (FEF75-25: p=0.021). Vibrating sinonasal inhalation of dornase alfa reduces rhinosinusitis symptoms in CF. Copyright © 2014 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving processes through evolutionary optimization.

PubMed

Clancy, Thomas R

2011-09-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies on complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 18th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. In this article, I discuss methods to optimize complex healthcare processes through learning, adaptation, and evolutionary planning.

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.

Levator Muscle Enlargement in Thyroid Eye Disease-Related Upper Eyelid Retraction.

PubMed

Davies, Michael J; Dolman, Peter J

To identify levator palpebrae superioris enlargement in thyroid eye disease (TED)-related upper eyelid retraction (ULR). Retrospective case-control. Subjects included 50 consecutive patients with unilateral thyroid eye disease-related ULR ≥ 2 mm and no previous eyelid surgery. The contralateral side was used as control. Clinical information was recorded from charts. CT scans were assessed by investigators blinded to the clinical data. A prediction of retracted side was made based on CT scan appearance and on basis of measured levator palpebrae superioris cross-sectional area at 2 defined points. Statistical analysis determined correlation between levator palpebrae superioris size and presence of ULR. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Side with ULR predicted from CT scan review in over 85% of cases. Mean cross-sectional area of levator palpebrae superioris on retracted side was significantly larger than nonretracted side at 2 separate sites. Levator palpebrae superioris area was larger on retracted side compared with nonretracted side in over 85% of subjects. More than 30% of subjects had no enlargement of other extraocular muscles. Only 6% of patients had enlargement of the ipsilateral inferior rectus muscle. Levator palpebrae superioris enlargement from inflammation or scar is a factor in thyroid eye disease-related ULR. Upper eyelid retraction can be predicted from CT scan appearance in over 85% of cases. Ipsilateral inferior rectus enlargement is rare. Levator palpebrae superioris is the most commonly targeted muscle in thyroid eye disease.

Effects of Acute Exercise on Resting EEG in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

PubMed

Huang, Chung-Ju; Huang, Ching-Wen; Hung, Chiao-Ling; Tsai, Yu-Jung; Chang, Yu-Kai; Wu, Chien-Ting; Hung, Tsung-Min

2018-06-05

This two stage study examined the effects of acute exercise on resting electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The first stage compared the neural oscillatory patterns of children with and without ADHD. Resting EEGs were recorded under an open-eyes condition from 24 boys with ADHD and 28 matched controls. The second stage of the study employed a randomized cross-over trial design. The 24 boys with ADHD engaged in a 30-min intervention that consisted of either running on a treadmill or watching a video on alternative days, with resting EEGs recorded before and after treatment. The first stage found that children with ADHD exhibited significantly higher theta/beta ratios over the midline electrodes sites than controls. The second stage further indicated that children with ADHD displayed smaller theta/beta ratios following the exercise condition compared with the video-watching condition. This finding suggests that acute exercise normalizes arousal and alertness of children with ADHD, as reflected in resting EEG readings.

Crossed-field divertor for a plasma device

DOEpatents

Kerst, Donald W.; Strait, Edward J.

1981-01-01

A divertor for removal of unwanted materials from the interior of a magnetic plasma confinement device includes the division of the wall of the device into segments insulated from each other in order to apply an electric field having a component perpendicular to the confining magnetic field. The resulting crossed-field drift causes electrically charged particles to be removed from the outer part of the confinement chamber to a pumping chamber. This method moves the particles quickly past the saddle point in the poloidal magnetic field where they would otherwise tend to stall, and provides external control over the rate of removal by controlling the magnitude of the electric field.

Effects of synbiotic food consumption on metabolic status of diabetic patients: a double-blind randomized cross-over controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Asemi, Zatollah; Khorrami-Rad, Ashraf; Alizadeh, Sabihe-Alsadat; Shakeri, Hossein; Esmaillzadeh, Ahmad

2014-04-01

We are aware of no study indicating the effects of synbiotic food consumption on metabolic profiles, inflammation and oxidative stress among diabetic patients. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of synbiotic food consumption on metabolic profiles, hs-CRP and biomarkers of oxidative stress in diabetic patients. This randomized double-blinded cross-over controlled clinical trial was performed among 62 diabetic patients aged 35-70 y. After a 2-wk run-in period, subjects were randomly assigned to consume either a synbiotic (n = 62) or control food (n = 62) for 6 weeks. A 3-week washout period was applied following which subjects were crossed over to the alternate treatment arm for an additional 6 weeks. The synbiotic food consisted of a probiotic viable and heat-resistant Lactobacillus sporogenes (1 × 10(7) CFU), 0.04 g inulin (HPX) as prebiotic with 0.38 g isomalt, 0.36 g sorbitol and 0.05 g stevia as sweetener per 1 g. Control food (the same substance without probiotic bacteria and prebiotic inulin) was packed in identical 9-gram packages. Patients were asked to consume the synbiotic and control foods three times a day. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after a 6-wk intervention to measure metabolic profiles, hs-CRP and biomarkers of oxidative stress. Consumption of a synbiotic food, compared to the control, resulted in a significant decrease in serum insulin levels (changes from baseline: -1.75 ± 0.60 vs. +0.95 ± 1.09 μIU/mL, P = 0.03). Although we failed to find a significant effect of synbiotic food consumption on total- and LDL-cholesterol levels and HOMA-IR, the effects on FPG (22.3 vs. 4.2 mg/dL, P = 0.09), serum triglycerides (45.9 vs. 20.6 mg/dL, P = 0.08) and HDL-cholesterol levels (3.1 vs. -2 mg/dL, P = 0.06) tended to be significant. A significant reduction in serum hs-CRP levels (-1057.86 ± 283.74 vs. 95.40 ± 385.38 ng/mL, P = 0.01) was found following the consumption of synbiotic food compared with the control group. Supplementation with the synbiotic food led to a significant increase in plasma total GSH (319.98 vs. 19.73 μmol/L, P < 0.001) and serum uric acid levels (+0.7 vs. -0.1 mg/dL, P = 0.04) compared to the control food. No significant effect of the synbiotic food was observed on plasma TAC levels. In conclusion, consumption of a synbiotic food for 6 weeks among diabetic patients had significant effects on serum insulin, hs-CRP, uric acid and plasma total GSH levels. www.irct.ir: IRCT201201195623N1. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Tryptophan depletion in chronic fatigue syndrome, a pilot cross-over study.

PubMed

The, Gerard K H; Verkes, Robbert J; Fekkes, Durk; Bleijenberg, Gijs; van der Meer, Jos W M; Buitelaar, Jan K

2014-09-16

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is still an enigmatic disorder. CFS can be regarded as a complex disorder with tremendous impact on lives of CFS-patients. Full recovery without treatment is rare. A somatic explanation for the fatigue is lacking. There is clinical and experimental evidence implicating enhanced serotonergic neurotransmission in CFS. Genetic studies and imaging studies support the hypothesis of upregulated serotonin system in CFS. In line with the hypothesis of an increased serotonergic state in CFS, we performed a randomised clinical trial investigated the effect of 5-HT3 receptor antagonism in CFS. No benefit was found of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron compared to placebo.To further investigate the involvement of serotonin in CFS we performed a placebo controlled cross over pilot study investigating the effect of Acute Tryptophan Depletion. Five female CFS-patients who met the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for CFS were recruited. There were two test days, one week apart. Each participant received placebo and ATD. To evaluate the efficacy of the ATD procedure tryptophan and the large neutral amino acids were measured. The outcome measures were fatigue severity, concentration and mood states. ATD resulted in a significant plasma tryptophan to large neutral amino acid ratio reduction of 96%. There were no significant differences in fatigue-, depression and concentration between the placebo- and ATD condition. These first five CFS-patients did not respond to the ATD procedure. However, a much larger sample size is needed to draw final conclusions on the hypothesis of an increased serotonergic state in the pathophysiology of CFS. ISRCTN07518149.

Effects of timolol and atenolol on benign essential tremor: placebo-controlled studies based on quantitative tremor recording.

PubMed

Dietrichson, P; Espen, E

1981-08-01

Two different beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists, atenolol and timolol, were separately compared with a placebo in the suppression of essential tremor. In two-week single-blind placebo-controlled studies with cross-over, timolol (5 mg twice daily) and atenolol (100 mg once daily) produced an equal reduction in sitting heart rate and sitting blood pressure. Timolol was effective in reducing tremor while atenolol failed to reduce tremor amplitude. These results indicate that essential tremor can be reduced but not blocked, by the adrenergic blocker timolol with both beta 1 and beta 2 blocking properties; but not by the relatively selective beta 1 blocking drug atenolol. Possibly, the tremor reduction is medicated by a peripheral effect on beta 2 adrenoreceptors.

Testing Alternative Explanations for the Associations Between Parenting and Adolescent Suicidal Problems

PubMed Central

Boeninger, Daria K.; Masyn, Katherine E.; Conger, Rand D.

2012-01-01

Although studies have established associations between parenting characteristics and adolescent suicidality, the strength of the evidence for these links remains unclear, largely because of methodological limitations, including lack of accounting for possible child effects on parenting. This study addresses these issues by using autoregressive cross-lag models with data on 802 adolescents and their parents across 5 years. Observed parenting behaviors predicted change in adolescent suicidal problems across one-year intervals even after controlling for adolescents’ effects on parenting. Nurturant-involved parenting continued to demonstrate salutary effects after controlling for adolescent and parent internalizing psychopathology: over time, observed nurturant-involved parenting reduced the likelihood of adolescent suicidal problems. This study increases the empirical support implicating parenting behaviors in the developmental course of adolescent suicidality. PMID:24244079

Ultrafast intersystem-crossing in platinum containing π-conjugated polymers with tunable spin-orbit coupling.

PubMed

Sheng, C-X; Singh, S; Gambetta, A; Drori, T; Tong, M; Tretiak, S; Vardeny, Z V

2013-01-01

The development of efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) and organic photovoltaic cells requires control over the dynamics of spin sensitive excitations. Embedding heavy metal atoms in π-conjugated polymer chains enhances the spin-orbit coupling (SOC), and thus facilitates intersystem crossing (ISC) from the singlet to triplet manifolds. Here we use various nonlinear optical spectroscopies such as two-photon absorption and electroabsorption in conjunction with electronic structure calculations, for studying the energies, emission bands and ultrafast dynamics of spin photoexcitations in two newly synthesized π-conjugated polymers that contain intrachain platinum (Pt) atoms separated by one (Pt-1) or three (Pt-3) organic spacer units. The controllable SOC in these polymers leads to a record ISC time of <~1 ps in Pt-1 and ~6 ps in Pt-3. The tunable ultrafast ISC rate modulates the intensity ratio of the phosphorescence and fluorescence emission bands, with potential applications for white OLEDs.

Secoiridoids delivered as olive leaf extract induce acute improvements in human vascular function and reduction of an inflammatory cytokine: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial.

PubMed

Lockyer, Stacey; Corona, Giulia; Yaqoob, Parveen; Spencer, Jeremy P E; Rowland, Ian

2015-07-14

The leaves of the olive plant (Olea europaea) are rich in polyphenols, of which oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol (HT) are most characteristic. Such polyphenols have been demonstrated to favourably modify a variety of cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of the present intervention was to investigate the influence of olive leaf extract (OLE) on vascular function and inflammation in a postprandial setting and to link physiological outcomes with absorbed phenolics. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, acute intervention trial was conducted with eighteen healthy volunteers (nine male, nine female), who consumed either OLE (51 mg oleuropein; 10 mg HT), or a matched control (separated by a 4-week wash out) on a single occasion. Vascular function was measured by digital volume pulse (DVP), while blood collected at baseline, 1, 3 and 6 h was cultured for 24 h in the presence of lipopolysaccharide in order to investigate effects on cytokine production. Urine was analysed for phenolic metabolites by HPLC. DVP-stiffness index and ex vivo IL-8 production were significantly reduced (P< 0.05) after consumption of OLE compared to the control. These effects were accompanied by the excretion of several phenolic metabolites, namely HT and oleuropein derivatives, which peaked in urine after 8-24 h. The present study provides the first evidence that OLE positively modulates vascular function and IL-8 production in vivo, adding to growing evidence that olive phenolics could be beneficial for health.

Low latency adaptive streaming of HD H.264 video over 802.11 wireless networks with cross-layer feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patti, Andrew; Tan, Wai-tian; Shen, Bo

2007-09-01

Streaming video in consumer homes over wireless IEEE 802.11 networks is becoming commonplace. Wireless 802.11 networks pose unique difficulties for streaming high definition (HD), low latency video due to their error-prone physical layer and media access procedures which were not designed for real-time traffic. HD video streaming, even with sophisticated H.264 encoding, is particularly challenging due to the large number of packet fragments per slice. Cross-layer design strategies have been proposed to address the issues of video streaming over 802.11. These designs increase streaming robustness by imposing some degree of monitoring and control over 802.11 parameters from application level, or by making the 802.11 layer media-aware. Important contributions are made, but none of the existing approaches directly take the 802.11 queuing into account. In this paper we take a different approach and propose a cross-layer design allowing direct, expedient control over the wireless packet queue, while obtaining timely feedback on transmission status for each packet in a media flow. This method can be fully implemented on a media sender with no explicit support or changes required to the media client. We assume that due to congestion or deteriorating signal-to-noise levels, the available throughput may drop substantially for extended periods of time, and thus propose video source adaptation methods that allow matching the bit-rate to available throughput. A particular H.264 slice encoding is presented to enable seamless stream switching between streams at multiple bit-rates, and we explore using new computationally efficient transcoding methods when only a high bit-rate stream is available.

Phenobarbitone versus phenytoin for treatment of neonatal seizures: an open-label randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Pathak, Garima; Upadhyay, Amit; Pathak, Umesh; Chawla, Deepak; Goel, Sneh P

2013-08-01

To compare the efficacy of phenobarbitone and phenytoin for treatment of neonatal seizures in term and near-term neonates. Open labeled randomized controlled trial. Neonatal intensive care unit of a level II unit from India, from November 2008 to September 2009. All term and late pre-term neonates admitted with clinically apparent seizures and not having any transient metabolic disorders (hypoglycemia or hypocalcemia) were randomly assigned. Phenobarbitone (n=54) or phenytoin (n=55) intravenously 20 mg/kg/dose over 20-30 min. Neonates whose seizures were not controlled by the assigned drug were then crossed over to be treated with other drug in same dose. Clinical control of seizures (seizure free period of 24 hours after giving anticonvulsant). Baseline characteristics including mean birthweight, gestation age and sex were comparable in both groups. Seizures were controlled in 8 of the 55 (14.5%) neonates who received phenytoin, as compared to 39 of 54 (72.2%) neonates who received phenobarbitone (P <0.001). In babies not responding to assigned drugs, after cross-over to the other drug, seizure control was achieved in 44/55 (80%) of the neonates assigned to receive phenytoin first as compared to 49/54 (91%) of those assigned to receive phenobarbitone first (P=0.014). After maximum dose of phenobarbitone seizures were controlled in 49/55(89%) in phenytoin group and 52/54 (96%) in phenobarbitone group (P<0.05). Phenobarbitone is more efficacious than phenytoin in control of clinical seizures in term or near-term neonates, irrespective of etiology. To evaluate serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during the induction phase of chemotherapy.

'Poor me' versus 'Bad me' paranoia: the association between self-beliefs and the instability of persecutory ideation.

PubMed

Melo, Sara Sigmaringa; Bentall, Richard P

2013-06-01

To investigate whether different self-attributes would be associated with different degrees of deservedness of persecution in a clinical paranoid sample. Some studies have shown differences between the self-esteem (SE) of individuals with 'Poor Me' (PM) and 'Bad Me' (BM) paranoia (Bentall et al., 2009; Chadwick, Trower, Juusti-Butler, & Maguire, 2005). Most studies investigating this relationship have employed a cross-sectional design, precluding the investigation of changes over time. In the cross-sectional part of the study, 45 clinical participants and 25 controls were assessed in terms of paranoia, deservedness of persecution, SE, self-discrepancies, daily events, and coping strategies. In the longitudinal part of the study, the clinical group was re-assessed over a period of another 2 days, in order to study changes in these variables. At baseline, there were no differences between the SE of the two paranoia presentations, which was significantly lower than the controls'. However, the paired-samples repeated analysis found the SE of individuals when in a PM presentation was higher than when they were BM. Only BM paranoia was found to be associated with higher self-ideal:self-actual self-discrepancies than the other groups. The longitudinal analysis indicated that, having been PM and having low SE at the previous assessment day made it more likely that individuals would be in BM subsequently. No differences in causal attributions made for ecological events were found between the groups. Higher SE was found to be more likely when individuals coped with adversities by using social support. Both deservedness of persecution and self-views appear to be unstable in individuals with paranoia and to change consistently over time, a finding which is in keeping with Bentall et al.'s (2001) dynamic model of paranoia. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

How Changes in Psychosocial Job Characteristics Impact Burnout in Nurses: A Longitudinal Analysis.

PubMed

Pisanti, Renato; van der Doef, Margot; Maes, Stan; Meier, Laurenz Linus; Lazzari, David; Violani, Cristiano

2016-01-01

The main aim of this longitudinal study was to test the Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model and to analyze whether changes in psychosocial job characteristics are related to (changes in) burnout. Previous studies on the effects of JDCS variables on burnout dimensions have indicated that the iso-strain hypothesis (i.e., high job demands, low control, and low support additively predict high stress reactions) and the buffer hypotheses (i.e., high job control and/or social support is expected to moderate the negative impact of high demands on stress reactions) have hardly been examined concurrently in a longitudinal design; and that the effects of changes of psychosocial job variables on burnout dimensions have hardly been analyzed. This two wave study was carried out over a period of 14 months in a sample of 217 Italian nurses. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the cross lagged main and interactive effects of JDCS variables, and to analyse the across-time effects of changes in JDCS dimensions on burnout variables. The Time 1 job characteristics explained 2-8% of the variance in the Time 2 burnout dimensions, but no support for the additive, or the buffer hypothesis of the JDCS model was found. Changes in job characteristics explained an additional 3-20% of variance in the Time 2 burnout dimensions. Specifically, high levels of emotional exhaustion at Time 2 were explained by high levels of social support at Time 1, and unfavorable changes in demands, control, and support over time; high depersonalization at Time 2 was explained by high social support at time 1 and by an increase in demands over time; and high personal accomplishment at Time 2 was predicted by high demands, high control, interactive effect demands × control × social support, at Time 1, and by a decrease in demands over time. No reversed effects of burnout on work characteristics have been found. Our findings suggest that the work environment is subject to changes: the majority of employees experienced considerable changes in all job conditions over time. These changes impacted employee burnout. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.

How Changes in Psychosocial Job Characteristics Impact Burnout in Nurses: A Longitudinal Analysis

PubMed Central

Pisanti, Renato; van der Doef, Margot; Maes, Stan; Meier, Laurenz Linus; Lazzari, David; Violani, Cristiano

2016-01-01

Aims: The main aim of this longitudinal study was to test the Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model and to analyze whether changes in psychosocial job characteristics are related to (changes in) burnout. Background: Previous studies on the effects of JDCS variables on burnout dimensions have indicated that the iso-strain hypothesis (i.e., high job demands, low control, and low support additively predict high stress reactions) and the buffer hypotheses (i.e., high job control and/or social support is expected to moderate the negative impact of high demands on stress reactions) have hardly been examined concurrently in a longitudinal design; and that the effects of changes of psychosocial job variables on burnout dimensions have hardly been analyzed. Design: This two wave study was carried out over a period of 14 months in a sample of 217 Italian nurses. Method: Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the cross lagged main and interactive effects of JDCS variables, and to analyse the across-time effects of changes in JDCS dimensions on burnout variables. Results: The Time 1 job characteristics explained 2–8% of the variance in the Time 2 burnout dimensions, but no support for the additive, or the buffer hypothesis of the JDCS model was found. Changes in job characteristics explained an additional 3–20% of variance in the Time 2 burnout dimensions. Specifically, high levels of emotional exhaustion at Time 2 were explained by high levels of social support at Time 1, and unfavorable changes in demands, control, and support over time; high depersonalization at Time 2 was explained by high social support at time 1 and by an increase in demands over time; and high personal accomplishment at Time 2 was predicted by high demands, high control, interactive effect demands × control × social support, at Time 1, and by a decrease in demands over time. No reversed effects of burnout on work characteristics have been found. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the work environment is subject to changes: the majority of employees experienced considerable changes in all job conditions over time. These changes impacted employee burnout. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed. PMID:27507952

Low-speed wind tunnel investigation of the stability and control characteristics of a series of flying wings with sweep angles of 60 deg

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moul, Thomas M.; Fears, Scott P.; Ross, Holly M.; Foster, John V.

1995-01-01

A wind tunnel investigation was conducted in the Langley 12-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel to study the low-speed stability and control characteristics of a series of four flying wings over an extended range of angle of attack (-8 deg to 48 deg). Because of the current emphasis on reducing the radar cross section of new military aircraft, the planform of each wing was composed of lines swept at a relatively high angle of 60 deg, and all the trailing-edge lines were aligned with one of the two leading edges. Three arrow planforms with different aspect ratios and one diamond planform were tested. The models incorporated leading-edge flaps for improved pitching-moment characteristics and lateral stability and had three sets of trailing-edge flaps that were deflected differentially for roll control, symmetrically for pitch control, and in a split fashion for yaw control. Top bodies of three widths and twin vertical tails of various sizes and locations were also tested on each model. A large aerodynamic database was compiled that could be used to evaluate some of the trade-offs involved in the design of a configuration with a reduced radar cross section and good flight dynamic characteristics.

The effect of psychological stress on diet-induced thermogenesis and resting metabolic rate.

PubMed

Weststrate, J A; Van der Kooy, K; Deurenberg, P; Hautvast, J G

1990-04-01

The effect of psychological stress on resting metabolic rate (RMR) and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) was assessed in 12 healthy young non-obese men of body weight 70.2 +/- 1.2 kg (mean +/- s.e.m.) and age 25 +/- 0.6 years. Two types of commercially available motion pictures (video films) were shown to the subjects during the measurements, ie stress-inducing horror films and as a control, romantic family films. The study was conducted according to a cross-over design. RMR and respiratory quotients were not significantly influenced by the type of film shown to the subjects. DIT, assessed over 4 h, was significantly increased by the stress-inducing treatment, 0.95 +/- 0.05 kJ/min (mean +/- s.e.m.) versus 0.76 +/- 0.06 kJ/min (control). No significant effect was observed of psychological stress on postprandial substrate oxidation rates, nutrient balances, and urinary catecholamine excretion.

Safety effectiveness of pedestrian crossing enhancements : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-01

Over the last decade, the Oregon DOT and other agencies have systematically implemented many pedestrian crossing enhancements (PCEs) across the state. This study explored the safety performance of these enhanced crossing in Oregon. Detailed data were...

2008 Annual Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

sensors. We will engineer a collection of protein-based switches that are capable of dynamically responding to our desired end-product D-BT over a...locations in the cells; (2) enables control over the molecular ratios of pathway enzymes; and (3) minimizes metabolic cross-talk and side reactions by...pathway enzymes into either static or dynamic channels will be performed by: (1) construction of fusion proteins (static); (2) post-translational protein

EVALUATION OF ENGINEERING CONTROLS FOR THE MIXING OF FLAVORINGS CONTAINING DIACETYL AND OTHER VOLATILE INGREDIENTS

PubMed Central

Hirst, Deborah V.L.; Dunn, Kevin H.; Shulman, Stanley A.; Hammond, Duane R.; Sestito, Nicholas

2015-01-01

Exposures to diacetyl, a primary ingredient of butter flavoring, have been shown to cause respiratory disease among workers who mix flavorings. This study focused on evaluating ventilation controls designed to reduce emissions from the flavor mixing tanks, the major source of diacetyl in the plants. Five exhaust hood configurations were evaluated in the laboratory: standard hinged lid-opened, standard hinged lid-closed, hinged lid-slotted, dome with 38-mm gap, and dome with 114-mm gap. Tracer gas tests were performed to evaluate quantitative capture efficiency for each hood. A perforated copper coil was used to simulate an area source within the 1.2-meter diameter mixing tank. Capture efficiencies were measured at four hood exhaust flow rates (2.83, 5.66, 11.3, and 17.0 cubic meters per minute) and three cross draft velocities (0, 30, and 60 meters per minute). All hoods evaluated performed well with capture efficiencies above 90% for most combinations of exhaust volume and cross drafts. The standard hinged lid was the least expensive to manufacture and had the best average capture efficiency (over 99%) in the closed configuration for all exhaust flow rates and cross drafts. The hinged lid-slotted hood had some of the lowest capture efficiencies at the low exhaust flow rates compared to the other hood designs. The standard hinged lid performed well, even in the open position, and it provided a flexible approach to controlling emissions from mixing tanks. The dome hood gave results comparable to the standard hinged lid but it is more expensive to manufacture. The results of the study indicate that emissions from mixing tanks used in the production of flavorings can be controlled using simple inexpensive exhaust hoods. PMID:24649880

Transportation assimilation revisited: New evidence from repeated cross-sectional survey data

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Based on single cross-sectional data, prior research finds evidence of “transportation assimilation” among U.S. immigrants: the length of stay in the U.S. is negatively correlated with public transit use. This paper revisits this question by using repeated cross-sectional data, and examines the trend of transportation assimilation over time. Methods and results Using 1980, 1990, 2000 1% census and 2010 (1%) American Community Survey, I examine the relationship between the length of stay in the U.S. and public transit ridership among immigrants. I first run regressions separately in four data sets: I regress public transit ridership on the length of stay, controlling for other individual and geographic variables. I then compare the magnitudes of the relationship in four regressions. To study how the rate of transportation assimilation changes over time, I pool the data set and regress public transit ridership on the length of stay and its interactions with year dummies to compare the coefficients across surveys. Results confirm the conclusion of transportation assimilation: as the length of stay in the U.S. increases, an immigrant’s public transit use decreases. However, the repeated cross-section analysis suggests the assimilation rate has been decreasing in the past few decades. Conclusions This paper finds evidence of transportation assimilation: immigrants become less likely to ride public transit as the length of stay in the U.S. increases. The assimilation rate, however, has been decreasing over time. This paper finds that the rate of public transit ridership among new immigrants upon arrival, the geographic distribution of immigrants, and the changing demographics of the U.S. immigrants play roles in affecting the trend of transportation assimilation. PMID:29668676

Depressed Mood During Early to Middle Adolescence: A Bi-national Longitudinal Study of the Unique Impact of Family Conflict.

PubMed

Kelly, Adrian B; Mason, W Alex; Chmelka, Mary B; Herrenkohl, Todd I; Kim, Min Jung; Patton, George C; Hemphill, Sheryl A; Toumbourou, John W; Catalano, Richard F

2016-08-01

Adolescent depressed mood is related to the development of subsequent mental health problems, and family problems have been linked to adolescent depression. Longitudinal research on adolescent depressed mood is needed to establish the unique impact of family problems independent of other potential drivers. This study tested the extent to which family conflict exacerbates depressed mood during adolescence, independent of changes in depressed mood over time, academic performance, bullying victimization, negative cognitive style, and gender. Students (13 years old) participated in a three-wave bi-national study (n = 961 from the State of Washington, United States, n = 981 from Victoria, Australia; 98 % retention, 51 % female in each sample). The model was cross-lagged and controlled for the autocorrelation of depressed mood, negative cognitive style, academic failure, and bullying victimization. Family conflict partially predicted changes in depressed mood independent of changes in depressed mood over time and the other controls. There was also evidence that family conflict and adolescent depressed mood are reciprocally related over time. The findings were closely replicated across the two samples. The study identifies potential points of intervention to interrupt the progression of depressed mood in early to middle adolescence.

Probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v increases iron absorption from an iron-supplemented fruit drink: a double-isotope cross-over single-blind study in women of reproductive age.

PubMed

Hoppe, Michael; Önning, Gunilla; Berggren, Anna; Hulthén, Lena

2015-10-28

Iron deficiency is common, especially among young women. Adding probiotics to foods could be one way to increase iron absorption. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that non-haem iron absorption from a fruit drink is improved by adding Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v). Iron absorption was studied in healthy women of reproductive age using a single-blind cross-over design in two trials applying the double-isotope (55Fe and 59Fe) technique. In Trial 1, iron absorption from a fruit drink containing 109 colony-forming units (CFU) Lp299v was compared with that from a control drink without Lp299v. Trial 2 had the same design but 1010 CFU were used. The test and control drinks contained approximately 5 mg of iron as ferrous lactate and were labelled with 59Fe (B) and 55Fe (A), respectively, and consumed on 4 consecutive days in the order AABB. Retention of the isotopes was measured with whole-body counting and in blood. Mean iron absorption from the drink containing 109 CFU Lp299v (28·6(sd 12·5) %) was significantly higher than from the control drink (18·5(sd 5·8) %), n 10, P<0·028). The fruit drink with 1010 CFU Lp299v gave a mean iron absorption of 29·1(sd 17·0) %, whereas the control drink gave an absorption of (20·1(sd 6·4) %) (n 11, P<0·080). The difference in iron absorption between the 109 CFU Lp299v and the 1010 CFU Lp299v drinks was not significant (P=0·941). In conclusion, intake of probiotics can increase iron absorption by approximately 50 % from a fruit drink having an already relatively high iron bioavailability.

Comparison of foot muscle morphology and foot kinematics between recreational runners with normal feet and with asymptomatic over-pronated feet.

PubMed

Zhang, Xianyi; Aeles, Jeroen; Vanwanseele, Benedicte

2017-05-01

Over-pronated feet are common in adults and are associated with lower limb injuries. Studying the foot muscle morphology and foot kinematic patterns is important for understanding the mechanism of over-pronation related injuries. The aim of this study is to compare the foot muscle morphology and foot inter-segmental kinematics between recreational runners with normal feet and those with asymptomatic over-pronated feet. A total of 26 recreational runners (17 had normal feet and 9 had over-pronated feet) participated in this study and their foot type was assessed using the 6-item Foot Posture Index. Selected foot muscles were scanned using an ultrasound device and the scanned images were processed to measure the thickness and cross-sectional area of the muscles. Muscles of interest include abductor hallucis, abductor digiti minimi, flexor digitorum brevis and longus, tibialis anterior and peroneus muscles. Foot kinematic data during walking was collected using a 3D motion capture system incorporating the Oxford Foot Model. The results show that individuals with over-pronated feet have larger size of abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis and longus and smaller abductor digiti minimi than controls. Higher rearfoot peak eversion and forefoot peak supination during walking were observed in individuals with over-pronated feet. However, during gait the forefoot peak abduction was comparable. These findings indicate that in active asymptomatic individuals with over-pronated feet, the foot muscle morphology is adapted to increase control of the foot motion. The morphological characteristics of the foot muscles in asymptomatic individuals with over-pronated feet may affect their foot kinematics and benefit prevention from injuries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Respiratory constraints during activities in daily life and the impact on health status in patients with early-stage COPD: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

van Helvoort, Hanneke Ac; Willems, Laura M; Dekhuijzen, Pn Richard; van Hees, Hieronymus Wh; Heijdra, Yvonne F

2016-10-13

In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exercise capacity is reduced, resulting over time in physical inactivity and worsened health status. It is unknown whether ventilatory constraints occur during activities of daily life (ADL) in early stages of COPD. The aim of this study was to assess respiratory mechanics during ADL and to study its consequences on dyspnoea, physical activity and health status in early-stage COPD compared with healthy controls. In this cross-sectional study, 39 early-stage COPD patients (mean FEV 1 88±s.d. 12% predicted) and 20 controls performed 3 ADL: climbing stairs, vacuum cleaning and displacing groceries in a cupboard. Respiratory mechanics were measured during ADL. Physical activity was measured with accelerometry. Health status was assessed by the Nijmegen Clinical Screening Instrument. Compared with controls, COPD patients had greater ventilatory inefficiency and higher ventilatory requirements during ADL (P<0.05). Dyspnoea scores were increased in COPD compared with controls (P<0.001). During ADL, >50% of the patients developed dynamic hyperinflation in contrast to 10-35% of the controls. Higher dyspnoea was scored by patients with dynamic hyperinflation. Physical activity was low but comparable between both groups. From the patients, 55-84% experienced mild-to-severe problems in health status compared with 5-25% of the controls. Significant ventilatory constraints already occur in early-stage COPD patients during common ADL and result in increased dyspnoea. Physical activity level is not yet reduced, but many patients already experience limitations in health status. These findings reinforce the importance of early diagnosis of COPD and assessment of more than just spirometry.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal study of the impact of posterior meniscus horn lesions on adjacent cartilage composition, patient-reported outcomes and gait biomechanics in subjects without radiographic osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Russell, C; Pedoia, V; Souza, R B; Majumdar, S

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of meniscal lesions on adjacent cartilage T 1ρ and T 2 relaxation times, patient-reported outcomes and gait biomechanics. Thirty patients with no cartilage morphological defects reported by Whole Organ MRI Score (WORMS) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grading and no radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) (Kellgren--Lawrence (KL) ≤ 1) were selected, 15 with posterior meniscus horn lesions and 15 matched controls without meniscal lesions. All were imaged on a 3T MR scanner for three consecutive years, except those who dropped from the study. Sagittal and frontal plane kinematic gait data were acquired at baseline. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) survey was taken each time. All images were automatically segmented and registered to an atlas for voxel-by-voxel cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Relaxation time comparisons between groups showed elevated T 1ρ of the lateral tibia (LP) and elevated T 2 of the medial tibia (MT) and LT at 1 and 2 years in the lesion group. Longitudinal comparisons within each group revealed greater relaxation time elevations over one and 2 years in the group with lesions. KOOS Quality of Life (QOL) was significantly different between the groups at all time points (P < 0.05), as were other KOOS subcategories. No significant differences in the frontal or sagittal biomechanics were observed between the groups at baseline. Individuals with healthy cartilage and posterior meniscal horn lesions have increased relaxation times when compared to matched controls, increased relaxation time changes over 2 years, and consistently report a lower KOOS QOL, yet show no difference in gait biomechanics. Copyright © 2016 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumption of a high-fat meal containing cheese compared with a vegan alternative lowers postprandial C-reactive protein in overweight and obese individuals with metabolic abnormalities: a randomised controlled cross-over study.

PubMed

Demmer, Elieke; Van Loan, Marta D; Rivera, Nancy; Rogers, Tara S; Gertz, Erik R; German, J Bruce; Zivkovic, Angela M; Smilowitz, Jennifer T

2016-01-01

Dietary recommendations suggest decreased consumption of SFA to minimise CVD risk; however, not all foods rich in SFA are equivalent. To evaluate the effects of SFA in a dairy food matrix, as Cheddar cheese, v. SFA from a vegan-alternative test meal on postprandial inflammatory markers, a randomised controlled cross-over trial was conducted in twenty overweight or obese adults with metabolic abnormalities. Individuals consumed two isoenergetic high-fat mixed meals separated by a 1- to 2-week washout period. Serum was collected at baseline, and at 1, 3 and 6 h postprandially and analysed for inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, TNFα, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1)), acute-phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid-A (SAA), cellular adhesion molecules and blood lipids, glucose and insulin. Following both high-fat test meals, postprandial TAG concentrations rose steadily (P < 0·05) without a decrease by 6 h. The incremental AUC (iAUC) for CRP was significantly lower (P < 0·05) in response to the cheese compared with the vegan-alternative test meal. A treatment effect was not observed for any other inflammatory markers; however, for both test meals, multiple markers significantly changed from baseline over the 6 h postprandial period (IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, TNFα, MCP-1, SAA). Saturated fat in the form of a cheese matrix reduced the iAUC for CRP compared with a vegan-alternative test meal during the postprandial 6 h period. The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov under NCT01803633.

Marked antioxidant effect of orange juice intake and its phytomicronutrients in a preliminary randomized cross-over trial on mild hypercholesterolemic men.

PubMed

Constans, Joël; Bennetau-Pelissero, Catherine; Martin, Jean-François; Rock, Edmond; Mazur, Andrzej; Bedel, Aurélie; Morand, Christine; Bérard, Annie M

2015-12-01

Blond orange juice is the most consumed fruit juice in the world. It is a source of hesperidin, a bioavailable flavonoid reported to exhibit potential vascular protective actions. However, the specific impact on vascular function of Citrus phytomicronutrients, is unknown. For the first time, we investigated the effects of blond orange juice compared with a control beverage mimicking the composition of orange juice (including Vitamin C but no phytomicronutrients), on antioxidant markers, cardiovascular risk factors and endothelial function. Twenty five male volunteers with two cardiovascular risk factors (age over 50 years and LDL-cholesterol between 130 and 190 mg/L) were enrolled in a randomized cross-over study. They received 3 times daily 200 mL of either blond orange juice or control beverage for 4 weeks, spaced by a 5-week wash-out. Endothelial function (flow mediated dilatation and plasma markers), oxidative status, lipid profile and inflammatory markers were assessed. Daily intakes of orange juice significantly led to a marked antioxidant effect which was correlated to hesperetin plasma levels and related with a decrease in reactive oxygen species. A tendency towards reduction of endothelial dysfunction and modest increase in plasma apoA-I concentration were also observed. This allows further experiments demonstrating the specific effect of phytomicronutrients from orange juice. These findings suggest that daily intake of nutritionally relevant dose of blond orange juice may contribute for a significant antioxidant effect through the phytochemicals contained in. Orange juice may be associated to other healthy foods to achieve a significant effect on the vascular function. This study is recorded in ClinicalTrials.com as NCT00539916. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The influence of traffic signal solutions on self-reported road-crossing behavior.

PubMed

Di Stasi, Leandro L; Megías, Alberto; Cándido, Antonio; Maldonado, Antonio; Catena, Andrés

2015-01-07

Injury to pedestrians is a major safety hazard in many countries. Since the beginning of the last century, modern cities have been designed around the use of motor vehicles despite the unfavourable interactions between the vehicles and pedestrians. This push towards urbanization resulted in a substantial number of crashes and fatalities involving pedestrians every day, all over the world. Thus, improving the design of urban cities and townships is a pressing issue for modern society. The study presented here provides a characterization of pedestrian safety problems, with the emphasis on signalized crosswalks (i.e. traffic signal) design solutions. We tested the impact of seven different traffic light configurations (steady [green, yellow, and red], flashing [green, yellow, and red], and light off) on pedestrian self-reported road-crossing behavior, using a 11-point scale -ranging from 0 ("I never cross in this situation") to 10 ("I always cross in this situation"). Results showed that mandatory solutions (steady green vs. steady red) are the best solutions to avoid unsafe pedestrian behaviors while crossing controlled intersections (frequency of crossing: Mgreen = 9.4 ± 1 vs. Mred = 2.6 ± 2). These findings offer important guidelines for the design of future traffic signals for encouraging a pedestrian/transit-friendly environment.

Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIÉ): A Pilot Clinical Trial in Older Adults with Dementia

PubMed Central

Barnes, Deborah E.; Mehling, Wolf; Wu, Eveline; Beristianos, Matthew; Yaffe, Kristine; Skultety, Karyn; Chesney, Margaret A.

2015-01-01

Background Current dementia medications have small effect sizes, many adverse effects and do not change the disease course. Therefore, it is critically important to study alternative treatment strategies. The goal of this study was to pilot-test a novel, integrative group exercise program for individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia called Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIÉ), which focuses on training procedural memory for basic functional movements (e.g., sit-to-stand) while increasing mindful body awareness and facilitating social connection. Methods We performed a 36-week cross-over pilot clinical trial to compare PLIÉ with usual care (UC) at an adult day program for individuals with dementia in San Francisco, CA. Assessments of physical performance, cognitive function, physical function, dementia-related behaviors, quality of life and caregiver burden were performed by blinded assessors at baseline, 18 weeks (cross-over) and 36 weeks. Our primary outcomes were effect sizes based on between-group comparisons of change from baseline to 18 weeks; secondary outcomes were within-group comparisons of change before and after cross-over. Results Twelve individuals enrolled (7 PLIÉ, 5 UC) and 2 withdrew (1 PLIÉ, 18 weeks; 1 UC, 36 weeks). Participants were 82% women (mean age, 84 ± 4 years); caregivers were 82% daughters (mean age, 56 ± 13 years). Effect sizes were not statistically significant but suggested potentially clinically meaningful (≥0.25 SDs) improvement with PLIÉ versus UC for physical performance (Cohen’s D: 0.34 SDs), cognitive function (0.76 SDs) and quality of life (0.83 SDs) as well as for caregiver measures of participant’s quality of life (0.33 SDs) and caregiver burden (0.49 SDs). Results were similar when within-group comparisons were made before and after cross-over. Conclusions PLIÉ is a novel, integrative exercise program that shows promise for improving physical function, cognitive function, quality of life and caregiver burden in individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia. Larger randomized, controlled trials are warranted. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01371214 PMID:25671576

Empirically derived personality subtyping for predicting clinical symptoms and treatment response in bulimia nervosa.

PubMed

Haynos, Ann F; Pearson, Carolyn M; Utzinger, Linsey M; Wonderlich, Stephen A; Crosby, Ross D; Mitchell, James E; Crow, Scott J; Peterson, Carol B

2017-05-01

Evidence suggests that eating disorder subtypes reflecting under-controlled, over-controlled, and low psychopathology personality traits constitute reliable phenotypes that differentiate treatment response. This study is the first to use statistical analyses to identify these subtypes within treatment-seeking individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) and to use these statistically derived clusters to predict clinical outcomes. Using variables from the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire, K-means cluster analyses identified under-controlled, over-controlled, and low psychopathology subtypes within BN patients (n = 80) enrolled in a treatment trial. Generalized linear models examined the impact of personality subtypes on Eating Disorder Examination global score, binge eating frequency, and purging frequency cross-sectionally at baseline and longitudinally at end of treatment (EOT) and follow-up. In the longitudinal models, secondary analyses were conducted to examine personality subtype as a potential moderator of response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E) or Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy for BN (ICAT-BN). There were no baseline clinical differences between groups. In the longitudinal models, personality subtype predicted binge eating (p = 0.03) and purging (p = 0.01) frequency at EOT and binge eating frequency at follow-up (p = 0.045). The over-controlled group demonstrated the best outcomes on these variables. In secondary analyses, there was a treatment by subtype interaction for purging at follow-up (p = 0.04), which indicated a superiority of CBT-E over ICAT-BN for reducing purging among the over-controlled group. Empirically derived personality subtyping appears to be a valid classification system with potential to guide eating disorder treatment decisions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:506-514). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Cross-Lag Panel Analysis of Low Self-Esteem as a Predictor of Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms in a Prospective Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

In-Albon, Tina; Meyer, Andrea H; Metzke, Christa Winkler; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph

2017-06-01

Self-esteem, generally regarded as an important indicator of adolescents' mental health, was assessed by a self-report questionnaire in a school sample of 593 subjects who had been assessed at 3 time points over 7 years between 11 and 25 years of age within the Zurich Psychology and Psychopathology Study (ZAPPS). Cross-lagged panel analyses of the longitudinal data from ZAPPS indicated that self-esteem was predictive of internalizing problems and had an impact on internalizing symptoms when the analyses were adjusted for coping behavior, efficiency of social networks, and impact of stressful life events. Self-esteem was also stable (r = .37-.60) within the observed age range, after controlling for prior levels of the predicted variables. The findings support the impact of self-esteem on mental health and indicate the importance of addressing self-esteem in prevention and intervention programs.

Why Does Mptcp Have To Make Things So Complicated : Cross Path Nids Evasion And Countermeasures

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

previously only establish communication channels over single network paths to communicate over multiple network paths. MPTCP is an enhancement toTCP that...the attacker would fail to create a Command and Control (C2) channel unless the attacker had created a new mapping to the target on the splicing...machine. This would allow the attacker to conduct C2 over a spliced channel . This may even make the attacker’s C2 more evasive. In fact, the effect

Potential risk factors associated with human alveolar echinococcosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Probst, Carolina; Possenti, Alessia; Boufana, Belgees; Saulle, Rosella; La Torre, Giuseppe; Busani, Luca; Casulli, Adriano

2017-01-01

Background Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a severe zoonotic disease caused by the metacestode stage of Echinococcus multilocularis. AE is commonly associated with a long incubation period that may last for more than ten years. The objective of this systematic literature review was to identify and summarize the current knowledge on statistically relevant potential risk factors (PRFs) associated with AE in humans. Methodology/Principal findings Six bibliographic databases were searched, generating a total of 1,009 publications. Following the removal of duplicate records and the exclusion of papers that failed to meet the criteria of a previously agreed a priori protocol, 23 publications were retained; however, 6 of these did not contain data in a format that allowed their inclusion in the meta-analysis. The remaining 17 publications (6 case-control and 11 cross-sectional studies) were meta-analysed to investigate associations between AE and PRFs. Pooled odds ratios (OR) were used as a measure of effect and separately analysed for case-control and cross-sectional studies. In the case-control studies, the following PRFs for human AE showed higher odds of outcome: “dog ownership”, “cat ownership”, “have a kitchen garden”, “occupation: farmer”, “haymaking in meadows not adjacent to water”, “went to forests for vocational reasons”, “chewed grass” and “hunting / handling foxes”. In the cross-sectional studies, the following PRFs showed higher odds of outcome: “dog ownership”, “play with dogs”, “gender: female”, “age over 20 years”, “ethnic group: Tibetan”, “low income”, “source of drinking water other than well or tap”, “occupation: herding” and “low education”. Our meta-analysis confirmed that the chance of AE transmission through ingestion of food and water contaminated with E. multilocularis eggs exists, but showed also that food- and water-borne PRFs do not significantly increase the risk of infection. Conclusions/significance This systematic review analysed international peer-reviewed articles that have over the years contributed to our current understanding of the epidemiology of human AE. The identification of potential risk factors may help researchers and decision makers improve surveillance and/or preventive measures that aim at decreasing human infection with E. multilocularis. More primary studies are needed to confirm potential risk factors and their role in the epidemiology of human AE. PMID:28715408

Virtual Reality-Based Training to Improve Obstacle-Crossing Performance and Dynamic Balance in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Liao, Ying-Yi; Yang, Yea-Ru; Cheng, Shih-Jung; Wu, Yih-Ru; Fuh, Jong-Ling; Wang, Ray-Yau

2015-08-01

Obstacle crossing is a balance-challenging task and can cause falls in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, programs for people with PD that effectively target obstacle crossing and dynamic balance have not been established. To examine the effects of virtual reality-based exercise on obstacle crossing performance and dynamic balance in participants with PD. Thirty-six participants with a diagnosis of PD (Hoehn and Yahr score ranging 1 to 3) were randomly assigned to one of three groups. In the exercise groups, participants received virtual reality-based Wii Fit exercise (VRWii group) or traditional exercise (TE group) for 45 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of treadmill training in each session for a total of 12 sessions over 6 weeks. Participants in the control group received no structured exercise program. Primary outcomes included obstacle crossing performance (crossing velocity, stride length, and vertical toe obstacle clearance) and dynamic balance (maximal excursion, movement velocity, and directional control measured by the limits-of-stability test). Secondary outcomes included sensory organization test (SOT), Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ39), fall efficacy scale (FES-I), and timed up and go test (TUG). All outcomes were assessed at baseline, after training, and at 1-month follow-up. The VRWii group showed greater improvement in obstacle crossing velocity, crossing stride length, dynamic balance, SOT, TUG, FES-I, and PDQ39 than the control group. VRWii training also resulted in greater improvement in movement velocity of limits-of-stability test than TE training. VRWii training significantly improved obstacle crossing performance and dynamic balance, supporting implementation of VRWii training in participants with PD. © The Author(s) 2014.

Dramatic genotypic difference in, and effect of genetic crossing on, tissue culture-induced mobility of retrotransposon Tos17 in rice.

PubMed

Lin, Chunjing; Lin, Xiuyun; Hu, Lanjuan; Yang, Jingjing; Zhou, Tianqi; Long, Likun; Xu, Chunming; Xing, Shaochen; Qi, Bao; Dong, Yingshan; Liu, Bao

2012-11-01

KEY MESSAGE : We show for the first time that intraspecific crossing may impact mobility of the prominent endogenous retrotransposon Tos17 under tissue culture conditions in rice. Tos17, an endogenous copia retrotransposon of rice, is transpositionally active in tissue culture. To study whether there exists fundamental genotypic difference in the tissue culture-induced mobility of Tos17, and if so, whether the difference is under genetic and/or epigenetic control, we conducted this investigation. We show that dramatic difference in tissue culture-induced Tos17 mobility exists among different rice pure-line cultivars sharing the same maternal parent: of the three lines studied that harbor Tos17, two showed mobilization of Tos17, which accrued in proportion to subculture duration, while the third line showed total quiescence (immobility) of the element and the fourth line did not contain the element. In reciprocal F1 hybrids between Tos17-mobile and -immobile (or absence) parental lines, immobility was dominant over mobility. In reciprocal F1 hybrids between both Tos17-mobile parental lines, an additive or synergistic effect on mobility of the element was noticed. In both types of reciprocal F1 hybrids, clear difference in the extent of Tos17 mobility was noted between crossing directions. Given that all lines share the same maternal parent, this observation indicates the existence of epigenetic parent-of-origin effect. We conclude that the tissue culture-induced mobility of Tos17 in rice is under complex genetic and epigenetic control, which can be either enhanced or repressed by intraspecific genetic crossing.

Planetary boundary layer height over the Indian subcontinent: Variability and controls with respect to monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathyanadh, Anusha; Prabhakaran, Thara; Patil, Chetana; Karipot, Anandakumar

2017-10-01

Planetary boundary layer (PBL) height characteristics over the Indian sub-continent at diurnal to seasonal scales and its controlling factors in relation to monsoon are investigated. The reanalysis (Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, MERRA) PBL heights (PBLH) used for the study are validated against those derived from radiosonde observations and radio occultation air temperature and humidity profiles. The radiosonde observations include routine India Meteorological Department observations at two locations (coastal and an inland) for one full year and campaign based early afternoon radiosonde observations at six inland locations over the study region for selected days from May-September 2011. The temperature and humidity profiles from radio occultations spread over the sub-continent at irregular timings during the year 2011. The correlations and root mean square errors are in the range 0.74-0.83 and 407 m-643 m, respectively. Large pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon variations in PBL maximum height (1000 m-4000 m), time of occurrence of maximum height (11:00 LST-17:00 LST) and growth rate (100 to 400 m h- 1) are noted over the land, depending on geographical location and more significantly on the moisture availability which influences the surface sensible and latent heat fluxes. The PBLH variations associated with active-break intra-seasonal monsoon oscillations are up to 1000 m over central Indian locations. Inter relationship between the PBLH and the controlling factors, i.e. Evaporative Fraction, net radiation, friction velocity, surface Richardson number, and scalar diffusivity fraction, show significant variation between dry and wet PBL regimes, which also varies with geographical location. Evaporative fraction has dominant influence on the PBLH over the region. Enhanced entrainment during monsoon contributes to reduction in PBLH, whereas the opposite effect is noted during dry period. Linear regression, cross wavelet and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) methods are used to elucidate the role of controlling factors and interactions on PBLH in relation to monsoon.

Synbiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and cellobiose does not affect human gut bacterial diversity but increases abundance of lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and branched-chain fatty acids: a randomized, double-blinded cross-over trial.

PubMed

van Zanten, Gabriella C; Krych, Lukasz; Röytiö, Henna; Forssten, Sofia; Lahtinen, Sampo J; Abu Al-Soud, Waleed; Sørensen, Søren; Svensson, Birte; Jespersen, Lene; Jakobsen, Mogens

2014-10-01

Probiotics, prebiotics, and combinations thereof, that is synbiotics, have been reported to modulate gut microbiota of humans. In this study, effects of a novel synbiotic on the composition and metabolic activity of human gut microbiota were investigated. Healthy volunteers (n = 18) were enrolled in a double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled cross-over study and received synbiotic [Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (10(9) CFU) and cellobiose (5 g)] or placebo daily for 3 weeks. Fecal samples were collected and lactobacilli numbers were quantified by qPCR. Furthermore, 454 tag-encoded amplicon pyrosequencing was used to monitor the effect of synbiotic on the composition of the microbiota. The synbiotic increased levels of Lactobacillus spp. and relative abundances of the genera Bifidobacterium, Collinsella, and Eubacterium while the genus Dialister was decreased (P < 0.05). No other effects were found on microbiota composition. Remarkably, however, the synbiotic increased concentrations of branched-chain fatty acids, measured by gas chromatography, while short-chain fatty acids were not affected. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-linked fibrin degradation products (D-dimer), plasma cytokines, and cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly persons.

PubMed

Wilson, Craig J; Cohen, Harvey Jay; Pieper, Carl F

2003-10-01

To investigate the effect of coagulation and inflammatory pathway activation on future cognitive decline in older persons. Prospective cohort study. Rural and urban communities in North Carolina. Community-dwelling older people enrolled in the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly in 1986. In 1992, blood was drawn for assay of D-dimer (1,723 subjects), Interleukin-6 (1,726 subjects), and other cytokines (1,551 subjects). Cognitive and functional assessments were performed in 1986, 1989, 1992, and 1996. Cognition was measured using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire. Cognitive decline over a 4-year period was significantly correlated (P<.001) with D-dimer, age, race, and physical performance status as measured using the Rosow-Breslau and Nagi instruments. After controlling for demographics, functional status, and comorbidities, D-dimer remained predictive of cognitive decline. Proinflammatory cytokines were not associated with current cognitive status in cross-sectional analyses or with incident cognitive decline in prospective analyses. In a large sample of community-dwelling elders, higher levels of D-dimer were predictive of cognitive decline over a 4-year period. No clinically significant associations were found between age-related peripheral cytokine dysregulation and cognition.

How older people in the United States and Germany fared in the growth years of the 1980s: a cross-sectional versus a longitudinal view.

PubMed

Burkhauser, R V; Cutts, A C; Lillard, D R

1999-09-01

The goal of the study was to show that cross-sectional and longitudinal data yield dramatically different answers to a basic question: "How did older persons fare in the recovery years of the 1980s?" The United States Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the German Socio-Economic Panel are used cross-sectionally to capture changes in the economic well-being of older persons in the trough and peak years of the 1980s business cycle, and longitudinally to trace how the economic well-being of a given cohort of older persons changed over those years. Kernel density estimation is then used to show how the distribution of economic well-being of these populations changed over these years. Cross-sectional comparisons confirm that persons aged 65 and over in the peak year were better off than persons aged 65 and over in the trough year in both countries. Longitudinal comparisons, however, show that persons aged 65 and over in the trough year who survived to the peak year received a substantially smaller share of the rewards of economic recovery than cross-sectional comparisons imply. Moreover, the entire income distribution of older persons in the United States shifted downwards. Compositional changes in the cross-sectional data, caused by the entry of high-income persons who are young in the peak year but old in the trough year, obscure the decline in the economic well-being of the cohort of older persons who survived the trough year, in cross-sectional comparisons of older populations in the United States in the 1980s.

The salinity signature of the cross-shelf exchanges in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Numerical simulations.

PubMed

Matano, Ricardo P; Combes, Vincent; Piola, Alberto R; Guerrero, Raul; Palma, Elbio D; Ted Strub, P; James, Corinne; Fenco, Harold; Chao, Yi; Saraceno, Martin

2014-11-01

A high-resolution model is used to characterize the dominant patterns of sea surface salinity (SSS) variability generated by the freshwater discharges of the Rio de la Plata (RdlP) and the Patos/Mirim Lagoon in the southwestern Atlantic region. We identify three dominant modes of SSS variability. The first two, which have been discussed in previous studies, represent the seasonal and the interannual variations of the freshwater plumes over the continental shelf. The third mode of SSS variability, which has not been discussed hitherto, represents the salinity exchanges between the shelf and the deep ocean. A diagnostic study using floats and passive tracers identifies the pathways taken by the freshwater plumes. During the austral winter (JJA) , the plumes leave the shelf region north of the BMC. During the austral summer (DJF), the plumes are entrained more directly into the BMC. A sensitivity study indicates that the high - frequency component of the wind stress forcing controls the vertical structure of the plumes while the low-frequency component of the wind stress forcing and the interannual variations of the RdlP discharge controls the horizontal structure of the plumes. Dynamical analysis reveals that the cross-shelf flow has a dominant barotropic structure and, therefore, the SSS anomalies detected by Aquarius represent net mass exchanges between the shelf and the deep ocean. The net cross-shelf volume flux is 1.21 Sv. This outflow is largely compensated by an inflow from the Patagonian shelf.

The salinity signature of the cross-shelf exchanges in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Numerical simulations

PubMed Central

Matano, Ricardo P; Combes, Vincent; Piola, Alberto R; Guerrero, Raul; Palma, Elbio D; Ted Strub, P; James, Corinne; Fenco, Harold; Chao, Yi; Saraceno, Martin

2014-01-01

A high-resolution model is used to characterize the dominant patterns of sea surface salinity (SSS) variability generated by the freshwater discharges of the Rio de la Plata (RdlP) and the Patos/Mirim Lagoon in the southwestern Atlantic region. We identify three dominant modes of SSS variability. The first two, which have been discussed in previous studies, represent the seasonal and the interannual variations of the freshwater plumes over the continental shelf. The third mode of SSS variability, which has not been discussed hitherto, represents the salinity exchanges between the shelf and the deep ocean. A diagnostic study using floats and passive tracers identifies the pathways taken by the freshwater plumes. During the austral winter (JJA), the plumes leave the shelf region north of the BMC. During the austral summer (DJF), the plumes are entrained more directly into the BMC. A sensitivity study indicates that the high-frequency component of the wind stress forcing controls the vertical structure of the plumes while the low-frequency component of the wind stress forcing and the interannual variations of the RdlP discharge controls the horizontal structure of the plumes. Dynamical analysis reveals that the cross-shelf flow has a dominant barotropic structure and, therefore, the SSS anomalies detected by Aquarius represent net mass exchanges between the shelf and the deep ocean. The net cross-shelf volume flux is 1.21 Sv. This outflow is largely compensated by an inflow from the Patagonian shelf. PMID:26213673

The salinity signature of the cross-shelf exchanges in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matano, Ricardo P.; Combes, Vincent; Piola, Alberto R.; Guerrero, Raul; Palma, Elbio D.; Ted Strub, P.; James, Corinne; Fenco, Harold; Chao, Yi; Saraceno, Martin

2014-11-01

A high-resolution model is used to characterize the dominant patterns of sea surface salinity (SSS) variability generated by the freshwater discharges of the Rio de la Plata (RdlP) and the Patos/Mirim Lagoon in the southwestern Atlantic region. We identify three dominant modes of SSS variability. The first two, which have been discussed in previous studies, represent the seasonal and the interannual variations of the freshwater plumes over the continental shelf. The third mode of SSS variability, which has not been discussed hitherto, represents the salinity exchanges between the shelf and the deep ocean. A diagnostic study using floats and passive tracers identifies the pathways taken by the freshwater plumes. During the austral winter (JJA), the plumes leave the shelf region north of the BMC. During the austral summer (DJF), the plumes are entrained more directly into the BMC. A sensitivity study indicates that the high-frequency component of the wind stress forcing controls the vertical structure of the plumes while the low-frequency component of the wind stress forcing and the interannual variations of the RdlP discharge controls the horizontal structure of the plumes. Dynamical analysis reveals that the cross-shelf flow has a dominant barotropic structure and, therefore, the SSS anomalies detected by Aquarius represent net mass exchanges between the shelf and the deep ocean. The net cross-shelf volume flux is 1.21 Sv. This outflow is largely compensated by an inflow from the Patagonian shelf.

Comparative analysis of the pressure profilometry of vesicocutaneous continent catheterizable conduits between patients with and without rectus abdominis neosphincter (Yachia principle).

PubMed

Rondon, Atila; Leslie, Bruno; Arcuri, Leonardo Javier; Ortiz, Valdemar; Macedo, Antonio

2015-09-01

To assess whether crossing rectus abdominis muscle strips, as proposed by Yachia, would change urinary catheterizable conduit's pressure profilometry, in static and dynamic conditions. Non-randomized selection of 20 continent patients that underwent Macedo's ileum-based reservoir, 10 including Yachia's technique (Study Group) and 10 without this mechanism of continence (Control Group). Demographics and cystometric data were assessed. Conduit's pressure profilometry was obtained by infusing saline through a multichannel catheter, at rest and during Valsalva maneuver. We assessed the pressure: (a) in the bladder; (b) in conduit's proximal segment; and (c) in conduit's distal segment, which is presumably the abdominal wall and crossed muscle strips site. Mean age at surgery was 6.1 years in the Control Group and 7.7 years in the Study Group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups regarding maximum cystometric bladder capacity and leakage point pressure. At rest, the pressure profilometry showed similar results between groups in all segments analyzed. During Valsalva maneuver, pressure profilometry showed similar results between groups in bladder and conduit's proximal segment pressure. In this condition, conduit's distal segment pressure in the Study Group (Mean = 72.9 and Peak = 128.7 cmH2 O) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than conduit's distal segment pressure in the Control Group (Mean = 48.3 and Peak = 65.1 cmH2 O). Crossing muscle strips over the conduit significantly increases the pressure in its distal segment during contraction of the rectus abdominis muscle, which can be important in moments of sudden increase in abdominal pressure in order to keep continence. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Creating a measure of portion control self-efficacy.

PubMed

Fast, Lindsey C; Harman, Jennifer J; Maertens, Julie A; Burnette, Jeni L; Dreith, Francesca

2015-01-01

Over the last few decades, food portion sizes have steadily increased by as much as 700% (Young & Nestle, 2002). Food portions are often much larger than dietary guidelines recommend, leaving individuals to manage their food consumption on their own and making it necessary to understand individual factors impacting food consumption. In the current paper, we focus on self-efficacy for portion control. Specifically, across three studies, we developed and validated a new measure of portion control self-efficacy (PCSE). The PCSE measure yielded good fit statistics and had acceptable test-retest reliability using two cross-sectional surveys (Studies 1(a) and 1(b)). Results from Study 2 demonstrated construct and predictive validity of the PCSE using the Food Amount Rating Scale (FARS; Dohm, & Striegel-Moore, 2002). Study 3 offered additional support for reliability and validity with a sample of overweight and obese adults currently trying to lose weight. Overall, findings indicate that the new PCSE measure is reliable and valid. Individuals often make inaccurate food portion estimates (Slawson & Eck, 1997; Yuhas, Bolland, & Bolland, 1989) which can lead to overeating and weight-gain. Thus, the discussion centers on the need to incorporate PCSE in future research and intervention work targeting weight loss, health, and food consumption. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A NON-DAIRY PROBIOTIC’S (POI) INFLUENCE ON CHANGING THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT’S MICROFLORA ENVIRONMENT

PubMed Central

Brown, Amy C.; Shovic, Anne; Ibrahim, Salam; Holck, Peter; Huang, Alvin

2006-01-01

Justification Yogurt has been historically used to restore gut microflora adversely affected by antibiotic treatment. Certain fermented dairy products are probiotics; “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host.” Microorganisms in foods may benefit certain health conditions such as diarrhea, gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. A potential new probiotic from a Polynesian traditional food is poi; a starchy paste made from the corm of taro plants. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine if consumption of poi, a potential non-dairy probiotic, altered the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy adults. Methods A cross-over clinical study included 18 subjects (19–64 years of age) divided into a poi group (n=10) and control group (n=8). The study duration of 14 weeks consisted of a 2-week washout, 4-week treatment or control, a subsequent 2-week washout, cross-over of 4-week treatment or control, and a final 2-week washout. Subjects thus served as their own controls. While receiving the poi treatment, participants consumed fresh poi (1–2 days old) three times a day (130 g/meal or about _ cup/meal); the control group did not. Both groups filled out 3-day dietary records to ensure compliance. Measurable outcomes include pre-and post-treatment microbiological fecal culture analyses. Results We found no significant differences in total bacterial counts following a poi diet versus following a control diet, nor were significant differences found in counts of specific bacterial species. Lactococcus tends to be higher in poi when it is analyzed for specific bacteria, but the poi consumption in our study did not alter the mean concentration of individual bacterial species (log10 CFU/g wet feces) for Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Bifidobacterium. No significant differences in stool frequency or consistency were observed between the treatment and control group periods. Conclusion Poi consumption did not significantly alter total or individual bacterial counts in the human gastrointestinal tract. Further research might determine if “sour poi” (3–4 days old) has a greater affect than “fresh poi” (1–2 days old) as a potential probiotic, and a larger trial with longer diet durations may detect more subtle effects of poi consumption on bacterial counts. PMID:15712767

Characterizing diurnal and seasonal cycles in monsoon systems from TRMM and CEOP observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, William K. M.

2006-01-01

The CEOP Inter-Monsoon Study (CIMS) is one of the two main science drivers of CEOP that aims to (a) provide better understanding of fundamental physical processes in monsoon regions around the world, and (b) demonstrate the synergy and utility of CEOP data in providing a pathway for model physics evaluation and improvement. As the data collection phase for EOP-3 and EOP-4 is being completed, two full annual cycles (2003-2004) of research-quality data sets from satellites, reference sites, and model output location time series (MOLTS) have been processed and made available for data analyses and model validation studies. This article presents preliminary results of a CIMS study aimed at the characterization and intercomparison of all major monsoon systems. The CEOP reference site data proved its value in such exercises by being a powerful tool to cross-validate the TRMM data, and to intercompare with multi-model results in ongoing work. We use 6 years (1998-2003) of pentad CEOP/TRMM data with 2deg x 2.5deg latitude-longitude grid, over the domain of interests to define the monsoon climatological diurnal and annual cycles for the East Asian Monsoon (EAM), the South Asian Monsoon (SAM), the West Africa Monsoon (WAM), the North America/Mexican Monsoon (NAM), the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM) and the Australian Monsoon (AUM). As noted, the TRMM data used in the study were cross-validated using CEOP reference site data, where applicable. Results show that the observed diurnal cycle of rain peaked around late afternoon over monsoon land, and early morning over the oceans. The diurnal cycles in models tend to peak 2-3 hours earlier than observed. The seasonal cycles of the EAM and SAM show the strongest continentality, i.e, strong control by continental processes away from the ITCZ. The WAM, and the AUM shows the less continentality, i.e, strong control by the oceanic ITCZ.

Characterizing Diurnal and Seasonal Cycles in Monsoon Systems from TRMM and CEOP Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, William K. M.

2007-01-01

The CEOP Inter-Monsoon Study (CIMS) is one of the two main science drivers of CEOP that aims to (a) provide better understanding of fundamental physical processes in monsoon regions around the world, and (b) demonstrate the synergy and utility of CEOP data in providing a pathway for model physics evaluation and improvement. As the data collection phase for EOP-3 and EOP-4 is being completed, two full annual cycles (2003-2004) of research-quality data sets from satellites, reference sites, and model output location time series (MOLTS) have been processed and made available for data analyses and model validation studies. This article presents preliminary results of a CIMS study aimed at the characterization and intercomparison of all major monsoon systems. The CEOP reference site data proved its value in such exercises by being a powerful tool to cross-validate the TRMM data, and to intercompare with multi-model results in ongoing work. We use 6 years (1998-2003) of pentad CEOP/TRMM data with 2 deg x 2.5 deg. latitude-longitude grid, over the domain of interests to define the monsoon climatological diurnal and annual cycles for the East Asian Monsoon (EAM), the South Asian Monsoon (SAM), the West Africa Monsoon (WAM), the North America/Mexican Monsoon (NAM), the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM) and the Australian Monsoon (AUM). As noted, the TRMM data used in the study were cross-validated using CEOP reference site data, where applicable. Results show that the observed diurnal cycle of rain peaked around late afternoon over monsoon land, and early morning over the oceans. The diurnal cycles in models tend to peak 2-3 hours earlier than observed. The seasonal cycles of the EAM and SAM show the strongest continentality, i.e, strong control by continental processes away from the ITCZ. The WAM, and the AUM shows the less continentality, i.e, strong control by the oceanic ITCZ.

Microbial mutagenic effects of the DNA minor groove binder pibenzimol (Hoechst 33258) and a series of mustard analogues.

PubMed

Ferguson, L R; Denny, W A

1995-06-01

A series of aniline mustards and half-mustards targeted to DNA by linkage (through a polymethylene chain) to the bisbenzimidazole chromophore of pibenzimol (Hoechst 33258) have been evaluated for their mutagenic properties, as estimated in three strains of Salmonella typhimurium, and for their mitotic crossing-over and petite mutagenesis activities in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain D5. Agarose gel electrophoresis studies showed that only the derivative with the longest linker chain cross-linked DNA, with the remaining compounds being monoalkylators. The parent (non-alkylator) minor groove binding ligand (Hoechst 33258) was inactive in the bacterial strains TA98 or TA100 but weakly mutagenic in TA102, and caused neither mitotic crossing-over nor 'petite' mutagenesis in yeast. Aniline half-mustard itself (monoalkylator) was an effective base-pair substitution mutagen (events in S. typhimurium strain TA100) with some frameshift mutagenesis activity in TA98, but showed only weak effects in the yeast assays, whereas aniline mustard (cross-linker) was inactive in these bacterial systems but caused substantial amounts of mitotic crossing-over in yeast. The composite molecules studied here showed effects more characteristic of the minor groove binding chromophore than of alkylating moieties. All showed weak mutagenic activity in TA102 and none in TA98. The only compound to show significant mitotic crossing-over ability was the long-chain derivative which cross-linked DNA. For most of the compounds, the mutagenicity data provided no supportive evidence for DNA alkylation. Since other evidence suggests this does occur readily, it is likely to have a different target to that seen with untargeted aniline mustards. The significant antitumor activity and low mutagenic potential shown by these compounds make them worthy of further study.

Tetracycline-inducible system for regulation of skeletal muscle-specific gene expression in transgenic mice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grill, Mischala A.; Bales, Mark A.; Fought, Amber N.; Rosburg, Kristopher C.; Munger, Stephanie J.; Antin, Parker B.

2003-01-01

Tightly regulated control of over-expression is often necessary to study one aspect or time point of gene function and, in transgenesis, may help to avoid lethal effects and complications caused by ubiquitous over-expression. We have utilized the benefits of an optimized tet-on system and a modified muscle creatine kinase (MCK) promoter to generate a skeletal muscle-specific, doxycycline (Dox) controlled over-expression system in transgenic mice. A DNA construct was generated in which the codon optimized reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA) was placed under control of a skeletal muscle-specific version of the mouse MCK promoter. Transgenic mice containing this construct expressed rtTA almost exclusively in skeletal muscles. These mice were crossed to a second transgenic line containing a bi-directional promoter centered on a tet responder element driving both a luciferase reporter gene and a tagged gene of interest; in this case the calpain inhibitor calpastatin. Compound hemizygous mice showed high level, Dox dependent muscle-specific luciferase activity often exceeding 10,000-fold over non-muscle tissues of the same mouse. Western and immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated similar Dox dependent muscle-specific induction of the tagged calpastatin protein. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness and flexibility of the tet-on system to provide a tightly regulated over-expression system in adult skeletal muscle. The MCKrtTA transgenic lines can be combined with other transgenic responder lines for skeletal muscle-specific over-expression of any target gene of interest.

A longitudinal study of an intervention to improve road safety climate: climate as an organizational boundary spanner.

PubMed

Naveh, Eitan; Katz-Navon, Tal

2015-01-01

This study presents and tests an intervention to enhance organizational climate and expands existing conceptualization of organizational climate to include its influence on employee behaviors outside the organization's physical boundaries. In addition, by integrating the literatures of climate and work-family interface, the study explored climate spillover and crossover from work to the home domain. Focusing on an applied practical problem within organizations, we investigated the example of road safety climate and employees' and their families' driving, using a longitudinal study design of road safety intervention versus control groups. Results demonstrated that the intervention increased road safety climate and decreased the number of traffic violation tickets and that road safety climate mediated the relationship between the intervention and the number of traffic violation tickets. Road safety climate spilled over to the family domain but did not cross over to influence family members' driving. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Effects of Oral L-Carnitine Administration in Narcolepsy Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Cross-Over and Placebo-Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Miyagawa, Taku; Kawamura, Hiromi; Obuchi, Mariko; Ikesaki, Asuka; Ozaki, Akiko; Tokunaga, Katsushi; Inoue, Yuichi; Honda, Makoto

2013-01-01

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep abnormalities. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified a novel narcolepsy-related single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which is located adjacent to the carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B (CPT1B) gene encoding an enzyme involved in β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids. The mRNA expression levels of CPT1B were associated with this SNP. In addition, we recently reported that acylcarnitine levels were abnormally low in narcolepsy patients. To assess the efficacy of oral l-carnitine for the treatment of narcolepsy, we performed a clinical trial administering l-carnitine (510 mg/day) to patients with the disease. The study design was a randomized, double-blind, cross-over and placebo-controlled trial. Thirty narcolepsy patients were enrolled in our study. Two patients were withdrawn and 28 patients were included in the statistical analysis (15 males and 13 females, all with HLA-DQB1*06:02). l-carnitine treatment significantly improved the total time for dozing off during the daytime, calculated from the sleep logs, compared with that of placebo-treated periods. l-carnitine efficiently increased serum acylcarnitine levels, and reduced serum triglycerides concentration. Differences in the Japanese version of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) vitality and mental health subscales did not reach statistical significance between l-carnitine and placebo. This study suggests that oral l-carnitine can be effective in reducing excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy patients. Trial Registration University hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) UMIN000003760 PMID:23349733

A national cross-sectional study on effects of fluoride-safe water supply on the prevalence of fluorosis in China.

PubMed

Wang, Cheng; Gao, Yanhui; Wang, Wei; Zhao, Lijun; Zhang, Wei; Han, Hepeng; Shi, Yuxia; Yu, Guangqian; Sun, Dianjun

2012-01-01

To assess the effects of provided fluoride-safe drinking-water for the prevention and control of endemic fluorosis in China. A national cross-sectional study in China. In 1985, randomly selected villages in 27 provinces (or cities and municipalities) in 5 geographic areas all over China. Involved 81 786 children aged from 8 to 12 and 594 698 adults aged over 16. The prevalence of dental fluorosis and clinical skeletal fluorosis, the fluoride concentrations in the drinking-water in study villages and in the urine of subjects. The study showed that in the villages where the drinking-water fluoride concentrations were higher than the government standard of 1.2 mg/l, but no fluoride-safe drinking-water supply scheme was provided (FNB areas), the prevalence rate and index of dental fluorosis in children, and prevalence rate of clinical skeletal fluorosis in adults were all significantly higher than those in the historical endemic fluorosis villages after the fluoride-safe drinking-water were provided (FSB areas). Additionally, the prevalence rate of dental fluorosis as well as clinical skeletal fluorosis, and the concentration of fluoride in urine were found increased with the increase of fluoride concentration in drinking-water, with significant positive correlations in the FNB areas. While, the prevalence rate of dental fluorosis and clinical skeletal fluorosis in different age groups and their degrees of prevalence were significantly lower in the FSB areas than those in the FNB areas. The provision of fluoride-safe drinking-water supply schemes had significant effects on the prevention and control of dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis. The study also indicated that the dental and skeletal fluorosis is still prevailing in the high-fluoride drinking-water areas in China.

Habitual dietary fibre intake influences gut microbiota response to an inulin-type fructan prebiotic: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, human intervention study.

PubMed

Healey, Genelle; Murphy, Rinki; Butts, Christine; Brough, Louise; Whelan, Kevin; Coad, Jane

2018-01-01

Dysbiotic gut microbiota have been implicated in human disease. Diet-based therapeutic strategies have been used to manipulate the gut microbiota towards a more favourable profile. However, it has been demonstrated that large inter-individual variability exists in gut microbiota response to a dietary intervention. The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether habitually low dietary fibre (LDF) v. high dietary fibre (HDF) intakes influence gut microbiota response to an inulin-type fructan prebiotic. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, thirty-four healthy participants were classified as LDF or HDF consumers. Gut microbiota composition (16S rRNA bacterial gene sequencing) and SCFA concentrations were assessed following 3 weeks of daily prebiotic supplementation (Orafti® Synergy 1; 16 g/d) or placebo (Glucidex® 29 Premium; 16 g/d), as well as after 3 weeks of the alternative intervention, following a 3-week washout period. In the LDF group, the prebiotic intervention led to an increase in Bifidobacterium (P=0·001). In the HDF group, the prebiotic intervention led to an increase in Bifidobacterium (P<0·001) and Faecalibacterium (P=0·010) and decreases in Coprococcus (P=0·010), Dorea (P=0·043) and Ruminococcus (Lachnospiraceae family) (P=0·032). This study demonstrates that those with HDF intakes have a greater gut microbiota response and are therefore more likely to benefit from an inulin-type fructan prebiotic than those with LDF intakes. Future studies aiming to modulate the gut microbiota and improve host health, using an inulin-type fructan prebiotic, should take habitual dietary fibre intake into account.

Comprehensive approach to study complement C4 in systemic lupus erythematosus: Gene polymorphisms, protein levels and functional activity.

PubMed

Tsang-A-Sjoe, M W P; Bultink, I E M; Korswagen, L A; van der Horst, A; Rensink, I; de Boer, M; Hamann, D; Voskuyl, A E; Wouters, D

2017-12-01

Genetic variation of the genes encoding complement component C4 is strongly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic multi-organ auto-immune disease. This study examined C4 and its isotypes on a genetic, protein, and functional level in 140 SLE patients and 104 healthy controls. Gene copy number (GCN) variation, silencing CT-insertion, and the retroviral HERV-K(C4) insertion) were analyzed with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. Increased susceptibility to SLE was found for low GCN (≪2) of C4A. Serositis was the only clinical manifestation associated with low C4A GCN. One additional novel silencing mutation in the C4A gene was found by Sanger sequencing. This mutation causes a premature stop codon in exon 11. Protein concentrations of C4 isoforms C4A and C4B were determined with ELISA and were significantly lower in SLE patients compared to healthy controls. To study C4 isotypes on a functional level, a new C4 assay was developed, which distinguishes C4A from C4B by its binding capacity to amino or hydroxyl groups, respectively. This assay showed high correlation with ELISA and detected crossing over of Rodgers and Chido antigens in 3.2% (8/244) of individuals. The binding capacity of available C4 to its substrates was unaffected in SLE. Our study provides, for the first time, a complete overview of C4 in SLE from genetic variation to binding capacity using a novel test. As this test detects crossing over of Rodgers and Chido antigens, it will allow for more accurate measurement of C4 in future studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of biodegradable sponges as controlled release drug matrices. I. Effect of moisture level on chitosan sponge mechanical properties.

PubMed

Foda, Nagwa H; El-laithy, Hanan M; Tadros, Mina I

2004-04-01

Cross-linked chitosan sponges as controlled release drug carrier systems were developed. Tramadol hydrochloride, a centrally acting analgesic, was used as a model drug. The sponges were prepared by freeze-drying 1.25% and 2.5% (w/w) high and low M.wt. chitosan solutions, respectively, using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent. The hardness of the prepared sponges was a function of glutaraldehyde concentration and volume where the optimum concentration that offered accepted sponge consistency was 5%. Below or above 5%, very soft or very hard and brittle sponges were obtained, respectively. The determined drug content in the prepared sponges was uniform and did not deviate markedly from the calculated amount. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the internal structures of the sponges. The SEM photos revealed that cross-linked high M.wt. chitosan sponges have larger size surface pores that form connections (channels) with the interior of the sponge than cross-linked low M.wt. ones. Moreover, crystals of the incorporated Tramadol hydrochloride were detected on the lamellae and within pores in both chitosan sponges. Differences in pore size and dissolution medium uptake capacity were crucial factors for the more delayed drug release from cross-linked low M.wt. chitosan sponges over high M.wt. ones at pH 7.4. Kinetic analysis of the release data using linear regression followed the Higuchi diffusion model over 12 hours. Setting storage conditions at room temperature under 80-92% relative humidity resulted in soft, elastic, and compressible sponges.

An Experiment of GMPLS-Based Dispersion Compensation Control over In-Field Fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seno, Shoichiro; Horiuchi, Eiichi; Yoshida, Sota; Sugihara, Takashi; Onohara, Kiyoshi; Kamei, Misato; Baba, Yoshimasa; Kubo, Kazuo; Mizuochi, Takashi

As ROADMs (Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers) are becoming widely used in metro/core networks, distributed control of wavelength paths by extended GMPLS (Generalized MultiProtocol Label Switching) protocols has attracted much attention. For the automatic establishment of an arbitrary wavelength path satisfying dynamic traffic demands over a ROADM or WXC (Wavelength Cross Connect)-based network, precise determination of chromatic dispersion over the path and optimized assignment of dispersion compensation capabilities at related nodes are essential. This paper reports an experiment over in-field fibers where GMPLS-based control was applied for the automatic discovery of chromatic dispersion, path computation, and wavelength path establishment with dynamic adjustment of variable dispersion compensation. The GMPLS-based control scheme, which the authors called GMPLS-Plus, extended GMPLS's distributed control architecture with attributes for automatic discovery, advertisement, and signaling of chromatic dispersion. In this experiment, wavelength paths with distances of 24km and 360km were successfully established and error-free data transmission was verified. The experiment also confirmed path restoration with dynamic compensation adjustment upon fiber failure.

Novel soy protein wound dressings with controlled antibiotic release: mechanical and physical properties.

PubMed

Peles, Zachi; Zilberman, Meital

2012-01-01

Naturally derived materials are becoming widely used in the biomedical field. Soy protein has advantages over various types of natural proteins employed for biomedical applications due to its low price, non-animal origin and relatively long storage time and stability. In the current study soy protein isolate (SPI) was investigated as a matrix for wound dressing applications. The antibiotic drug gentamicin was incorporated into the matrix for local controlled release and, thus, protection against bacterial infection. Homogeneous yellowish films were cast from aqueous solutions. After cross-linking they combined high tensile strength and Young's modulus with the desired ductility. The plasticizer type, cross-linking agent and method of cross-linking were found to strongly affect the tensile properties of the SPI films. Selected SPI films were tested for relevant physical properties and the gentamicin release profile. The cross-linking method affected the degree of water uptake and the weight loss profile. The water vapor transmission rate of the films was in the desired range for wound dressings (∼2300 g m(-2) day(-1)) and was not affected by the cross-linking method. The gentamicin release profile exhibited a moderate burst effect followed by a decreasing release rate which was maintained for at least 4 weeks. Diffusion was the dominant release mechanism of gentamicin from cross-linked SPI films. Appropriate selection of the process parameters yielded SPI wound dressings with the desired mechanical and physical properties and drug release behavior to protect against bacterial infection. These unique structures are thus potentially useful as burn and ulcer dressings. Copyright © 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychosocial Work Conditions and Burnout Among Brazilian Bank Employees: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Valente, Maria do Socorro da Silva; Lopes, Cláudia S; Pastor-Valero, Maria; Menezes, Paulo Rossi

2016-06-01

Changes in the modern economy have affected the financial sector. Time pressures, excessive work demands, and job stress are frequent concerns among bank employees, which might predispose them to burnout symptoms. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association between burnout symptoms and exposure to psychosocial work conditions in bank employees. A cross-sectional study of 1046 bank employees was carried out in Pará and Amapá, northern Brazil. We applied a self-administered questionnaire evaluating socio-demographic characteristics, burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and two job stress models (Demand-Control-Support and Effort-Reward Imbalance). Two levels of burnout symptoms were analysed: moderate level of burnout (MLB) and high level of burnout (HLB). Logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between the two levels of burnout and the two stress models, controlling for relevant covariates. The overall prevalence of burnout was 71.8% (31.1% for HLB; 40.7% for MLB), regardless of gender. Exposure to adverse psychosocial conditions in the workplace, such as high strain, low social support at work, high effort/low reward, and over commitment showed strong association with HLB and MLB, and these associations were independent of age, gender, and other occupational characteristics. We found that psychosocial conditions in the financial sector involving high strain, low social support at work, high effort/low reward, and over commitment represent possible risk factors for moderate and HLB symptoms in bank employees. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Dilemma of Timing of Administration of Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents in Relation to Food in the Prevention of Drug Induced Gastritis: Debusting the Myth.

PubMed

Udaykumar, Padmaja; Udaykumar, K; Scandashree, K; Anurag, K

2016-01-01

We aimed to identify the signals that indicate the possible benefits of administering Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) at the initiation of meal, compared to immediately after food. This was a randomized, controlled, pilot study in 160 patients who received only NSAIDs for various pain conditions. Patients were randomized to Group I (control group) -NSAID After Food (AF), Group II-NSAID Before Food (BF), Group III-NSAID BF for 2 days and then crossed over to AF for next two days (CO-1) and Group IV-NSAID AF for 2 days and then crossed over to BF for next two days (C0-2 group). Group III & Group IV were given a washout period of 48 hours after the initial two days of treatment. All were followed up for the next 2 drug free days. Patients were observed for the development of gastritis (epigastric distress, epigastric pain, nausea, fullness of stomach, repeated reflux) throughout the study. Symptoms of gastritis were seen in 6.45% (2/31) and 36.11% (13/36) patients in group I and II, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the development of gastritis in AF group. However, statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was found between BF group and AF intake of NSAIDs [CO-1 (AF), CO-2 (A.F), AF (control group)] in terms of development of gastritis. Administering NSAIDs at the initiation of meal is better tolerated as indicated by the lower incidence of gastritis. If proved in larger population, routine concurrent administration of medication for prevention of gastritis can be avoided.

Effects of pressure applied during standardized spinal mobilizations on peripheral skin blood flow: A randomised cross-over study.

PubMed

Zegarra-Parodi, Rafael; Pazdernik, Vanessa K; Roustit, Matthieu; Park, Peter Yong Soo; Degenhardt, Brian F

2016-02-01

Peripheral skin blood flow (SBF) changes during and after spinal mobilization (SM), evaluated with laser Doppler flowmetry, may document physiological responses associated with SM. To document variations in SBF during and after application of an SM and evaluate influence of pressure on SBF by applying the same standardized SM with 3 different nonnoxious pressures. Cross-over design with 4 interventions on 4 different days: control (no touch) and 3 SMs applied rhythmically at 5%, 40%, or 80% of pain pressure threshold (sham SM, low-pressure SM, or high-pressure SM, respectively). Thirty-two individuals participated. The inspiratory gasp (IG) test was our positive control of vasoconstriction through excitation of the skin sympathetic nervous activity (SSNA). Each session comprised 5 phases: (1) baseline at the end of a 20-min acclimatization, (2) IG test, (3) post-IG phase, (4) SM phase or no manual contact for control, and (5) post-SM phase. A Biopac MP36 system collected SBF data, and a Novel Pliance-X system recorded pressure data. Equal and significant bilateral vasodilation occurred during application of unilateral sham SM, low-pressure SM, and high-pressure SM. Post-SM significant vasodilation persisted after high-pressure SM. The current study is the first to describe bilateral peripheral SBF changes occurring during and 5 min after application of standardized SMs. Our post-SM vasodilation suggests involvement of mechanisms other than the putative SSNA-excitatory mechanism proposed with skin conductance measurements. Persistence of post-SM vasodilation following only high-pressure SM suggests possible pressure-dependent mechanisms. However, further research is warranted to clarify our findings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of Virgin Olive Oil and Phenol-Enriched Virgin Olive Oils on the HDL Proteome in Hypercholesterolemic Subjects: A Double Blind, Randomized, Controlled, Cross-Over Clinical Trial (VOHF Study)

PubMed Central

Pedret, Anna; Catalán, Úrsula; Fernández-Castillejo, Sara; Farràs, Marta; Valls, Rosa-M; Rubió, Laura; Canela, Núria; Aragonés, Gerard; Romeu, Marta; Castañer, Olga; de la Torre, Rafael; Covas, Maria-Isabel; Fitó, Montse; Motilva, Maria-José; Solà, Rosa

2015-01-01

The effects of olive oil phenolic compounds (PCs) on HDL proteome, with respect to new aspects of cardioprotective properties, are still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on the HDL protein cargo of the intake of virgin olive oil (VOO) and two functional VOOs, enriched with their own PCs (FVOO) or complemented with thyme PCs (FVOOT), in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Eligible volunteers were recruited from the IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (Spain) from April 2012 to September 2012. Thirty-three hypercholesterolemic participants (total cholesterol >200mg/dL; 19 men and 14 women; aged 35 to 80 years) were randomized in the double-blind, controlled, cross-over VOHF clinical trial. The subjects received for 3 weeks 25 mL/day of: VOO, FVOO, or FVOOT. Using a quantitative proteomics approach, 127 HDL-associated proteins were identified. Among these, 15 were commonly differently expressed after the three VOO interventions compared to baseline, with specific changes observed for each intervention. The 15 common proteins were mainly involved in the following pathways: LXR/RXR activation, acute phase response, and atherosclerosis. The three VOOs were well tolerated by all participants. Consumption of VOO, or phenol-enriched VOOs, has an impact on the HDL proteome in a cardioprotective mode by up-regulating proteins related to cholesterol homeostasis, protection against oxidation and blood coagulation while down-regulating proteins implicated in acute-phase response, lipid transport, and immune response. The common observed protein expression modifications after the three VOOs indicate a major matrix effect. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trials ISRCTN77500181. PMID:26061039

Impact of Virgin Olive Oil and Phenol-Enriched Virgin Olive Oils on the HDL Proteome in Hypercholesterolemic Subjects: A Double Blind, Randomized, Controlled, Cross-Over Clinical Trial (VOHF Study).

PubMed

Pedret, Anna; Catalán, Úrsula; Fernández-Castillejo, Sara; Farràs, Marta; Valls, Rosa-M; Rubió, Laura; Canela, Núria; Aragonés, Gerard; Romeu, Marta; Castañer, Olga; de la Torre, Rafael; Covas, Maria-Isabel; Fitó, Montse; Motilva, Maria-José; Solà, Rosa

2015-01-01

The effects of olive oil phenolic compounds (PCs) on HDL proteome, with respect to new aspects of cardioprotective properties, are still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on the HDL protein cargo of the intake of virgin olive oil (VOO) and two functional VOOs, enriched with their own PCs (FVOO) or complemented with thyme PCs (FVOOT), in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Eligible volunteers were recruited from the IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (Spain) from April 2012 to September 2012. Thirty-three hypercholesterolemic participants (total cholesterol >200 mg/dL; 19 men and 14 women; aged 35 to 80 years) were randomized in the double-blind, controlled, cross-over VOHF clinical trial. The subjects received for 3 weeks 25 mL/day of: VOO, FVOO, or FVOOT. Using a quantitative proteomics approach, 127 HDL-associated proteins were identified. Among these, 15 were commonly differently expressed after the three VOO interventions compared to baseline, with specific changes observed for each intervention. The 15 common proteins were mainly involved in the following pathways: LXR/RXR activation, acute phase response, and atherosclerosis. The three VOOs were well tolerated by all participants. Consumption of VOO, or phenol-enriched VOOs, has an impact on the HDL proteome in a cardioprotective mode by up-regulating proteins related to cholesterol homeostasis, protection against oxidation and blood coagulation while down-regulating proteins implicated in acute-phase response, lipid transport, and immune response. The common observed protein expression modifications after the three VOOs indicate a major matrix effect. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trials ISRCTN77500181.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Atorvastatin in Patients With Bronchiectasis Infected With Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: A Proof of Concept Study.

PubMed

Bedi, Pallavi; Chalmers, James D; Graham, Catriona; Clarke, Andrea; Donaldson, Samantha; Doherty, Catherine; Govan, John R W; Davidson, Donald J; Rossi, Adriano G; Hill, Adam T

2017-08-01

There are no randomized controlled trials of statin therapy in patients with severe bronchiectasis who are chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thirty-two patients chronically infected with P aeruginosa were recruited in this double-blind cross-over randomized controlled trial. Sixteen patients were recruited in each arm, were given atorvastatin 80 mg or placebo for 3 months followed by a washout period for 6 weeks, and then crossed over and administered the alternative therapy for 3 months. Twenty-seven patients completed the study. Atorvastatin did not significantly improve the primary end point of cough as measured by the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (mean difference, 1.92; 95% CI for difference, -0.57-4.41; P = .12). However, atorvastatin treatment resulted in an improved St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (-5.62 points; P = .016) and reduced serum levels of CXCL8 (P = .04), tumor necrosis factor (P = .01), and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (P = .04). There was a trend toward improvement in serum C-reactive protein and serum neutrophil counts (P = .07 and P = .06, respectively). We demonstrated in vitro that atorvastatin 10 μM reduced formyl-methionyl-leucyl phenylalanine-induced upregulation of CD11b expression and changes in calcium flux, reflecting an ability to decrease neutrophil activation. We demonstrated that atorvastatin reduced systemic inflammation and improved quality of life in patients with bronchiectasis who were infected with P aeruginosa. These effects may be due to an ability of atorvastatin to modulate neutrophil activation. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01299194; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-reactivity of Toxocariasis with Crude Antigen of Toxascaris leonina Larvae by ELISA.

PubMed

Jin, Yan; Shen, Chenghua; Huh, Sun; Choi, Min-Ho; Hong, Sung-Tae

2015-05-01

Roundworms of Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina are common gastrointestinal helminths of canids over the world. Humans are infected with T. canis larvae through ingestion of infective eggs in contaminated environments or larvae by consumption of raw or uncooked meat or livers. Recently, patients of clinically diagnosed toxocariasis are increasing and require correct diagnosis in Korea. The present study investigated serological cross-reactivity between crude antigens of T. canis (TCLA) and T. leonina (TLLA) larvae. We collected serum specimens from 177 toxocariasis patients who were clinically suspected in the Seoul National University Hospital and 115 healthy controls. An ELISA method for toxocariasis was used to evaluate diagnostic efficacy of TLLA for serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis. The IgG ELISA using TLLA gave 14 (14.3%) positives of 98 TCLA positive specimens among 177 suspected toxocariasis patients. Most of them showed high absorbances with TCLA. In conclusion, there is a partial cross reaction between serum specimens of toxocariasis and TLLA.

Cross-sex hormone treatment does not change sex-sensitive cognitive performance in gender identity disorder patients.

PubMed

Haraldsen, Ira R; Egeland, Thore; Haug, Egil; Finset, Arnstein; Opjordsmoen, Stein

2005-12-15

Cognitive performance in untreated early onset gender identity disorder (GID) patients might correspond to their born sex and not to their perceived gender. As a current mode of intervention, cross-sex hormone treatment causes considerable physical changes in GID patients. We asked, as has been suggested, whether this treatment skews cognitive performance towards that of the acquired sex. Somatically healthy male and female early onset GID patients were neuropsychologically tested before, 3 and 12 months after initiating cross-sex hormone treatment, whereas untreated healthy subjects without GID served as controls (C). Performance was assessed by testing six cognitive abilities (perception, arithmetic, rotation, visualization, logic, and verbalization), and controlled for age, education, born sex, endocrine differences and treatment by means of repeated measures analysis of variance. GID patients and controls showed an identical time-dependent improvement in cognitive performance. The slopes were essentially parallel for males and females. There was no significant three-way interaction of born sex by group by time for the six investigated cognitive abilities. Only education and age significantly influenced this improvement. Despite the substantial somatic cross-sex changes in GID patients, no differential effect on cognition over time was found between C and GID participants. The cognitive performance of cross-sex hormone-treated GID patients was virtually identical to that of the control group. The documented test-retest effect should be taken into consideration when evaluating treatment effects generally in psychiatry.

Virtual street-crossing performance in persons with multiple sclerosis: Feasibility and task performance characteristics.

PubMed

Stratton, M E; Pilutti, L A; Crowell, J A; Kaczmarski, H; Motl, R W

2017-01-02

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that commonly results in physical and cognitive dysfunction. Accordingly, MS might impact the ability to safely cross the street. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a simulated street-crossing task in persons with MS and to determine differences in street-crossing performance between persons with MS and non-MS controls. 26 participants with MS (median Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score = 3.5) and 19 controls completed 40 trials of a virtual street-crossing task. There were 2 crossing conditions (i.e., no distraction and phone conversation), and participants performed 20 trials per condition. Participants were instructed that the goal of the task was to cross the street successfully (i.e., without being hit be a vehicle). The primary outcome was task feasibility, assessed as completion and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were measures of street-crossing performance. Overall, the simulated street-crossing task was feasible (i.e., 90% completion, no adverse events) in participants with MS. Participants with MS waited longer and were less attentive to traffic before entering the street compared with controls (all P < .05). Participants with MS also took longer to cross the street and were closer to oncoming vehicles when exiting the street compared to controls (all P < .05). When distracted, all participants took longer to initiate crossing, took longer to cross the street, and made more head turns while crossing (all P < .05). There were no significant group by condition interaction effects (all P > .05). A virtual street-crossing task is feasible for studying street-crossing behavior in persons with mild MS and most individuals with moderate MS. Virtual street-crossing performance is impaired in persons with MS compared to controls; however, persons with MS do not appear to be more vulnerable to a distracting condition. The virtual reality environment presents a safe and useful setting for understanding pedestrian behavior in persons with MS.

[Quality of health care for diabetic and hypertensive patients in primary care settings servicing Mexican Seguro Popular].

PubMed

Ortiz-Domínguez, Maki E; Garrido-Latorre, Francisco; Orozco, Ricardo; Pineda-Pérez, Dayana; Rodríguez-Salgado, Marlenne

2011-01-01

To assess health care quality provided to type-2 diabetic and hypertensive patients in primary care settings from the Mexican Ministry of Health and to evaluate whether accredited clinics providing services to the Mexican Seguro Popular performed better in terms of metabolic control of those patients compared to the non-accredited. Cross-sectional study performed on 2008. Previous year clinical measures were obtained from 5 444 diabetic and 5 827 hypertensive patient's clinical records. Adequate metabolic control (glucose <110 mg/dl for diabetes and blood pressure <140/90 mmHg for hypertension) associated factors were assessed by multiple-multilevel logistic regression methods. Patients attending accredited clinics were more likely to be controlled, however, metabolic control was not constant over time of accreditation. Additional efforts are required to monitor accredited clinics' performance in order to maintain both metabolic control and clinical assessment of patients.

Reliability of 3-Dimensional Measures of Single-Leg Cross Drop Landing Across 3 Different Institutions

PubMed Central

DiCesare, Christopher A.; Bates, Nathaniel A.; Barber Foss, Kim D.; Thomas, Staci M.; Wordeman, Samuel C.; Sugimoto, Dai; Roewer, Benjamin D.; Medina McKeon, Jennifer M.; Di Stasi, Stephanie; Noehren, Brian W.; Ford, Kevin R.; Kiefer, Adam W.; Hewett, Timothy E.; Myer, Gregory D.

2015-01-01

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are physically and financially devastating but affect a relatively small percentage of the population. Prospective identification of risk factors for ACL injury necessitates a large sample size; therefore, study of this injury would benefit from a multicenter approach. Purpose: To determine the reliability of kinematic and kinetic measures of a single-leg cross drop task across 3 institutions. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Twenty-five female high school volleyball players participated in this study. Three-dimensional motion data of each participant performing the single-leg cross drop were collected at 3 institutions over a period of 4 weeks. Coefficients of multiple correlation were calculated to assess the reliability of kinematic and kinetic measures during the landing phase of the movement. Results: Between-centers reliability for kinematic waveforms in the frontal and sagittal planes was good, but moderate in the transverse plane. Between-centers reliability for kinetic waveforms was good in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes. Conclusion: Based on these findings, the single-leg cross drop task has moderate to good reliability of kinematic and kinetic measures across institutions after implementation of a standardized testing protocol. Clinical Relevance: Multicenter collaborations can increase study numbers and generalize results, which is beneficial for studies of relatively rare phenomena, such as ACL injury. An important step is to determine the reliability of risk assessments across institutions before a multicenter collaboration can be initiated. PMID:26779550

Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and the thyroid gland - examining and discussing possible longitudinal health effects in humans.

PubMed

Gaum, Petra M; Lang, Jessica; Esser, André; Schettgen, Thomas; Neulen, Joseph; Kraus, Thomas; Gube, Monika

2016-07-01

Many previous studies have dealt with the effect of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the thyroid gland, but their findings are inconsistent. One problem of these studies has been their use of cross-sectional designs. The aim of the current study is to investigate longitudinal effects of PCBs on the thyroid gland, focusing on: morphological changes in thyroid tissue (i.e. thyroid volume), changes in thyroid hormones and in thyroid antibodies. A total of 122 individuals (Mage=44.7) were examined over a period of four years (t(1) until t(4)). Medical history was collected via interviews, an ultrasound examination was performed and blood samples were taken to determine plasma PCB levels, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodthyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOab), thyreoglobulin antibodies (TGab) and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies (TSHRab). Rank correlation coefficients and mixed effect models were performed controlling for age and total lipids. There were negative correlations between higher chlorinated biphenyls and fT3, cross-sectionally as well as longitudinally. We also found an interaction effect of higher-chlorinated PCBs over time for fT4 as well as TSHRab. In case of high exposure, a decrease in fT4 and an increase in TSHRab level were found over time. In regards to the other variables, our findings yielded no clear results in the examined time period. This is the first study to shows a PCB-related effect on fT3, fT4 and TSHRab over a four year period. The data also suggest that morphological and antibody findings remain inconsistent and do not allow for unambiguous interpretation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Money over Drugs: The Neural Underpinnings of Difficult Choice in Chronic Cocaine Users

PubMed Central

Wesley, Michael J.; Lohrenz, Terry; Koffarnus, Mikhail N.; McClure, Samuel M.; De La Garza, Richard; Salas, Ramiro; Thompson-Lake, Daisy G. Y.; Newton, Thomas F.; Bickel, Warren K.; Montague, P. Read

2014-01-01

Addiction is considered a disorder that drives individuals to choose drugs at the expense of healthier alternatives. However, chronic cocaine users (CCUs) who meet addiction criteria retain the ability to choose money in the presence of the opportunity to choose cocaine. The neural mechanisms that differentiate CCUs from non-cocaine using controls (Controls) while executing these preferred choices remain unknown. Thus, therapeutic strategies aimed at shifting preferences towards healthier alternatives remain somewhat uninformed. This study used BOLD neuroimaging to examine brain activity as fifty CCUs and Controls performed single- and cross-commodity intertemporal choice tasks for money and/or cocaine. Behavioral analyses revealed preferences for each commodity type. Imaging analyses revealed the brain activity that differentiated CCUs from Controls while choosing money over cocaine. We observed that CCUs devalued future commodities more than Controls. Choices for money as opposed to cocaine correlated with greater activity in dorsal striatum of CCUs, compared to Controls. In addition, choices for future money as opposed to immediate cocaine engaged the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of CCUs more than Controls. These data suggest that the ability of CCUs to execute choices away from cocaine relies on activity in the dorsal striatum and left DLPFC. PMID:25197609

Increased atherosclerosis in mice with increased vascular biglycan content.

PubMed

Thompson, Joel C; Tang, Tao; Wilson, Patricia G; Yoder, Meghan H; Tannock, Lisa R

2014-07-01

The response to retention hypothesis of atherogenesis proposes that atherosclerosis is initiated via the retention of atherogenic lipoproteins by vascular proteoglycans. Co-localization studies suggest that of all the vascular proteoglycans, biglycan is the one most closely co-localized with LDL. The goal of this study was to determine if over-expression of biglycan in hyperlipidemic mice would increase atherosclerosis development. Transgenic mice were developed by expressing biglycan under control of the smooth muscle actin promoter, and were crossed to the LDL receptor deficient (C57BL/6 background) atherosclerotic mouse model. Biglycan transgenic and non-transgenic control mice were fed an atherogenic Western diet for 4-12 weeks. LDL receptor deficient mice overexpressing biglycan under control of the smooth muscle alpha actin promoter had increased atherosclerosis development that correlated with vascular biglycan content. Increased vascular biglycan content predisposes to increased lipid retention and increased atherosclerosis development. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Measuring Gambling Reinforcers, Over Consumption and Fallacies: The Psychometric Properties and Predictive Validity of the Jonsson-Abbott Scale.

PubMed

Jonsson, Jakob; Abbott, Max W; Sjöberg, Anders; Carlbring, Per

2017-01-01

Traditionally, gambling and problem gambling research relies on cross-sectional and retrospective designs. This has compromised identification of temporal relationships and causal inference. To overcome these problems a new questionnaire, the Jonsson-Abbott Scale (JAS), was developed and used in a large, prospective, general population study, The Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (Swelogs). The JAS has 11 items and seeks to identify early indicators, examine relationships between indicators and assess their capacity to predict future problem progression. The aims of the study were to examine psychometric properties of the JAS (internal consistency and dimensionality) and predictive validity with respect to increased gambling risk and problem gambling onset. The results are based on repeated interviews with 3818 participants. The response rate from the initial baseline wave was 74%. The original sample consisted of a random, stratified selection from the Swedish population register aged between 16 and 84. The results indicate an acceptable fit of a three-factor solution in a confirmatory factor analysis with 'Over consumption,' 'Gambling fallacies,' and 'Reinforcers' as factors. Reinforcers, Over consumption and Gambling fallacies were significant predictors of gambling risk potential and Gambling fallacies and Over consumption were significant predictors of problem gambling onset (incident cases) at 12 month follow up. When controlled for risk potential measured at baseline, the predictor Over consumption was not significant for gambling risk potential at follow up. For incident cases, Gambling fallacies and Over consumption remained significant when controlled for risk potential. Implications of the results for the development of problem gambling, early detection, prevention, and future research are discussed.

The reciprocal associations between identity disturbance, relationship disturbance, and suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents: A three-wave cross-lag study.

PubMed

Ren, Yaxuan; Zhang, Xu; You, Jianing; Jiang, Yongqiang; Lin, Min-Pei; Leung, Freedom

2017-12-18

Adolescence is a developmental period associated with a heightened risk for suicidal ideation. During this phase of life, individuals tend to focus on both intrapersonal self and interpersonal relationships. Thus, it is of much significance to understand the roles of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors in the development of suicidal ideation among adolescents. The present study examined the reciprocal associations between identity disturbance, relationship disturbance, and suicidal ideation by using a three-wave cross-lag model in a sample of adolescents. A number of 3,600 Chinese adolescents (56.6% females, mean age = 14.58 years) completed questionnaires assessing the three main study variables as well as depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicidal attempts three times at 6-month intervals. After controlling for gender, age, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicidal attempts, relationship disturbance significantly predicted suicidal ideation over time, and vice versa. Suicidal ideation significantly predicted identity disturbance over time, but not vice versa. We also found the mediating effect of relationship disturbance in the path from identity disturbance to suicidal ideation. The results suggested the important role of previous relationship disturbance in predicting later suicidal ideation. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings were discussed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The genetics of green thorax, a new larval colour mutant, non-linked with ruby - eye locus in the malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi.

PubMed

Sanil, D; Shetty, N J

2009-06-01

Anopheles stephensi, an important vector of malaria continues to be distributed widely in the Indian subcontinent. The natural vigour of the species combined with its new tolerance, indeed resistance to insecticides has made it obligatory that we look for control methods involving genetic manipulation. Hence, there is an immediate need for greater understanding of the genetics of this vector species. One of the requirements for such genetic studies is the establishment of naturally occurring mutants, establishment of the genetic basis for the same and use of such mutants in the genetic transformation studies and other genetic control programme(s). This paper describes the isolation and genetic studies of a larval colour mutant, green thorax (gt), and linkage studies involving another autosomal recessive mutant ruby- eye (ru) in An. stephensi. After the initial discovery, the mutant green thorax was crossed inter se and pure homozygous stock of the mutant was established. The stock of the mutant ruby- eye, which has been maintained as a pure stock in the laboratory. Crosses were made between the wild type and mutant, green thorax to determine the mode of inheritance of green thorax. For linkage studies, crosses were made between the mutant green thorax and another autosomal recessive mutant ruby-eye. The percentage cross-over was calculated for the genes linkage relationship for gt and gt ru. Results of crosses between mutant and wild type showed that the inheritance of green thorax (gt) in An. stephensi is monofactorial in nature. The gt allele is recessive to wild type and is autosomal. The linkage studies showed no linkage between ru and gt. The mutant gt represents an excellent marker for An. stephensi as it is expressed in late III instar stage of larvae and is prominent in IV instar and pupal stages with complete penetrance and high viability. The said mutant could be easily identified without the aid of a microscope. This mutant can be used extensively to conduct basic and applied research. The mutant has been maintained in two large cages in our laboratory.

Processing of visual food cues during bitter taste perception in female patients with binge-eating symptoms: A cross-modal ERP study.

PubMed

Schienle, Anne; Scharmüller, Wilfried; Schwab, Daniela

2017-11-01

In healthy individuals, the perception of an intense bitter taste decreased the reward value of visual food cues, as reflected by the reduction of a specific event-related brain potential (ERP), frontal late positivity. The current cross-modal ERP study investigated responses of female patients with binge-eating symptoms (BES) to this type of visual-gustatory stimulation. Women with BES (n=36) and female control participants (n=38) viewed food images after they rinsed their mouth with either bitter wormwood tea or water. Relative to controls, the patients showed elevated late positivity (LPP: 400-700ms) to the food images in the bitter condition. The LPP source was located in the medial prefrontal cortex. Both groups did not differ in the ratings for the fluids (intensity, bitterness, disgust). This ERP study showed that a bitter taste did not decrease late positivity to visual food cues (reflecting food reward) in women with BES. The atypical bitter responding might be a biological marker of this condition and possibly contributes to overeating. Future studies should additionally record food intake behavior to further investigate this mechanism. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of cross-sectional geometry on the sensitivity and hysteresis of liquid-phase electronic pressure sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Yong-Lae; Tepayotl-Ramirez, Daniel; Wood, Robert J.; Majidi, Carmel

2012-11-01

Cross-sectional geometry influences the pressure-controlled conductivity of liquid-phase metal channels embedded in an elastomer film. These soft microfluidic films may function as hyperelastic electric wiring or sensors that register the intensity of surface pressure. As pressure is applied to the elastomer, the cross-section of the embedded channel deforms, and the electrical resistance of the channel increases. In an effort to improve sensitivity and reduce sensor nonlinearity and hysteresis, we compare the electrical response of 0.25 mm2 channels with different cross-sectional geometries. We demonstrate that channels with a triangular or concave cross-section exhibit the least nonlinearity and hysteresis over pressures ranging from 0 to 70 kPa. These experimental results are in reasonable agreement with predictions made by theoretical calculations that we derive from elasticity and Ohm's Law.

Controlled release of folic acid through liquid-crystalline folate nanoparticles.

PubMed

Misra, Rahul; Katyal, Henna; Mohanty, Sanat

2014-11-01

The present study explores folate nanoparticles as nano-carriers for controlled drug delivery. Cross-linked nanoparticles of liquid crystalline folates are composed of ordered stacks. This paper shows that the folate nanoparticles can be made with less than 5% loss in folate ions. In addition, this study shows that folate nanoparticles can disintegrate in a controlled fashion resulting in controlled release of the folate ions. Release can be controlled by the size of nanoparticles, the extent of cross-linking and the choice of cross-linking cation. The effect of different factors like agitation, pH, and temperature on folate release was also studied. Studies were also carried out to show the effect of release medium and role of ions in the release medium on disruption of folate assembly. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cross-classification of musical and vocal emotions in the auditory cortex.

PubMed

Paquette, Sébastien; Takerkart, Sylvain; Saget, Shinji; Peretz, Isabelle; Belin, Pascal

2018-05-09

Whether emotions carried by voice and music are processed by the brain using similar mechanisms has long been investigated. Yet neuroimaging studies do not provide a clear picture, mainly due to lack of control over stimuli. Here, we report a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study using comparable stimulus material in the voice and music domains-the Montreal Affective Voices and the Musical Emotional Bursts-which include nonverbal short bursts of happiness, fear, sadness, and neutral expressions. We use a multivariate emotion-classification fMRI analysis involving cross-timbre classification as a means of comparing the neural mechanisms involved in processing emotional information in the two domains. We find, for affective stimuli in the violin, clarinet, or voice timbres, that local fMRI patterns in the bilateral auditory cortex and upper premotor regions support above-chance emotion classification when training and testing sets are performed within the same timbre category. More importantly, classifier performance generalized well across timbre in cross-classifying schemes, albeit with a slight accuracy drop when crossing the voice-music boundary, providing evidence for a shared neural code for processing musical and vocal emotions, with possibly a cost for the voice due to its evolutionary significance. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Magnetic particles guided by ellipsoidal AC magnetic fields in a shallow viscous fluid: Controlling trajectories and chain lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorge, Guillermo A.; Llera, María; Bekeris, Victoria

2017-12-01

We study the propulsion of superparamagnetic particles dispersed in a viscous fluid upon the application of an elliptically polarized rotating magnetic field. Reducing the fluid surface tension the particles sediment due to density mismatch and rotate close to the low recipient confining plate. We study the net translational motion arising from the hydrodynamic coupling with the plate and find that, above a cross over magnetic field, magnetically assembled doublets move faster than single particles. In turn, particles are driven in complex highly controlled trajectories by rotating the plane containing the magnetic field vector. The effect of the field rotation on long self assembled chains is discussed and the alternating breakup and reformation of the particle chains is described.

Effects of timolol and atenolol on benign essential tremor: placebo-controlled studies based on quantitative tremor recording.

PubMed Central

Dietrichson, P; Espen, E

1981-01-01

Two different beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists, atenolol and timolol, were separately compared with a placebo in the suppression of essential tremor. In two-week single-blind placebo-controlled studies with cross-over, timolol (5 mg twice daily) and atenolol (100 mg once daily) produced an equal reduction in sitting heart rate and sitting blood pressure. Timolol was effective in reducing tremor while atenolol failed to reduce tremor amplitude. These results indicate that essential tremor can be reduced but not blocked, by the adrenergic blocker timolol with both beta 1 and beta 2 blocking properties; but not by the relatively selective beta 1 blocking drug atenolol. Possibly, the tremor reduction is medicated by a peripheral effect on beta 2 adrenoreceptors. Images PMID:7028921

Health among hospital employees in Europe: a cross-national study of the impact of work stress and work control.

PubMed

Pisljar, Tjasa; van der Lippe, Tanja; den Dulk, Laura

2011-03-01

This article analyses the effect of working conditions on the health of hospital employees across Europe. Hospital employees often have demanding jobs that increase their stress levels and, consequently, their risk of health problems. Work control - typified by employee autonomy and working time flexibility - helps them cope with high levels of work stress. Researchers have traditionally studied the relationship between working conditions, coping strategies and occupational health from an individual perspective. We argue that the individual work-health relationship is closely connected with the social and institutional context. This study explores how work stress and work control influence the health of hospital employees and aims to understand cross-country differences in this respect. Using data on over 1500 hospital employees who participated in the study 'Quality of work and life in a changing Europe' (2007) in eight European countries, we used ordinal regression analyses to test a range of hypotheses. The results show that work stress has a negative effect on the health of hospital employees, while work control is not found to have any effect on their health. Comparative analyses reveal that the effects of working conditions on health vary across European countries. While working overtime is more closely related to poorer health in Eastern European countries, we found evidence of a positive relationship between job autonomy and health in Western Europe only, indicating that circumstances in the working environment have differing effects on employee health in Eastern and Western Europe. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Misconception of Case-Control Studies in the Plastic Surgery Literature: A Literature Audit.

PubMed

Hatchell, Alexandra C; Farrokhyar, Forough; Choi, Matthew

2017-06-01

Case-control study designs are commonly used. However, many published case-control studies are not true case-controls and are in fact mislabeled. The purpose of this study was to identify all case-control studies published in the top three plastic surgery journals over the past 10 years, assess which were truly case-control studies, clarify the actual design of the articles, and address common misconceptions. MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for case-control studies in the three highest-impact factor plastic surgery journals (2005 to 2015). Two independent reviewers screened the resulting titles, abstracts, and methods, if applicable, to identify articles labeled as case-control studies. These articles were appraised and classified as true case-control studies or non-case-control studies. The authors found 28 articles labeled as case-control studies. However, only six of these articles (21 percent) were truly case-control designs. Of the 22 incorrectly labeled studies, one (5 percent) was a randomized controlled trial, three (14 percent) were nonrandomized trials, two (9 percent) were prospective comparative cohort designs, 14 (64 percent) were retrospective comparative cohort designs, and two (9 percent) were cross-sectional designs. The mislabeling was worse in recent years, despite increases in evidence-based medicine awareness. The majority of published case-control studies are not in fact case-control studies. This misunderstanding is worsening with time. Most of these studies are actually comparative cohort designs. However, some studies are truly clinical trials and thus a higher level of evidence than originally proposed.

Assessment of Noise and Associated Health Impacts at Selected Secondary Schools in Ibadan, Nigeria

PubMed Central

Ana, Godson R. E. E.; Shendell, Derek G.; Brown, G. E.; Sridhar, M. K. C.

2009-01-01

Background. Most schools in Ibadan, Nigeria, are located near major roads (mobile line sources). We conducted an initial assessment of noise levels and adverse noise-related health and learning effects. Methods. For this descriptive, cross-sectional study, four schools were selected randomly from eight participating in overall project. We administered 200 questionnaires, 50 per school, assessing health and learning-related outcomes. Noise levels (A-weighted decibels, dBA) were measured with calibrated sound level meters. Traffic density was assessed for school with the highest measured dBA. Observational checklists assessed noise control parameters and building physical attributes. Results. Short-term, cross-sectional school-day noise levels ranged 68.3–84.7 dBA. Over 60% of respondents reported that vehicular traffic was major source of noise, and over 70% complained being disturbed by noise. Three schools reported tiredness, and one school lack of concentration, as the most prevalent noise-related health problems. Conclusion. Secondary school occupants in Ibadan, Nigeria were potentially affected by exposure to noise from mobile line sources. PMID:20041025

Dish stirling solar receiver combustor test program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bankston, C. P.; Back, L. H.

1981-01-01

The operational and energy transfer characteristics of the Dish Stirling Solar Receiver (DSSR) combustor/heat exchanger system was evaluated. The DSSR is designed to operate with fossil fuel augmentation utilizing a swirl combustor and cross flow heat exchanger consisting of a single row of 4 closely spaced tubes that are curved into a conical shape. The performance of the combustor/heat exchanger system without a Stirling engine was studied over a range of operating conditions and output levels using water as the working fluid. Results show that the combustor may be started under cold conditions, controlled safety, and operated at a constant air/fuel ratio (10 percent excess air) over the required range of firing rates. Furthermore, nondimensional heat transfer coefficients based on total heat transfer are plotted versus Reynolds number and compared with literature data taken for single rows of closely spaced tubes perpendicular to cross flow. The data show enhanced heat transfer for the present geometry and test conditions. Analysis of the results shows that the present system meets specified thermal requirements, thus verifying the feasibility of the DSSR combustor design for final prototype fabrication.

Attosecond polarization control in atomic RABBITT-like experiments assisted by a circularly polarized laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boll, D. I. R.; Fojón, O. A.

2017-12-01

We study theoretically the single ionization of noble gas atoms by the combined action of an attosecond pulse train with linear polarization and an assistant laser field with circular polarization. We employ a non-perturbative model that under certain approximations gives closed-form expressions for the angular distributions of photoelectrons. Interestingly, our model allow us to interpret these angular distributions as two-centre interferences where the orientation and the modulus of the separation vector between the virtual emitters is governed by the assistant laser field. Additionally, we show that such a configuration of light fields is similar to the polarization control technique, where both the attosecond pulse train and the assistant laser field have linear polarizations whose relative orientation may be controlled. Moreover, in order to compare our results with the available experimental data, we obtain analytical expressions for the cross sections integrated over the photoelectron emission angles. By means of these expressions, we define the ‘magic time’ as the delay for which the total cross sections for atomic targets exhibit the same functional form as the one of the monochromatic photoionization of diatomic molecular targets.

Trends and Disparities in Disordered Eating among Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Adolescents

PubMed Central

Watson, Ryan J.; Adjei, Jones; Saewyc, Elizabeth; Homma, Yuko; Goodenow, Carol

2018-01-01

Objective Disordered eating has decreased for all youth over time, but studies have not focused specifically on lesbian, gay, and bisexual(LGB) youth. Research has found that LGB youth report disordered eating behaviors more often compared to their heterosexual counterparts, but no studies have documented trends over time for LGB youth and considered whether these disparities are narrowing or widening across sexual orientation groups. Method We use pooled data from the 1999–2013 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (N = 26,002) to investigate trends in purging, fasting, and using diet pills to lose or control weight for heterosexual and sexual minority youth. We used cross tabs, logistic regression, and interactions in regression models, stratified by sex. Results The prevalence of disordered eating has decreased on all three measures across nearly all groups of heterosexual and sexual minority youth. However, we found disparities in reported disordered eating behaviors for LGB youth persisted across all survey years, with LGB students reporting significantly higher prevalence of disordered eating than heterosexuals. The disparities in fasting to control weight widened between the first and last survey waves between lesbian and heterosexual females. Discussion The significant reductions over time in prevalence of disordered eating among some youth are encouraging, but the disparities remain. Indeed, the increasing prevalence of fasting, diet pill use, and purging to control weight among lesbians may warrant targeted prevention and intervention programs. PMID:27425253

Deconstructing racial differences: the effects of quality of education and cerebrovascular risk factors.

PubMed

Carvalho, Janessa O; Tommet, Doug; Crane, Paul K; Thomas, Michael L; Claxton, Amy; Habeck, Christian; Manly, Jennifer J; Romero, Heather R

2015-07-01

To evaluate the effects of vascular conditions and education quality on cognition over time in White and African American (AA) older adults. We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal racial differences in executive functioning (EF) and memory composites among Whites (n = 461) and AAs (n = 118) enrolled in a cohort study. We examined whether cerebrovascular risk factors and Shipley Vocabulary scores (a proxy for education quality) accounted for racial differences. On average, AAs had lower quality of education and more cerebrovascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. AAs had lower mean EF and memory at baseline, but there were no group differences in rates of decline. Cross-sectional racial differences in EF and memory persisted after controlling for vascular disease, but disappeared when controlling for Shipley Vocabulary. Quality of education appears to be more important than cerebrovascular risk factors in explaining cross-sectional differences in memory and EF performance between White and AA older adults. Further investigation is needed regarding the relative contribution of education quality and cerebrovascular risk factors to cognitive decline among ethnically/racially diverse older adults. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of treatment crossovers on clinical outcomes in the rate and rhythm control strategies for atrial fibrillation: Insights from the AFFIRM (Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management) trial.

PubMed

Maan, Abhishek; Zhang, Zheng; Qin, Ziling; Wang, Yanbing; Dudley, Samuel; Dabhadakar, Kaustubh; Refaat, Marwan; Mansour, Moussa; Ruskin, Jeremy N; Heist, E Kevin

2017-07-01

We investigated the rates and reasons for crossover to alternative treatment strategies and its impact on mortality in patients who were enrolled in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) trial. Over a mean follow-up period of 3.5 years, 842 patients underwent crossover to the alternative treatment arms in AFFIRM. The rate of crossover from rhythm to rate control (594/2,033, 29.2%) was more frequent than the rate of crossover from rate to rhythm control (248/2,027, 12.2%, P < 0.0001). The leading reasons for crossover from rhythm to rate control were failure to achieve or maintain sinus rhythm (272/594, 45.8%) and intolerable adverse effects (122/594, 20.5%). In comparison, the major reasons for crossover from rate to rhythm control were failure to control atrial fibrillation symptoms (159/248, 64.1%) and intolerable adverse effects (9/248, 3.6%). This difference in crossover pattern was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). There was a significantly decreased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.48-0.78, P < 0.0001) and cardiac mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43-0.88, P = 0.008) in the subgroup of patients who crossed over from rhythm to rate control as compared to those who continued in rhythm control. There was a nonsignificant trend toward decreased all-cause (adjusted HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.53-1.10, P = 0.14) and cardiac mortality (adjusted HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.42-1.18, P = 0.18) in patients who crossed over from rate to rhythm control as compared to those who continued rate control. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study to establish the bifidogenic effect of a very-long-chain inulin extracted from globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) in healthy human subjects.

PubMed

Costabile, Adele; Kolida, Sofia; Klinder, Annett; Gietl, Eva; Bäuerlein, Michael; Frohberg, Claus; Landschütze, Volker; Gibson, Glenn R

2010-10-01

There is growing interest in the use of inulins as substrates for the selective growth of beneficial gut bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli because recent studies have established that their prebiotic effect is linked to several health benefits. In the present study, the impact of a very-long-chain inulin (VLCI), derived from globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus), on the human intestinal microbiota compared with maltodextrin was determined. A double-blind, cross-over study was carried out in thirty-two healthy adults who were randomised into two groups and consumed 10 g/d of either VLCI or maltodextrin, for two 3-week study periods, separated by a 3-week washout period. Numbers of faecal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were significantly higher upon VLCI ingestion compared with the placebo. Additionally, levels of Atopobium group significantly increased, while Bacteroides-Prevotella numbers were significantly reduced. No significant changes in faecal SCFA concentrations were observed. There were no adverse gastrointestinal symptoms apart from a significant increase in mild and moderate bloating upon VLCI ingestion. These observations were also confirmed by in vitro gas production measurements. In conclusion, daily consumption of VLCI extracted from globe artichoke exerted a pronounced prebiotic effect on the human faecal microbiota composition and was well tolerated by all volunteers.

Does the ingestion of a 24 hour low glycaemic index Asian mixed meal diet improve glycaemic response and promote fat oxidation? A controlled, randomized cross-over study.

PubMed

Camps, Stefan Gerardus; Kaur, Bhupinder; Quek, Rina Yu Chin; Henry, Christiani Jeyakumar

2017-07-12

The health benefits of consuming a low glycaemic index (GI) diet to reduce the risk of type 2 Diabetes are well recognized. In recent years the GI values of various foods have been determined. Their efficacy in constructing and consuming a low GI diet over 24 h in modulating glycaemic response has not been fully documented. The translation of using single-point GI values of foods to develop a 24 h mixed meal diet can provide valuable information to consumers, researchers and dietitians to optimize food choice for glycaemic control. By using GI values of foods to develop mixed meals, our study is the first to determine how both blood glucose and substrate oxidation may be modulated over 24 h. The study included 11 Asian men with a BMI between 17-24 kg/m 2 who followed both a 1-day low GI and 1-day high GI diet in a randomized, controlled cross-over design. Test meals included breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. Glycaemic response was measured continuously for over 24 h and postprandial substrate oxidation for 10 h inside a whole body calorimeter. The low GI diet resulted in lower 24 h glucose iAUC (860 ± 440 vs 1329 ± 614 mmol/L.min; p = 0.014) with lower postprandial glucose iAUC after breakfast (p < 0.001), lunch (p = 0.009), snack (p = 0.012) and dinner (p = 0.003). Moreover, 24 h mean amplitude of glycaemic excursion was lower during the low GI vs high GI diet (1.44 ± 0.63 vs 2.33 ± 0.82 mmol/L; p < 0.001). Simultaneously, decrease in 10 h fat oxidation was less during the low vs high GI diet (-0.033 ± 0.021 vs -0.050 ± 0.017 g/min; p < 0.001), specifically after breakfast (p < 0.001) and lunch (p < 0.001). Our study corroborates that using low GI local foods to construct a 24 h low GI diet, is able to reduce glycaemic response and variability as recorded by continuous glucose monitoring. Our observations also confirm that a low GI diet promotes fat oxidation over carbohydrate oxidation when compared to a high GI diet. These observations provide public health support for the encouragement of healthier nutrition choices by consuming low GI foods. NCT 02631083 (Clinicaltrials.gov).

Psychosocial working conditions in a representative sample of working Australians 2001-2008: an analysis of changes in inequalities over time.

PubMed

LaMontagne, A D; Krnjacki, L; Kavanagh, A M; Bentley, R

2013-09-01

A number of widely prevalent job stressors have been identified as modifiable risk factors for common mental and physical illnesses such as depression and cardiovascular disease, yet there has been relatively little study of population trends in exposure to job stressors over time. The aims of this paper were to assess: (1) overall time trends in job control and security and (2) whether disparities by sex, age, skill level and employment arrangement were changing over time in the Australian working population. Job control and security were measured in eight annual waves (2000-2008) from the Australian nationally-representative Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia panel survey (n=13 188 unique individuals for control and n=13 182 for security). Observed and model-predicted time trends were generated. Models were generated using population-averaged longitudinal linear regression, with year fitted categorically. Changes in disparities over time by sex, age group, skill level and employment arrangement were tested as interactions between each of these stratifying variables and time. While significant disparities persisted for disadvantaged compared with advantaged groups, results suggested that inequalities in job control narrowed among young workers compared with older groups and for casual, fixed-term and self-employed compared with permanent workers. A slight narrowing of disparities over time in job security was noted for gender, age, employment arrangement and occupational skill level. Despite the favourable findings of small reductions in disparities in job control and security, significant cross-sectional disparities persist. Policy and practice intervention to improve psychosocial working conditions for disadvantaged groups could reduce these persisting disparities and associated illness burdens.

Reliability of 3-Dimensional Measures of Single-Leg Cross Drop Landing Across 3 Different Institutions: Implications for Multicenter Biomechanical and Epidemiological Research on ACL Injury Prevention.

PubMed

DiCesare, Christopher A; Bates, Nathaniel A; Barber Foss, Kim D; Thomas, Staci M; Wordeman, Samuel C; Sugimoto, Dai; Roewer, Benjamin D; Medina McKeon, Jennifer M; Di Stasi, Stephanie; Noehren, Brian W; Ford, Kevin R; Kiefer, Adam W; Hewett, Timothy E; Myer, Gregory D

2015-12-01

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are physically and financially devastating but affect a relatively small percentage of the population. Prospective identification of risk factors for ACL injury necessitates a large sample size; therefore, study of this injury would benefit from a multicenter approach. To determine the reliability of kinematic and kinetic measures of a single-leg cross drop task across 3 institutions. Controlled laboratory study. Twenty-five female high school volleyball players participated in this study. Three-dimensional motion data of each participant performing the single-leg cross drop were collected at 3 institutions over a period of 4 weeks. Coefficients of multiple correlation were calculated to assess the reliability of kinematic and kinetic measures during the landing phase of the movement. Between-centers reliability for kinematic waveforms in the frontal and sagittal planes was good, but moderate in the transverse plane. Between-centers reliability for kinetic waveforms was good in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes. Based on these findings, the single-leg cross drop task has moderate to good reliability of kinematic and kinetic measures across institutions after implementation of a standardized testing protocol. Multicenter collaborations can increase study numbers and generalize results, which is beneficial for studies of relatively rare phenomena, such as ACL injury. An important step is to determine the reliability of risk assessments across institutions before a multicenter collaboration can be initiated.

Effects of chronic consumption of fruit and vegetable puree-based drinks on vasodilation, plasma oxidative stability and antioxidant status.

PubMed

George, T W; Paterson, E; Waroonphan, S; Gordon, M H; Lovegrove, J A

2012-10-01

Fruit and vegetable-rich diets are associated with a reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This protective effect may be a result of the phytochemicals present within fruits and vegetables (F&V). However, there can be considerable variation in the content of phytochemical composition of whole F&V depending on growing location, cultivar, season and agricultural practices, etc. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of consuming fruits and vegetables as puree-based drinks (FVPD) daily on vasodilation, phytochemical bioavailability, antioxidant status and other CVD risk factors. FVPD was chosen to provide a standardised source of F&V material that could be delivered from the same batch to all subjects during each treatment arm of the study. Thirty-nine subjects completed the randomised, controlled, cross-over dietary intervention. Subjects were randomised to consume 200 mL of FVPD (or fruit-flavoured control), daily for 6 weeks with an 8-week washout period between treatments. Dietary intake was measured using two 5-day diet records during each cross-over arm of the study. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after each intervention and vasodilation assessed in 19 subjects using laser Doppler imaging with iontophoresis. FVPD significantly increased dietary vitamin C and carotenoids (P < 0.001), and concomitantly increased plasma α- and β-carotene (P < 0.001) with a near-significant increase in endothelium-dependent vasodilation (P = 0.060). Overall, the findings obtained in the present study showed that FVPD were a useful vehicle to increase fruit and vegetable intake, significantly increasing dietary and plasma phytochemical concentrations with a trend towards increased endothelium-dependent vasodilation. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2012 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

C2 Nerve Field Stimulation for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia: A Prospective, Double-blind, Randomized, Controlled Cross-over Study.

PubMed

Plazier, Mark; Ost, Jan; Stassijns, Gaëtane; De Ridder, Dirk; Vanneste, Sven

2015-01-01

Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by widespread chronic pain. Due to the high prevalence and high costs, it has a substantial burden on society. Treatment results are diverse and only help a small subset of patients. C2 nerve field stimulation, aka occipital nerve stimulation, is helpful and a minimally invasive treatment for primary headache syndromes. Small C2 pilot studies seem to be beneficial in fibromyalgia. Forty patients were implanted with a subcutaneous electrode in the C2 dermatoma as part of a prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled cross-over study followed by an open label follow up period of 6 months. The patients underwent 2 week periods of different doses of stimulation consisting of minimal (.1 mA), subthreshold, and suprathreshold (for paresthesias) in a randomized order. Twenty seven patients received a permanent implant and 25 completed the 6 month open label follow up period. During the 6 week trial phase of the study, patients had an overall decrease of 36% on the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), a decrease of 33% fibromyalgia pain and improvement of 42% on the impact on daily life activities and quality. These results imply an overall improvement in the disease burden, maintained at 6 months follow up, as well as an improvement in life quality of 50%. Seventy six percent of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their treatment. There seems to be a dose-response curve, with increasing amplitudes leading to better clinical outcomes. Subcutaneous C2 nerve field stimulation seems to offer a safe and effective treatment option for selected medically intractable patients with fibromyalgia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Depressive and Anxiety Disorders Showing Robust, but Non-Dynamic, 6-Year Longitudinal Association With Short Leukocyte Telomere Length.

PubMed

Verhoeven, Josine E; van Oppen, Patricia; Révész, Dóra; Wolkowitz, Owen M; Penninx, Brenda W J H

2016-06-01

Several cross-sectional studies have related depressive and anxiety disorders to shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) as an indicator of cellular aging. However, these studies have left many unresolved questions about underlying causality and ordering of associations. The objective of the present large, longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between depressive and anxiety disorders and LTL over a 6-year time period. Data are from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, including 2,292 patients with remitted and current diagnoses of depressive or anxiety disorders and 644 healthy control subjects. LTL was assessed using quantitative PCR and measured at baseline and after 6 years; depressive and anxiety disorder diagnoses and characteristics (course, duration, and severity) were determined at baseline and after 2, 4, and 6 years. Results showed that persons with remitted (B=-52.6) and current (B=-60.8) depressive or anxiety disorder had consistently shorter LTL compared with healthy control subjects across baseline and at the 6-year follow-up, remaining significant when controlling for lifestyle and somatic health variables. Changes in the course of depressive or anxiety disorder characteristics over 6 years, however, were not associated with different LTL attrition rates. This study confirmed robust associations of depressive and anxiety disorders with shorter telomeres, but interestingly, it did not demonstrate that depressive and anxiety disorders and LTL change together over time, suggesting the absence of a direct within-person relationship. Short LTL is suggested to be either a long-term consequence or an underlying vulnerability factor for depressive or anxiety disorders.

Healthy and happy in Europe? On the association between happiness and life expectancy over time.

PubMed

Bjørnskov, Christian

2008-04-01

This paper revisits the standard finding in individual-level studies that happiness leads to longevity. It does so in a cross-country time-series analysis in which the use of a random effects estimator controls for most relevant time-invariant factors. The findings suggest that happiness is negatively associated with longevity at the national level, and suggests a potential indirect transmission channel, as national happiness is negatively associated with public health expenditures. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the results for public policy and future research.

[Understanding depressive symptoms after bariatric surgery: the role of weight, eating and body image].

PubMed

Sousa, Paula; Bastos, Ana Pinto; Venâncio, Carla; Vaz, Ana Rita; Brandão, Isabel; Costa, José Maia; Machado, Paulo; Conceição, Eva

2014-01-01

Depressive symptoms have been reported as prevalent after bariatric surgery. This study aims to analyze the role of weight, eating behaviors and body image in depressive symptomatology in bariatric surgery patients assessed post-operatively. This is a cross-sectional study including 52 bariatric surgery patients assessed post-operatively with a follow-up time ranging from 22 to 132 months. Psychological assessment included a clinical interview (Eating Disorder Examination) to assess eating disorders psychopathology, and three self-report measures: Outcome Questionnaire 45--general distress; Beck Depression Inventory--depressive symptoms; and Body Shape Questionnaire--body image. Our data show that depressive symptoms after surgery are associated with loss of control over eating, increased concerns with body image, and body mass index regain. Multiple linear regressions was tested including these variables and showed that body mass index regain after surgery, loss of control over eating and concerns with body image significantly explained 50% of the variance of post-operative depressive symptoms, being the concern with body image the most significant variable: greater dissatisfaction with body image was associated with more depressive symptoms. The results of this study showed that a subgroup of patients presents a significant weight gain after bariatric surgery, which is associated with episodes of loss of control over eating, concerns with body image and depressive symptoms. These results stress the relevance of body image concerns after surgery and the importance of clinically addressing these issues to optimize psychological functioning after bariatric surgery.

Statistical analysis of the location of the Martian magnetic pileup boundary and bow shock and the influence of crustal magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edberg, N. J. T.; Lester, M.; Cowley, S. W. H.; Eriksson, A. I.

2008-08-01

We use the data set from the magnetometer and electron reflectometer instruments on board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft to show that the crustal magnetic fields of Mars affect the location of the magnetic pileup boundary (MPB) and bow shock (BS) globally. We search for crossings of the MPB and BS in the data that were observed over the first 16 months of the mission. To identify the influence of the crustal magnetic fields, all crossings are extrapolated to the terminator plane in order to remove the solar zenith angle (SZA) dependence, and to make it possible to compare crossings independently of location. The MPB crossings that were observed over regions on Mars, which contain strong crustal magnetic fields, are on average located further out than crossings observed over regions with weak crustal fields. This is shown in three separate longitude intervals. We also find that the dayside BS crossings observed over the southern hemisphere of Mars are on average located further out than the BS crossings observed over the northern hemisphere, possibly because of the influence of the crustal fields. We also study the magnetic field strength and its variation at the inside of the MPB and their dependence on the SZA and altitude. We find that the magnitude of the magnetic field in the MPB is closely linked to the altitude of the MPB, with the magnitude increasing as the MPB is observed closer to the planet.

Health-related locus of control and health behaviour among university students in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.

PubMed

Helmer, Stefanie M; Krämer, Alexander; Mikolajczyk, Rafael T

2012-12-29

Health control beliefs were postulated to be associated with health behaviour. However, the results of studies assessing these associations suggest that they might not be universal. Among young adults associations have been reported, but the evidence is limited. The objective of this analysis was to re-examine these associations in a sample of university students in Germany. Data from a multicentre cross-sectional study among university students in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany was used (N=3,306). The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale with three dimensions (one internal and two external) and six aspects of health behaviour (smoking habits, alcohol use, drug consumption, being over-/ or underweight, physical activity, and importance of healthy nutrition) were evaluated. Students with stronger internal locus of control paid more attention to healthy nutrition and displayed a higher level of physical activity. Individuals with a stronger belief in health professionals were less likely to use drugs and paid more attention to healthy nutrition. Furthermore, higher scores in the second external locus of control dimension (beliefs in luck or chance) were associated with a higher likelihood of current smoking, lower physical activity and less attention to healthy nutrition. Students engaged more strongly in unhealthy behaviour if they believed that luck determines health. In contrast, believing in having control over one's own health was associated with more healthy behaviour. These findings support the need to consider health control beliefs while designing preventive strategies in this specific population.

Health-related locus of control and health behaviour among university students in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Health control beliefs were postulated to be associated with health behaviour. However, the results of studies assessing these associations suggest that they might not be universal. Among young adults associations have been reported, but the evidence is limited. The objective of this analysis was to re-examine these associations in a sample of university students in Germany. Findings Data from a multicentre cross-sectional study among university students in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany was used (N=3,306). The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale with three dimensions (one internal and two external) and six aspects of health behaviour (smoking habits, alcohol use, drug consumption, being over-/ or underweight, physical activity, and importance of healthy nutrition) were evaluated. Students with stronger internal locus of control paid more attention to healthy nutrition and displayed a higher level of physical activity. Individuals with a stronger belief in health professionals were less likely to use drugs and paid more attention to healthy nutrition. Furthermore, higher scores in the second external locus of control dimension (beliefs in luck or chance) were associated with a higher likelihood of current smoking, lower physical activity and less attention to healthy nutrition. Conclusions Students engaged more strongly in unhealthy behaviour if they believed that luck determines health. In contrast, believing in having control over one’s own health was associated with more healthy behaviour. These findings support the need to consider health control beliefs while designing preventive strategies in this specific population. PMID:23273039

Integrated Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis Control over Five Years on Kome Island, Tanzania

PubMed Central

Kaatano, Godfrey M.; Siza, Julius E.; Mwanga, Joseph R.; Min, Duk-Yong; Yong, Tai-Soon; Chai, Jong-Yil; Ko, Yunsuk; Chang, Su Young; Kullaya, Cyril M.; Rim, Han-Jong; Changalucha, John M.; Eom, Keeseon S.

2015-01-01

Integrated control strategies are important for sustainable control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, despite their challenges for their effective implementation. With the support of Good Neighbors International in collaboration with National Institute of Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania, integrated control applying mass drug administration (MDA), health education using PHAST, and improved safe water supply has been implemented on Kome Island over 5 years for controlling schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). Baseline surveys for schistosomiasis and STHs was conducted before implementation of any integrated control strategies, followed by 4 cross-sectional follow-up surveys on randomly selected samples of schoolchildren and adults in 10 primary schools and 8 villages, respectively, on Kome islands. Those follow-up surveys were conducted for impact evaluation after introduction of control strategies interventions in the study area. Five rounds of MDA have been implemented from 2009 along with PHAST and improved water supply with pumped wells as other control strategies for complementing MDA. A remarkable steady decline of schistosomiasis and STHs was observed from 2009 to 2012 with significant trends in their prevalence decline, and thereafter infection rate has remained at a low sustainable control. By the third follow-up survey in 2012, Schistosoma mansoni infection prevalence was reduced by 90.5% and hookworm by 93.3% among schoolchildren while in adults the corresponding reduction was 83.2% and 56.9%, respectively. Integrated control strategies have successfully reduced S. mansoni and STH infection status to a lower level. This study further suggests that monitoring and evaluation is a crucial component of any large-scale STH and schistosomiasis intervention. PMID:26537032

Integrated Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis Control over Five Years on Kome Island, Tanzania.

PubMed

Kaatano, Godfrey M; Siza, Julius E; Mwanga, Joseph R; Min, Duk-Yong; Yong, Tai-Soon; Chai, Jong-Yil; Ko, Yunsuk; Chang, Su Young; Kullaya, Cyril M; Rim, Han-Jong; Changalucha, John M; Eom, Keeseon S

2015-10-01

Integrated control strategies are important for sustainable control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, despite their challenges for their effective implementation. With the support of Good Neighbors International in collaboration with National Institute of Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania, integrated control applying mass drug administration (MDA), health education using PHAST, and improved safe water supply has been implemented on Kome Island over 5 years for controlling schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). Baseline surveys for schistosomiasis and STHs was conducted before implementation of any integrated control strategies, followed by 4 cross-sectional follow-up surveys on randomly selected samples of schoolchildren and adults in 10 primary schools and 8 villages, respectively, on Kome islands. Those follow-up surveys were conducted for impact evaluation after introduction of control strategies interventions in the study area. Five rounds of MDA have been implemented from 2009 along with PHAST and improved water supply with pumped wells as other control strategies for complementing MDA. A remarkable steady decline of schistosomiasis and STHs was observed from 2009 to 2012 with significant trends in their prevalence decline, and thereafter infection rate has remained at a low sustainable control. By the third follow-up survey in 2012, Schistosoma mansoni infection prevalence was reduced by 90.5% and hookworm by 93.3% among schoolchildren while in adults the corresponding reduction was 83.2% and 56.9%, respectively. Integrated control strategies have successfully reduced S. mansoni and STH infection status to a lower level. This study further suggests that monitoring and evaluation is a crucial component of any large-scale STH and schistosomiasis intervention.

Application of ERPs neuromarkers for assessment and treatment of a patient with chronic crossed aphasia after severe TBI and long-term coma - Case Report.

PubMed

Chantsoulis, Marzena; Półrola, Paweł; Góral-Półrola, Jolanta; Hajdukiewicz, Anna; Supiński, Jan; Kropotov, Juri D; Pachalska, Maria

2017-03-31

 Objective. The study aimed to evaluate the application of ERPs neuromarkers for the assessment and treatment of a patient with chronic crossed aphasia after severe TBI and a long-term coma. An ambidextrous female patient, aged 29, suffered from posttraumatic chronic crossed aphasia, severe TBI and a prolonged coma after a car accident. The patient took part in two differentiated rehabilitation programmes of neurotherapy included 20 sessions of relative beta training and 20 sessions of rTMS; both programmes were combined with behavioural training. The patient was tested 3 times: before the experiment, after completion of programme A, and after completion of programme B. In the 1st recording, the neuromarker of aphasia was found - an excess of the P2 wave over the left temporal area. There was a cognitive control deficit - an excess of omission errors and an increase of RT variability - all indexes of sporadic ADHD. In the 2nd recording, slight improvements in cognitive control, and language functions were found. In the 3rd recording, after the rTMS sessions most of her cognitive dysfunctions had been resolved, including language functions. It should be stressed that the activation (especially the increase in the ERP potential of the right side over the frontal lobe) was found. The neuromarker of aphasia did not change, only the location had slightly moved frontally. The application of ERP neuromarkers assists in the diagnosis, treatment, and academic success of an ambidextrous patient with chronic posttraumatic aphasia and sporadic ADHD. ERPs can be used to assess the functional brain changes induced by neurotherapeutical programmes.

Non-traditional shape GFRP rebars for concrete reinforcement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claure, Guillermo G.

The use of glass-fiber-reinforced-polymer (GFRP) composites as internal reinforcement (rebars) for concrete structures has proven to be an alternative to traditional steel reinforcement due to significant advantages such as magnetic transparency and, most importantly, corrosion resistance equating to durability and structural life extension. In recent years, the number of projects specifying GFRP reinforcement has increased dramatically leading the construction industry towards more sustainable practices. Typically, GFRP rebars are similar to their steel counterparts having external deformations or surface enhancements designed to develop bond to concrete, as well as having solid circular cross-sections; but lately, the worldwide composites industry has taken advantage of the pultrusion process developing GFRP rebars with non-traditional cross-sectional shapes destined to optimize their mechanical, physical, and environmental attributes. Recently, circular GFRP rebars with a hollow-core have also become available. They offer advantages such as a larger surface area for improved bond, and the use of the effective cross-sectional area that is engaged to carry load since fibers at the center of a solid cross-section are generally not fully engaged. For a complete understanding of GFRP rebar physical properties, a study on material characterization regarding a quantitative cross-sectional area analysis of different GFRP rebars was undertaken with a sample population of 190 GFRP specimens with rebar denomination ranging from #2 to #6 and with different cross-sectional shapes and surface deformations manufactured by five pultruders from around the world. The water displacement method was applied as a feasible and reliable way to conduct the investigation. In addition to developing a repeatable protocol for measuring cross-sectional area, the objectives of establishing critical statistical information related to the test methodology and recommending improvements to existing provisions and standards allowing for a consistent universal norm for all GFRP rebars were reached. This dissertation also presents an evaluation of the structural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams and slabs using the new type of GFRP rebar consisting of a non-traditional hollow-core shape compared to "traditional" solid round rebars with equivalent cross-sectional areas within the framework of two studies, respectively. To validate the design assumptions following ACI 440.1R design guidelines, two conditions were investigated: under-reinforced (failure controlled by rupture of GFRP rebar); and, over-reinforced (failure controlled by crushing of concrete). For comparison, a cyclic three-point bending load test matrix was developed: for beams, 3 under-reinforced and 3 over-reinforced with hollow-core and solid GFRP rebars, respectively, making a total of 12 RC specimens; for slabs, 3 under-reinforced and 3 over-reinforced with hollow-core and 2 types of solid GFRP rebars, respectively, making a total of 18 RC slabs. The studies on GFRP RC beams and slabs concluded that the hollow-core GFRP rebars were as effective as their solid counterpart and ACI 440.1R design guidelines were applicable to predict their performance. It was shown that final design may be controlled by the permissible deflections as governing parameter for elements under service conditions. Also, a final study with a test matrix containing six extra specimens was generated for post-fire residual strength evaluation of fire-exposed GFRP RC slabs along with temperature gradient in the slabs and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) investigation on GFRP samples extracted from the fire-exposed slabs. In this study, the ability of GFRP RC slabs to retain structural integrity during a standards fire exposure as well as determining the residual structural capacity were investigated. The residual strength evaluation of the fire-exposed slabs showed a range of results varying between +/- 10%, of the virgin slabs. And, 19 mm (0.75 in.) cover with normal weight concrete was shown to be adequate to provide the necessary fire protection to the GFRP rebars preventing irreversible damage for two-hour fire rated GFRP RC slabs subjected to service loads; also, from the DMA and glass transition temperature of samples extracted from the GFRP rebars, it is inferred that the resin had undergone a post curing phase.

Meiotic gene-conversion rate and tract length variation in the human genome.

PubMed

Padhukasahasram, Badri; Rannala, Bruce

2013-02-27

Meiotic recombination occurs in the form of two different mechanisms called crossing-over and gene-conversion and both processes have an important role in shaping genetic variation in populations. Although variation in crossing-over rates has been studied extensively using sperm-typing experiments, pedigree studies and population genetic approaches, our knowledge of variation in gene-conversion parameters (ie, rates and mean tract lengths) remains far from complete. To explore variability in population gene-conversion rates and its relationship to crossing-over rate variation patterns, we have developed and validated using coalescent simulations a comprehensive Bayesian full-likelihood method that can jointly infer crossing-over and gene-conversion rates as well as tract lengths from population genomic data under general variable rate models with recombination hotspots. Here, we apply this new method to SNP data from multiple human populations and attempt to characterize for the first time the fine-scale variation in gene-conversion parameters along the human genome. We find that the estimated ratio of gene-conversion to crossing-over rates varies considerably across genomic regions as well as between populations. However, there is a great degree of uncertainty associated with such estimates. We also find substantial evidence for variation in the mean conversion tract length. The estimated tract lengths did not show any negative relationship with the local heterozygosity levels in our analysis.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 27 February 2013; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2013.30.

A water-based training program that include perturbation exercises to improve stepping responses in older adults: study protocol for a randomized controlled cross-over trial

PubMed Central

Melzer, Itshak; Elbar, Ori; Tsedek, Irit; Oddsson, Lars IE

2008-01-01

Background Gait and balance impairments may increase the risk of falls, the leading cause of accidental death in the elderly population. Fall-related injuries constitute a serious public health problem associated with high costs for society as well as human suffering. A rapid step is the most important protective postural strategy, acting to recover equilibrium and prevent a fall from initiating. It can arise from large perturbations, but also frequently as a consequence of volitional movements. We propose to use a novel water-based training program which includes specific perturbation exercises that will target the stepping responses that could potentially have a profound effect in reducing risk of falling. We describe the water-based balance training program and a study protocol to evaluate its efficacy (Trial registration number #NCT00708136). Methods/Design The proposed water-based training program involves use of unpredictable, multi-directional perturbations in a group setting to evoke compensatory and volitional stepping responses. Perturbations are made by pushing slightly the subjects and by water turbulence, in 24 training sessions conducted over 12 weeks. Concurrent cognitive tasks during movement tasks are included. Principles of physical training and exercise including awareness, continuity, motivation, overload, periodicity, progression and specificity were used in the development of this novel program. Specific goals are to increase the speed of stepping responses and improve the postural control mechanism and physical functioning. A prospective, randomized, cross-over trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis will be performed to evaluate the efficacy of the water-based training program. A total of 36 community-dwelling adults (age 65–88) with no recent history of instability or falling will be assigned to either the perturbation-based training or a control group (no training). Voluntary step reaction times and postural stability using stabiliogram diffusion analysis will be tested before and after the 12 weeks of training. Discussion This study will determine whether a water-based balance training program that includes perturbation exercises, in a group setting, can improve speed of voluntary stepping responses and improve balance control. Results will help guide the development of more cost-effective interventions that can prevent the occurrence of falls in the elderly. PMID:18706103

Promises of formal and informal musical activities in advancing neurocognitive development throughout childhood.

PubMed

Putkinen, Vesa; Tervaniemi, Mari; Saarikivi, Katri; Huotilainen, Minna

2015-03-01

Adult musicians show superior neural sound discrimination when compared to nonmusicians. However, it is unclear whether these group differences reflect the effects of experience or preexisting neural enhancement in individuals who seek out musical training. Tracking how brain function matures over time in musically trained and nontrained children can shed light on this issue. Here, we review our recent longitudinal event-related potential (ERP) studies that examine how formal musical training and less formal musical activities influence the maturation of brain responses related to sound discrimination and auditory attention. These studies found that musically trained school-aged children and preschool-aged children attending a musical playschool show more rapid maturation of neural sound discrimination than their control peers. Importantly, we found no evidence for pretraining group differences. In a related cross-sectional study, we found ERP and behavioral evidence for improved executive functions and control over auditory novelty processing in musically trained school-aged children and adolescents. Taken together, these studies provide evidence for the causal role of formal musical training and less formal musical activities in shaping the development of important neural auditory skills and suggest transfer effects with domain-general implications. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

Substitution of red meat with legumes in the therapeutic lifestyle change diet based on dietary advice improves cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight type 2 diabetes patients: a cross-over randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Hosseinpour-Niazi, S; Mirmiran, P; Hedayati, M; Azizi, F

2015-05-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of substitution of red meat with legumes in the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in type 2 diabetes patients based on dietary education. This study was a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial. Thirty-one participants (24 women and 7 men; age: 58.1 ± 6.0 years) with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to consume a control diet (legume-free TLC diet) and legume-based TLC diet for 8 weeks. Legume-based TLC diet was the same as the control diet, but the legume-based TLC group was advised to replace two servings of red meat with legumes, 3 days per week. After the interventional period, a washout period was conducted for 4 weeks. The groups were then advised to follow the alternate treatment for 8 weeks. Cardiometabolic risk factors were measured. Compared with the legume-free TLC diet, the legume-based TLC diet significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (P=0.04), fasting insulin (P=0.04), triglyceride concentrations (P=0.04) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.02). Total cholesterol concentrations decreased after consumption of both TLC diet and legume TLC diet; however, the data did not differ significantly between the two diets. body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures did not change significantly after consumption of either the legume-free TLC diet or the legume-based TLC diet. Dietary advice given for substitution of red meat with legume intakes within a TLC diet-improved lipid profiles and glycemic control among diabetes patients, which were independent from BMI change. This trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir) as IRCT201202251640N7.

The Effect of a Simulated Commercial Flight Environment with Hypoxia and Low Humidity on Clotting, Platelet, and Endothelial Function in Participants with Type 2 Diabetes - A Cross-over Study.

PubMed

Konya, Judit; Al Qaissi, Ahmed; Sathyapalan, Thozhukat; Ajjan, Ramzi; Madden, Leigh; Naseem, Khalid M; Garrett, Andrew Thomas; Kilpatrick, Eric; Atkin, Stephen L

2018-01-01

To determine if clotting, platelet, and endothelial function were affected by simulated short-haul commercial air flight conditions (SF) in participants with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) compared to controls. 10 participants with T2DM (7 females, 3 males) and 10 controls (3 females, 7 males) completed the study. Participants were randomized to either spend 2 h in an environmental chamber at sea level conditions (temperature: 23°C, oxygen concentration 21%, humidity 45%), or subject to a simulated 2-h simulated flight (SF: temperature: 23°C, oxygen concentration 15%, humidity 15%), and crossed over 7 days later. Main outcome measures: clot formation and clot lysis parameters, functional platelet activation markers, and endothelial function measured by reactive hyperemia index (RHI) by EndoPAT and serum microparticles. Comparing baseline with SF conditions, clot maximal absorption was increased in controls (0.375 ± 0.05 vs. 0.39 ± 0.05, p  < 0.05) and participants with T2DM (0.378 ± 0.089 vs. 0.397 ± 0.089, p  < 0.01), while increased basal platelet activation for both fibrinogen binding and P-selectin expression ( p  < 0.05) was seen in participants with T2DM. Parameters of clot formation and clot lysis, stimulated platelet function (stimulated platelet response to ADP and sensitivity to prostacyclin), and endothelial function were unchanged. While SF resulted in the potential of denser clot formation with enhanced basal platelet activation in T2DM, the dynamic clotting, platelet, and endothelial markers were not affected, suggesting that short-haul commercial flying adds no additional hazard for venous thromboembolism for participants with T2DM compared to controls.

Cross-Border Cholera Outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Mystery behind the Silent Illness: What Needs to Be Done?

PubMed Central

Mwesawina, Maurice; Baluku, Yosia; Kanyanda, Setiala S. E.; Orach, Christopher Garimoi

2016-01-01

Introduction Cross-border cholera outbreaks are a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa contributing to the high annual reported cholera cases and deaths. These outbreaks affect all categories of people and are challenging to prevent and control. This article describes lessons learnt during the cross-border cholera outbreak control in Eastern and Southern Africa sub-regions using the case of Uganda-DRC and Malawi-Mozambique borders and makes recommendations for future outbreak prevention and control. Materials and Methods We reviewed weekly surveillance data, outbreak response reports and documented experiences on the management of the most recent cross-border cholera outbreaks in Eastern and Southern Africa sub-regions, namely in Uganda and Malawi respectively. Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi-Mozambique borders were selected because the countries sharing these borders reported high cholera disease burden to WHO. Results A total of 603 cross-border cholera cases with 5 deaths were recorded in Malawi and Uganda in 2015. Uganda recorded 118 cases with 2 deaths and CFR of 1.7%. The under-fives and school going children were the most affected age groups contributing 24.2% and 36.4% of all patients seen along Malawi-Mozambique and Uganda-DRC borders, respectively. These outbreaks lasted for over 3 months and spread to new areas leading to 60 cases with 3 deaths, CRF of 5%, and 102 cases 0 deaths in Malawi and Uganda, respectively. Factors contributing to these outbreaks were: poor sanitation and hygiene, use of contaminated water, floods and rampant cross-border movements. The outbreak control efforts mainly involved unilateral measures implemented by only one of the affected countries. Conclusions Cross-border cholera outbreaks contribute to the high annual reported cholera burden in Sub-Saharan Africa yet they remain silent, marginalized and poorly identified by cholera actors (governments and international agencies). The under-fives and the school going children were the most affected age groups. To successfully prevent and control these outbreaks, guidelines and strategies should be reviewed to assign clear roles and responsibilities to cholera actors on collaboration, prevention, detection, monitoring and control of these epidemics. PMID:27258124

Self-control as predictor of school grades, life balance, and flow in adolescents.

PubMed

Kuhnle, Claudia; Hofer, Manfred; Kilian, Britta

2012-12-01

Recently, several studies have shown that strength of self-control is a crucial factor in determining positive outcomes in individuals' lives. Most attention has been directed to the relationships that self-control has with learning and academic achievement. This article analyses the effects of self-control not only on school grades but also on the experience of life balance and flow. It is theorized that students with a higher level of self-control are better able to distribute their time in a satisfying way over academic and leisure matters, and are better able to shield their studying against distractions. A total of 697 eighth graders with a mean age of 13.4 years participated in the longitudinal study. Students completed a questionnaire containing measures of self-control, school grades, subjective life balance, and flow while studying at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the relationships between the constructs. Results of cross-lagged analyses show that self-control predicted school grades, life balance, and flow. The findings suggest that self-control may assist adolescents to be better prepared, not only for school, but also for coordinating their investments in different areas of their lives. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

High-frequency use of over-the-counter analgesics among adolescents: reflections of an emerging difficult life, a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Skarstein, Siv; Rosvold, Elin O; Helseth, Sølvi; Kvarme, Lisbeth G; Holager, Tanja; Småstuen, Milada C; Lagerløv, Per

2014-03-01

To examine characteristics of 15- to 16-year-old adolescents who used over-the-counter analgesics daily to weekly (high-frequency users) as compared to those who used less or no analgesics (low-frequency users). Further to analyse the differences in pain experience, lifestyle, self-esteem, school attendance and educational ambition. An anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. The questionnaire covered the use of over-the-counter analgesics, pain experience, sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, self-esteem, school absence and future educational plans. The study took place in the 10th grade in six junior high schools in a medium-sized town in Norway. The local sales data for analgesics and antipyretics were close to the national average. We invited 626 adolescents to participate. Of the 367 adolescents (59%) who responded, 51% were girls. Associations between the frequency of use of over-the-counter analgesic and the mentioned variables were analysed using multiple logistic regression. In total, 26% (42 boys and 48 girls) used over-the-counter analgesics daily to weekly. These high-frequency users experienced more widespread pain, slept less, had more paid spare-time work, drank more caffeinated drinks, participated more often in binge drinking, had lower self-esteem, less ambitious educational plans and more frequent school absence than did the low-frequency users. These associations remained significant when controlling for gender, cultural background and self-evaluated economic status. Adolescent, who are high-frequency users of over-the-counter analgesics, suffer more pain and have identifiable characteristics indicative of complex problems. Their ability to handle stress appears to be discordant with the kind of situations to which they are exposed. The wear and tear associated with allostatic mechanisms counteracting stress may heighten their pain experience. © 2013 Nordic College of Caring Science. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Gastrointestinal adverse events during methylphenidate treatment of children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review with meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of randomised clinical trials.

PubMed

Holmskov, Mathilde; Storebø, Ole Jakob; Moreira-Maia, Carlos R; Ramstad, Erica; Magnusson, Frederik Løgstrup; Krogh, Helle B; Groth, Camilla; Gillies, Donna; Zwi, Morris; Skoog, Maria; Gluud, Christian; Simonsen, Erik

2017-01-01

To study in more depth the relationship between type, dose, or duration of methylphenidate offered to children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and their risks of gastrointestinal adverse events based on our Cochrane systematic review. We use data from our review including 185 randomised clinical trials. Randomised parallel-group trials and cross-over trials reporting gastrointestinal adverse events associated with methylphenidate were included. Data were extracted and quality assessed according to Cochrane guidelines. Data were summarised as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using the inverse variance method. Bias risks were assessed according to domains. Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) was used to control random errors. Eighteen parallel group trials and 43 cross-over trials reported gastrointestinal adverse events. All trials were at high risk of bias. In parallel group trials, methylphenidate decreased appetite (RR 3.66, 95% CI 2.56 to 5.23) and weight (RR 3.89, 95% CI 1.43 to 10.59). In cross-over trials, methylphenidate increased abdominal pain (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.04). We found no significant differences in the risk according to type, dose, or duration of administration. The required information size was achieved in three out of four outcomes. Methylphenidate increases the risks of decreased appetite, weight loss, and abdominal pain in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. No differences in the risks of gastrointestinal adverse events according to type, dose, or duration of administration were found.

Biases in Multicenter Longitudinal PET Standardized Uptake Value Measurements1

PubMed Central

Doot, Robert K; Pierce, Larry A; Byrd, Darrin; Elston, Brian; Allberg, Keith C; Kinahan, Paul E

2014-01-01

This study investigates measurement biases in longitudinal positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) studies that are due to instrumentation variability including human error. Improved estimation of variability between patient scans is of particular importance for assessing response to therapy and multicenter trials. We used National Institute of Standards and Technology-traceable calibration methodology for solid germanium-68/gallium-68 (68Ge/68Ga) sources used as surrogates for fluorine-18 (18F) in radionuclide activity calibrators. One cross-calibration kit was constructed for both dose calibrators and PET scanners using the same 9-month half-life batch of 68Ge/68Ga in epoxy. Repeat measurements occurred in a local network of PET imaging sites to assess standardized uptake value (SUV) errors over time for six dose calibrators from two major manufacturers and for six PET/CT scanners from three major manufacturers. Bias in activity measures by dose calibrators ranged from -50% to 9% and was relatively stable over time except at one site that modified settings between measurements. Bias in activity concentration measures by PET scanners ranged from -27% to 13% with a median of 174 days between the six repeat scans (range, 29 to 226 days). Corresponding errors in SUV measurements ranged from -20% to 47%. SUV biases were not stable over time with longitudinal differences for individual scanners ranging from -11% to 59%. Bias in SUV measurements varied over time and between scanner sites. These results suggest that attention should be paid to PET scanner calibration for longitudinal studies and use of dose calibrator and scanner cross-calibration kits could be helpful for quality assurance and control. PMID:24772207

Effectiveness of Cognitive-Functional (Cog-Fun) occupational therapy intervention for young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a controlled study.

PubMed

Maeir, Adina; Fisher, Orit; Bar-Ilan, Ruthie Traub; Boas, Naomi; Berger, Itai; Landau, Yael E

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Cognitive-Functional (Cog-Fun) intervention for young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nineteen children ages 5-7 yr diagnosed with ADHD were allocated to treatment and wait-list control groups. After the 12-wk intervention, the control group was crossed over to treatment. Follow-up was conducted 3 mo after treatment. Outcome measures included the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Before crossover, significant differences were found between groups in change scores on the outcome measures. After crossover, no significant differences were found in treatment effects, and significant moderate to large treatment effects were found for both COPM and BRIEF scores. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up. The study supports the effectiveness of the Cog-Fun intervention in improving occupational performance and executive functions in daily life for young children with ADHD. Copyright © 2014 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Determinants and impact of suboptimal asthma control in Europe: The INTERNATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT ON ASTHMA CONTROL (LIAISON) study.

PubMed

Braido, Fulvio; Brusselle, Guy; Guastalla, Daniele; Ingrassia, Eleonora; Nicolini, Gabriele; Price, David; Roche, Nicolas; Soriano, Joan B; Worth, Heinrich

2016-05-14

According to the Global Initiative of Asthma, the aim of asthma treatment is to gain and maintain control. In the INTERNATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT ON ASTHMA CONTROL (LIAISON) study, we evaluated the level of asthma control and quality of life (QoL), as well as their determinants and impact in a population consulting specialist settings. LIAISON is a prospective, multicentre, observational study with a cross-sectional and a 12-month longitudinal phase. Adults with an asthma diagnosis since at least 6 months, receiving the same asthma treatment in the 4 weeks before enrolment were included. Asthma control was assessed with the 6-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and QoL with the MiniAsthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniAQLQ). Overall, 8111 asthmatic patients were enrolled in 12 European countries. Asthma control was suboptimal in 56.5 % of patients and it was associated with poorer asthma-related QoL, higher risk of exacerbations and greater consumption of healthcare resources. Variables associated with suboptimal control were age, gender, obesity, smoking and comorbidities. Major determinants of poor asthma control were seasonal worsening and persisting exposure to allergens/irritants/triggers, followed by treatment-related issues. The cross-sectional phase results confirm that suboptimal control is frequent and has a high individual and economic impact. The clinicaltrials.gov identifier is NCT01567280 .

Phenotyping a RIL Population for Middle-Season Drought Resistance in Cultivated Peanut

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A RIL population of 150 genotypes, resulting from the cross of “Tifrunner” and “C76-16,” was examined for middle-season drought tolerance over two different growing seasons, using an augmented experimental design. Plants were grown in environmentally-controlled rainout shelters and phenotyped using...

Highway Accident Report: Multiple Vehicle Crossover Accident, Slinger, Wisconsin, February 12, 1997

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-07-24

About 5:52 a.m. on February 12, 1997, a doubles truck that was traveling northbound on U.S. Route 41 near Slinger, Wisconsin, lost control and crossed over the median into the southbound lanes. A flatbed truck traveling southbound on U.S. Route 41 co...

Tunable Elastomers with an Antithrombotic Component for Cardiovascular Applications.

PubMed

Stahl, Alexander M; Yang, Yunzhi Peter

2018-05-31

This study reports the development of a novel family of biodegradable polyurethanes for use as tissue engineered cardiovascular scaffolds or blood-contacting medical devices. Covalent incorporation of the antiplatelet agent dipyridamole into biodegradable polycaprolactone-based polyurethanes yields biocompatible materials with improved thromboresistance and tunable mechanical strength and elasticity. Altering the ratio of the dipyridamole to the diisocyanate linking unit and the polycaprolactone macromer enables control over both the drug content and the polymer cross-link density. Covalent cross-linking in the materials achieves significant elasticity and a tunable range of elastic moduli similar to that of native cardiovascular tissues. Interestingly, the cross-link density of the polyurethanes is inversely related to the elastic modulus, an effect attributed to decreasing crystallinity in the more cross-linked polymers. In vitro characterization shows that the antiplatelet agent is homogeneously distributed in the materials and is released slowly throughout the polymer degradation process. The drug-containing polyurethanes support endothelial cell and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, while demonstrating reduced levels of platelet adhesion and activation, supporting their candidacy as promising substrates for cardiovascular tissue engineering. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Perceived Parental Psychological Control and Adolescent Depressive Experiences: A Cross-Cultural Study with Belgian and South-Korean Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soenens, Bart; Park, Seong-Yeon; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Mouratidis, Athanasios

2012-01-01

In recent research on psychologically controlling parenting, debate has arisen about the cross-cultural relevance of this construct, with some scholars arguing that the developmental outcomes of psychological control are culture-bound and others arguing that the detrimental effects of psychological control generalize across cultures. This study…

Long-term stability of dentin matrix following treatment with various natural collagen cross-linkers

PubMed Central

Castellan, Carina Strano; Bedran-Russo, Ana Karina; Karol, Sachin; Rodrigues Pereira, Patrícia Nóbrega

2011-01-01

Objectives Collagen disorganization is one of the main degradation patterns found in unsuccessful adhesive restorations. The hypothesis of this study was that pretreatment using natural collagen cross-linking agents rich in proanthocyanidin (PA) would improve mechanical properties and stability over time of the dentin collagen and, thus, confer a more resistant and lasting substrate for adhesive restorations. Methods PA-based extracts, from grape seed (GSE), cocoa seed (CSE), cranberry (CRE), cinnamon (CNE) and açaí berry (ACE) were applied over the demineralized dentin. The apparent elastic modulus (E) of the treated dentin collagen was analyzed over a 12 months period. Specimens were immersed in the respective solution and E values were obtained by a micro-flexural test at baseline, 10, 30, 60, 120 and 240 min. Samples were stored in artificial saliva and re-tested after 3, 6 and 12 months. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey test. Results GSE and CSE extracts showed a time-dependant effect and were able to improve [240 min (MPa): GSE=108.96±56.08; CSE=59.21±24.87] and stabilize the E of the organic matrix [12 months (MPa): GSE=40.91±19.69; CSE= 42.11±13.46]. CRE and CNE extracts were able to maintain the E of collagen matrices constant over 12 months [CRE=11.17±7.22; CNE= 9,96±6.11; MPa]. ACE (2.64±1.22 MPa) and control groups immersed in neat distilled water (1.37±0.69 MPa) and ethanol water (0.95±0.33MPa) showed no effect over dentin organic matrix and enable their degradation and reduction of mechanical properties. Significance Some PA-based extracts were capable of improving and stabilizing collagen matrices through exogenous cross-links induction. PMID:21783144

What puts them at risk? A cross-sectional case-control survey of demographic profile and sexual behavior of patients with sexually transmitted infections at a tertiary care center in North India.

PubMed

Raj, Rama; Gupta, Vishal; Pathak, Mona; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla; Sood, Seema; Singh, Sarman; Verma, Kaushal K; Khanna, Neena; Das, Bimal K; Gupta, Somesh

2017-01-01

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health problem in developing nations. Identification of risk factors can help in formulating effective strategies against them. The present study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in North India over 1 year to identify the risk factors associated with STIs. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional case-control survey was conducted where participants answered questions on demographic details, sexual behavior, and awareness of STIs. Cases were patients with STIs whereas controls were randomly selected from healthy individuals accompanying patients with nonvenereal complaints attending our hospital. There were 106 cases and 64 controls. STI patients had sexual debut 2 years before controls. A higher proportion of STI cases had lower education, multiple sexual partners, lived separately from their partner, had nonregular partners, had protected sex in the last month, had sex under influence of alcohol/illicit drugs, sex in unstructured settings, and engaged in transactional sex, in comparison to controls ( P < 0.05). More cases were aware of the symptoms/preventive measures of STIs ( P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, multiple sexual partners, sex under influence of alcohol/illicit drugs with nonregular partner, protected sex in the last month, and knowledge of preventive measures were found to be statistically associated with STIs ( P < 0.05). Our study identifies risk-behavior patterns in patients with STIs, which should be modified to reduce the burden of these diseases. Increasing the knowledge about STIs in these patients can translate into more common condom usage that lends support for strengthening sexual health programs at grass-root levels. The small size of the study population could have led to decreased power of the study to detect differences between cases and controls. The external validity of our results needs to be tested in different population groups involving larger sample sizes.

[Knowledge level of hypertensive patients about hypertension. Relationship between knowledge level and hypertension control].

PubMed

Benítez Camps, M; Egocheaga Cabello, M Isabel; Dalfó Baqué, A; Bajo García, J; Vara González, L; Sanchis Doménech, C; Martín Rioboo, E; Ureña Fernández, T; Domínguez Sardiña, M; Bonet Pla, A

2015-01-01

To assess the knowledge of the hypertensive patients about their hypertension and their relation to its control. Cross-sectional study among 400 hypertensive patients, all over 18 years, selected from 50 primary-care centres, who responded to an hypertension-related survey. Included variables were survey items, age, gender, educational level, professional occupation, blood pressure data and antihypertensive treatment. The obtained differences were analyzed using the chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon, Anova and Bonferroni methods. There were 323 valid surveys. 52.9% of respondents were women, the average age: 65.4 years (SD: 11.2), 54.8% of them had primary education. 39.6% were aware of the objectives of systolic BP control. Only 19.6% having knowledge of those for diastolic BP control, with no differences between controlled and uncontrolled (systolic BP: 39% vs 38.1%, P=.887; diastolic BP: 19.2% vs 21%, P=.721). Over 70% knew about lifestyle changes, without significant differences between controlled and uncontrolled respondents. 82% of controlled respondents, and 79% of those uncontrolled, recognized the chronical nature of the treatment (P=.548), but 15.1% of the controlled respondents and 12.4% of uncontrolled respondents did not see the relation between the treatment and hypertension control (P=.525). 31.1% believed to be well-controlled, but in fact was not. Our patients doesn't know blood pressure targets of control. There isn't relationship between this knowledge and control of hypertension. Copyright © 2014 SEHLELHA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of elastomeric silk fibers.

PubMed

Bradner, Sarah A; Partlow, Benjamin P; Cebe, Peggy; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G; Kaplan, David L

2017-09-01

Methods to generate fibers from hydrogels, with control over mechanical properties, fiber diameter, and crystallinity, while retaining cytocompatibility and degradability, would expand options for biomaterials. Here, we exploited features of silk fibroin protein for the formation of tunable silk hydrogel fibers. The biological, chemical, and morphological features inherent to silk were combined with elastomeric properties gained through enzymatic crosslinking of the protein. Postprocessing via methanol and autoclaving provided tunable control of fiber features. Mechanical, optical, and chemical analyses demonstrated control of fiber properties by exploiting the physical cross-links, and generating double network hydrogels consisting of chemical and physical cross-links. Structure and chemical analyses revealed crystallinity from 30 to 50%, modulus from 0.5 to 4 MPa, and ultimate strength 1-5 MPa depending on the processing method. Fabrication and postprocessing combined provided fibers with extensibility from 100 to 400% ultimate strain. Fibers strained to 100% exhibited fourth order birefringence, revealing macroscopic orientation driven by chain mobility. The physical cross-links were influenced in part by the drying rate of fabricated materials, where bound water, packing density, and microstructural homogeneity influenced cross-linking efficiency. The ability to generate robust and versatile hydrogel microfibers is desirable for bottom-up assembly of biological tissues and for broader biomaterial applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exercise response in Parkinson’s disease: insights from a cross-sectional comparison with sedentary controls and a per-protocol analysis of a randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Collett, Johnny; Franssen, Marloes; Meaney, Andy; Sexton, Claire; Dennis-West, Andrea; Betts, Jill F; Izadi, Hooshang; Bogdanovic, Marko; Tims, Martin; Farmer, Andrew; Dawes, Helen

2017-01-01

Objectives To investigate the acute and adaptation cardiovascular and metabolic training responses in people with Parkinson’s disease (pwP). Design (1) A cross-sectional study of exercise response of pwP compared with sedentary controls and (2) an interventional study of exercise training in pwP. Setting Community leisure facilities. Participants pwP (n=83) and sedentary controls (n=55). Interventions Study 1 included participants from a two-arm-parallel single-blind phase II randomised controlled trial (RCT), that undertook a baseline maximal incremental exercise test and study 2 included those randomised to the exercise group in the RCT, who completed a 6-month weekly exercise programme (n=37). The intervention study 2 was a prescribed exercise program consisting of sessions lasting 60 min, two times a week over a 6-month period. The control group followed the same protocol which derived the same cardiorespiratory parameters, except that they were instructed to aim for a cadence of ~60 revolutions per minute and the unloaded phase lasted 3 min with an initial step of 25 W. Primary and secondary outcome measures Stepwise incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion was the primary outcome measure. Results Study 1 showed higher maximum values for heart rate (HR), VO2 L/min, VCO2 L/min and ventilation L/min for the control group; respiratory exchange ratio (RER), perceived exertion and O2 pulse (VO2 L/min/HR) did not differ between groups. In study 2, for pwP who adhered to training (n=37), RER increased significantly and although there was no significant change in aerobic capacity or HR response, reduced blood pressure was found. Conclusions An abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise was observed in pwP compared to controls. After the exercise programme, metabolic deficiencies remained for pwP. These observations add to the pathogenic understanding of PD, acknowledge an underling metabolic contribution and support that certain cardiovascular symptoms may improve as a result of this type of exercise. PMID:29282259

Predicting Cognitive, Functional, and Diagnostic Change over 4 Years Using Baseline Subjective Cognitive Complaints in the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study.

PubMed

Slavin, Melissa J; Sachdev, Perminder S; Kochan, Nicole A; Woolf, Claudia; Crawford, John D; Giskes, Katrina; Reppermund, Simone; Trollor, Julian N; Draper, Brian; Delbaere, Kim; Brodaty, Henry

2015-09-01

There is limited understanding of the usefulness of subjective cognitive complaint(s) (SCC) in predicting longitudinal outcome because most studies focus solely on memory (as opposed to nonmemory cognitive) complaints, do not collect data from both participants and informants, do not control for relevant covariates, and have limited outcome measures. Therefore the authors investigate the usefulness of participant and informant SCCs in predicting change in cognition, functional abilities, and diagnostic classification of mild cognitive impairment or dementia in a community-dwelling sample over 4 years. Nondemented participants (N = 620) in the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study aged between 70 and 90 years completed 15 memory and 9 nonmemory SCC questions. An informant completed a baseline questionnaire that included 15 memory and 4 nonmemory SCC questions relating to the participant. Neuropsychological, functional, and diagnostic assessments were carried out at baseline and again at 4-year follow-up. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were carried out to determine the association between SCC indices and neuropsychological, functional, and diagnostic data while controlling for psychological measures. Once participant characteristics were controlled for, participant complaints were generally not predictive of cognitive or functional decline, although participant memory-specific complaints were predictive of diagnostic conversion. Informant-related memory questions were associated with global cognitive and functional decline and with diagnostic conversion over 4 years. Informant memory complaint questions were better than participant complaints in predicting cognitive and functional decline as well as diagnoses over 4 years. Copyright © 2015 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of healthy meals at work on reaction time, mood and dietary intake: a randomised cross-over study in daytime and shift workers at an university hospital.

PubMed

Leedo, Eva; Beck, Anne Marie; Astrup, Arne; Lassen, Anne D

2017-07-01

Our dietary habits affect both cognitive performance and mood. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of increased availability of healthy meals and water at work on healthcare staff. The study used an 8-week randomised cross-over design. A total of sixty physicians, nurses and nursing assistants, including sixteen working on shifts, were recruited. The participants received a self-selected keyhole-labelled (Nordic nutrition label) lunch, snack and bottled water during each shift throughout the intervention period. Reaction time (Go/No-Go test), mood-related scores (POMS) and dietary intake were assessed at run-in, and at the end of the intervention and the control periods. The intake of fat (P=0·030) and PUFA (P=0·003) was lower, and the intake of carbohydrate (P=0·008), dietary fibre (P=0·031) and water (P<0·001) was greater in the intervention period than in the control period. The intervention had no effect on reaction time or any of the mood-related scores in the group as a whole. In shift-working participants, the intervention period resulted in a 31·1 % lower Fatigue-Inertia Score (P=0·003), a 15·3 % higher Vigour-Activity Score (P=0·041) and a 42·7 % lower Total Mood Disturbance Score (P=0·017), whereas the only dietary component that significantly improved was water intake (P=0·034), when compared with the control period. Providing healthy meals, snacks and water during working hours seems to be an effective way of improving employees' dietary intake. Moreover, increased intake of water may be associated with beneficial effects on fatigue, vigour and total mood in shift-working healthcare staff.

How Many Interviews Are Enough to Identify Metathemes in Multisited and Cross-Cultural Research? Another Perspective on Guest, Bunce, and Johnson's (2006) Landmark Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagaman, Ashley K.; Wutich, Amber

2017-01-01

There is much debate over the number of interviews needed to reach data saturation for themes and metathemes in qualitative research. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the number of interviews needed to reach data saturation for metathemes in multisited and cross-cultural research. The analysis is based on a cross-cultural study on…

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in a self-selected sub-Saharan African urban population: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Dzudie, Anastase; Kengne, André Pascal; Muna, Walinjom F T; Ba, Hamadou; Menanga, Alain; Kouam Kouam, Charles; Abah, Joseph; Monkam, Yves; Biholong, Christian; Mintom, Pierre; Kamdem, Félicité; Djomou, Armel; Ndjebet, Jules; Wambo, Cyrille; Luma, Henry; Ngu, Kathleen Blackett; Kingue, Samuel

2012-01-01

Objectives Hypertension has been established as a major public health problem in Africa, but its specific contributions to disease burden are still incompletely understood. We report the prevalence and determinants of hypertension, detection, treatment and control rates among adults in major cities in Cameroon. Design Cross-sectional study. Settings Community-based multicentre study in major cities in Cameroon. Participants Participants were self-selected urban dwellers from the Center, Littoral, North-West and West Regions, who attended on 17 May 2011 a screening campaign advertised through mass media. Primary and secondary outcomes measures Hypertension defined as systolic (and/or diastolic) blood pressure (BP)≥ 140 (90) mm Hg, or ongoing BP-lowering medications. Results In all, 2120 participants (1003 women) were included. Among them, 1007 (prevalence rate 47.5%) had hypertension, including 319 (awareness rate 31.7%) who were aware of their status. The prevalence of hypertension increased with age overall and by sex and region. Among aware hypertensive participants, 191 (treatment rate 59.9%) were on regular BP-lowering medication, and among those treated, 47 (controlled rate 24.6%) were at target BP levels (ie, systolic (and diastolic) BP<140 (90) mm Hg). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, male gender, advanced age, parental history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, elevated waist and elevated body mass index (BMI) were the significant predictors of hypertension. Likewise, male gender, high BMI and physical inactivity were associated with poor control. Conclusions High prevalence of hypertension with low awareness, treatment and control were found in this urban population; these findings are significant and alarming with consideration to the various improvements in the access to healthcare and the continuing efforts to educate communities over the last few decades. PMID:22923629

Job strain and resting heart rate: a cross-sectional study in a Swedish random working sample.

PubMed

Eriksson, Peter; Schiöler, Linus; Söderberg, Mia; Rosengren, Annika; Torén, Kjell

2016-03-05

Numerous studies have reported an association between stressing work conditions and cardiovascular disease. However, more evidence is needed, and the etiological mechanisms are unknown. Elevated resting heart rate has emerged as a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but little is known about the relation to work-related stress. This study therefore investigated the association between job strain, job control, and job demands and resting heart rate. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected men and women in Västra Götalandsregionen, Sweden (West county of Sweden) (n = 1552). Information about job strain, job demands, job control, heart rate and covariates was collected during the period 2001-2004 as part of the INTERGENE/ADONIX research project. Six different linear regression models were used with adjustments for gender, age, BMI, smoking, education, and physical activity in the fully adjusted model. Job strain was operationalized as the log-transformed ratio of job demands over job control in the statistical analyses. No associations were seen between resting heart rate and job demands. Job strain was associated with elevated resting heart rate in the unadjusted model (linear regression coefficient 1.26, 95 % CI 0.14 to 2.38), but not in any of the extended models. Low job control was associated with elevated resting heart rate after adjustments for gender, age, BMI, and smoking (linear regression coefficient -0.18, 95 % CI -0.30 to -0.02). However, there were no significant associations in the fully adjusted model. Low job control and job strain, but not job demands, were associated with elevated resting heart rate. However, the observed associations were modest and may be explained by confounding effects.

How baby's first shot determines the development of maternal attitudes towards vaccination.

PubMed

Betsch, Cornelia; Bödeker, Birte; Schmid, Philipp; Wichmann, Ole

2018-05-17

The attitude towards vaccination is a major determinant of vaccination behavior; this also includes parents' attitudes towards the immunization of their child. Negative attitudes have been associated with vaccine hesitancy and outbreaks of infectious diseases throughout the globe. This study aimed to assess how and why attitudes become more pro-vaccine or vaccine-skeptical over time, and which sources are especially influential in this process. Prospective cohort study with measurements at time of recruitment during pregnancy and at +3, +6 and +14 months after childbirth with cross-sectional control groups. In total, 351 women entered the longitudinal analyses, while 204, 215 and 173 women were recruited in the cross-sectional control groups, respectively. Inclusion criteria were: (i) being at least 18 years of age, (ii) pregnant, (iii) primigravida, and (iv) living in Germany. During pregnancy mothers reported rather positive prior experiences with vaccinations. However, their judgment turned significantly more negative after the first vaccination experience with their child. Mixed-effects models showed that these changes were significantly related to increased risk perceptions and concerns about vaccination, which then had a negative impact on the vaccination attitude. In contrast, gaining more vaccine-related knowledge over time positively influenced attitude formation. During the first year of their child's life maternal attitudes towards vaccination are formed and guide future decisions whether to vaccinate or not vaccinate a child. Strategies should be implemented that improve mothers' experiences when their newborn is vaccinated to prevent the development of vaccine hesitancy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of knee joint icing on knee extension strength and knee pain early after total knee arthroplasty: a randomized cross-over study.

PubMed

Holm, Bente; Husted, Henrik; Kehlet, Henrik; Bandholm, Thomas

2012-08-01

To investigate the acute effect of knee joint icing on knee extension strength and knee pain in patients shortly after total knee arthroplasty. A prospective, single-blinded, randomized, cross-over study. A fast-track orthopaedic arthroplasty unit at a university hospital. Twenty patients (mean age 66 years; 10 women) scheduled for primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty. The patients were treated on two days (day 7 and day 10) postoperatively. On one day they received 30 minutes of knee icing (active treatment) and on the other day they received 30 minutes of elbow icing (control treatment). The order of treatments was randomized. Maximal knee extension strength (primary outcome), knee pain at rest and knee pain during the maximal knee extensions were measured 2-5 minutes before and 2-5 minutes after both treatments by an assessor blinded for active or control treatment. The change in knee extension strength associated with knee icing was not significantly different from that of elbow icing (knee icing change (mean (1 SD)) -0.01 (0.07) Nm/kg, elbow icing change -0.02 (0.07) Nm/kg, P = 0.493). Likewise, the changes in knee pain at rest (P = 0.475), or knee pain during the knee extension strength measurements (P = 0.422) were not different between treatments. In contrast to observations in experimental knee effusion models and inflamed knee joints, knee joint icing for 30 minutes shortly after total knee arthroplasty had no acute effect on knee extension strength or knee pain.

Cross-correlation redshift calibration without spectroscopic calibration samples in DES Science Verification Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, C.; Rozo, E.; Roodman, A.; Alarcon, A.; Cawthon, R.; Gatti, M.; Lin, H.; Miquel, R.; Rykoff, E. S.; Troxel, M. A.; Vielzeuf, P.; Abbott, T. M. C.; Abdalla, F. B.; Allam, S.; Annis, J.; Bechtol, K.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Burke, D. L.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Carrasco Kind, M.; Carretero, J.; Castander, F. J.; Crocce, M.; Cunha, C. E.; D'Andrea, C. B.; da Costa, L. N.; Desai, S.; Diehl, H. T.; Doel, P.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Fausti Neto, A.; Flaugher, B.; Fosalba, P.; Frieman, J.; García-Bellido, J.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gerdes, D. W.; Giannantonio, T.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gutierrez, G.; Honscheid, K.; Jain, B.; James, D. J.; Jeltema, T.; Krause, E.; Kuehn, K.; Kuhlmann, S.; Kuropatkin, N.; Lahav, O.; Li, T. S.; Lima, M.; March, M.; Marshall, J. L.; Martini, P.; Melchior, P.; Ogando, R. L. C.; Plazas, A. A.; Romer, A. K.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V.; Schindler, R.; Schubnell, M.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Smith, M.; Soares-Santos, M.; Sobreira, F.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Tarle, G.; Thomas, D.; Vikram, V.; Walker, A. R.; Wechsler, R. H.

2018-06-01

Galaxy cross-correlations with high-fidelity redshift samples hold the potential to precisely calibrate systematic photometric redshift uncertainties arising from the unavailability of complete and representative training and validation samples of galaxies. However, application of this technique in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is hampered by the relatively low number density, small area, and modest redshift overlap between photometric and spectroscopic samples. We propose instead using photometric catalogues with reliable photometric redshifts for photo-z calibration via cross-correlations. We verify the viability of our proposal using redMaPPer clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to successfully recover the redshift distribution of SDSS spectroscopic galaxies. We demonstrate how to combine photo-z with cross-correlation data to calibrate photometric redshift biases while marginalizing over possible clustering bias evolution in either the calibration or unknown photometric samples. We apply our method to DES Science Verification (DES SV) data in order to constrain the photometric redshift distribution of a galaxy sample selected for weak lensing studies, constraining the mean of the tomographic redshift distributions to a statistical uncertainty of Δz ˜ ±0.01. We forecast that our proposal can, in principle, control photometric redshift uncertainties in DES weak lensing experiments at a level near the intrinsic statistical noise of the experiment over the range of redshifts where redMaPPer clusters are available. Our results provide strong motivation to launch a programme to fully characterize the systematic errors from bias evolution and photo-z shapes in our calibration procedure.

Cross-correlation redshift calibration without spectroscopic calibration samples in DES Science Verification Data

DOE PAGES

Davis, C.; Rozo, E.; Roodman, A.; ...

2018-03-26

Galaxy cross-correlations with high-fidelity redshift samples hold the potential to precisely calibrate systematic photometric redshift uncertainties arising from the unavailability of complete and representative training and validation samples of galaxies. However, application of this technique in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is hampered by the relatively low number density, small area, and modest redshift overlap between photometric and spectroscopic samples. We propose instead using photometric catalogs with reliable photometric redshifts for photo-z calibration via cross-correlations. We verify the viability of our proposal using redMaPPer clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to successfully recover the redshift distribution of SDSS spectroscopic galaxies. We demonstrate how to combine photo-z with cross-correlation data to calibrate photometric redshift biases while marginalizing over possible clustering bias evolution in either the calibration or unknown photometric samples. We apply our method to DES Science Verification (DES SV) data in order to constrain the photometric redshift distribution of a galaxy sample selected for weak lensing studies, constraining the mean of the tomographic redshift distributions to a statistical uncertainty ofmore » $$\\Delta z \\sim \\pm 0.01$$. We forecast that our proposal can in principle control photometric redshift uncertainties in DES weak lensing experiments at a level near the intrinsic statistical noise of the experiment over the range of redshifts where redMaPPer clusters are available. Here, our results provide strong motivation to launch a program to fully characterize the systematic errors from bias evolution and photo-z shapes in our calibration procedure.« less

Cross-correlation redshift calibration without spectroscopic calibration samples in DES Science Verification Data

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

Davis, C.; Rozo, E.; Roodman, A.

Galaxy cross-correlations with high-fidelity redshift samples hold the potential to precisely calibrate systematic photometric redshift uncertainties arising from the unavailability of complete and representative training and validation samples of galaxies. However, application of this technique in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is hampered by the relatively low number density, small area, and modest redshift overlap between photometric and spectroscopic samples. We propose instead using photometric catalogs with reliable photometric redshifts for photo-z calibration via cross-correlations. We verify the viability of our proposal using redMaPPer clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to successfully recover the redshift distribution of SDSS spectroscopic galaxies. We demonstrate how to combine photo-z with cross-correlation data to calibrate photometric redshift biases while marginalizing over possible clustering bias evolution in either the calibration or unknown photometric samples. We apply our method to DES Science Verification (DES SV) data in order to constrain the photometric redshift distribution of a galaxy sample selected for weak lensing studies, constraining the mean of the tomographic redshift distributions to a statistical uncertainty ofmore » $$\\Delta z \\sim \\pm 0.01$$. We forecast that our proposal can in principle control photometric redshift uncertainties in DES weak lensing experiments at a level near the intrinsic statistical noise of the experiment over the range of redshifts where redMaPPer clusters are available. Here, our results provide strong motivation to launch a program to fully characterize the systematic errors from bias evolution and photo-z shapes in our calibration procedure.« less

Adriatic storm surges and related cross-basin sea-level slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Međugorac, Iva; Orlić, Mirko; Janeković, Ivica; Pasarić, Zoran; Pasarić, Miroslava

2018-05-01

Storm surges pose a severe threat to the northernmost cities of the Adriatic coast, with Venice being most prone to flooding. It has been noted that some flooding episodes cause significantly different effects along the eastern and western Adriatic coasts, with indications that the difference is related to cross-basin sea-level slope. The present study aims to determine specific atmospheric conditions under which the slope develops and to explore connection with increased sea level along the two coastlines. The analysis is based on sea-level time series recorded at Venice and Bakar over the 1984-2014 interval, from which 38 most intensive storm-surge episodes were selected, and their meteorological backgrounds (ERA-Interim) were studied. The obtained sea-level extremes were grouped into three categories according to their cross-basin sea-level slope: storm surges that slope strongly westward (W type), those that slope eastward (E type) and ordinary storm surges (O type). Results show that the slope is controlled by wind action only, specifically, by the wind component towards a particular coast and by the cross-basin shear of along-basin wind. Meteorological fields were used to force an oceanographic numerical model in order to confirm the empirically established connection between the atmospheric forcing and the slope. Finally, it has been found that the intensity of storm surges along a particular Adriatic coast is determined by an interplay of sea-level slopes in the along and cross-basin directions.

Childhood Adversities Increase the Risk of Psychosis: A Meta-analysis of Patient-Control, Prospective- and Cross-sectional Cohort Studies

PubMed Central

Varese, Filippo; Smeets, Feikje; Drukker, Marjan; Lieverse, Ritsaert; Lataster, Tineke; Viechtbauer, Wolfgang; Read, John; van Os, Jim; Bentall, Richard P.

2012-01-01

Evidence suggests that adverse experiences in childhood are associated with psychosis. To examine the association between childhood adversity and trauma (sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, neglect, parental death, and bullying) and psychosis outcome, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and Web of Science were searched from January 1980 through November 2011. We included prospective cohort studies, large-scale cross-sectional studies investigating the association between childhood adversity and psychotic symptoms or illness, case-control studies comparing the prevalence of adverse events between psychotic patients and controls using dichotomous or continuous measures, and case-control studies comparing the prevalence of psychotic symptoms between exposed and nonexposed subjects using dichotomous or continuous measures of adversity and psychosis. The analysis included 18 case-control studies (n = 2048 psychotic patients and 1856 nonpsychiatric controls), 10 prospective and quasi-prospective studies (n = 41 803) and 8 population-based cross-sectional studies (n = 35 546). There were significant associations between adversity and psychosis across all research designs, with an overall effect of OR = 2.78 (95% CI = 2.34–3.31). The integration of the case-control studies indicated that patients with psychosis were 2.72 times more likely to have been exposed to childhood adversity than controls (95% CI = 1.90–3.88). The association between childhood adversity and psychosis was also significant in population-based cross-sectional studies (OR = 2.99 [95% CI = 2.12–4.20]) as well as in prospective and quasi-prospective studies (OR = 2.75 [95% CI = 2.17–3.47]). The estimated population attributable risk was 33% (16%–47%). These findings indicate that childhood adversity is strongly associated with increased risk for psychosis. PMID:22461484

Lifespan development of attentiveness in domestic dogs: drawing parallels with humans

PubMed Central

Wallis, Lisa J.; Range, Friederike; Müller, Corsin A.; Serisier, Samuel; Huber, Ludwig; Zsó, Virányi

2014-01-01

Attention is pivotal to consciousness, perception, cognition, and working memory in all mammals, and therefore changes in attention over the lifespan are likely to influence development and aging of all of these functions. Due to their evolutionary and developmental history, the dog is being recognized as an important species for modeling human healthspan, aging and associated diseases. In this study, we investigated the normal lifespan development of attentiveness of pet dogs in naturalistic situations, and compared the resulting cross-sectional developmental trajectories with data from previous studies in humans. We tested a sample of 145 Border collies (6 months to 14 years) with humans and objects or food as attention attractors, in order to assess their attentional capture, sustained and selective attention, and sensorimotor abilities. Our results reveal differences in task relevance in sustained attentional performance when watching a human or a moving object, which may be explained by life-long learning processes involving such stimuli. During task switching we found that dogs’ selective attention and sensorimotor abilities showed differences between age groups, with performance peaking at middle age. Dogs’ sensorimotor abilities showed a quadratic distribution with age and were correlated with selective attention performance. Our results support the hypothesis that the development and senescence of sensorimotor and attentional control may be fundamentally interrelated. Additionally, attentional capture, sustained attention, and sensorimotor control developmental trajectories paralleled those found in humans. Given that the development of attention is similar across humans and dogs, we propose that the same regulatory mechanisms are likely to be present in both species. Finally, this cross-sectional study provides the first description of age group changes in attention over the lifespan of pet dogs. PMID:24570668

OROS-methylphenidate efficacy on specific executive functioning deficits in adults with ADHD: a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study.

PubMed

Bron, Tannetje I; Bijlenga, Denise; Boonstra, A Marije; Breuk, Minda; Pardoen, Willem F H; Beekman, Aartjan T F; Kooij, J J Sandra

2014-04-01

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is linked to impaired executive functioning (EF). This is the first study to objectively investigate the effects of a long-acting methylphenidate on neurocognitive test performance of adults with ADHD. Twenty-two adults with ADHD participated in a 6-weeks study examining the effect of osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate (OROS-mph) on continuous performance tests (CPTs; objective measures), and on the self-reported ADHD rating scale (subjective measure) using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design. OROS-mph significantly improved reaction time variability (RTV), commission errors (CE) and d-prime (DP) as compared to baseline (Cohen's d>.50), but did not affect hit reaction time (HRT) or omission errors (OE). Compared to placebo, OROS-mph only significantly influenced RTV on one of two CPTs (p<.050). Linear regression analyses showed predictive ability of more beneficial OROS-mph effects in ADHD patients with higher EF severity (RTV: β=.670, t=2.097, p=.042; omission errors (OE): β=-.098, t=-4.759, p<.001), and with more severe ADHD symptoms (RTV: F=6.363, p=.019; HRT: F=3.914, p=.061). Side effects rates were substantially but non-significantly greater for OROS-mph compared to placebo (77% vs. 46%, p=.063). OROS-mph effects indicated RTV as the most sensitive parameter for measuring both neuropsychological and behavioral deficits in adults with ADHD. These findings suggest RTV as an endophenotypic parameter for ADHD symptomatology, and propose CPTs as an objective method for monitoring methylphenidate titration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

An acute, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study of 320 mg and 640 mg doses of Bacopa monnieri (CDRI 08) on multitasking stress reactivity and mood.

PubMed

Benson, Sarah; Downey, Luke A; Stough, Con; Wetherell, Mark; Zangara, Andrea; Scholey, Andrew

2014-04-01

Little research exists in humans concerning the anxiolytic, antidepressant, sedative, and adaptogenic actions the traditional Ayurvedic medicine Bacopa monnieri (BM) possesses in addition to its documented cognitive-enhancing effects. Preclinical work has identified a number of acute anxiolytic, nootropic, and adaptogenic effects of BM that may also co-occur in humans. The current double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study assessed the acute effects of a specific extract of BM (KeenMind® - CDRI 08) in normal healthy participants during completion of a multitasking framework (MTF). Seventeen healthy volunteers completed the MTF, at baseline, then 1 h and 2 h after consuming a placebo, 320 mg BM and 640 mg of BM. Treatments were separated by a 7-day washout with order determined by Latin Square. Outcome measures included cognitive outcomes from the MTF, with mood and salivary cortisol measured before and after each completion of the MTF. Change from baseline scores indicated positive cognitive effects, notably at both 1 h post and 2 h post BM consumption on the Letter Search and Stroop tasks, suggesting an earlier nootropic effect of BM than previously investigated. There were also some positive mood effects and reduction in cortisol levels, pointing to a physiological mechanism for stress reduction associated with BM consumption. It was concluded that acute BM supplementation produced some adaptogenic and nootropic effects that need to be replicated in a larger sample and in isolation from stressful cognitive tests in order to quantify the magnitude of these effects. The study was registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12612000834853). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of Exams for Active Learning Technologies vs. Traditional Lectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hornstra, Andrew; Djordjevic, Branislav; Dworzecka, Maria

2017-01-01

George Mason University has first semester (PHYS-160) and second semester (PHYS-260) physics course which consist of two sections. One is a traditional lecture style format (TRAD) and the other is a newer format which is a take on the ``flipped'' classroom. This newer style is referred to as Active Learning with Technologies (ALT). This course style has been in place for several years and has been studied before within George Mason University for final grade differences. These studies suggested that the ALT sections performed better, but grade weighting consistency, test time, and test content were not strictly controlled. The purpose of this study is to cross-examine the performance of students in these different class formats during Fall 2016 (PHYS-260) and Spring 2015 (PHYS-160) on very nearly identical exams over identical test times while controlling for almost every variable.

Matter-wave coherence limit owing to cosmic gravitational wave background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steane, Andrew M.

2017-12-01

We study matter-wave interferometry in the presence of a stochastic background of gravitational waves. It is shown that if the background has a scale-invariant spectrum over a wide bandwidth (which is expected in a class of inflationary models of Big Bang cosmology), then separated-path interference cannot be observed for a lump of matter of size above a limit which is very insensitive to the strength and bandwidth of the fluctuations, unless the interferometer is servo-controlled or otherwise protected. For ordinary solid matter this limit is of order 1-10 mm. A servo-controlled or cross-correlated device would also exhibit limits to the observation of macroscopic interference, which we estimate for ordinary matter moving at speeds small compared to c.

DNA Repair Mechanism Gene, XRCC1A ( Arg194Trp) but not XRCC3 ( Thr241Met) Polymorphism Increased the Risk of Breast Cancer in Premenopausal Females: A Case-Control Study in Northeastern Region of India.

PubMed

Devi, K Rekha; Ahmed, Jishan; Narain, Kanwar; Mukherjee, Kaustab; Majumdar, Gautam; Chenkual, Saia; Zonunmawia, Jason C

2017-12-01

X-ray repair cross complementary group gene is one of the most studied candidate gene involved in different types of cancers. Studies have shown that X-ray repair cross complementary genes are significantly associated with increased risk of breast cancer in females. Moreover, studies have revealed that X-ray repair cross complementary gene polymorphism significantly varies between and within different ethnic groups globally. The present case-control study was aimed to investigate the association of X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) and X-ray repair cross complementary 3 (Thr241Met) polymorphism with the risk of breast cancer in females from northeastern region of India. The present case-control study includes histopathologically confirmed and newly diagnosed 464 cases with breast cancer and 534 apparently healthy neighborhood community controls. Information on sociodemographic factors and putative risk factors were collected from each study participant by conducting face-to-face interviews. Genotyping of X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) and X-ray repair cross complementary 3 (Thr241Met) was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. For statistical analysis, both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. We also performed stratified analysis to find out the association of X-ray repair cross complementary genes with the risk of breast cancer stratified based on menstrual status. This study revealed that tryptophan allele (R/W-W/W genotype) in X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) gene significantly increased the risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 1.44, 95% confidence interval = 1.06-1.97, P < .05 for R/W-W/W genotype). Moreover, it was found that tryptophan allele (W/W genotype) at codon 194 of X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) gene significantly increased the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal females (crude odds ratio = 1.66, 95% confidence interval = 1.11-2.46, P < .05 for R/W-W/W genotype). The present study did not reveal any significant association of X-ray repair cross complementary 3 (Thr241Met) polymorphism with the risk of breast cancer. The present study has explored that X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) gene polymorphism is significantly associated with the increased risk of breast cancer in premenopausal females from northeastern region of India which may be beneficial for prognostic purposes.

DNA Repair Mechanism Gene, XRCC1A (Arg194Trp) but not XRCC3 (Thr241Met) Polymorphism Increased the Risk of Breast Cancer in Premenopausal Females: A Case–Control Study in Northeastern Region of India

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Jishan; Narain, Kanwar; Mukherjee, Kaustab; Majumdar, Gautam; Chenkual, Saia; Zonunmawia, Jason C.

2017-01-01

X-ray repair cross complementary group gene is one of the most studied candidate gene involved in different types of cancers. Studies have shown that X-ray repair cross complementary genes are significantly associated with increased risk of breast cancer in females. Moreover, studies have revealed that X-ray repair cross complementary gene polymorphism significantly varies between and within different ethnic groups globally. The present case–control study was aimed to investigate the association of X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) and X-ray repair cross complementary 3 (Thr241Met) polymorphism with the risk of breast cancer in females from northeastern region of India. The present case–control study includes histopathologically confirmed and newly diagnosed 464 cases with breast cancer and 534 apparently healthy neighborhood community controls. Information on sociodemographic factors and putative risk factors were collected from each study participant by conducting face-to-face interviews. Genotyping of X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) and X-ray repair cross complementary 3 (Thr241Met) was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. For statistical analysis, both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. We also performed stratified analysis to find out the association of X-ray repair cross complementary genes with the risk of breast cancer stratified based on menstrual status. This study revealed that tryptophan allele (R/W-W/W genotype) in X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) gene significantly increased the risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 1.44, 95% confidence interval = 1.06-1.97, P < .05 for R/W-W/W genotype). Moreover, it was found that tryptophan allele (W/W genotype) at codon 194 of X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) gene significantly increased the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal females (crude odds ratio = 1.66, 95% confidence interval = 1.11-2.46, P < .05 for R/W-W/W genotype). The present study did not reveal any significant association of X-ray repair cross complementary 3 (Thr241Met) polymorphism with the risk of breast cancer. The present study has explored that X-ray repair cross complementary 1A (Arg194Trp) gene polymorphism is significantly associated with the increased risk of breast cancer in premenopausal females from northeastern region of India which may be beneficial for prognostic purposes. PMID:29332455

Magnetization reversal dynamics in Co nanowires with competing magnetic anisotropies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, Semanti; Saha, Susmita; Polley, Debanjan; Barman, Anjan

2011-12-01

We present the magnetization reversal dynamics of Co nanowires with competing magnetic anisotropies. The aspect ratio ( R) of the nanowires is varied between 2.5 and 60, and we observe a cross-over of the directions of the magnetic easy and hard axes at R=6.8. Micromagnetic simulations qualitatively reproduce the observed cross-over and give detailed insight into the reversal mechanisms associated with the cross-over. The reversal mechanism for a field applied along the long axis of the nanowire exhibits a quasi-coherent rotation mode and a corkscrew-like mode, respectively, above and below the cross-over, with the formation of a Bloch domain near the cross-over region. For a field applied along the short axis, the reversal occurs by nucleation and propagation of reversed domains from the two ends of the nanowires for very high values of the aspect ratio down to the cross-over region, but it transforms into quasi-coherent rotation mode for smaller aspect ratios (below the cross-over region).

Personal and workgroup incivility: impact on work and health outcomes.

PubMed

Lim, Sandy; Cortina, Lilia M; Magley, Vicki J

2008-01-01

This article develops a theoretical model of the impact of workplace incivility on employees' occupational and psychological well-being. In Study 1, the authors tested the model on 1,158 employees, finding that satisfaction with work and supervisors, as well as mental health, partially mediated effects of personal incivility on turnover intentions and physical health; this process did not vary by gender. Study 2 cross-validated and extended these results on an independent sample of 271 employees, showing negative effects of workgroup incivility that emerged over and above the impact of personal incivility. In both studies, all results held while controlling for general job stress. Implications for organizational science and practice are discussed. 2008 APA

Organizing Participation in Cross-Sex Jump Rope: Situating Gender Differences within Longitudinal Studies of Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Marjorie Harness

2001-01-01

Investigates how children use directives and forms of exclusion to organize play activity. Elementary school children of mixed ethnicity were observed playing jump rope over one month. Girls' dominance in the game was observed to change over time. The ability to use actions that tell others what to do in a very direct fashion in cross-sex…

Minor psychiatric disorders among nurses university faculties.

PubMed

Tavares, Juliana Petri; Beck, Carmem Lúcia Colomé; Magnago, Tânia Solange Bosi de Souza; Zanini, Roselaine Ruviaro; Lautert, Liana

2012-01-01

This cross-sectional study addresses 130 nursing faculty members in federal universities from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It investigated the psychological demands and decision latitude (the Demand-Control Model by Karasek) and their association with Minor Psychological Disorders (MPDs). The Brazilian versions of the Self-Report-Questionnaire-20 and the Job Stress Scale were used. MPDs were prevalent in 20% of the studied individuals. After adjusting for potential confounders, the chances of participants presenting mental disorders were higher in the quadrant 'active strain jobs' (OR=14.23, 95% CI 1.55 to 130.73), followed by the 'high strain jobs' quadrant (OR=10.05, 95% CI 1.23 to 82.44), compared to nursing professors classified in the 'low strain jobs' quadrant. We conclude that high psychological demands and low control over work can cause disorders in nursing professors, among them, MPDs.

Measuring Gambling Reinforcers, Over Consumption and Fallacies: The Psychometric Properties and Predictive Validity of the Jonsson-Abbott Scale

PubMed Central

Jonsson, Jakob; Abbott, Max W.; Sjöberg, Anders; Carlbring, Per

2017-01-01

Traditionally, gambling and problem gambling research relies on cross-sectional and retrospective designs. This has compromised identification of temporal relationships and causal inference. To overcome these problems a new questionnaire, the Jonsson-Abbott Scale (JAS), was developed and used in a large, prospective, general population study, The Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (Swelogs). The JAS has 11 items and seeks to identify early indicators, examine relationships between indicators and assess their capacity to predict future problem progression. The aims of the study were to examine psychometric properties of the JAS (internal consistency and dimensionality) and predictive validity with respect to increased gambling risk and problem gambling onset. The results are based on repeated interviews with 3818 participants. The response rate from the initial baseline wave was 74%. The original sample consisted of a random, stratified selection from the Swedish population register aged between 16 and 84. The results indicate an acceptable fit of a three-factor solution in a confirmatory factor analysis with ‘Over consumption,’ ‘Gambling fallacies,’ and ‘Reinforcers’ as factors. Reinforcers, Over consumption and Gambling fallacies were significant predictors of gambling risk potential and Gambling fallacies and Over consumption were significant predictors of problem gambling onset (incident cases) at 12 month follow up. When controlled for risk potential measured at baseline, the predictor Over consumption was not significant for gambling risk potential at follow up. For incident cases, Gambling fallacies and Over consumption remained significant when controlled for risk potential. Implications of the results for the development of problem gambling, early detection, prevention, and future research are discussed. PMID:29085320

Medical students' attitudes towards peer physical examination: findings from an international cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

PubMed

Rees, Charlotte E; Wearn, Andy M; Vnuk, Anna K; Sato, Toshio J

2009-03-01

Although studies have begun to shed light on medical students' attitudes towards peer physical examination (PPE), they have been conducted at single sites, and have generally not examined changes in medical students' attitudes over time. Employing both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, the current study examines medical students' attitudes towards PPE at schools from different geographical and cultural regions and assess changes in their attitudes over their first year of medical study. Students at six schools (Peninsula, UK; Durham, UK; Auckland, New Zealand; Flinders, Australia; Sapporo, Japan and Li Ka Shing, Hong Kong) completed the Examining Fellow Students (EFS) questionnaire near the start of their academic year (T1), and students at four schools (Peninsula, Durham, Auckland and Flinders) completed the EFS for a second time, around the end of their academic year (T2). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed a high level of acceptance for PPE of non-intimate body regions amongst medical students from all schools (greater than 83%, hips, at T1 and 94.5%, hips and upper body, at T2). At T1 and T2, students' willingness to engage in PPE was associated with their gender, ethnicity, religiosity and school. Typically, students least comfortable with PPE at T1 and T2 were female, non-white, religious and studying at Auckland. Although students' attitudes towards PPE were reasonably stable over their first year of study, and after exposure to PPE, we did find some statistically significant differences in attitudes between T1 and T2. Interestingly, attitude changes were consistently predicted by gender, even when controlling for school. While male students' attitudes towards PPE were relatively stable over time, females' attitudes were changeable. In this paper, we discuss our findings in light of existing research and theory, and discuss their implications for educational practice and further research.

Isopycnal deepening of an under-ice river plume in coastal waters: Field observations and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S. Samuel; Ingram, R. Grant

2007-07-01

The Great Whale River, located on the southeast coast of Hudson Bay in Canada, forms a large river plume under complete landfast ice during early spring. Short-term fluctuations of plume depth have motivated the present numerical study of an under-ice river plume subject to tidal motion and friction. We introduce a simple two-layer model for predicting the vertical penetration of the under-ice river plume as it propagates over a deepening topography. The topography is idealized but representative. Friction on the bottom surface of the ice cover, on the seabed, and at the plume interface is parameterized using the quadratic friction law. The extent of the vertical penetration is controlled by dimensionless parameters related to tidal motion and river outflow. Model predictions are shown to compare favorably with under-ice plume measurements from the river mouth. This study illustrates that isopycnal deepening occurs when the ice-cover vertical motion creates a reduced flow cross-section during the ebbing tide. This results in supercritical flow and triggers the downward plume penetration in the offshore. For a given river discharge, the freshwater source over a tidal cycle is unsteady in terms of discharge velocity because of the variation in the effective cross-sectional area at the river mouth, through which freshwater flows.

The effect of using an audience response system on learning, motivation and information retention in the orthodontic teaching of undergraduate dental students: a cross-over trial.

PubMed

Dhaliwal, Harmeet Kaur; Allen, Mark; Kang, Jing; Bates, Claire; Hodge, Trevor

2015-06-01

New methods of teaching and learning are constantly being sought in the adult learning environment. Audience Response Systems (ARS) have been used in many different learning environments, especially in the field of medical education. The objective of this investigation was to ascertain the effect of ARS use in undergraduate teaching in a UK dental school. A cross-over clustered randomized educational trial. Leeds Dental Institute. Year 4 undergraduate dental students in orthodontics. Students at Leeds Dental Institute were taught two different topics within the curriculum to test the use of ARS in a cross-over trial. A questionnaire was delivered to the test (ARS) and control (non-ARS) groups. The response rate to the questionnaires was 89·5% (test group) and 82·9% (control group). The ARS enabled students to perform better as shown by knowledge retention (P = 0·013). Students found the seminar more interesting (P = 0·013), easier to concentrate (P = 0·025) and easier to participate in (P = 0·020) when ARS was used. When ARS was used, students were more able to answer questions (P<0·0001), were more likely to prepare for the seminar (P<0·0001) and significantly preferred using ARS (P<0·0001). ARS was found to significantly improve student concentration and participation in small group seminar teaching and significantly improved knowledge retention. ARS may be useful in facilitating orthodontic teaching in the future.

Morphological hippocampal markers for automated detection of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment converters in magnetic resonance images.

PubMed

Ferrarini, Luca; Frisoni, Giovanni B; Pievani, Michela; Reiber, Johan H C; Ganzola, Rossana; Milles, Julien

2009-01-01

In this study, we investigated the use of hippocampal shape-based markers for automatic detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment converters (MCI-c). Three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance images of 50 AD subjects, 50 age-matched controls, 15 MCI-c, and 15 MCI-non-converters (MCI-nc) were taken. Manual delineations of both hippocampi were obtained from normalized images. Fully automatic shape modeling was used to generate comparable meshes for both structures. Repeated permutation tests, run over a randomly sub-sampled training set (25 controls and 25 ADs), highlighted shape-based markers, mostly located in the CA1 sector, which consistently discriminated ADs and controls. Support vector machines (SVMs) were trained, using markers from either one or both hippocampi, to automatically classify control and AD subjects. Leave-1-out cross-validations over the remaining 25 ADs and 25 controls resulted in an optimal accuracy of 90% (sensitivity 92%), for markers in the left hippocampus. The same morphological markers were used to train SVMs for MCI-c versus MCI-nc classification: markers in the right hippocampus reached an accuracy (and sensitivity) of 80%. Due to the pattern recognition framework, our results statistically represent the expected performances of clinical set-ups, and compare favorably to analyses based on hippocampal volumes.

Population control of the malaria vector Anopheles pseudopunctipennis by habitat manipulation.

PubMed Central

Bond, J. Guillermo; Rojas, Julio C.; Arredondo-Jiménez, Juan I.; Quiroz-Martínez, Humberto; Valle, Javier; Williams, Trevor

2004-01-01

Insect vector-borne diseases continue to present a major challenge to human health. Understanding the factors that regulate the size of mosquito populations is considered fundamental to the ability to predict disease transmission rates and for vector population control. The mosquito, Anopheles pseudopunctipennis, a vector of Plasmodium spp., breeds in riverside pools containing filamentous algae in Mesoamerica. Breeding pools along 3 km sections of the River Coatan, Chiapas, Mexico were subjected to algal extraction or left as controls in a cross-over trial extending over 2 years. Initial densities of An. pseudopunctipennis larvae were directly proportional to the prevalence of filamentous algae in each breeding site. The extraction of algae brought about a striking decline in the density of An. pseudopunctipennis larvae sustained for about six weeks, and a concurrent reduction in the adult population in both years of the study. Mark-release experiments indicated that dispersal from adjacent untreated areas was unlikely to exert an important influence on the magnitude of mosquito control that we observed. Habitat manipulation by extraction of filamentous algae offers a unique opportunity for sustainable control of this malaria vector. This technique may represent a valuable intervention, complimenting insecticide spraying of households, to minimize Plasmodium transmission rates in Mesoamerica. PMID:15475337

High-cocoa polyphenol-rich chocolate improves HDL cholesterol in Type 2 diabetes patients.

PubMed

Mellor, D D; Sathyapalan, T; Kilpatrick, E S; Beckett, S; Atkin, S L

2010-11-01

To examine the effects of chocolate on lipid profiles, weight and glycaemic control in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. Twelve individuals with Type 2 diabetes on stable medication were enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind crossover study. Subjects were randomized to 45 g chocolate with or without a high polyphenol content for 8 weeks and then crossed over after a 4-week washout period. Changes in weight, glycaemic control, lipid profile and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were measured at the beginning and at the end of each intervention. HDL cholesterol increased significantly with high polyphenol chocolate (1.16 ± 0.08 vs. 1.26 ± 0.08 mmol/l, P = 0.05) with a decrease in the total cholesterol: HDL ratio (4.4 ± 0.4 vs. 4.1 ± 0.4 mmol/l, P = 0.04). No changes were seen with the low polyphenol chocolate in any parameters. Over the course of 16 weeks of daily chocolate consumption neither weight nor glycaemic control altered from baseline. High polyphenol chocolate is effective in improving the atherosclerotic cholesterol profile in patients with diabetes by increasing HDL cholesterol and improving the cholesterol:HDL ratio without affecting weight, inflammatory markers, insulin resistance or glycaemic control.

Obstacle Crossing During Gait in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Cross-Sectional Study With Kinematic Analysis of Dynamic Balance and Trunk Control.

PubMed

Malone, Ailish; Kiernan, Damien; French, Helen; Saunders, Valerie; O'Brien, Timothy

2016-08-01

Balance problems are common in children who have cerebral palsy (CP) but are active and ambulant. Control of the whole-body center of mass is critical in maintaining dynamic stability during challenging mobility tasks, such as clearing an obstacle while walking. The objective of this study was to compare trunk and lower limb kinematics and center-of-mass control in children with CP and those in children with typical development during obstacle crossing. This was a cross-sectional study. Thirty-four children who were 5 to 17 years of age (17 with CP and 17 with typical development) and matched in age and height completed 2 gait trials involving crossing a 10-cm obstacle. Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were captured with a general-purpose 3-dimensional motion tracking system and forceplates. Trunk data were captured with a validated model. All children cleared the obstacle with similar hip and knee kinematics, step length, and single-support duration. In children with CP, step width was increased by 4.81 cm, and center-of-mass velocity was significantly slower at lead limb toe-off (0.31 m/s) and during lead limb clearance (0.2 m/s). Children with CP showed altered trunk and pelvis movement, characterized by significantly greater pelvic obliquity, pelvic tilt, and trunk rotation throughout the task, increased lateral trunk lean during lead limb crossing (3.7°), and greater sagittal trunk movement as the trail limb crossed (5.1°). The study was not powered to analyze differences between children with diplegia and those with hemiplegia. Children with CP required greater adjustments at the trunk and pelvis to achieve successful obstacle crossing. The increase in trunk movement could have been compensatory for reduced stability distally or for a primary problem reflecting poor proximal control. The findings suggest that rehabilitation should focus on both proximal trunk control and distal stability to improve balance. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

The prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of dyslipidemia in northeast China: a population-based cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Zhang, Fu-Liang; Xing, Ying-Qi; Wu, Yan-Hua; Liu, Hao-Yuan; Luo, Yun; Sun, Ming-Shuo; Guo, Zhen-Ni; Yang, Yi

2017-03-23

Dyslipidemia is an important independent modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to explore the current prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia and its associated influence factors in northeast China. In this population-based cross-sectional study, we adopted a multi-stage, stratified sampling method to obtain a representative sample of 4052 permanent residents aged 40 years and over from different urban and rural regions in Dehui City of Jilin Province. All subjects completed a questionnaire and were examined for risk factors. Continuous data were presented as means ± standard deviations (SD) and compared using the Student's t-test. Categorical variables were presented as proportions and compared using the Rao-Scott-χ 2 test in different subgroups. The associated influence factors for the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia were evaluated through multivariate logistic regression. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 62.1% overall, with 33.5, 43.9, 0.6, and 8.8% for high total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, respectively. Among those with dyslipidemia, the proportion of subjects who were aware, treated, and controlled was 14.4, 33.9, and 19.9%, respectively. Overweight or obesity (OR = 2.156; 95% CI: 1.863, 2.533), hypertension (OR = 1.643; 95% CI: 1.425, 1.893), or diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.173; 95% CI: 1.661, 2.844) increased the prevalence of dyslipidemia, also these participants were more likely to be aware of their condition, however, this did not increase the likelihood of treatment and control. Living in urban areas and higher education level also increased the awareness of dyslipidemia. Personal history of coronary heart disease was the strongest influence factors associated with better awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia. Overweight or obesity (OR = 0.404; 95% CI: 0.235, 0.695) and lack of exercise (OR = 0.423; 95% CI: 0.215, 0.830) were associated with poor control of dyslipidemia. The prevalence of dyslipidemia among adults aged 40 years and over in northeast China was high, however, the awareness, treatment, and control of dyslipidemia was measured at far from desirable levels. Renewed efforts taking influence factors into account are needed to improve the current unsatisfactory condition.

A randomized controlled clinical study of the effect of daily intake of Ascophyllum nodosum alga on calculus, plaque, and gingivitis.

PubMed

van Dijken, Jan W V; Koistinen, S; Ramberg, Per

2015-07-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate, in a randomized controlled cross-over study, the effect of daily intake of the alga Ascophyllum nodosum on supragingival calculus, plaque formation, and gingival health over a 6-month period. Sixty-one adults with moderate to heavy calculus formation since their last yearly recall visit participated. In a randomized order over two 6-month periods, they swallowed two capsules daily, comprising a total of 500 mg dried marine alga powder (Ascophyllum nodosum, ProDen PlaqueOff®) or two negative control tablets. During the study, the participants maintained their regular oral habits. Their teeth were professionally cleaned at the start of each period and after the 6-month registrations. A wash out period of 1 month separated the two 6-month periods. Supragingival calculus (Volpe Manhold), gingivitis (Löe and Silness), gingival bleeding (Ainamo and Bay), and plaque (Quigley-Hein) were registered at screening and at the end of the two periods. Differences in oral health between the test and control periods were analyzed using a paired t test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. Fifty-five participants completed the study. After the alga intake, the mean calculus reduction was 52% compared to the control (p < 0.0001). Fifty-two participants showed less calculus formation in the alga group than in the control group. Plaque (p = 0.008) and gingival bleeding (p = 0.02) were also significantly less in the alga group. However, no significant difference was found between the groups for gingivitis (p = 0.13). The alga intake significantly reduced the formation of supragingival calculus and plaque and occurrence of gingival bleeding. The alga has a systemic effect on oral health. Daily intake of the alga Ascophyllum nodosum as an adjunct to customary oral hygiene showed a major reduction of supragingival calculus formation and reduced plaque formation. In addition, the calculus in the alga group was characterized by a more porous and less solid structure and was easier to remove than the calculus in the control group.

Identity processes and coping strategies in college students: short-term longitudinal dynamics and the role of personality.

PubMed

Luyckx, Koen; Klimstra, Theo A; Duriez, Bart; Schwartz, Seth J; Vanhalst, Janne

2012-09-01

Coping strategies and identity processes are hypothesized to influence one another over time. This three-wave longitudinal study (N = 458; 84.9% women) examined, for the first time, how and to what extent identity processes (i.e., commitment making, identification with commitment, exploration in breadth, exploration in depth, and ruminative exploration) and coping strategies (i.e., problem solving, social support seeking, and avoidance) predicted one another over time. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that processes of identity exploration seemed especially to be intertwined with different coping strategies over time, suggesting that identity exploration may resemble problem-solving behavior on the pathway to an achieved identity. Commitment processes were found to be influenced by certain coping strategies, although identification with commitment also negatively influenced avoidance coping. These temporal sequences remained significant when controlling for baseline levels of Big Five personality traits. Hence, evidence was obtained for reciprocal pathways indicating that coping strategies and identity processes reinforce one another over time in college students.

Neurophysiological effects of modafinil on cue-exposure in cocaine dependence: a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study using pharmacological fMRI.

PubMed

Goudriaan, Anna E; Veltman, Dick J; van den Brink, Wim; Dom, Geert; Schmaal, Lianne

2013-02-01

Enhanced reactivity to substance related cues is a central characteristic of addiction and has been associated with increased activity in motivation, attention, and memory related brain circuits and with a higher probability of relapse. Modafinil was promising in the first clinical trials in cocaine dependence, and was able to reduce craving in addictive disorders. However, its mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study therefore, cue reactivity in cocaine dependent patients was compared to cue reactivity in healthy controls (HCs) under modafinil and placebo conditions. An fMRI cue reactivity study, with a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over challenge with a single dose of modafinil (200mg) was employed in 13 treatment seeking cocaine dependent patients and 16 HCs. In the placebo condition, watching cocaine-related pictures (versus neutral pictures) resulted in higher brain activation in the medial frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, angular gyrus, left orbitofrontal cortex, and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the cocaine dependent group compared to HCs. However, in the modafinil condition, no differences in brain activation patterns were found between cocaine dependent patients and HCs. Group interactions revealed decreased activity in the VTA and increased activity in the right ACC and putamen in the modafinil condition relative to the placebo condition in cocaine dependent patients, whereas such changes were not present in healthy controls. Decreases in self-reported craving when watching cocaine-related cues after modafinil administration compared to the placebo condition were associated with modafinil-induced increases in ACC and putamen activation. Enhanced cue reactivity in the cocaine dependent group compared to healthy controls was found in brain circuitries related to reward, motivation, and autobiographical memory processes. In cocaine dependent patients, these enhanced brain responses were attenuated by modafinil, mainly due to decreases in cue- reactivity in reward-related brain areas (VTA) and increases in cue reactivity in cognitive control areas (ACC). These modafinil-induced changes in brain activation in response to cocaine-related visual stimuli were associated with diminished self-reported craving. These findings imply that in cocaine dependent patients, modafinil, although mainly known as a cognitive enhancer, acts on both the motivational and the cognitive brain circuitry. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Back home: a qualitative study exploring re-entering cross-cultural missionary aid workers' loss and grief.

PubMed

Selby, Susan; Moulding, Nicole; Clark, Sheila; Jones, Alison; Braunack-Mayer, Annette; Beilby, Justin

2009-01-01

Over 200 Australian, American, and British Non-Government Organizations send aid workers overseas including missionaries. On re-entry, they may suffer psychological distress; however, there is little research about their psychosocial issues and management in the family practice setting. Research suggests loss and grief as a suitable paradigm for family practitioners dealing with psychosocial issues. The aim of this study was to explore loss and grief issues for adult Australian missionary cross-cultural aid workers during their re-entry adjustment. Mixed methods were used and this study reports the qualitative method: semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 participants. Results were analyzed using framework analysis. Themes of re-entry loss and grief were identified with sub-themes of multiple varied losses, mechanisms of loss, loss of control, common grief phenomena, disenfranchised grief, and reactivation of past grief. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed. Findings of this study suggest that loss and grief is an appropriate paradigm for the management of these workers in the family practice setting. Further research is needed to enable appropriate care.

Control of Stationary Cross-Flow Modes in a Mach 3.5 Boundary Layer Using Patterned Passive and Active Roughness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuele, Chan Yong

2011-01-01

Spanwise-periodic roughness designed to excite selected wavelengths of stationary cross- ow modes was investigated in a 3-D boundary layer at Mach 3.5. The test model was a sharp-tipped 14deg right-circular cone. The model and integrated sensor traversing system were placed in the Mach 3.5 Supersonic Low Disturbance Tunnel (SLDT) equipped with a "quiet design" nozzle at the NASA Langley Research Center. The model was oriented at a 4:2deg angle of attack to produce a mean cross-fl ow velocity component in the boundary layer over the cone. Five removable cone tips have been investigated. One has a smooth surface that is used to document the baseline ("natural") conditions. Two had minute (20 - 40 micron) "dimples" that are equally spaced around the circumference, at a streamwise location that is just upstream of the linear stability neutral growth branch for cross- ow modes. The azimuthal mode numbers of the dimpled tips were selected to either enhance the most amplified wave numbers, or to suppress the growth of the most amplified wave numbers. Two of the cone tips had an array of plasma streamwise vortex generators that were designed to simulate the disturbances produced by the passive patterned roughness. The results indicate that the stationary cross-fl ow modes were highly receptive to the patterned roughness of both passive and active types. The patterned passive roughness that was designed to suppress the growth of the most amplified modes had an azimuthal wavelength that was 66% smaller that that of the most amplified stationary cross- ow mode. This had the effect to increase the transition Reynolds number from 25% to 50% depending on the measurement technique. The application of the research is on turbulent transition control on swept wings of supersonic aircraft. The plasma-based roughness has the advantage over the passive roughness of being able to be adaptable to different conditions that would occur during a flight mission.

Cross-formational flow of water into coalbed methane reservoirs: controls on relative permeability curve shape and production profile

PubMed Central

Karacan, C. Özgen

2017-01-01

Coalbed methane (CBM) wells tend to produce large volumes of water, especially when there is hydraulic connectivity between coalbed and nearby formations. Cross-formational flow between producing coal and adjacent formations can have significant production and environmental implications, affecting economic viability of production from these shallow reservoirs. Such flows can also affect how much gas can be removed from a coalbed prior to mining and thus can have implications for methane control in mining as well. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of water flow from an external source into coalbed on production performance and also on reservoir variables including cleat porosity and relative permeability curves derived from production data analysis. A reservoir model is constructed to investigate the production performance of a CBM well when cross-formational flow is present between the coalbed and the overlying formation. Results show that cleat porosity calculated by analysis of production data can be more than one order of magnitude higher than actual cleat porosity. Due to hydraulic connectivity, water saturation within coalbed does not considerably change for a period of time, and hence, the peak of gas production is delayed. Upon depletion of the overlying formation, water saturation in coalbed quickly decreases. Rapid decline of water saturation in the coalbed corresponds to a sharp increase in gas production. As an important consequence, when cross-flow is present, gas and water relative permeability curves, derived from simulated production data, have distinctive features compared to the initial relative permeability curves. In the case of cross-flow, signatures of relative permeability curves are concave downward and low gas permeability for a range of water saturation, followed by rapid increase afterward for water and gas, respectively. The results and analyses presented in this work can help to assess the impact of cross-formational flow on reservoir variables derived from production data analysis and can also contribute to identifying hydraulic connectivity between coalbed and adjacent formations. PMID:28626492

Social Capital, Economic Development, and Homicide: A Cross-National Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Blaine; Pettinicchio, David

2012-01-01

This article draws from an ongoing debate over explanations of homicide. Within this debate, we investigate the pro-social effects of civil society and social capital. Few cross-national studies explore whether elements of social capital either increase or decrease homicide. The cross-national work that does is often characterized by small,…

Pelvic movement strategies and leg extension power in patients with end-stage medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kierkegaard, Signe; Jørgensen, Peter Bo; Dalgas, Ulrik; Søballe, Kjeld; Mechlenburg, Inger

2015-09-01

During movement tasks, patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis use compensatory strategies to minimise the joint load of the affected leg. Movement strategies of the knees and trunk have been investigated, but less is known about movement strategies of the pelvis during advancing functional tasks, and how these strategies are associated with leg extension power. The aim of the study was to investigate pelvic movement strategies and leg extension power in patients with end-stage medial compartment knee osteoarthritis compared with controls. 57 patients (mean age 65.6 years) scheduled for medial uni-compartmental knee arthroplasty, and 29 age and gender matched controls were included in this cross-sectional study. Leg extension power was tested with the Nottingham Leg Extension Power-Rig. Pelvic range of motion was derived from an inertia-based measurement unit placed over the sacrum bone during walking, stair climbing and stepping. Patients had lower leg extension power than controls (20-39 %, P < 0.01) and used greater pelvic range of motion during stair and step ascending and descending (P ≤ 0.03, except for pelvic range of motion in the frontal plane during ascending, P > 0.06). Furthermore, an inverse association (coefficient: -0.03 to -0.04; R (2) = 13-22 %) between leg extension power and pelvic range of motion during stair and step descending was found in the patients. Compared to controls, patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis use greater pelvic movements during advanced functional performance tests, particularly when these involve descending tasks. Further studies should investigate if it is possible to alter these movement strategies by an intervention aimed at increasing strength and power for the patients.

Laser backscattered from partially convex targets of large sizes in random media for E-wave polarization.

PubMed

El-Ocla, Hosam

2006-08-01

The characteristics of a radar cross section (RCS) of partially convex targets with large sizes up to five wavelengths in free space and random media are studied. The nature of the incident wave is an important factor in remote sensing and radar detection applications. I investigate the effects of beam wave incidence on the performance of RCS, drawing on the method I used in a previous study on plane-wave incidence. A beam wave can be considered a plane wave if the target size is smaller than the beam width. Therefore, to have a beam wave with a limited spot on the target, the target size should be larger than the beam width (assuming E-wave incidence wave polarization. The effects of the target configuration, random medium parameters, and the beam width on the laser RCS and the enhancement in the radar cross section are numerically analyzed, resulting in the possibility of having some sort of control over radar detection using beam wave incidence.

Prospective Prediction of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A 1-Year Longitudinal Study in Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, Catherine R.; Klonsky, E. David

2011-01-01

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has become a significant public health problem. Although numerous studies have examined cross-sectional psychological correlates of NSSI, there has been little research examining predictors of NSSI over time. The present study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal correlates of NSSI in 81 young adult…

Temporal development of near-native functional properties and correlations with qMRI in self-assembling fibrocartilage treated with exogenous lysyl oxidase homolog 2.

PubMed

Hadidi, Pasha; Cissell, Derek D; Hu, Jerry C; Athanasiou, Kyriacos A

2017-12-01

Advances in cartilage tissue engineering have led to constructs with mechanical integrity and biochemical composition increasingly resembling that of native tissues. In particular, collagen cross-linking with lysyl oxidase has been used to significantly enhance the mechanical properties of engineered neotissues. In this study, development of collagen cross-links over time, and correlations with tensile properties, were examined in self-assembling neotissues. Additionally, quantitative MRI metrics were examined in relation to construct mechanical properties as well as pyridinoline cross-link content and other engineered tissue components. Scaffold-free meniscus fibrocartilage was cultured in the presence of exogenous lysyl oxidase, and assessed at multiple time points over 8weeks starting from the first week of culture. Engineered constructs demonstrated a 9.9-fold increase in pyridinoline content, reaching 77% of native tissue values, after 8weeks of culture. Additionally, engineered tissues reached 66% of the Young's modulus in the radial direction of native tissues. Further, collagen cross-links were found to correlate with tensile properties, contributing 67% of the tensile strength of engineered neocartilages. Finally, examination of quantitative MRI metrics revealed several correlations with mechanical and biochemical properties of engineered constructs. This study displays the importance of culture duration for collagen cross-link formation, and demonstrates the potential of quantitative MRI in investigating properties of engineered cartilages. This is the first study to demonstrate near-native cross-link content in an engineered tissue, and the first study to quantify pyridinoline cross-link development over time in a self-assembling tissue. Additionally, this work shows the relative contributions of collagen and pyridinoline to the tensile properties of collagenous tissue for the first time. Furthermore, this is the first investigation to identify a relationship between qMRI metrics and the pyridinoline cross-link content of an engineered collagenous tissue. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of a target population for immunisation against East Coast fever in coastal Kenya.

PubMed

Maloo, S H; Ngumi, P; Mbogo, S; Williamson, S; Thorpe, W; Rowlands, G J; Perry, B D

2001-11-02

Two experiments were carried out to identify the target population of cattle for immunisation against East Coast fever (ECF) using the infection-and-treatment method. Firstly, a sentinel-calf study was used to determine the age window for ECF immunisation by determining ages at clinical detection of infection with Theileria parva. Six groups of five naive cross-bred (Bos taurus/Bos indicus) male calves, introduced at intervals of 2 months at a mean age of 26 days, were exposed to natural tick challenge on a high ECF-risk, small-holder farm in the coastal lowland, coconut-cassava agro-ecological zone of coastal Kenya. Secondly, a challenge study evaluated the relationship between the presence of T. parva antibodies and immunity. Ten indigenous adult Zebu cattle and nine Zebu young stock purchased from farmers in the same zone, and eight cross-bred calves (survivors of the sentinel-calf study) were challenged with 10 times the immunising dose of T. parva Marikebuni stock. Twenty-four of these 27 cattle had high antibody titres before challenge. Two cross-bred calves, obtained from an ECF-free area and seronegative to T. parva schizont antigen, also were challenged and used as susceptible controls. Twenty-five (83%) of the 30 sentinel calves contracted ECF over an age range of 36-116 days (mean 72 days). The remaining five calves died of other causes within 2 months of arrival on the farm. Fourteen of the 25 calves survived the infection and developed antibodies to T. parva. Despite tick control, seven of these 14 calves had a second episode of ECF and two died. In total, 13 of the 25 calves that contracted ECF died. Only one of 19 indigenous Zebu animals developed clinical ECF when challenged with T. parva Marikebuni (mild clinical signs with spontaneous recovery). Of the eight cross-bred survivors from the first experiment, only one succumbed to ECF when challenged and it died. Both susceptible cross-bred calves developed severe clinical signs of ECF and one died. The experimental studies show that in the high ECF-risk areas of the coconut-cassava zone of coastal Kenya, immunisation against ECF in cross-bred (B. taurus/B. indicus) cattle should be targeted at an early age (preferably within 1-2 months of birth).

Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and the thyroid gland – examining and discussing possible longitudinal health effects in humans

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

Gaum, Petra M., E-mail: pgaum@ukaachen.de; Lang, Jessica; Esser, André

Background: Many previous studies have dealt with the effect of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the thyroid gland, but their findings are inconsistent. One problem of these studies has been their use of cross-sectional designs. Objectives: The aim of the current study is to investigate longitudinal effects of PCBs on the thyroid gland, focusing on: morphological changes in thyroid tissue (i.e. thyroid volume), changes in thyroid hormones and in thyroid antibodies. Methods: A total of 122 individuals (M{sub age}=44.7) were examined over a period of four years (t{sup 1} until t{sup 4}). Medical history was collected via interviews, an ultrasound examinationmore » was performed and blood samples were taken to determine plasma PCB levels, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodthyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOab), thyreoglobulin antibodies (TGab) and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies (TSHRab). Rank correlation coefficients and mixed effect models were performed controlling for age and total lipids. Results: There were negative correlations between higher chlorinated biphenyls and fT3, cross-sectionally as well as longitudinally. We also found an interaction effect of higher-chlorinated PCBs over time for fT4 as well as TSHRab. In case of high exposure, a decrease in fT4 and an increase in TSHRab level were found over time. In regards to the other variables, our findings yielded no clear results in the examined time period. Conclusion: This is the first study to shows a PCB-related effect on fT3, fT4 and TSHRab over a four year period. The data also suggest that morphological and antibody findings remain inconsistent and do not allow for unambiguous interpretation. - Highlights: • This is a longitudinal study which includes data from four cross sections. • Higher-chlorinated biphenyls are negatively correlated with fT3. • There are interactions of time and higher-chlorinated biphenyls to TSHRab and fT4. • There is an interaction of time and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls to fT4. • No consistent effects were found for thyroid volume, TSH, TPOab and TGab.« less

Can psychotherapists function as their own controls? Meta-analysis of the crossed therapist design in comparative psychotherapy trials.

PubMed

Falkenström, Fredrik; Markowitz, John C; Jonker, Hanske; Philips, Björn; Holmqvist, Rolf

2013-05-01

Clinical trials sometimes have the same therapists deliver more than 1 psychotherapy, ostensibly to control for therapist effects. This "crossed therapist" design makes controlling for therapist allegiance imperative, as therapists may prefer one treatment they deliver to the other(s). Research has established a strong relationship between principal investigators' allegiances and treatment outcome. Study therapists' allegiances probably also influence outcome, yet this moderating factor on outcome has never been studied. English language abstracts in PsycINFO and MEDLINE from January 1985 to December 2011 were searched for keywords psychotherapy and randomized trial. The search yielded 990 abstracts that were searched manually. Trials using the same therapists in more than 1 condition were included. Thirty-nine studies fulfilled inclusion criteria. Meta-regression analyses assessed the influence of researchers' allegiance on treatment outcome, testing the hypothesis that studies poorly controlling for therapist allegiance would show stronger influence of researcher allegiance on outcome. A single-item measure assessed researchers' reported attempts to control for therapist allegiance. Only 1 of 39 studies (3%) measured therapist treatment allegiance. Another 5 (13%) mentioned controlling for, without formally assessing, therapist allegiance. Most publications (67%) did not even mention therapist allegiance. In studies not controlling for therapist allegiance, researcher allegiance strongly influenced outcome, whereas studies reporting control for therapist allegiance showed no differential researcher allegiance. Researchers with cognitive-behavioral therapy allegiance described controlling for therapist allegiance less frequently than other researchers. The crossed therapist design is subject to bias due to differential psychotherapist allegiance. Worrisome results suggest that researchers strongly allied to a treatment may ignore therapist allegiance, potentially skewing outcomes. All clinical trials, and especially crossed therapist designs, should measure psychotherapist allegiance to evaluate this possible bias. © Copyright 2013 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Effect of serving size and addition of sugar on the glycemic response elicited by oatmeal: A randomized, cross-over study.

PubMed

Wolever, Thomas M S; van Klinken, B Jan-Willem; Spruill, Susan E; Jenkins, Alexandra L; Chu, YiFang; Harkness, Laura

2016-12-01

We aimed to determine the impact of serving size and addition of sucrose on the glycemic response elicited by oatmeal. We studied 38 healthy subjects (mean ± SD age 40 ± 12 yr, BMI 26.4 ± 3.6 kg/m 2 ) on 8 separate days using a randomized, cross-over design. Capillary blood-glucose responses over 2hr after consuming 30, 40 and 60 g Classic Quaker Quick Oats (18, 24 and 36 g available-carbohydrate [avCHO], respectively) and 30 g Oats plus 9 g sucrose (27 g avCHO) were compared with those after avCHO-matched servings of Cream of Rice cereal (Control) (22, 29, 44 and 33 g cereal, respectively). Blood-glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC), peak-rise, rate-of-decline, time-to-peak and time-to-baseline were calculated. As serving size increased, iAUC, peak-rise, rate-of-decline and time-to-baseline increased significantly for both cereals, but the rate of increase was significantly greater for Control than for Oats. Time-to-peak increased significantly with serving size only for Oats. Compared to avCHO-matched servings of Control, mean (95%CI) iAUC, peak-rise and rate-of-decline, respectively were 22 (16, 27)%, 22 (19, 26)% and 23 (18, 27)% lower after consuming Oats without sucrose and 26 (18, 34)%, 14 (9, 20)% and 16 (9, 24)% lower after consuming Oats plus sucrose. Oatmeal elicited a significantly lower glycemic response than avCHO-matched servings of Cream of Rice, even when sucrose was added to the oatmeal. Measures of glycemic response tended to increase with increased serving size; although the pattern of change varied between cereal types. These results suggest that oatmeal may be a good choice for minimizing postprandial glycemia. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02506972). Copyright © 2016 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-over clinical trial for evaluating the safety of camel's milk intake in patients who are allergic to cow's milk protein.

PubMed

Navarrete-Rodríguez, E M; Ríos-Villalobos, L A; Alcocer-Arreguín, C R; Del-Rio-Navarro, B E; Del Rio-Chivardi, J M; Saucedo-Ramírez, O J; Sienra-Monge, J J L; Frias, R V

Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) affects between 0.6 and 0.9% of the general population, and its treatment implies the total elimination of the intake of this protein. Camel's milk has been suggested as an alternative for patients over one year of age who suffer from CMPA due to the difference in the amino acid sequence from that of cow's milk. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of camel's milk in children with CMPA. Crossed clinical trial for the use of camel's milk vs. amino acid formula, carried out at the Dr. Federico Gómez Children's Hospital of Mexico (HIMFG) on patients between one and 18 years of age with diagnosed CMPA confirmed through double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFCs). Only those whose allergies were confirmed were randomly placed into two groups: those to be administered camel's milk and those to be administered the amino-acid formula for two weeks, followed by a six-week wash-out period, and then a group crossing for a further two weeks. 49 patients with suspected CMPA were included in the study; the diagnosis was confirmed through DBPCFCs in 15 patients, who were those who participated in the study. After having been administered camel's milk, none of the patients presented adverse effects. Camel's milk is safe and tolerable in patients above one year of age with CMPA and can be considered as a good alternative given the benefit of its taste compared to other formulas. Copyright © 2017 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Botulinum toxin for motor and phonic tics in Tourette's syndrome.

PubMed

Pandey, Sanjay; Srivanitchapoom, Prachaya; Kirubakaran, Richard; Berman, Brian D

2018-01-05

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, or Tourette's syndrome, is defined as the presence of both motor and vocal (phonic) tics for more than 12 months, that manifest before the age of 18 years, in the absence of secondary causes. Treatment of motor and phonic tics is difficult and challenging. To determine the safety and effectiveness of botulinum toxin in treating motor and phonic tics in people with Tourette's syndrome, and to analyse the effect of botulinum toxin on premonitory urge and sensory tics. We searched the Cochrane Movement Disorders Group Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and two trials registers to 25 October 2017. We reviewed reference lists of relevant articles for additional trials. We considered all randomised, controlled, double-blind studies comparing botulinum toxin to placebo or other medications for the treatment of motor and phonic tics in Tourette's syndrome for this review. We sought both parallel group and cross-over studies of children or adults, at any dose, and for any duration. We followed standard Cochrane methods to select studies, assess risk of bias, extract and analyse data. All authors independently abstracted data onto standardized forms; disagreements were resolved by mutual discussion. Only one randomised placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over study met our selection criteria. In this study, 20 participants with motor tics were enrolled over a three-year recruitment period; 18 (14 of whom had a diagnosis of Tourette's syndrome) completed the study; in total, 21 focal motor tics were treated. Although we considered most bias domains to be at low risk of bias, the study recruited a small number of participants with relatively mild tics and provided limited data for our key outcomes. The effects of botulinum toxin injections on tic frequency, measured by videotape or rated subjectively, and on premonitory urge, are uncertain (very low-quality evidence). The quality of evidence for adverse events following botulinum toxin was very low. Nine people had muscle weakness following the injection, which could have led to unblinding of treatment group assignment. No data were available to evaluate whether botulinum injections led to immunoresistance to botulinum. We are uncertain about botulinum toxin effects in the treatment of focal motor and phonic tics in select cases, as we assessed the quality of the evidence as very low. Additional randomised controlled studies are needed to demonstrate the benefits and harms of botulinum toxin therapy for the treatment of motor and phonic tics in patients with Tourette's syndrome.

Interpersonal Emotional Behaviors and Physical Health: A 20-Year Longitudinal Study of Long-Term Married Couples

PubMed Central

Haase, Claudia M.; Holley, Sarah; Bloch, Lian; Verstaen, Alice; Levenson, Robert W.

2016-01-01

Objectively coded interpersonal emotional behaviors that emerged during a 15-minute marital conflict interaction predicted the development of physical symptoms in a 20-year longitudinal study of long-term marriages. Dyadic latent growth curve modeling showed that anger behavior predicted increases in cardiovascular symptoms and stonewalling behavior predicted increases in musculoskeletal symptoms. Both associations were found for husbands (although cross-lagged path models also showed some support for wives) and were controlled for sociodemographic characteristics (age, education) and behaviors (i.e., exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine consumption) known to influence health. Both associations did not exist at the start of the study, but only emerged over the ensuing 20 years. There was some support for the specificity of these relationships (i.e., stonewalling behavior did not predict cardiovascular symptoms; anger behavior did not predict musculoskeletal symptoms; neither symptom was predicted by fear nor sadness behavior), with the anger-cardiovascular relationship emerging as most robust. Using cross-lagged path models to probe directionality of these associations, emotional behaviors predicted physical health symptoms over time (with some reverse associations found as well). These findings illuminate longstanding theoretical and applied issues concerning the association between interpersonal emotional behaviors and physical health and suggest opportunities for preventive interventions focused on specific emotions to help address major public health problems. PMID:27213730

The effects of anticholinergic drugs on attention span and short-term memory skills in children.

PubMed

Giramonti, Karla M; Kogan, Barry A; Halpern, Leslie F

2008-01-01

Studies have shown cognitive problems in adults treated with anticholinergics. It is unclear if children are also susceptible to anticholinergic adverse effects. This study evaluates the effects of long-acting oxybutynin and tolterodine on short-term memory and attention in children with urgency and urge incontinence. Children with urgency or urge incontinence were recruited to take part in a prospective, randomized double-blinded placebo controlled trial using long-acting oxybutynin or tolterodine. Patients underwent a baseline test of their memory/recall ability and attention span using a standardized developmental/neuropsychological assessment tool. They were then randomized to either medication or placebo with retesting in 2 weeks, at which time they were crossed. They were retested after the second 2 weeks. Fourteen children (9 boys and 5 girls), ranging in age from 5 to 11 (M = 7.7) participated in the study. Attention and memory scores increased over time in all children, however, the analyses showed no significant negative effects of anticholinergic medications on attention or memory. Indeed, though not statistically significant, trends were for improvement in test scores in both areas. Our results in a double blinded cross-over trial suggest that long-acting oxybutynin and tolterodine do not have a deleterious effect on children's attention and memory. Other cognitive functions may be affected. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Native whey induces higher and faster leucinemia than other whey protein supplements and milk: A randomized controlled trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Resistance exercise and protein intake are both strong stimuli for muscle protein synthesis. The potential for a protein to acutely increase muscle protein synthesis seems partly dependent on absorption kinetics and the amino acid composition. The aim of this double-blinded randomized cross-over stu...

Yeasts from skin colonization are able to cross the acellular dermal matrix.

PubMed

Jarros, Isabele Carrilho; Okuno, Érika; Costa, Maiara Ignacio; Veiga, Flávia Franco; de Souza Bonfim-Mendonça, Patricia; Negri, Melyssa Fernanda Norman; Svidzinski, Terezinha Inez Estivalet

2018-04-01

In recent decades, the prognosis for burn patients has improved considerably with the development of specialized care. The acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is a totally artificial acellular device that functions to control water loss, prevent penetration by bacteria and allow migration of endothelial cells and fibroblasts from patient tissues. However, little is known about its effectiveness against yeasts. The present study evaluated the capacity of colonization and migration of some human commensal yeasts. Three clinical isolates from skin scales, identified as Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, were used. Their ability to cross the ADM was evaluated. After three days, all isolates had crossed the ADM. C. parapsilosis showed the lowest growth, while R. mucilaginosa showed intermediate and C. glabrata the highest growth. In the plates incubated for seven days, the growth of C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata increased by 1 log over the third day. All isolates have the capacity to colonize and migrate through the matrix, increasing the potential risk to burn patients, who can develop severe and even fatal infections by invasive fungi. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sedimentation and erosion in Lake Diefenbaker, Canada: solutions for shoreline retreat monitoring.

PubMed

Sadeghian, Amir; de Boer, Dirk; Lindenschmidt, Karl-Erich

2017-09-15

This study looks into sedimentation and erosion rates in Lake Diefenbaker, a prairie reservoir, in Saskatchewan, Canada, which has been in operation since 1968. First, we looked at the historical data in all different formats over the last 70 years, which includes data from more than 20 years before the formation of the lake. The field observations indicate high rates of shoreline erosion, especially in the upstream portion as a potential region for shoreline retreat. Because of the great importance of this waterbody to the province, monitoring sedimentation and erosion rates is necessary for maintaining the quality of water especially after severe floods which are more common due to climate change effects. Second, we used Google Maps Elevation API, a new tool from Google that provides elevation data for cross sections drawn between two points, by drawing 24 cross sections in the upstream area extending 250 m from each bank. This feature from Google can be used as an easy and fast monitoring tool, is free of charge, and provides excellent control capabilities for monitoring changes in cross-sectional profiles.

Is the political system really related to health?

PubMed

Klomp, Jeroen; de Haan, Jakob

2009-07-01

We analyze whether the political system and its stability are related to cross-country differences in health. We apply factor analysis on various national health indicators for a large sample of countries over the period 2000-2005 and use the outcomes of the factor analysis to construct two new health measures, i.e., the health of individuals and the quality of the health care sector. Using a cross-country structural equation model with various economic and demographic control variables, we examine the relationship between the type of regime and political stability on the one hand and health on the other. The political variables and the control variables are measured as averages over the period 1980-1999. Our results suggest that democracy has a positive relationship with the health of individuals, while regime instability has a negative relationship with the health of individuals. Government instability is negatively related to individual health via its link with the quality of the health care sector, while democracy is positively related with individual health through its link with income. Our main findings are confirmed by the results of a panel model and various sensitivity tests.

Does short-term whole-body vibration training affect arterial stiffness in chronic stroke? A preliminary study

PubMed Central

Yule, Christie E.; Stoner, Lee; Hodges, Lynette D.; Cochrane, Darryl J.

2016-01-01

[Purpose] Previous studies have shown that stroke is associated with increased arterial stiffness that can be diminished by a program of physical activity. A novel exercise intervention, whole-body vibration (WBV), is reported to significantly improve arterial stiffness in healthy men and older sedentary adults. However, little is known about its efficacy in reducing arterial stiffness in chronic stroke. [Subjects and Methods] Six participants with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to 4 weeks of WBV training or control followed by cross-over after a 2-week washout period. WBV intervention consisted of 3 sessions of 5 min intermittent WBV per week for 4 weeks. Arterial stiffness (carotid arterial stiffness, pulse wave velocity [PWV], pulse and wave analysis [PWA]) were measured before/after each intervention. [Results] No significant improvements were reported with respect to carotid arterial stiffness, PWV, and PWA between WBV and control. However, carotid arterial stiffness showed a decrease over time following WBV compared to control, but this was not significant. [Conclusion] Three days/week for 4 weeks of WBV seems too short to elicit appropriate changes in arterial stiffness in chronic stroke. However, no adverse effects were reported, indicating that WBV is a safe and acceptable exercise modality for people with chronic stroke. PMID:27134400

Parent-child interaction over time in families of young children with borderline intellectual functioning.

PubMed

Fenning, Rachel M; Baker, Jason K; Baker, Bruce L; Crnic, Keith A

2014-06-01

A previous study suggested that mothers of 5-year-old children with borderline intellectual functioning displayed lower positive engagement with their children as compared with both mothers of typically developing children and mothers of children with significant developmental delays (Fenning, Baker, Baker, & Crnic, 2007). The current study integrated father data and followed these families over the subsequent 1-year period. Parent and child behavior were coded from naturalistic home observations at both waves. Results revealed that mothers of children with borderline intellectual functioning displayed a greater increase in negative-controlling parenting from child age 5 to 6 than did other mothers; fathers displayed more negative-controlling behavior in comparison to fathers of typically developing children. In addition, children with borderline intellectual functioning themselves exhibited a more significant escalation in difficult behavior than did typically developing children. Cross-lagged analyses for the sample as a whole indicated that maternal negative-controlling behavior predicted subsequent child difficulties, whereas negative paternal behavior was predicted by earlier child behavior. In conjunction with evidence from Fenning et al. (2007), these findings suggest a complex, dynamic, and systemic developmental pattern in the emotional behavior of families of children with borderline intellectual functioning. Implications and areas in need of additional research are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Geological Implications From Complete Gondwana GOCE- Products Reconstructions and Link to Lithospheric Roots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braitenberg, Carla; Mariani, Patrizia

2015-03-01

The GOCE gravity field is globally homogeneous at the resolution of about 80km or better allowing for the first time to analyze tectonic structures at continental scale. Geologic correlation studies propose to continue the tectonic lineaments across continents to the pre-breakup position. Tectonic events that induce density changes, as metamorphic events and magmatic events, should then show up in the gravity field. Applying geodynamic plate reconstructions to the GOCE gravity field places today’s observed field at the pre-breakup position. The same reconstruction can be applied to the seismic velocity models, to allow a joint gravity-velocity analysis. The geophysical fields allow to control the likeliness of the hypothesized continuation of lineations based on sparse surface outcrops. Total absence of a signal, makes the cross-continental continuation of the lineament improbable, as continental-wide lineaments are controlled by rheologic and compositional differences of lithospheric mantle. It is found that the deep lithospheric roots as those found below cratons control the position of the positive gravity values. The explanation is that the deep lithospheric roots focus asthenospheric upwelling outboard of the root protecting the overlying craton from magmatic intrusions. The study is carried out over the African and South American continents.

Long-term and large-scale perspectives on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Symstad, A.J.; Chapin, F. S.; Wall, D.H.; Gross, K.L.; Huenneke, L.F.; Mittelbach, G.G.; Peters, Debra P.C.; Tilman, D.

2003-01-01

In a growing body of literature from a variety of ecosystems is strong evidence that various components of biodiversity have significant impacts on ecosystem functioning. However, much of this evidence comes from short-term, small-scale experiments in which communities are synthesized from relatively small species pools and conditions are highly controlled. Extrapolation of the results of such experiments to longer time scales and larger spatial scales—those of whole ecosystems—is difficult because the experiments do not incorporate natural processes such as recruitment limitation and colonization of new species. We show how long-term study of planned and accidental changes in species richness and composition suggests that the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning will vary over time and space. More important, we also highlight areas of uncertainty that need to be addressed through coordinated cross-scale and cross-site research.

An experimental study of stratospheric gravity waves - Design and preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talagrand, O.; Ovarlez, H.

1984-02-01

The design of balloon-borne experimental apparatus for long-term gravitational-wave measurements in the stratosphere is reported, and preliminary results of a first test flight are presented. Two gondolas (each containing a pressure sensor; a temperature sensor; horizontal and vertical sonic anemometers; a fin equipped with crossed magnetometers; and data-processing, data-transmission, and control electronics) are suspended 100 and 300 m below a solar/terrestrial-IR-absorption-heated hot-air balloon drifting between altitudes 22 km (night) and 28 km (day); power is supplied by NiCd batteries recharged by solar cells. The path of the first flight, a circumnavigation beginning in Pretoria, South Africa and crossing South America and northern Australia, from December 11, 1982, to February 2, 1983 (when transmission ceased over southern Africa) is shown on a map, and sample data for a 36-h period are summarized in a graph.

Computer-Enriched Instruction (CEI) Is Better for Preview Material Instead of Review Material: An Example of a Biostatistics Chapter, the Central Limit Theorem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

See, Lai-Chu; Huang, Yu-Hsun; Chang, Yi-Hu; Chiu, Yeo-Ju; Chen, Yi-Fen; Napper, Vicki S.

2010-01-01

This study examines the timing using computer-enriched instruction (CEI), before or after a traditional lecture to determine cross-over effect, period effect, and learning effect arising from sequencing of instruction. A 2 x 2 cross-over design was used with CEI to teach central limit theorem (CLT). Two sequences of graduate students in nursing…

Using virtual reality to train children in safe street-crossing skills.

PubMed

Schwebel, David C; McClure, Leslie A

2010-02-01

Pedestrian injuries are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in middle childhood. One limitation to existing pedestrian safety interventions is that they do not provide children with repeated practice needed to develop the complex perceptual and cognitive skills required for safe street crossing. Virtual reality offers training through repeated unsupervised practice without risk, automated feedback on success of crossings, adjustment of traffic to match children's skill and a fun, appealing environment for training. To test the efficacy of virtual reality to train child pedestrians in safe street crossing. Birmingham, Alabama, USA. A randomised controlled trial is underway with an expected sample of four groups of 60 children aged 7-8 years (total N=240). One group receives training in an interactive, immersive virtual pedestrian environment. A second receives pedestrian safety training via widely used video and computer strategies. The third group receives what is judged to be the most efficacious treatment currently available, individualised behavioural training at streetside locations. The fourth group serves as a no-contact control group. All participants are exposed to a range of field and laboratory-based measures of pedestrian skill during baseline and post-intervention visits, as well as during a 6-month follow-up assessment. Primary analyses will be conducted through linear mixed models testing change over time in the four intervention groups. Three pedestrian safety measures will serve as primary outcomes: temporal gap before initiating crossing, temporal gap remaining after crossing and attention to traffic while waiting to cross.

Importance of Preserving Cross-correlation in developing Statistically Downscaled Climate Forcings and in estimating Land-surface Fluxes and States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das Bhowmik, R.; Arumugam, S.

2015-12-01

Multivariate downscaling techniques exhibited superiority over univariate regression schemes in terms of preserving cross-correlations between multiple variables- precipitation and temperature - from GCMs. This study focuses on two aspects: (a) develop an analytical solutions on estimating biases in cross-correlations from univariate downscaling approaches and (b) quantify the uncertainty in land-surface states and fluxes due to biases in cross-correlations in downscaled climate forcings. Both these aspects are evaluated using climate forcings available from both historical climate simulations and CMIP5 hindcasts over the entire US. The analytical solution basically relates the univariate regression parameters, co-efficient of determination of regression and the co-variance ratio between GCM and downscaled values. The analytical solutions are compared with the downscaled univariate forcings by choosing the desired p-value (Type-1 error) in preserving the observed cross-correlation. . For quantifying the impacts of biases on cross-correlation on estimating streamflow and groundwater, we corrupt the downscaled climate forcings with different cross-correlation structure.

Enhancement of quasi-static strain energy harvesters using non-uniform cross-section post-buckled beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Pengcheng; Borchani, Wassim; Hasni, Hassene; Lajnef, Nizar

2017-08-01

Thanks to their efficiency enhancement systems based on post-buckled structural elements have been extensively used in many applications such as actuation, remote sensing and energy harvesting. The post-buckling snap-through behavior of bilaterally constrained beams has been exploited to create sensing or energy harvesting mechanisms for quasi-static applications. The conversion mechanism has been used to transform low-rate and low-frequency excitations into high-rate motions. Electric energy has been generated from such high-rate motions using piezoelectric transducers. However, lack of control over the post-buckling behavior severely limits the mechanism’s efficiency. This study aims to maximize the levels of harvestable power by controlling the location of snap-throughs along the beam at different buckling transitions. Since the snap-through location cannot be controlled by tuning the geometric properties of a uniform beam, non-uniform cross-sections are examined. An energy-based theoretical model is herein developed to predict the post-buckling response of non-prismatic beams. The total potential energy is minimized under constraints that represent the physical confinement of the beam between the lateral boundaries. The experimentally validated results show that changing the shape and geometric dimensions of non-uniform beams allows for the accurate controlling of the snap-through location at different buckling transitions. A 78.59% improvement in harvested energy levels has been achieved by optimization of beam shape.

An Investigation of Fat Infiltration of the Multifidus Muscle in Patients With Severe Neck Symptoms Associated With Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorder.

PubMed

Karlsson, Anette; Leinhard, Olof Dahlqvist; Åslund, Ulrika; West, Janne; Romu, Thobias; Smedby, Örjan; Zsigmond, Peter; Peolsson, Anneli

2016-10-01

Study Design Cross-sectional study. Background Findings of fat infiltration in cervical spine multifidus, as a sign of degenerative morphometric changes due to whiplash injury, need to be verified. Objectives To develop a method using water/fat magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate fat infiltration and cross-sectional area of multifidus muscle in individuals with whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) compared to healthy controls. Methods Fat infiltration and cross-sectional area in the multifidus muscles spanning the C4 to C7 segmental levels were investigated by manual segmentation using water/fat-separated MRI in 31 participants with WAD and 31 controls, matched for age and sex. Results Based on average values for data spanning C4 to C7, participants with severe disability related to WAD had 38% greater muscular fat infiltration compared to healthy controls (P = .03) and 45% greater fat infiltration compared to those with mild to moderate disability related to WAD (P = .02). There were no significant differences between those with mild to moderate disability and healthy controls. No significant differences between groups were found for multifidus cross-sectional area. Significant differences were observed for both cross-sectional area and fat infiltration between segmental levels. Conclusion Participants with severe disability after a whiplash injury had higher fat infiltration in the multifidus compared to controls and to those with mild/moderate disability secondary to WAD. Earlier reported findings using T1-weighted MRI were reproduced using refined imaging technology. The results of the study also indicate a risk when segmenting single cross-sectional slices, as both cross-sectional area and fat infiltration differ between cervical levels. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(10):886-893. Epub 2 Sep 2016. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6553.

Positive deviance: an elegant solution to a complex problem.

PubMed

Lindberg, Curt; Clancy, Thomas R

2010-04-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 13th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. This article provides one example of how concepts taken from complex systems theory can be applied to real-world problems facing nurses today.

Self-organization versus self-management: two sides of the same coin?

PubMed

Clancy, Thomas R

2009-03-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the eighth in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. In this article, the author explores self-organization as it relates to self-management in complex social organizations.

Flexibility of active-site gorge aromatic residues and non-gorge aromatic residues in acetylcholinesterase

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

Ghattyvenkatakrishna, Pavan K; Uberbacher, Edward C

2013-01-01

The presence of an unusually large number of aromatic residues in the active site gorge of acetylcholinesterase has been a topic of great interest. Flexibility of these residues has been suspected to be a key player in controlling ligand traversal in the gorge. This raises the question of whether the over representation of aromatic residues in the gorge implies higher than normal flexibility of those residues. The current study suggests that it does not. Large changes in the hydrophobic cross sectional area due to dihedral oscillations are probably the reason behind their presence in the gorge.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of functional and health status with institutional care use: results from the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Hsin-Jen

2013-07-01

This study evaluated the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of functional and health status with institutional care, and examined determinants of institutional care use over time. Data of this study were obtained from the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan (SHLSET), which was launched in 1989 and involved a nationally representative sample of nearly-old and old Taiwanese. The baseline data in this present study were collected in 1999, and followed in 2003 and 2007. Participants with institutional care use had a higher activities of daily living (ADL) score, more self-reported diseases and poorer self-reported health status than participants without institutional care use (all P<0.05). Cross-sectional analysis showed that a higher ADL score, having heart diseases and having a stroke were positively associated with institutional care use (P<0.05); whereas the number of self-reported diseases and poor self-reported health status were not associated with institutional care use. Longitudinal analysis showed that increased ADL scores and the number of self-reported diseases over 4- and 8 years were associated with an increased likelihood of subsequent institutional care use (all P<0.05). Worsening health status over 4 years was associated with an increased likelihood of subsequent institutional care use, but this association did not exist over 8 years. Only ADL and ADL deterioration over time are cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with increased institutional care use. Declining functional status is a major determinant of institutional care use for Taiwanese aged over 53 years. © 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.

The Importance of Specifying and Studying Causal Mechanisms in School-Based Randomised Controlled Trials: Lessons from Two Studies of Cross-Age Peer Tutoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Stephen P.; Edovald, Triin; Lloyd, Cheryl; Kiss, Zsolt

2016-01-01

Based on the experience of evaluating 2 cross-age peer-tutoring interventions, we argue that researchers need to pay greater attention to causal mechanisms within the context of school-based randomised controlled trials. Without studying mechanisms, researchers are less able to explain the underlying causal processes that give rise to results from…

Accessing conjugated polymers with precisely controlled heterobisfunctional chain ends via post-polymerization modification of the OTf group and controlled Pd(0)/t-Bu 3P-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling polymerization

DOE PAGES

Hu, Qiao -Sheng; Hong, Kunlun; Zhang, Hong -Hai

2015-08-12

In this study, a general strategy toward the synthesis of well-defined conjugated polymers with controlled heterobisfunctional chain ends via combination of controlled Pd(0)/t-Bu 3P Suzuki cross-coupling polymerization with the post-polymerization modification of the triflate (OTf) group was disclosed.

Accessing conjugated polymers with precisely controlled heterobisfunctional chain ends via post-polymerization modification of the OTf group and controlled Pd(0)/t-Bu 3P-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling polymerization

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

Hu, Qiao -Sheng; Hong, Kunlun; Zhang, Hong -Hai

In this study, a general strategy toward the synthesis of well-defined conjugated polymers with controlled heterobisfunctional chain ends via combination of controlled Pd(0)/t-Bu 3P Suzuki cross-coupling polymerization with the post-polymerization modification of the triflate (OTf) group was disclosed.

Natural convection enhancement by a discrete vibrating plate and a cross-flow opening: a numerical investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florio, L. A.; Harnoy, A.

2011-06-01

In this study, a unique combination of a vibrating plate and a cross-flow passage is proposed as a means of enhancing natural convection cooling. The enhancement potential was estimated based on numerical studies involving a representative model which includes a short, transversely oscillating plate, placed over a transverse cross-flow opening in a uniformly heated vertical channel wall dividing two adjacent vertical channels. The resulting velocity and temperature fields are analyzed, with the focus on the local thermal effects near the opening. The simulation indicates up to a 50% enhancement in the local heat transfer coefficient for vibrating plate amplitudes of at least 30% of the mean clearance space and frequencies of over 82 rad/s.

Collective Actors and Corporate Targets in Tobacco Control: A Cross-National Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathanson, Constance A.

2005-01-01

Cross-national comparative analysis of tobacco control strategies can alert health advocates to how opportunities for public health action, types of action, and probabilities for success are shaped by political systems and cultures. This article is based on case studies of tobacco control in the United States, Canada, Britain, and France. Two…

Perceived Academic Control and Academic Emotions Predict Undergraduate University Student Success: Examining Effects on Dropout Intention and Achievement.

PubMed

Respondek, Lisa; Seufert, Tina; Stupnisky, Robert; Nett, Ulrike E

2017-01-01

The present study addressed concerns over the high risk of university students' academic failure. It examined how perceived academic control and academic emotions predict undergraduate students' academic success, conceptualized as both low dropout intention and high achievement (indicated by GPA). A cross-sectional survey was administered to 883 undergraduate students across all disciplines of a German STEM orientated university. The study additionally compared freshman students ( N = 597) vs. second-year students ( N = 286). Using structural equation modeling, for the overall sample of undergraduate students we found that perceived academic control positively predicted enjoyment and achievement, as well as negatively predicted boredom and anxiety. The prediction of dropout intention by perceived academic control was fully mediated via anxiety. When taking perceived academic control into account, we found no specific impact of enjoyment or boredom on the intention to dropout and no specific impact of all three academic emotions on achievement. The multi-group analysis showed, however, that perceived academic control, enjoyment, and boredom among second-year students had a direct relationship with dropout intention. A major contribution of the present study was demonstrating the important roles of perceived academic control and anxiety in undergraduate students' academic success. Concerning corresponding institutional support and future research, the results suggested distinguishing incoming from advanced undergraduate students.

Electrocardiographic effects of hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) in healthy volunteers: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Trexler, Stephanie E; Nguyen, Elaine; Gromek, Samantha M; Balunas, Marcy J; Baker, William L

2018-04-19

The objective of this study was to evaluate the electrocardiographic effects of hawthorn in healthy adult volunteers. It was double-blind cross-over trial randomized 20 healthy adult volunteers to receive either a single oral 160-mg dose of hawthorn or matching placebo. Triplicate 12-lead electrocardiograms were taken before treatment and at 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-hr post-dose. Following at least a 7-day washout period, participants were crossed over to the opposing treatment arm and had the measurements repeated. The primary endpoint was the change in corrected (Fridericia) QT intervals (QT c I) at 4 and 6 hr. Maximum post-dose QT c I and changes in PR and QRS intervals were measured. No significant differences in 4- or 6-hr QT c I were seen between hawthorn and placebo. Maximum post-dose QT c I in the hawthorn and placebo groups were similar (346 ± 35 vs 346 ± 40 ms; p = .979). No significant adverse events were seen. In conclusion, a single dose of oral hawthorn had no effect on electrocardiographic parameters in healthy volunteers. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effect of sitting and calf activity on leg fluid and snoring.

PubMed

Singh, Bhajan; Yadollahi, Azadeh; Lyons, Owen; Alshaer, Hisham; Bradley, T Douglas

2017-06-01

Prolonged sitting may promote leg fluid retention that redistributes to the neck during sleep and contributes to snoring. This could be attenuated by calf activity while sitting. In 16 healthy non-obese subjects we measured leg fluid volume (LFV) below the knees using bioelectrical impedance while sitting for 4h, snoring using a portable BresoDx™ device, and Mallampati grade. Using a double cross-over study design, subjects were randomized to one of two arms and crossed-over one week later: control arm - no calf exercise while sitting; intervention arm - calf contraction against a pedal resistance while sitting. The effects of sitting±calf activity on LFV and snoring were compared. We found that LFV increased by 216±101.0ml (p<0.0001) after sitting. Calf activity while sitting attenuated LFV by 53.8ml (p<0.0001) and, in all five subjects with severe upper airway narrowing (Mallampati grade IV), reduced snoring duration (from 357±132.9 to 116.2±72.1s/h, p=0.02) suggesting reduced overnight rostral fluid shift to the neck. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radio Wave Propagation over Salem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaiswal, R. S.; Uma, S.; Raj, M. V. A.

2007-07-01

In this paper study of rainfall has been carried out over Salem, a place in Southern India. Rainfall rate values have been recorded using a fast response rain gauge installed at Sona College of Technology. The derived rainfall rates have been used to estimate attenuation in the 10-100 GHz frequency range. Using the estimated co-polar attenuation cross polar discriminations (XPD) have been computed using ITU-R(2002) model in the 10-35 GHz range. The study shows that attenuation and cross polarization vary with frequency, elevation angle and rainfall rate. The study also depicts the cumulative distribution of rainfall rate, attenuation and XPD.

Heart rate variability during acute psychosocial stress: A randomized cross-over trial of verbal and non-verbal laboratory stressors.

PubMed

Brugnera, Agostino; Zarbo, Cristina; Tarvainen, Mika P; Marchettini, Paolo; Adorni, Roberta; Compare, Angelo

2018-05-01

Acute psychosocial stress is typically investigated in laboratory settings using protocols with distinctive characteristics. For example, some tasks involve the action of speaking, which seems to alter Heart Rate Variability (HRV) through acute changes in respiration patterns. However, it is still unknown which task induces the strongest subjective and autonomic stress response. The present cross-over randomized trial sought to investigate the differences in perceived stress and in linear and non-linear analyses of HRV between three different verbal (Speech and Stroop) and non-verbal (Montreal Imaging Stress Task; MIST) stress tasks, in a sample of 60 healthy adults (51.7% females; mean age = 25.6 ± 3.83 years). Analyses were run controlling for respiration rates. Participants reported similar levels of perceived stress across the three tasks. However, MIST induced a stronger cardiovascular response than Speech and Stroop tasks, even after controlling for respiration rates. Finally, women reported higher levels of perceived stress and lower HRV both at rest and in response to acute psychosocial stressors, compared to men. Taken together, our results suggest the presence of gender-related differences during psychophysiological experiments on stress. They also suggest that verbal activity masked the vagal withdrawal through altered respiration patterns imposed by speaking. Therefore, our findings support the use of highly-standardized math task, such as MIST, as a valid and reliable alternative to verbal protocols during laboratory studies on stress. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ground-penetrating radar investigation of active faults along the Dead Sea Transform and implications for seismic hazards within the city of Aqaba, Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Lee; Niemi, Tina M.

2003-06-01

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) was used in an effort to locate a major active fault that traverses Aqaba City, Jordan. Measurements over an exposed (trenched) cross fault outside of the city identify a radar signature consisting of linear events and horizontal offset/flexured reflectors both showing a geometric correlation with two known faults at a control site. The asymmetric linear events are consistent with dipping planar reflectors matching the known direction of dip of the faults. However, other observations regarding this radar signature render the mechanism generating these events more complex and uncertain. GPR measurements in Aqaba City were limited to vacant lots. Seven GPR profiles were conducted approximately perpendicular to the assumed strike of the fault zone, based on regional geological evidence. A radar response very similar to that obtained over the cross fault was observed on five of the profiles in Aqaba City, although the response is weaker than that obtained at the control site. The positions of the identified responses form a near straight line with a strike of 45°. Although subsurface verification of the fault by trenching within the city is needed, the geophysical evidence for fault zone location is strong. The location of the interpreted fault zone relative to emergency services, military bases, commercial properties, and residential areas is defined to within a few meters. This study has significant implications for seismic hazard analysis in this tectonically active and heavily populated region.

Circadian pattern of blood pressure in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.

PubMed

Gupta, Hem Prabha; Singh, R K; Singh, Urmila; Mehrotra, Seema; Verma, N S; Baranwal, Neelam

2011-08-01

AIMS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; To find out the circadian pattern of blood pressure in normotensive pregnant women and in women with preeclampsia. A cross-sectional prospective observational case control study. Blood pressure was sampled in thirty-five normotensive pregnant women (control) and thirty five preeclamptic women (study group) by using non-invasive automatic ambulatory blood pressure monitoring machine for 72 h. Blood pressure (BP) was not constant over 24 h period and it oscillated from time to time in control group. BP was maximum during early part of afternoon. However, in preeclampsia besides quantitative increase in BP, circadian BP oscillations were less pronounced and in around 50% subjects BP was maximum during evening and night hours. Both systolic and diastolic BP showed definite reproducible circadian pattern in both preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women. This pattern both quantitatively and qualitatively was different in preeclamptic women. Standardized 24 h BP monitoring allows quantitative and qualitative evaluation of hypertensive status and is important for timing and dosing of antihypertensive medications.

Acute effects of caffeine on threat-selective attention: moderation by anxiety and EEG theta/beta ratio.

PubMed

van Son, Dana; Schalbroeck, Rik; Angelidis, Angelos; van der Wee, Nic J A; van der Does, Willem; Putman, Peter

2018-05-21

Spontaneous EEG theta/beta ratio (TBR) probably marks prefrontal cortical (PFC) executive control, and its regulation of attentional threat-bias. Caffeine at moderate doses may strengthen executive control through increased PFC catecholamine action, dependent on basal PFC function. To test if caffeine affects threat-bias, moderated by baseline frontal TBR and trait-anxiety. A pictorial emotional Stroop task was used to assess threat-bias in forty female participants in a cross-over, double-blind study after placebo and 200 mg caffeine. At baseline and after placebo, comparable relations were observed for negative pictures: high TBR was related to low threat-bias in low trait-anxious people. Caffeine had opposite effects on threat-bias in low trait-anxious people with low and high TBR. This further supports TBR as a marker of executive control and highlights the importance of taking baseline executive function into consideration when studying effects of caffeine on executive functions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proteases, proteolysis and inflammatory molecules in the tears of people with keratoconus.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Sivaraman Arumugam; Mohan, Sujatha; Pye, David Cecil; Willcox, Mark Duncan Perry

2012-06-01

To investigate the expression of proteases, proteolytic activity and cytokines in the tear film of people with keratoconus. Basal tears from people with keratoconus, from individuals who had undergone corneal collagen cross-linking for the treatment of keratoconus, and from normal controls were collected using a capillary tube. Corneal curvature of each subject was mapped. The total protein in tears was estimated. Levels and activity of proteases in the tears were analysed using specific antibody arrays and activity assays. The total tear protein level was significantly reduced in keratoconus (4.1 ± 0.9 mg/ml) compared with normals (6.7 ± 1.4 mg/ml) (p < 0.0001) or subjects who had undergone corneal collagen cross-linking (5.7 ± 2.3 mg/ml) (p < 0.005). Significantly (p < 0.05) increased tear expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -1, -3, -7, -13, interleukins (IL) -4, -5, -6, -8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) -α, -β were evident in keratoconus. Tear IL-6 was the only cytokine significantly (p < 0.05) increased in tears of keratoconus subjects compared with the collagen cross-linked group. No significant difference in tear proteases were observed between the normal and the cross-linked groups, although the expression of TNF-α was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in the cross-linked group compared with the controls. Elevated gelatinolytic (87.5 ± 33.6 versus 45.8 ± 24.6 FIU, p < 0.0001) and collagenolytic (6.1 ± 3.2 versus 3.6 ± 2.0 FIU, p < 0.05) activities were observed in tears from keratoconus compared with normal subjects. The activity of tear gelatinases (69.6 ± 22.2 FIU) and collagenases (5.7 ± 3.3 FIU) in the collagen cross-linked group was not significantly different compared with either keratoconus or normals. Tears of people with keratoconus had 1.9 times higher levels of proteolytic activity and over expression of several MMPs and cytokines compared with tears from controls. Further investigations are required to study the possible implications of these changes and whether they can be used to monitor disease progression or determine the success of corneal collagen cross-linking. © 2012 The Authors. Acta Ophthalmologica © 2012 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation.

Linkage disequilibrium in HLA cannot be explained by selective recombination.

PubMed

Termijtelen, A; D'Amaro, J; van Rood, J J; Schreuder, G M

1995-11-01

Some combinations of HLA-A, -B and -DR antigens occur more frequently than would be expected from their gene frequencies in the population. This phenomenon, referred to as Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) has been the origin of many speculations. One hypothesis to explain LD is that some haplotypes are protected from recombination. A second hypothesis is that these HLA antigens preferentially recombine after cross-over to create an LD haplotype. We tested these 2 hypotheses: from a pool of over 10,000 families typed in our department, we analyzed 126 families in which HLA-A:B or B:DR recombinant offspring was documented. To overcome a possible bias in our material, we used the non-recombined haplotypes from the same 126 families as a control group. Our results show that the number of cross-overs through LD haplotypes is not significantly lower then would be expected if recombination occurred randomly. Also the number of LD haplotypes created upon recombination was not significantly increased.

Hair cortisol in relation to acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Straub, Joana; Klaubert, Lena Marie; Schmiedgen, Susann; Kirschbaum, Clemens; Goldbeck, Lutz

2017-11-01

We report on the preliminary results of two independent studies that (1) compare the hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) of healthy controls with patients displaying post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS, study 1+2), (2) investigate whether pre-trauma HCC are predictive for the development of acute stress symptoms (ASS) and PTSS (study 1) and (3) determine whether HCC correlate with PTSS in a clinical sample of children (study 2). In study 1, the clinical symptoms of 35 minors were examined one (T1) and seven weeks (T2) after surgery following an accident. Hair samples were taken after the accident that reflect cortisol secretion over the past three months before the accident (healthy controls). In study 2, HCC and PTSS symptoms were cross-sectionally assessed in 22 minors who had experienced a psychological trauma. The HCC of patients with PTSS were lower than the HCC of healthy controls (study 1+2). Secondary analyses showed that HCC were significantly lower in male PTSS patients than in male healthy controls, whereas the HCC in females were comparably low in both groups. Pre-trauma HCC did not predict the total ASS and PTSS scores (study 1) and HCC were not directly related to the total PTSS scores (study 2).

Rootstock control of scion transpiration and its acclimation to water deficit are controlled by different genes.

PubMed

Marguerit, Elisa; Brendel, Oliver; Lebon, Eric; Van Leeuwen, Cornelis; Ollat, Nathalie

2012-04-01

The stomatal control of transpiration is one of the major strategies by which plants cope with water stress. Here, we investigated the genetic architecture of the rootstock control of scion transpiration-related traits over a period of 3 yr. The rootstocks studied were full sibs from a controlled interspecific cross (Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon × Vitis riparia cv. Gloire de Montpellier), onto which we grafted a single scion genotype. After 10 d without stress, the water supply was progressively limited over a period of 10 d, and a stable water deficit was then applied for 15 d. Transpiration rate was estimated daily and a mathematical curve was fitted to its response to water deficit intensity. We also determined δ(13) C values in leaves, transpiration efficiency and water extraction capacity. These traits were then analysed in a multienvironment (year and water status) quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Quantitative trait loci, independent of year and water status, were detected for each trait. One genomic region was specifically implicated in the acclimation of scion transpiration induced by the rootstock. The QTLs identified colocalized with genes involved in water deficit responses, such as those relating to ABA and hydraulic regulation. Scion transpiration rate and its acclimation to water deficit are thus controlled genetically by the rootstock, through different genetic architectures. © 2012 INRA. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

Medical Students' Attitudes towards Peer Physical Examination: Findings from an International Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rees, Charlotte E.; Wearn, Andy M.; Vnuk, Anna K.; Sato, Toshio J.

2009-01-01

Although studies have begun to shed light on medical students' attitudes towards peer physical examination (PPE), they have been conducted at single sites, and have generally not examined changes in medical students' attitudes over time. Employing both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, the current study examines medical students' attitudes…

Gastrointestinal adverse events during methylphenidate treatment of children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review with meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of randomised clinical trials

PubMed Central

Holmskov, Mathilde; Storebø, Ole Jakob; Moreira-Maia, Carlos R.; Ramstad, Erica; Magnusson, Frederik Løgstrup; Krogh, Helle B.; Groth, Camilla; Gillies, Donna; Zwi, Morris; Skoog, Maria; Gluud, Christian; Simonsen, Erik

2017-01-01

Objectives To study in more depth the relationship between type, dose, or duration of methylphenidate offered to children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and their risks of gastrointestinal adverse events based on our Cochrane systematic review. Methods and findings We use data from our review including 185 randomised clinical trials. Randomised parallel-group trials and cross-over trials reporting gastrointestinal adverse events associated with methylphenidate were included. Data were extracted and quality assessed according to Cochrane guidelines. Data were summarised as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using the inverse variance method. Bias risks were assessed according to domains. Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) was used to control random errors. Eighteen parallel group trials and 43 cross-over trials reported gastrointestinal adverse events. All trials were at high risk of bias. In parallel group trials, methylphenidate decreased appetite (RR 3.66, 95% CI 2.56 to 5.23) and weight (RR 3.89, 95% CI 1.43 to 10.59). In cross-over trials, methylphenidate increased abdominal pain (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.04). We found no significant differences in the risk according to type, dose, or duration of administration. The required information size was achieved in three out of four outcomes. Conclusion Methylphenidate increases the risks of decreased appetite, weight loss, and abdominal pain in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. No differences in the risks of gastrointestinal adverse events according to type, dose, or duration of administration were found. PMID:28617801

Prefrontal over-activation during walking in people with mobility deficits: Interpretation and functional implications.

PubMed

Hawkins, Kelly A; Fox, Emily J; Daly, Janis J; Rose, Dorian K; Christou, Evangelos A; McGuirk, Theresa E; Otzel, Dana M; Butera, Katie A; Chatterjee, Sudeshna A; Clark, David J

2018-06-01

Control of walking by the central nervous system includes contributions from executive control mechanisms, such as attention and motor planning resources. Executive control of walking can be estimated objectively by recording prefrontal cortical activity using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The primary objective of this study was to investigate group differences in prefrontal/executive control of walking among young adults, older adults, and adults post-stroke. Also assessed was the extent to which walking-related prefrontal activity fits existing cognitive frameworks of prefrontal over-activation. Participants included 24 adults post-stroke with moderate to severe walking deficits, 15 older adults with mild gait deficits, and 9 young healthy adults. Executive control of walking was quantified as oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the prefrontal cortex measured by fNIRS. Three walking tasks were assessed: typical walking, walking over obstacles, and walking while performing a verbal fluency task. Walking performance was assessed by walking speed. There was a significant effect of group for prefrontal activity (p < 0.001) during typical and obstacles walking tasks, with young adults exhibiting the lowest level of prefrontal activity, followed by older adults, and then adults post-stroke. In young adults the prefrontal activity during typical walking was much lower than for the verbal fluency dual-task, suggesting substantial remaining prefrontal resources during typical walking. However, in older and post-stroke adults these remaining resources were significantly less (p < 0.01). Cumulatively, these results are consistent with prefrontal over-activation in the older and stroke groups, which was accompanied by a steeper drop in walking speed as task complexity increased to include obstacles (p < 0.05). There is a heightened use of prefrontal/executive control resources in older adults and post-stroke adults during walking. The level of prefrontal resource utilization, particularly during complex walking tasks like obstacle crossing, may approach the ceiling of available resources for people who have walking deficits. Prior cognitive research has revealed that prefrontal over-activation combined with limited prefrontal resources can lead to poor cognitive performance. The present study suggests a similar situation influences walking performance. Future research should further investigate the extent to which prefrontal over-activation during walking is linked to adverse mobility outcomes. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cross-over endocytosis of claudins is mediated by interactions via their extracellular loops.

PubMed

Gehne, Nora; Lamik, Agathe; Lehmann, Martin; Haseloff, Reiner F; Andjelkovic, Anuska V; Blasig, Ingolf E

2017-01-01

Claudins (Cldns) are transmembrane tight junction (TJ) proteins that paracellularly seal endo- and epithelial barriers by their interactions within the TJs. However, the mechanisms allowing TJ remodeling while maintaining barrier integrity are largely unknown. Cldns and occludin are heterophilically and homophilically cross-over endocytosed into neighboring cells in large, double membrane vesicles. Super-resolution microscopy confirmed the presence of Cldns in these vesicles and revealed a distinct separation of Cldns derived from opposing cells within cross-over endocytosed vesicles. Colocalization of cross-over endocytosed Cldn with the autophagosome markers as well as inhibition of autophagosome biogenesis verified involvement of the autophagosomal pathway. Accordingly, cross-over endocytosed Cldns underwent lysosomal degradation as indicated by lysosome markers. Cross-over endocytosis of Cldn5 depended on clathrin and caveolin pathways but not on dynamin. Cross-over endocytosis also depended on Cldn-Cldn-interactions. Amino acid substitutions in the second extracellular loop of Cldn5 (F147A, Q156E) caused impaired cis- and trans-interaction, as well as diminished cross-over endocytosis. Moreover, F147A exhibited an increased mobility in the membrane, while Q156E was not as mobile but enhanced the paracellular permeability. In conclusion, the endocytosis of TJ proteins depends on their ability to interact strongly with each other in cis and trans, and the mobility of Cldns in the membrane is not necessarily an indicator of barrier permeability. TJ-remodeling via cross-over endocytosis represents a general mechanism for the degradation of transmembrane proteins in cell-cell contacts and directly links junctional membrane turnover to autophagy.

Immunohistochemical investigation of the cross-reactivity of selected cell markers in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lymphoid tissues of Franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei).

PubMed

Díaz-Delgado, J; Ressio, R; Groch, K R; Catão-Dias, J L

2018-06-01

A considerable amount of knowledge on natural and anthropogenic pathologic conditions affecting different cetacean species has been gained over the last decades. Nonetheless, the immunopathological bases for most of these processes have been poorly documented or remain unknown. Comparative immunopathological investigations in these species are precluded by the limited number of specific antibodies, most of which are not commercially available, and the reduced spectrum of validated and/or cross-reactive ones. To partially fill in this gap of knowledge, a set of commercially available primary antibodies were tested for cross-reactivity against leukocytes and cytokines in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lymphoid tissues (lymph nodes, spleen and thymus) of three bycaught, apparently healthy and fresh Franciscanas (Pontoporia blainvillei) using immunohistochemistry. On the basis of similar region specificity within the lymphoid organs, cellular morphology and staining pattern with human control tissues, 13/19 primary antibodies (caspase 3, CD3, CD57, CD68, FoxP3, HLA-DRα, IFNγ, IgG, IL4, IL10, Lysozyme, TGFβ and PAX-5) exhibited satisfactory cross-reactivity. Our results expand the spectrum of suitable cross-reactive primary antibodies in FFPE cetacean tissues. Further comparative immunopathological studies focused on infectious diseases and ecotoxicology may benefit from establishment of baseline expression of immunologically relevant molecules in various cetaceans species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resistant starch type 4-enriched diet lowered blood cholesterols and improved body composition in a double blind controlled cross-over intervention.

PubMed

Nichenametla, Sailendra N; Weidauer, Lee A; Wey, Howard E; Beare, Tianna M; Specker, Bonny L; Dey, Moul

2014-06-01

A metabolic health crisis is evident as cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Effects of resistant starch type 4 (RS4), a prebiotic fiber, in comprehensive management of metabolic syndrome (MetS) remain unknown. This study examined the effects of a blinded exchange of RS4-enriched flour (30% v/v) with regular/control flour (CF) diet on multiple MetS comorbidities. In a double blind (participants-investigators), placebo-controlled, cluster cross-over intervention (n = 86, age≥18, 2-12 week interventions, 2-week washout) in the United States, individuals were classified as having MetS (With-MetS) or not (No-MetS) following International Diabetes Federation (IDF)-criteria. RS4 consumption compared with CF resulted in 7.2% (p = 0.002) lower mean total cholesterol, 5.5% (p = 0.04) lower non-HDL, and a 12.8% (p < 0.001) lower HDL cholesterol in the With-MetS group. No-MetS individuals had a 2.6% (p = 0.02) smaller waist circumference and 1.5% (p = 0.03) lower percent body fat following RS4 intervention compared to CF. A small but significant 1% increase in fat-free mass was observed in all participants combined (p = 0.02). No significant effect of RS4 was observed for glycemic variables and blood pressures. RS4 consumption improved dyslipidemia and body composition. Incorporation of RS4 in routine diets could offer an effective strategy for public cardio-metabolic health promotion. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A randomised, double-blind, cross-over trial to evaluate bread, in which gluten has been pre-digested by prolyl endoprotease treatment, in subjects self-reporting benefits of adopting a gluten-free or low-gluten diet.

PubMed

Rees, Dinka; Holtrop, Grietje; Chope, Gemma; Moar, Kim M; Cruickshank, Morven; Hoggard, Nigel

2018-03-01

The aim of the present study was to determine if the enzyme Aspergillus niger prolyl endoprotease (ANPEP), which degrades the immunogenic proline-rich residues in gluten peptides, can be used in the development of new wheat products, suitable for gluten-sensitive (GS) individuals. We have carried out a double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial with two groups of adults; subjects, self-reporting benefits of adopting a gluten-free or low-gluten diet (GS, n 16) and a control non-GS group (n 12). For the trial, volunteers consumed four wheat breads: normal bread, bread treated with 0·8 or 1 % ANPEP and low-protein bread made from biscuit flour. Compared with controls, GS subjects had a favourable cardiovascular lipid profile - lower LDL (4·0 (sem 0·3) v. 2·8 (sem 0·2) mmol/l; P=0·008) and LDL:HDL ratio (3·2 (sem 0·4) v. 1·8 (sem 0·2); P=0·005) and modified haematological profile. The majority of the GS subjects followed a low-gluten lifestyle, which helps to reduce the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms severity. The low-gluten lifestyle does not have any effect on the quality of life, fatigue or mental state of this population. Consumption of normal wheat bread increased GI symptoms in GS subjects compared with their habitual diet. ANPEP lowered the immunogenic gluten in the treated bread by approximately 40 %. However, when compared with the control bread for inducing GI symptoms, no treatment effects were apparent. ANPEP can be applied in the production of bread with taste, texture and appearance comparable with standard bread.

Using event-related potentials to study perinatal nutrition and brain development in infants of diabetic mothers.

PubMed

deRegnier, Raye-Ann; Long, Jeffrey D; Georgieff, Michael K; Nelson, Charles A

2007-01-01

Proper prenatal and postnatal nutrition is essential for optimal brain development and function. The early use of event-related potentials enables neuroscientists to study the development of cognitive function from birth and to evaluate the role of specific nutrients in development. Perinatal iron deficiency occurs in severely affected infants of diabetic mothers. In animal models, severe perinatal iron deficiency targets the explicit memory system of the brain. Cross-sectional ERP studies have shown that infants of diabetic mothers have impairments in recognition memory from birth through 8 months of age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal development of recognition memory using ERPs in infants of diabetic mothers compared with control infants. Infants of diabetic mothers were divided into high and low risk status based upon their birth weights and iron status and compared with healthy control infants. Infants were tested in the newborn period for auditory recognition memory, at 6 months for visual recognition memory and at 8 months for cross modal memory. ERPs were evaluated for developmental changes in the slow waves that are thought to reflect memory and the Nc component that is thought to reflect attention. The results of the study showed differences in development between the IDMs and control infants in the development of the slow waves over the left anterior temporal leads and age-related patterns of development in the NC component. These results are consistent with animal models showing that perinatal iron deficiency affects the development of the memory networks of the brain. This study highlights the value of using ERPs to translate basic science information obtained from animal models to the development of the human infant.

Using Event-Related Potentials to Study Perinatal Nutrition and Brain Development in Infants of Diabetic Mothers

PubMed Central

deRegnier, Raye-Ann; Long, Jeffrey D.; Georgieff, Michael K.; Nelson, Charles A.

2009-01-01

Proper prenatal and postnatal nutrition is essential for optimal brain development and function. The early use of event-related potentials enables neuroscientists to study the development of cognitive function from birth and to evaluate the role of specific nutrients in development. Perinatal iron deficiency occurs in severely affected infants of diabetic mothers. In animal models, severe perinatal iron deficiency targets the explicit memory system of the brain. Cross-sectional ERP studies have shown that infants of diabetic mothers have impairments in recognition memory from birth through 8 months of age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal development of recognition memory using ERPs in infants of diabetic mothers compared with control infants. Infants of diabetic mothers were divided into high and low risk status based upon their birthweights and iron status and compared with healthy control infants. Infants were tested in the newborn period for auditory recognition memory, at 6 months for visual recognition memory and at 8 months for cross modal memory. ERPs were evaluated for developmental changes in the slow waves that are thought to reflect memory and the Nc component that is thought to reflect attention. The results of the study showed differences in development between the IDMs and control infants in the development of the slow waves over the left anterior temporal leads and age-related patterns of development in the NC component. These results are consistent with animal models showing that perinatal iron deficiency affects the development of the memory networks of the brain. This study highlights the value of using ERPs to translate basic science information obtained from animal models to the development of the human infant. PMID:17559331

Attitude control/momentum management of the Space Station Freedom for large angle torque-equilibrium-attitude configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parlos, Alexander G.; Sunkel, John W.

1990-01-01

An attitude-control and momentum-management (ACMM) system for the Space Station in a large-angle torque-equilibrium-attitude (TEA) configuration is developed analytically and demonstrated by means of numerical simulations. The equations of motion for a rigid-body Space Station model are outlined; linearized equations for an arbitrary TEA (resulting from misalignment of control and body axes) are derived; the general requirements for an ACMM are summarized; and a pole-placement linear-quadratic regulator solution based on scheduled gains is proposed. Results are presented in graphs for (1) simulations based on configuration MB3 (showing the importance of accounting for the cross-inertia terms in the TEA estimate) and (2) simulations of a stepwise change from configuration MB3 to the 'assembly complete' stage over 130 orbits (indicating that the present ACCM scheme maintains sufficient control over slowly varying Space Station dynamics).

Estimating Controller Intervention Probabilities for Optimized Profile Descent Arrivals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyn, Larry A.; Erzberger, Heinz; Huynh, Phu V.

2011-01-01

Simulations of arrival traffic at Dallas/Fort-Worth and Denver airports were conducted to evaluate incorporating scheduling and separation constraints into advisories that define continuous descent approaches. The goal was to reduce the number of controller interventions required to ensure flights maintain minimum separation distances of 5 nmi horizontally and 1000 ft vertically. It was shown that simply incorporating arrival meter fix crossing-time constraints into the advisory generation could eliminate over half of the all predicted separation violations and more than 80% of the predicted violations between two arrival flights. Predicted separation violations between arrivals and non-arrivals were 32% of all predicted separation violations at Denver and 41% at Dallas/Fort-Worth. A probabilistic analysis of meter fix crossing-time errors is included which shows that some controller interventions will still be required even when the predicted crossing-times of the advisories are set to add a 1 or 2 nmi buffer above the minimum in-trail separation of 5 nmi. The 2 nmi buffer was shown to increase average flight delays by up to 30 sec when compared to the 1 nmi buffer, but it only resulted in a maximum decrease in average arrival throughput of one flight per hour.

Life cycle development of obesity and its determinants in six European countries.

PubMed

Cavaco, Sandra; Eriksson, Tor; Skalli, Ali

2014-07-01

This paper empirically examines the effect of parents' and individuals' own socioeconomic status on overweight and obesity, and investigates how this effect changes over the life cycle. The impact of individuals' health behaviours on their obesity status later in life is also studied. We use data from Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, the Netherlands and the U.K. in which 4595 individuals aged 50-65 are surveyed and where individuals' height and weight at different ages (25, 35, 45 and current age) are available. We perform "repeated cross-sections" analyses as well as dynamic probit analyses of the individuals' obesity histories. We contribute to the literature by examining the role of a variety of obesity determinants over the whole life cycle, not only over a certain portion of individuals' lives. Key findings are: (i) parents' socioeconomic status predicts obesity in early adulthood whereas the individual's own socioeconomic status as adult is more important in explaining obesity at later stages of the life cycle, (ii) changes in obesity status are associated with changes in health behaviours, (iii) obesity in late adulthood is strongly and positively correlated with overweight and obesity in younger ages, and (iv) cross-country differences in obesity and overweight largely remain after controlling for parental and childhood factors and individuals' health behaviours. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Mutual Relationship Between Men's Drinking and Depression: A 4-Year Longitudinal Analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Soo Bi; Chung, Sulki; Lee, HaeKook; Seo, Jeong Seok

2018-03-17

The purpose of the current study was to examine the longitudinal reciprocal relationship between depression and drinking among male adults from the general population. This study used a panel dataset from the Korean Welfare Panel (from 2011 to 2014). The subjects were 2511 male adults aged between 20 and 65 years. Based on the Korean Version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-K) scores, 2191 subjects were categorized as the control group (AUDIT-K < 12) and 320 subjects were categorized as the problem drinking group (AUDIT-K ≥ 12). An autoregressive cross-lagged modelling analysis was performed to investigate the mutual relationship between problem drinking and depression measured consecutively over time. The results indicated that alcohol drinking and depression were stable over time. In the control group, there was no significant causal relationship between problem drinking and depression while in the problem drinking group, drinking in the previous year significantly influenced depression in the following second, third and fourth years. This study compared normal versus problem drinkers and showed a 4-year mutual causal relationship between depression and drinking. No longitudinal interaction between drinking and depression occurred in normal drinkers, while drinking intensified depression over time in problem drinkers. This study found that problem drinking was a risk factor for development of depression. Therefore, more attention should be given to problem alcohol use in the general population and evaluation of past alcohol use history in patients with depressive disorders.

Are treatment effects of neurofeedback training in children with ADHD related to the successful regulation of brain activity? A review on the learning of regulation of brain activity and a contribution to the discussion on specificity

PubMed Central

Zuberer, Agnieszka; Brandeis, Daniel; Drechsler, Renate

2015-01-01

While issues of efficacy and specificity are crucial for the future of neurofeedback training, there may be alternative designs and control analyses to circumvent the methodological and ethical problems associated with double-blind placebo studies. Surprisingly, most NF studies do not report the most immediate result of their NF training, i.e., whether or not children with ADHD gain control over their brain activity during the training sessions. For the investigation of specificity, however, it seems essential to analyze the learning and adaptation processes that take place in the course of the training and to relate improvements in self-regulated brain activity across training sessions to behavioral, neuropsychological and electrophysiological outcomes. To this aim, a review of studies on neurofeedback training with ADHD patients which include the analysis of learning across training sessions or relate training performance to outcome is presented. Methods on how to evaluate and quantify learning of EEG regulation over time are discussed. “Non-learning” has been reported in a small number of ADHD-studies, but has not been a focus of general methodological discussion so far. For this reason, selected results from the brain-computer interface (BCI) research on the so-called “brain-computer illiteracy”, the inability to gain control over one’s brain activity, are also included. It is concluded that in the discussion on specificity, more attention should be devoted to the analysis of EEG regulation performance in the course of the training and its impact on clinical outcome. It is necessary to improve the knowledge on characteristic cross-session and within-session learning trajectories in ADHD and to provide the best conditions for learning. PMID:25870550

Basal ganglia atrophy in prodromal Huntington’s disease is detectable over one year using automated segmentation

PubMed Central

Majid, DS Adnan; Aron, Adam R; Thompson, Wesley; Sheldon, Sarah; Hamza, Samar; Stoffers, Diederick; Holland, Dominic; Goldstein, Jody; Corey-Bloom, Jody; Dale, Anders M

2017-01-01

Background Future clinical trials of neuroprotection in prodromal Huntington’s (known as preHD) require sensitive in vivo imaging biomarkers to track disease progression over the shortest period. Since basal ganglia atrophy is the most prominent structural characteristic of Huntington’s pathology, systematic assessment of longitudinal subcortical atrophy holds great potential for future biomarker development. Methods We studied 36 preHD and 22 age-matched controls using a novel method to quantify regional change from T1-weighted structural images acquired one year apart. We assessed cross-sectional volume differences and longitudinal volumetric change in seven subcortical structures – the accumbens, amygdala, caudate, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen, and thalamus. Results At baseline, accumbens, caudate, pallidum, and putamen volumes were reduced in preHD vs. controls (all p<.01). Longitudinally, atrophy was greater in preHD than controls in the caudate, pallidum, and putamen (all p<.01). Each structure showed a large between-group effect size, especially the pallidum where Cohen’s d was 1.21. Using pallidal atrophy as a biomarker, we estimate that a hypothetical one-year neuroprotection study would require only 35 preHD per arm to detect a 50% slowing in atrophy and only 138 preHD per arm to detect a 25% slowing in atrophy. Conclusions The effect sizes calculated for preHD basal ganglia atrophy over one year are some of the largest reported to date. Consequently, this translates to strikingly small sample size estimates that will greatly facilitate any future neuroprotection study. This underscores the utility of this automatic image segmentation and longitudinal nonlinear registration method for upcoming studies of preHD and other neurodegenerative disorders. PMID:21932302

Western and Traditional Educational Background of Midwives and Delivery Pain Control among Women in Cross River State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oyira, Emilia James; Emon, Umoe Duke; Essien, N. C.; Ekpenyong, Affiong Onoyom

2015-01-01

This study sought to investigate western and traditional educational background of midwives with regard to their effectiveness in delivery pain control in Cross River State-Nigeria. To achieve this purpose, two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the investigation. The study adopted the survey design. The sample consisted of 360 post-natal…

Characteristics of heat exchange in the region of injection into a supersonic high-temperature flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bakirov, F. G.; Shaykhutdinov, Z. G.

1985-01-01

An experimental investigation of the local heat transfer coefficient distribution during gas injection into the supersonic-flow portion of a Laval nozzle is discussed. The controlling dimensionless parameters of the investigated process are presented in terms of a generalized relation for the maximum value of the heat transfer coefficient in the nozzle cross section behind the injection hole. Data on the heat transfer coefficient variation along the nozzle length as a function of gas injection rate are also presented, along with the heat transfer coefficient distribution over a cross section of the nozzle.

Effect of TiO2 photocatalytic preservation on quality of kiwifruit during shelf life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Chengjie; Jiang, Yong; Qi, Shasha; Zhang, Changfeng; Guo, Fengjun

2018-04-01

In order to study the effect of titanium dioxide photocatalysis technology on the quality of kiwifruit during shelf life, the texture properties of kiwifruit during shelf life were measured by simulating the effect of cross-ripening among fruits and vegetables under the mixed environment of different fruits and vegetables. The results showed that the kiwifruit after photocatalytic preservation maintained a more mature state in the middle and preliminary stage of shelf life, chewiness is better than the control group and the blank group, compared with the over-ripen control group and low-maturity blank group, experimental group has the best commodity value. Therefore, using nanometer photocatalytic preservation can effectively reduce the ripening effect of kiwifruit in the mixed environment, control the after-ripening of kiwifruit, and meanwhile maintain the commodity value of the kiwifruit during the shelf life.iO2, Photocatalysis, Kiwifruit, Shelf-life.

Altered cardiorespiratory coupling in young male adults with excessive online gaming.

PubMed

Chang, Jae Seung; Kim, Eun Young; Jung, Dooyoung; Jeong, Seong Hoon; Kim, Yeni; Roh, Myoung-Sun; Ahn, Yong Min; Hahm, Bong-Jin

2015-09-01

This study aimed to investigate changes in heart rate variability and cardiorespiratory coupling in male college students with problematic Internet use (PIU) excessive gaming type during action video game play to assess the relationship between PIU tendency and central autonomic regulation. Electrocardiograms and respiration were simultaneously recorded from 22 male participants with excessive online gaming and 22 controls during action video game play. Sample entropy (SampEn) was computed to assess autonomic regularity, and cross-SampEn was calculated to quantify autonomic coordination. During video game play, reduced cardiorespiratory coupling (CRC) was observed in individuals with PIU excessive gaming type compared with controls, implicating central autonomic dysregulation. The PIU tendency was associated with the severity of autonomic dysregulation. These findings indicate impaired CRC in PIU excessive gaming type, which may reflect alterations of central inhibitory control over autonomic responses to pleasurable online stimuli. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

XPAT: a toolkit to conduct cross-platform association studies with heterogeneous sequencing datasets.

PubMed

Yu, Yao; Hu, Hao; Bohlender, Ryan J; Hu, Fulan; Chen, Jiun-Sheng; Holt, Carson; Fowler, Jerry; Guthery, Stephen L; Scheet, Paul; Hildebrandt, Michelle A T; Yandell, Mark; Huff, Chad D

2018-04-06

High-throughput sequencing data are increasingly being made available to the research community for secondary analyses, providing new opportunities for large-scale association studies. However, heterogeneity in target capture and sequencing technologies often introduce strong technological stratification biases that overwhelm subtle signals of association in studies of complex traits. Here, we introduce the Cross-Platform Association Toolkit, XPAT, which provides a suite of tools designed to support and conduct large-scale association studies with heterogeneous sequencing datasets. XPAT includes tools to support cross-platform aware variant calling, quality control filtering, gene-based association testing and rare variant effect size estimation. To evaluate the performance of XPAT, we conducted case-control association studies for three diseases, including 783 breast cancer cases, 272 ovarian cancer cases, 205 Crohn disease cases and 3507 shared controls (including 1722 females) using sequencing data from multiple sources. XPAT greatly reduced Type I error inflation in the case-control analyses, while replicating many previously identified disease-gene associations. We also show that association tests conducted with XPAT using cross-platform data have comparable performance to tests using matched platform data. XPAT enables new association studies that combine existing sequencing datasets to identify genetic loci associated with common diseases and other complex traits.

Developmental vision determines the reference frame for the multisensory control of action.

PubMed

Röder, Brigitte; Kusmierek, Anna; Spence, Charles; Schicke, Tobias

2007-03-13

Both animal and human studies suggest that action goals are defined in external coordinates regardless of their sensory modality. The present study used an auditory-manual task to test whether the default use of such an external reference frame is innately determined or instead acquired during development because of the increasing dominance of vision over manual control. In Experiment I, congenitally blind, late blind, and age-matched sighted adults had to press a left or right response key depending on the bandwidth of pink noise bursts presented from either the left or right loudspeaker. Although the spatial location of the sounds was entirely task-irrelevant, all groups responded more efficiently with uncrossed hands when the sound was presented from the same side as the responding hand ("Simon effect"). This effect reversed with crossed hands only in the congenitally blind: They responded faster with the hand that was located contralateral to the sound source. In Experiment II, the instruction to the participants was changed: They now had to respond with the hand located next to the sound source. In contrast to Experiment I ("Simon-task"), this task required an explicit matching of the sound's location with the position of the responding hand. In Experiment II, the congenitally blind participants showed a significantly larger crossing deficit than both the sighted and late blind adults. This pattern of results implies that developmental vision induces the default use of an external coordinate frame for multisensory action control; this facilitates not only visual but also auditory-manual control.

Shared decision making and serious mental illness.

PubMed

Mahone, Irma H

2008-12-01

This study examined medication decision making by 84 persons with serious mental illness, specifically examining relationships among perceived coercion, decisional capacity, preferences for involvement and actual participation, and the outcomes of medication adherence and quality of life (QoL). Multiple and logistic regression analysis were used in this cross-sectional, descriptive study, controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and utilization variables. Appreciation was positively related to medication adherence behaviors for the past 6 months. Women, older individuals, and those living independently were more likely to have taken all their medications over the past 6 months. Neither client participation, preference, nor preference-participation agreement was found to be associated with better medication adherence or QoL.

Strongly-sheared wind-forced currents in the nearshore regions of the central Southern California Bight

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noble, Marlene A.; Rosenberger, Kurt; Robertson, George L.

2015-01-01

Contrary to many previous reports, winds do drive currents along the shelf in the central portion of the Southern California Bight (SCB). Winds off Huntington Beach CA are the dominant forcing for currents over the nearshore region of the shelf (water depths less than 20 m). Winds control about 50–70% of the energy in nearshore alongshelf surface currents. The wind-driven current amplitudes are also anomalously high. For a relatively weak 1 dyne/cm2 wind stress, the alongshelf surface current amplitudes in this region can reach 80 cm/s or more. Mid-depth current amplitudes for the same wind stress are around 30–40 cm/s. These wind-driven surface current amplitudes are much larger than previously measured over other nearshore shelf regions, perhaps because this program is one of the few that measured currents within a meter of the surface. The near-bed cross-shelf currents over the nearshore region of the Huntington Beach shelf have an Ekman response to winds in that they upwell (downwell) for down (up) coast winds. This response disappears further offshore. Hence, there is upwelling in the SCB, but it does not occur across the entire shelf. Subthermocline water in the nearshore region that may contain nutrients and plankton move onshore when winds are southeastward, but subthermocline water over the shelf break is not transported to the beach. The currents over the outer shelf are not predominately controlled by winds, consistent with previous reports. Instead, they are mainly driven by cross-shelf pressure gradients that are independent of local wind stress.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of infliximab in refractory polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

PubMed

Schiffenbauer, Adam; Garg, Megha; Castro, Christine; Pokrovnichka, Angelina; Joe, Galen; Shrader, Joseph; Cabalar, Imelda Victoria; Faghihi-Kashani, Sara; Harris-Love, Michael O; Plotz, Paul H; Miller, Frederick W; Gourley, Mark

2018-06-01

To investigate in a pilot study the safety and efficacy of infliximab in patients with refractory dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including subjects with active DM or PM. Participants had stable doses of immunosuppressive medication and prednisone (≤0.5mg/kg/day), and exhibited clinical signs of muscle weakness for at least 4 weeks prior to study entry. Participants received infusions of either placebo or infliximab 5mg/kg at 0, 2, 6, and 14 weeks in blinded manner. The primary outcome was a ≥15% manual muscle strength (MMT) improvement at week 16 compared to week 0. The secondary outcome measures were improvement defined by the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) criteria. At week 16, responders in each arm had the option of either continuing the same treatment or changing to the non-responder treatment for that study arm. Non-responders in the 5mg/kg infliximab arm were increased to infliximab 7.5mg/kg for weeks 22, 30, and 38. Non-responders in the placebo arm at week 16 received infliximab 5mg/kg at weeks 16, 18, 22, 30, and 38. Outcomes were reassessed at week 40. Twelve subjects completed the study to week 16. Six of the 12 subjects received infliximab treatment at the dose of 5mg/kg with only one subject meeting the responder criteria at that dose. Of the remaining five subjects on infliximab, three crossed over to the infliximab 7.5mg/kg dose. One of those three subjects responded. All six patients in the placebo arm crossed over to the 5mg/kg dosing regimen after week 16, and two of those responded to infliximab. Infliximab therapy for patients with refractory PM and DM was well tolerated and may benefit a subset of patients. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A national cross-sectional study on effects of fluoride-safe water supply on the prevalence of fluorosis in China

PubMed Central

Wang, Cheng; Gao, Yanhui; Wang, Wei; Zhao, Lijun; Zhang, Wei; Han, Hepeng; Shi, Yuxia; Yu, Guangqian; Sun, Dianjun

2012-01-01

Objective To assess the effects of provided fluoride-safe drinking-water for the prevention and control of endemic fluorosis in China. Design A national cross-sectional study in China. Setting In 1985, randomly selected villages in 27 provinces (or cities and municipalities) in 5 geographic areas all over China. Participants Involved 81 786 children aged from 8 to 12 and 594 698 adults aged over 16. Main outcome measure The prevalence of dental fluorosis and clinical skeletal fluorosis, the fluoride concentrations in the drinking-water in study villages and in the urine of subjects. Results The study showed that in the villages where the drinking-water fluoride concentrations were higher than the government standard of 1.2 mg/l, but no fluoride-safe drinking-water supply scheme was provided (FNB areas), the prevalence rate and index of dental fluorosis in children, and prevalence rate of clinical skeletal fluorosis in adults were all significantly higher than those in the historical endemic fluorosis villages after the fluoride-safe drinking-water were provided (FSB areas). Additionally, the prevalence rate of dental fluorosis as well as clinical skeletal fluorosis, and the concentration of fluoride in urine were found increased with the increase of fluoride concentration in drinking-water, with significant positive correlations in the FNB areas. While, the prevalence rate of dental fluorosis and clinical skeletal fluorosis in different age groups and their degrees of prevalence were significantly lower in the FSB areas than those in the FNB areas. Conclusions The provision of fluoride-safe drinking-water supply schemes had significant effects on the prevention and control of dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis. The study also indicated that the dental and skeletal fluorosis is still prevailing in the high-fluoride drinking-water areas in China. PMID:23015601

Deep 3D convolution neural network for CT brain hemorrhage classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jnawali, Kamal; Arbabshirani, Mohammad R.; Rao, Navalgund; Patel, Alpen A.

2018-02-01

Intracranial hemorrhage is a critical conditional with the high mortality rate that is typically diagnosed based on head computer tomography (CT) images. Deep learning algorithms, in particular, convolution neural networks (CNN), are becoming the methodology of choice in medical image analysis for a variety of applications such as computer-aided diagnosis, and segmentation. In this study, we propose a fully automated deep learning framework which learns to detect brain hemorrhage based on cross sectional CT images. The dataset for this work consists of 40,367 3D head CT studies (over 1.5 million 2D images) acquired retrospectively over a decade from multiple radiology facilities at Geisinger Health System. The proposed algorithm first extracts features using 3D CNN and then detects brain hemorrhage using the logistic function as the last layer of the network. Finally, we created an ensemble of three different 3D CNN architectures to improve the classification accuracy. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of the ensemble of three architectures was 0.87. Their results are very promising considering the fact that the head CT studies were not controlled for slice thickness, scanner type, study protocol or any other settings. Moreover, the proposed algorithm reliably detected various types of hemorrhage within the skull. This work is one of the first applications of 3D CNN trained on a large dataset of cross sectional medical images for detection of a critical radiological condition

Immediate acid-suppressing effects of ranitidine hydrochloride and rabeprazole sodium following initial administration and reintroduction: A randomized, cross-over study using wireless pH monitoring capsules.

PubMed

Ono, Shouko; Kato, Mototsugu; Ono, Yuji; Imai, Aki; Yoshida, Takeshi; Shimizu, Yuichi; Asaka, Masahiro

2009-04-01

Histamine 2 receptor antagonists and proton-pump inhibitors, drugs that are widely used for the treatment of acid-related diseases, have different clinical characteristics. The objective of this study was to compare the acid-suppressing effects of ranitidine hydrochloride and those of rabeprazole sodium at the first administration and re-administration after withdrawal. The study was designed as an open-label, randomized, two-way cross-over trial. Seven Helicobacter pylori-negative healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Ranitidine hydrochloride (300 mg/day) or rabeprazole sodium (20 mg/day) was administered from days 1 to 7 and from days 11 to 13. The percentage of time with gastric pH < 4 and the median gastric pH were evaluated for 15 consecutive days by a Bravo capsule fixed to the stomach. On day 1, there was no significant difference between the acid-suppressing effects of the two drugs (ranitidine vs rabeprazole: not significant). Although rabeprazole sodium maintained a potent and stable effect from days 2 to 7 (ranitidine vs rabeprazole: P < 0.05), the effect of ranitidine hydrochloride was attenuated after day 4. In addition, the effect of ranitidine hydrochloride at re-administration was attenuated (days 11, 12, and 13 vs pre-administration: not significant). In view of our observations, we expect symptoms associated with gastric acidity to be more adequately controlled with rabeprazole sodium in the short term when compared to ranitidine hydrochloride.

Prediction of Patient-Controlled Analgesic Consumption: A Multimodel Regression Tree Approach.

PubMed

Hu, Yuh-Jyh; Ku, Tien-Hsiung; Yang, Yu-Hung; Shen, Jia-Ying

2018-01-01

Several factors contribute to individual variability in postoperative pain, therefore, individuals consume postoperative analgesics at different rates. Although many statistical studies have analyzed postoperative pain and analgesic consumption, most have identified only the correlation and have not subjected the statistical model to further tests in order to evaluate its predictive accuracy. In this study involving 3052 patients, a multistrategy computational approach was developed for analgesic consumption prediction. This approach uses data on patient-controlled analgesia demand behavior over time and combines clustering, classification, and regression to mitigate the limitations of current statistical models. Cross-validation results indicated that the proposed approach significantly outperforms various existing regression methods. Moreover, a comparison between the predictions by anesthesiologists and medical specialists and those of the computational approach for an independent test data set of 60 patients further evidenced the superiority of the computational approach in predicting analgesic consumption because it produced markedly lower root mean squared errors.

Changes in waist circumference and body mass index in the US CARDIA cohort: fixed-effects associations with self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination.

PubMed

Cunningham, Timothy J; Berkman, Lisa F; Kawachi, Ichiro; Jacobs, David R; Seeman, Teresa E; Kiefe, Catarina I; Gortmaker, Steven L

2013-03-01

Prior studies examining the association between self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination and obesity have had mixed results and primarily been cross-sectional. This study tests the hypothesis that an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination predicts gains in waist circumference and body mass index in Black and White women and men over eight years. In race/ethnicity- and gender-stratified models, this study examined whether change in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination predicts changes in waist circumference and body mass index over time using a fixed-effects regression approach in SAS statistical software, providing control for both measured and unmeasured time-invariant covariates. Between 1992-93 and 2000-01, self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination decreased among 843 Black women (75% to 73%), 601 Black men (80% to 77%), 893 White women (30% to 23%) and 856 White men (28% to 23%). In fixed-effects regression models, controlling for all time-invariant covariates, social desirability bias, and changes in education and parity (women only) over time, an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination over time was significantly associated with an increase in waist circumference (β=1.09, 95% CI: 0.00-2.19, p=0.05) and an increase in body mass index (β=0.67, 95% CI: 0.19-1.16, p=0.007) among Black women. No associations were observed among Black men and White women and men. These findings suggest that an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination may be associated with increases in waist circumference and body mass index among Black women over time.

ANTIPLAQUE AND ANTIGINGIVITIS EFFECT OF LIPPIA SIDOIDES. A DOUBLE-BLIND CLINICAL STUDY IN HUMANS

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, Ítalo Sarto Carvalho; Tavares, Vinícius Nascimento; Pereira, Sérgio Luís da Silva; da Costa, Flávio Nogueira

2009-01-01

Objectives: The antiplaque and antigingivitis effect of Lippia Sidoides (LS) was evaluated in this in vivo investigation. Material and Methods: Twenty-three subjects participated in a cross-over, double-blind clinical study, using 21-day partial-mouth experimental model of gingivitis. A toothshield was constructed for each volunteer, avoiding the brushing of the 4 experimental posterior teeth in the lower left quadrant. The subjects were randomly assigned initially to use either the placebo gel (control group) or the test gel, containing 10% LS (test group). Results: The clinical results showed statistically significant differences for plaque index (PLI) (p<0.01) between days 0 and 21 in both groups, however only the control group showed statistically significant difference (p<0.01) for the bleeding (IB) and gingival (GI) index within the experimental period of 21 days. On day 21, the test group presented significantly better results than the control group with regard to the GI (p<0.05). Conclusions: The test gel containing 10% LS was effective in the control of gingivitis. PMID:19936516

The Anticaries Effect of a Food Extract (Shiitake) in a Short-Term Clinical Study

PubMed Central

Lingström, Peter; Zaura, Egija; Hassan, Haidar; Buijs, Mark J.; Hedelin, Pamie; Pratten, Jonathan; Spratt, David; Daglia, Maria; Karbowiak, Aneta; Signoretto, Caterina; Rosema, Martijn; van der Weijden, Fridus; Wilson, Michael

2012-01-01

The main objective was to investigate whether low-molecular-weight fraction of edible mushroom shiitake extract (Lentinus edodes) possesses caries-preventive properties. The study was designed as a double-blind, three-leg, cross-over, randomized, controlled clinical trial carried out on two series of volunteers at the University of Gothenburg, and the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam. Volunteers rinsed twice daily with a solution containing low-molecular-weight fraction of edible mushroom, placebo (negative control without active ingredients), or Meridol (positive control, AmF-SnF2) for two weeks, with a two-week washout period between each rinsing period. Changes in the acidogenicity of dental plaque before and after a sucrose challenge, shifts in microbial composition, and plaque scores were determined. Frequent rinses with shiitake reduced the metabolic activity of dental plaque. No reduction of plaque scores and no inhibition of the production of organic acids in plaque was found. Minor differences in microbial composition between test sessions were found. To conclude, the results indicate that shiitake extract has anticariogenic potential, but not to the same extent as the positive control. PMID:22500081

Truck freight crossing the Canada-U.S. border : an analysis of the cross-border component of the 1999 Canadian National Roadside Study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-09-23

The United States and Canada are each others largest trading partner. Trade and traffic between the countries, especially by land transportation, has been increasing at a rapid rate over the past 25 years. This study, produced by the Eastern Border T...

AN ANALYSIS OF THE CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF CHILDREN'S SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, FINAL REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LONGABAUGH, RICHARD

SYSTEMATICALLY OBSERVED, RECORDED, AND CODED INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIORS OF CHILDREN, AGES 3 TO 11, WERE EXAMINED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF CROSS-CULTURALLY CONSISTENT RELATIONS BETWEEN THEIR BEHAVIORS. THE STUDY SAMPLE CONSISTED OF OVER 130 CHILDREN FROM DIVERSE CULTURES, AND WAS SELECTED FROM COMMUNITIES IN NEW ENGLAND, MEXICO, AFRICA, INDIA, OKINAWA,…

Microarray evaluation of specific IgE to allergen components in elite athletes.

PubMed

Bonini, M; Marcomini, L; Gramiccioni, C; Tranquilli, C; Melioli, G; Canonica, G W; Bonini, S

2012-12-01

Allergic sensitization and diseases have been reported to have a very high and increasing prevalence in elite athletes. Over 80% of allergic athletes are poly-sensitized. This study aims at evaluating the potential diagnostic added value of a microarray technology (ImmunoCAP ISAC, Phadia AB [at present Thermo Fisher Scientific] Uppsala, Sweden which detects IgE antibodies to specific or cross-reacting allergen components. Seventy-two poly-sensitized athletes according to skin prick test (SPT) with different allergic phenotypes (asthma n = 19; rhino-conjunctivitis n = 20; food allergy and/or oral allergy syndrome n = 13; no clinical symptoms n = 20) and two different control populations (20 poly-sensitized sedentary subjects with respiratory allergy and 20 healthy athletes with negative SPT) were studied for detecting specific IgE (sIgE) both to allergen extracts (ImmunoCAPsIgE) and to allergen components (ImmunoCAP ISAC). ImmunoCAP ISAC detected the presence of sIgE in 90% of poly-sensitized athletes--in 96% with symptoms and in 75% without symptoms--and in 100% of allergic controls. The pattern of positivity towards the 103 components tested differed from subject to subject, even in those with the same sensitization to allergen extract SPT or sIgE. Based on the ISAC results, poly-sensitized athletes were classified into the following prototypical patterns, differently represented in the clinical phenotypes studied (P = 0.03): (1) One single predominant specific allergen positivity; (2) sIgE to two or more non-cross-reacting allergens; (3) sIgE to cross-reacting allergens; and (4) sIgE to components potentially responsible for severe allergic reactions. The ImmunoCAP ISAC represents a useful additional tool for diagnosis and management of poly-sensitized athletes. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Alcohol price elasticities in control and license states in the United States, 1982-99.

PubMed

Trolldal, Björn; Ponicki, William

2005-08-01

The demand for alcohol has been demonstrated repeatedly to be sensitive to price changes. However, estimated price elasticities vary by study region and over time. One explanation for these variations might be that different countries or parts of countries have had different alcohol control systems. The hypothesis addressed in this study was that a regulated market leads to higher transaction costs associated with purchasing alcohol, which in turn increases the full price of the beverages (the nominal cash price plus transaction costs). As a result, the cash price of alcohol represents a smaller part of the full price in a highly regulated market. Assuming that customers respond primarily to changes in full price, the demand for alcohol should be less sensitive to changes in cash price where regulation is stricter. This study examined whether variations in price elasticities were a function of the different regulatory systems in control and license states in the United States during the period 1982-99. Time-series cross-sectional analyses (in 50 states over 18 years) were conducted. Elasticities were estimated using a multiplicative model based upon first-differences of time-series within states. Disposable income and other socio-demographic variables were used as control variables. All data were obtained from archival sources. The demand for spirits and beer were significantly more sensitive to price changes in license states than in control states. The estimated price elasticity for wine sales was also somewhat larger in license states, but not significantly so. The lower price elasticities for spirits and beer in the control states support the hypothesis that customers respond primarily to changes in the full price of alcohol.

Hypobaric live high-train low does not improve aerobic performance more than live low-train low in cross-country skiers.

PubMed

Robach, P; Hansen, J; Pichon, A; Meinild Lundby, A-K; Dandanell, S; Slettaløkken Falch, G; Hammarström, D; Pesta, D H; Siebenmann, C; Keiser, S; Kérivel, P; Whist, J E; Rønnestad, B R; Lundby, C

2018-06-01

Live high-train low (LHTL) using hypobaric hypoxia was previously found to improve sea-level endurance performance in well-trained individuals; however, confirmatory controlled data in athletes are lacking. Here, we test the hypothesis that natural-altitude LHTL improves aerobic performance in cross-country skiers, in conjunction with expansion of total hemoglobin mass (Hb mass , carbon monoxide rebreathing technique) promoted by accelerated erythropoiesis. Following duplicate baseline measurements at sea level over the course of 2 weeks, nineteen Norwegian cross-country skiers (three women, sixteen men, age 20 ± 2 year, maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) 69 ± 5 mL/min/kg) were assigned to 26 consecutive nights spent at either low (1035 m, control, n = 8) or moderate altitude (2207 m, daily exposure 16.7 ± 0.5 hours, LHTL, n = 11). All athletes trained together daily at a common location ranging from 550 to 1500 m (21.2% of training time at 550 m, 44.2% at 550-800 m, 16.6% at 800-1100 m, 18.0% at 1100-1500 m). Three test sessions at sea level were performed over the first 3 weeks after intervention. Despite the demonstration of nocturnal hypoxemia at moderate altitude (pulse oximetry), LHTL had no specific effect on serum erythropoietin, reticulocytes, Hb mass , VO 2 max, or 3000-m running performance. Also, LHTL had no specific effect on (a) running economy (VO 2 assessed during steady-state submaximal exercise), (b) respiratory capacities or efficiency of the skeletal muscle (biopsy), and (c) diffusing capacity of the lung. This study, showing similar physiological responses and performance improvements in the two groups following intervention, suggests that in young cross-country skiers, improvements in sea-level aerobic performance associated with LHTL may not be due to moderate-altitude acclimatization. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of whole-grain rye porridge with added inulin and wheat gluten on appetite, gut fermentation and postprandial glucose metabolism: a randomised, cross-over, breakfast study.

PubMed

Lee, Isabella; Shi, Lin; Webb, Dominic-Luc; Hellström, Per M; Risérus, Ulf; Landberg, Rikard

2016-12-01

Whole-grain rye foods reduce appetite, insulin and sometimes glucose responses. Increased gut fermentation and plant protein may mediate the effect. The aims of the present study were to investigate whether the appetite-suppressing effects of whole-grain rye porridge could be enhanced by replacing part of the rye with fermented dietary fibre and plant protein, and to explore the role of gut fermentation on appetite and metabolic responses over 8 h. We conducted a randomised, cross-over study using two rye porridges (40 and 55 g), three 40-g rye porridges with addition of inulin:gluten (9:3; 6:6; 3:9 g) and a refined wheat bread control (55 g), served as part of complete breakfasts. A standardised lunch and an ad libitum dinner were served 4 and 8 h later, respectively. Appetite, breath hydrogen and methane, glucose, insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) responses were measured over 8 h. Twenty-one healthy men and women, aged 23-60 years, with BMI of 21-33 kg/m2 participated in this study. Before lunch, the 55-g rye porridges lowered hunger by 20 % and desire to eat by 22 % and increased fullness by 29 % compared with wheat bread (P<0·05). Breath hydrogen increased proportionally to dietary fibre content (P<0·05). Plasma glucose after lunch was 6 % lower after the 55-g rye porridges compared with wheat bread (P<0·05) and correlated to breath hydrogen (P<0·001). No differences were observed in ad libitum food intake, insulin or GLP-1. We conclude that no further increase in satiety was observed when replacing part of the rye with inulin and gluten compared with plain rye porridges.

Causal inference and longitudinal data: a case study of religion and mental health.

PubMed

VanderWeele, Tyler J; Jackson, John W; Li, Shanshan

2016-11-01

We provide an introduction to causal inference with longitudinal data and discuss the complexities of analysis and interpretation when exposures can vary over time. We consider what types of causal questions can be addressed with the standard regression-based analyses and what types of covariate control and control for the prior values of outcome and exposure must be made to reason about causal effects. We also consider newer classes of causal models, including marginal structural models, that can assess questions of the joint effects of time-varying exposures and can take into account feedback between the exposure and outcome over time. Such feedback renders cross-sectional data ineffective for drawing inferences about causation. The challenges are illustrated by analyses concerning potential effects of religious service attendance on depression, in which there may in fact be effects in both directions with service attendance preventing the subsequent depression, but depression itself leading to lower levels of the subsequent religious service attendance. Longitudinal designs, with careful control for prior exposures, outcomes, and confounders, and suitable methodology, will strengthen research on mental health, religion and health, and in the biomedical and social sciences generally.

Multimodal Pilot Behavior in Multi-Axis Tracking Tasks with Time-Varying Motion Cueing Gains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaal, P. M. T; Pool, D. M.

2014-01-01

In a large number of motion-base simulators, adaptive motion filters are utilized to maximize the use of the available motion envelope of the motion system. However, not much is known about how the time-varying characteristics of such adaptive filters affect pilots when performing manual aircraft control. This paper presents the results of a study investigating the effects of time-varying motion filter gains on pilot control behavior and performance. An experiment was performed in a motion-base simulator where participants performed a simultaneous roll and pitch tracking task, while the roll and/or pitch motion filter gains changed over time. Results indicate that performance increases over time with increasing motion gains. This increase is a result of a time-varying adaptation of pilots' equalization dynamics, characterized by increased visual and motion response gains and decreased visual lead time constants. Opposite trends are found for decreasing motion filter gains. Even though the trends in both controlled axes are found to be largely the same, effects are less significant in roll. In addition, results indicate minor cross-coupling effects between pitch and roll, where a cueing variation in one axis affects the behavior adopted in the other axis.

Transdermal granisetron versus palonosetron for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting following moderately emetogenic chemotherapy: a multicenter, randomized, open-label, cross-over, active-controlled, and phase IV study.

PubMed

Seol, Young Mi; Kim, Hyo Jeong; Choi, Young Jin; Lee, Eun Mi; Kim, Yang Soo; Oh, Sung Yong; Koh, Su Jin; Baek, Jin Ho; Lee, Won Sik; Joo, Young Don; Lee, Hyun Gi; Yun, Eun Young; Chung, Joo Seop

2016-02-01

Palonosetron is the second-generation 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor antagonist (5-HT3RA) that has shown better efficacy than the first-generation 5-HT3RA for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC). Granisetron transdermal delivery system (GTDS), a novel transdermal formulation, was developed to deliver granisetron continuously over 7 days. This study compared the efficacy and tolerability of the GTDS to palonosetron for the control of CINV following MEC. A total of 196 patients were randomized to GP or PG group. In this multicenter, randomized, open-label, cross-over, active-controlled, Phase IV study, GP group was assigned to receive transdermal granisetron (one GTDS patch, 7 days) in the first chemotherapy cycle, palonosetron (iv 0.25 mg/day, 1 days) in the second chemotherapy cycle before receiving MEC, and PG group was assigned to receive palonosetron in the first cycle and GTDS in the second cycle. Primary endpoint was the percentage of chemotherapy cycles achieving complete response (CR; defined as no emetic episodes and no rescue medication use) during the acute phase (0-24 h in post-chemotherapy; non-inferiority comparison with palonosetron). Total 333 cycles (165 in GTDS and 168 in palonosetron) were included in the per protocol analysis. The GTDS cycles showed non-inferiority to palonosetron cycles during the acute phase: CR was achieved by 124 (75.2 %) patients in the GTDS cycles and 134 (79.8 %) patients in the palonosetron cycles (treatment difference, -4.6 %; 95 % confidence interval, -13.6-4.4). There was no significant difference in CR rate during acute phase after the end of the first and second chemotherapy cycle between GP and PG group (p = 0.405, p = 0.074). Patients' satisfaction, assessed using Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLI-E), GTDS cycle were higher than those of palonosetron cycle in GP group (FLI-E score; median 1549.5 in GTDS cycle, median 1670.0 in palonosetron cycle). Both treatments were well tolerated and safe. Transdermal granisetron is a good alternative therapeutic option to palonosetron for preventing CINV after MEC.

Mechanically tunable actin networks using programmable DNA based cross-linkers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnauss, Joerg; Lorenz, Jessica; Schuldt, Carsten; Kaes, Josef; Smith, David

Cells employ multiple cross-linkers with very different properties. Studies of the entire phase space, however, were infeasible since they were restricted to naturally occurring cross-linkers. These components cannot be controllably varied and differ in many parameters. We resolve this limitation by forming artificial actin cross-linkers, which can be controllably varied. The basic building block is DNA enabling a well-defined length variation. DNA can be attached to actin binding peptides with known binding affinities. We used bulk rheology to investigate mechanical properties of these networks. We were able to reproduce mechanical features of actin networks cross-linked by fascin by using a short version of our artificial complex with a high binding affinity. Additionally, we were able to resemble findings for the cross-linker alpha-actinin by employing a long cross-linker with a low binding affinity. Between these natural limits we investigated three different cross-linker lengths each with two different binding affinities. With these controlled variations we are able to precisely screen the phase space of cross-linked actin networks by changing only one specific parameter and not the entire set of properties as in the case of naturally occurring cross-linking complexes.

Genomic Dissection of Leaf Angle in Maize (Zea mays L.) Using a Four-Way Cross Mapping Population.

PubMed

Ding, Junqiang; Zhang, Luyan; Chen, Jiafa; Li, Xiantang; Li, Yongming; Cheng, Hongliang; Huang, Rongrong; Zhou, Bo; Li, Zhimin; Wang, Jiankang; Wu, Jianyu

2015-01-01

Increasing grain yield by the selection for optimal plant architecture has been the key focus in modern maize breeding. As a result, leaf angle, an important determinant of plant architecture, has been significantly improved to adapt to the ever-increasing plant density in maize production over the past several decades. To extend our understanding on the genetic mechanisms of leaf angle in maize, we developed the first four-way cross mapping population, consisting of 277 lines derived from four maize inbred lines with varied leaf angles. The four-way cross mapping population together with the four parental lines were evaluated for leaf angle in two environments. In this study, we reported linkage maps built in the population and quantitative trait loci (QTL) on leaf angle detected by inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM). ICIM applies a two-step strategy to effectively separate the cofactor selection from the interval mapping, which controls the background additive and dominant effects at the same time. A total of 14 leaf angle QTL were identified, four of which were further validated in near-isogenic lines (NILs). Seven of the 14 leaf angle QTL were found to overlap with the published leaf angle QTL or genes, and the remaining QTL were unique to the four-way population. This study represents the first example of QTL mapping using a four-way cross population in maize, and demonstrates that the use of specially designed four-way cross is effective in uncovering the basis of complex and polygenetic trait like leaf angle in maize.

Genomic Dissection of Leaf Angle in Maize (Zea mays L.) Using a Four-Way Cross Mapping Population

PubMed Central

Li, Xiantang; Li, Yongming; Cheng, Hongliang; Huang, Rongrong; Zhou, Bo; Li, Zhimin; Wang, Jiankang; Wu, Jianyu

2015-01-01

Increasing grain yield by the selection for optimal plant architecture has been the key focus in modern maize breeding. As a result, leaf angle, an important determinant of plant architecture, has been significantly improved to adapt to the ever-increasing plant density in maize production over the past several decades. To extend our understanding on the genetic mechanisms of leaf angle in maize, we developed the first four-way cross mapping population, consisting of 277 lines derived from four maize inbred lines with varied leaf angles. The four-way cross mapping population together with the four parental lines were evaluated for leaf angle in two environments. In this study, we reported linkage maps built in the population and quantitative trait loci (QTL) on leaf angle detected by inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM). ICIM applies a two-step strategy to effectively separate the cofactor selection from the interval mapping, which controls the background additive and dominant effects at the same time. A total of 14 leaf angle QTL were identified, four of which were further validated in near-isogenic lines (NILs). Seven of the 14 leaf angle QTL were found to overlap with the published leaf angle QTL or genes, and the remaining QTL were unique to the four-way population. This study represents the first example of QTL mapping using a four-way cross population in maize, and demonstrates that the use of specially designed four-way cross is effective in uncovering the basis of complex and polygenetic trait like leaf angle in maize. PMID:26509792

Controlling Hydrogel Mechanics via Bio-Inspired Polymer-Nanoparticle Bond Dynamics.

PubMed

Li, Qiaochu; Barrett, Devin G; Messersmith, Phillip B; Holten-Andersen, Niels

2016-01-26

Interactions between polymer molecules and inorganic nanoparticles can play a dominant role in nanocomposite material mechanics, yet control of such interfacial interaction dynamics remains a significant challenge particularly in water. This study presents insights on how to engineer hydrogel material mechanics via nanoparticle interface-controlled cross-link dynamics. Inspired by the adhesive chemistry in mussel threads, we have incorporated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) into a catechol-modified polymer network to obtain hydrogels cross-linked via reversible metal-coordination bonds at Fe3O4 NP surfaces. Unique material mechanics result from the supra-molecular cross-link structure dynamics in the gels; in contrast to the previously reported fluid-like dynamics of transient catechol-Fe(3+) cross-links, the catechol-Fe3O4 NP structures provide solid-like yet reversible hydrogel mechanics. The structurally controlled hierarchical mechanics presented here suggest how to develop hydrogels with remote-controlled self-healing dynamics.

Long-lasting insecticide-treated house screens and targeted treatment of productive breeding-sites for dengue vector control in Acapulco, Mexico

PubMed Central

Che-Mendoza, Azael; Guillermo-May, Guillermo; Herrera-Bojórquez, Josué; Barrera-Pérez, Mario; Dzul-Manzanilla, Felipe; Gutierrez-Castro, Cipriano; Arredondo-Jiménez, Juan I.; Sánchez-Tejeda, Gustavo; Vazquez-Prokopec, Gonzalo; Ranson, Hilary; Lenhart, Audrey; Sommerfeld, Johannes; McCall, Philip J.; Kroeger, Axel; Manrique-Saide, Pablo

2015-01-01

Background Long-lasting insecticidal net screens (LLIS) fitted to domestic windows and doors in combination with targeted treatment (TT) of the most productive Aedes aegypti breeding sites were evaluated for their impact on dengue vector indices in a cluster-randomised trial in Mexico between 2011 and 2013. Methods Sequentially over 2 years, LLIS and TT were deployed in 10 treatment clusters (100 houses/cluster) and followed up over 24 months. Cross-sectional surveys quantified infestations of adult mosquitoes, immature stages at baseline (pre-intervention) and in four post-intervention samples at 6-monthly intervals. Identical surveys were carried out in 10 control clusters that received no treatment. Results LLIS clusters had significantly lower infestations compared to control clusters at 5 and 12 months after installation, as measured by adult (male and female) and pupal-based vector indices. After addition of TT to the intervention houses in intervention clusters, indices remained significantly lower in the treated clusters until 18 (immature and adult stage indices) and 24 months (adult indices only) post-intervention. Conclusions These safe, simple affordable vector control tools were well-accepted by study participants and are potentially suitable in many regions at risk from dengue worldwide. PMID:25604761

7. CLOSEUP VIEW OF THE PUMP DISCHARGE CHANNEL, AND THE ...

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

7. CLOSEUP VIEW OF THE PUMP DISCHARGE CHANNEL, AND THE DISCHARGE WEIR OF THE FOR PUMPS NO. 2 AND 3, LOOKING NORTHEAST. THE SERVICE BRIDGE PROVIDED ACCESS TO THE LEVEE OVER TOBY CREEK. - Wyoming Valley Flood Control System, Woodward Pumping Station, East of Toby Creek crossing by Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, Edwardsville, Luzerne County, PA

The potential for improvement of outcomes by personalized insulin treatment of type 1 diabetes as assessed by analysis of single-patient data from a randomized controlled cross-over insulin trial.

PubMed

Pedersen-Bjergaard, Ulrik; Kristensen, Peter L; Beck-Nielsen, Henning; Nørgaard, Kirsten; Perrild, Hans; Christiansen, Jens S; Jensen, Tonny; Parving, Hans-Henrik; Thorsteinsson, Birger; Tarnow, Lise

2017-01-01

The evidence for optimal insulin treatment in type 1 diabetes is mainly based on randomised controlled trials applying a parallel-group design. Such trials yield robust general results but crucial individual treatment effects cannot be extracted. We aimed to assess the potential for further improvement of outcomes by personalized insulin therapy by analyzing data from a cross-over trial at individual level. Post hoc analysis of data from a two-year multicentre, prospective, randomised, open, blinded endpoint (PROBE) trial (the HypoAna trial). In a cross-over design 114 patients with type 1 diabetes and recurrent severe hypoglycemia were treated with basal-bolus therapy based on analog (detemir/aspart) or human (NPH/regular) insulin aiming at maintenance of baseline HbA1c levels. For each patient a superior outcome was defined as fewer events of severe hypoglycemia defined by need for third party treatment assistance or a more than 0.4% (4.4mmol/mol) lower HbA1c. Only one quarter had comparable outcome of the two treatments in terms of rate of severe hypoglycemia or HbA1c. Twice as many patients had superior outcome of analog-based as compared to human insulin-based insulin treatment. The rate of severe hypoglycemia with the superior treatment was lower compared to the rates obtained with analog insulin and with human insulin (0.67, 1.09, and 1.57 episode per patient-year, respectively (p<0.0001)). Personalized insulin treatment of type 1 diabetes based on single-patient evidence may improve outcomes significantly compared to a general treatment approach. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bright light therapy and melatonin in motor restless behaviour in dementia: a placebo-controlled study.

PubMed

Haffmans, P M; Sival, R C; Lucius, S A; Cats, Q; van Gelder, L

2001-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of bright light therapy combined with melatonin on motor restless behaviour in dementia. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial consisting of four periods. One week wash-out was followed by a 2-week period of light therapy in combination with placebo or melatonin. The second wash-out period of 1 week was followed by 2 weeks of treatment (cross-over). Twenty-four bed medium-stay psychogeriatric ward at a Dutch psychiatric teaching hospital. Ten patients, who met the criteria for dementia (DSM-IV) and motor restless behaviour (subscale 10 of the GIP), were included. Informed consent was obtained by proxy. All subjects were exposed during 2x5 consecutive days for 30 minutes to 10,000 lux bright light and randomly administered 2.5 mg melatonin or placebo at 22.00 h. Clinical Global Impression (CGI), Dutch version of the geriatric behavioural observation scale (GIP), Social Dysfunction and Aggression Scale (SDAS) were assessed after each wash-out and treatment period. Outcome criteria were CGI, assessing motor restless behaviour, the SDAS, measuring extrovert aggression and the GIP, assessing social, psychomotor and emotional behaviour. Six demented inpatients completed the trial. Positive effects were found for the treatment combined with placebo. Patients were less restless and more co-operative. The condition with melatonin showed no additional positive effects, additionally, patients became more aggressive and showed the same or more disturbed behaviour. Bright light therapy has a positive effect on motor restless behaviour. Light therapy in combination with melatonin has no positive effects. The results might be explained by a possible overshoot of chronobiological synchronisation or the timing of the melatonin intake. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Verbal working memory-related functional connectivity alterations in boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the effects of methylphenidate.

PubMed

Wu, Zhao-Min; Bralten, Janita; An, Li; Cao, Qing-Jiu; Cao, Xiao-Hua; Sun, Li; Liu, Lu; Yang, Li; Mennes, Maarten; Zang, Yu-Feng; Franke, Barbara; Hoogman, Martine; Wang, Yu-Feng

2017-08-01

Few studies have investigated verbal working memory-related functional connectivity patterns in participants with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thus, we aimed to compare working memory-related functional connectivity patterns in healthy children and those with ADHD, and study effects of methylphenidate (MPH). Twenty-two boys with ADHD were scanned twice, under either MPH (single dose, 10 mg) or placebo, in a randomised, cross-over, counterbalanced placebo-controlled design. Thirty healthy boys were scanned once. We used fMRI during a numerical n-back task to examine functional connectivity patterns in case-control and MPH-placebo comparisons, using independent component analysis. There was no significant difference in behavioural performance between children with ADHD, treated with MPH or placebo, and healthy controls. Compared with controls, participants with ADHD under placebo showed increased functional connectivity within fronto-parietal and auditory networks, and decreased functional connectivity within the executive control network. MPH normalized the altered functional connectivity pattern and significantly enhanced functional connectivity within the executive control network, though in non-overlapping areas. Our study contributes to the identification of the neural substrates of working memory. Single dose of MPH normalized the altered brain functional connectivity network, but had no enhancing effect on (non-impaired) behavioural performance.

The national drug abuse treatment clinical trials network data share project: website design, usage, challenges, and future directions.

PubMed

Shmueli-Blumberg, Dikla; Hu, Lian; Allen, Colleen; Frasketi, Michael; Wu, Li-Tzy; Vanveldhuisen, Paul

2013-01-01

There are many benefits of data sharing, including the promotion of new research from effective use of existing data, replication of findings through re-analysis of pooled data files, meta-analysis using individual patient data, and reinforcement of open scientific inquiry. A randomized controlled trial is considered as the 'gold standard' for establishing treatment effectiveness, but clinical trial research is very costly, and sharing data is an opportunity to expand the investment of the clinical trial beyond its original goals at minimal costs. We describe the goals, developments, and usage of the Data Share website (http://www.ctndatashare.org) for the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) in the United States, including lessons learned, limitations, and major revisions, and considerations for future directions to improve data sharing. Data management and programming procedures were conducted to produce uniform and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant de-identified research data files from the completed trials of the CTN for archiving, managing, and sharing on the Data Share website. Since its inception in 2006 and through October 2012, nearly 1700 downloads from 27 clinical trials have been accessed from the Data Share website, with the use increasing over the years. Individuals from 31 countries have downloaded data from the website, and there have been at least 13 publications derived from analyzing data through the public Data Share website. Minimal control over data requests and usage has resulted in little information and lack of control regarding how the data from the website are used. Lack of uniformity in data elements collected across CTN trials has limited cross-study analyses. The Data Share website offers researchers easy access to de-identified data files with the goal to promote additional research and identify new findings from completed CTN studies. To maximize the utility of the website, ongoing collaborative efforts are needed to standardize the core measures used for data collection in the CTN studies with the goal to increase their comparability and to facilitate the ability to pool data files for cross-study analyses.