An Approach to Function Annotation for Proteins of Unknown Function (PUFs) in the Transcriptome of Indian Mulberry.

PubMed

Dhanyalakshmi, K H; Naika, Mahantesha B N; Sajeevan, R S; Mathew, Oommen K; Shafi, K Mohamed; Sowdhamini, Ramanathan; N Nataraja, Karaba

2016-01-01

The modern sequencing technologies are generating large volumes of information at the transcriptome and genome level. Translation of this information into a biological meaning is far behind the race due to which a significant portion of proteins discovered remain as proteins of unknown function (PUFs). Attempts to uncover the functional significance of PUFs are limited due to lack of easy and high throughput functional annotation tools. Here, we report an approach to assign putative functions to PUFs, identified in the transcriptome of mulberry, a perennial tree commonly cultivated as host of silkworm. We utilized the mulberry PUFs generated from leaf tissues exposed to drought stress at whole plant level. A sequence and structure based computational analysis predicted the probable function of the PUFs. For rapid and easy annotation of PUFs, we developed an automated pipeline by integrating diverse bioinformatics tools, designated as PUFs Annotation Server (PUFAS), which also provides a web service API (Application Programming Interface) for a large-scale analysis up to a genome. The expression analysis of three selected PUFs annotated by the pipeline revealed abiotic stress responsiveness of the genes, and hence their potential role in stress acclimation pathways. The automated pipeline developed here could be extended to assign functions to PUFs from any organism in general. PUFAS web server is available at http://caps.ncbs.res.in/pufas/ and the web service is accessible at http://capservices.ncbs.res.in/help/pufas.

SCRIB and PUF60 Are Primary Drivers of the Multisystemic Phenotypes of the 8q24.3 Copy-Number Variant

PubMed Central

Dauber, Andrew; Golzio, Christelle; Guenot, Cécile; Jodelka, Francine M.; Kibaek, Maria; Kjaergaard, Susanne; Leheup, Bruno; Martinet, Danielle; Nowaczyk, Malgorzata J.M.; Rosenfeld, Jill A.; Zeesman, Susan; Zunich, Janice; Beckmann, Jacques S.; Hirschhorn, Joel N.; Hastings, Michelle L.; Jacquemont, Sebastien; Katsanis, Nicholas

2013-01-01

Copy-number variants (CNVs) represent a significant interpretative challenge, given that each CNV typically affects the dosage of multiple genes. Here we report on five individuals with coloboma, microcephaly, developmental delay, short stature, and craniofacial, cardiac, and renal defects who harbor overlapping microdeletions on 8q24.3. Fine mapping localized a commonly deleted 78 kb region that contains three genes: SCRIB, NRBP2, and PUF60. In vivo dissection of the CNV showed discrete contributions of the planar cell polarity effector SCRIB and the splicing factor PUF60 to the syndromic phenotype, and the combinatorial suppression of both genes exacerbated some, but not all, phenotypic components. Consistent with these findings, we identified an individual with microcephaly, short stature, intellectual disability, and heart defects with a de novo c.505C>T variant leading to a p.His169Tyr change in PUF60. Functional testing of this allele in vivo and in vitro showed that the mutation perturbs the relative dosage of two PUF60 isoforms and, subsequently, the splicing efficiency of downstream PUF60 targets. These data inform the functions of two genes not associated previously with human genetic disease and demonstrate how CNVs can exhibit complex genetic architecture, with the phenotype being the amalgam of both discrete dosage dysfunction of single transcripts and also of binary genetic interactions. PMID:24140112

Physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of raw, roasted and puffed cacao beans.

PubMed

Hu, SuJung; Kim, Byung-Yong; Baik, Moo-Yeol

2016-03-01

The antioxidant capacity and attributable bioactive compounds of puffed cacao beans were investigated. Roasting was carried out at 190°C for 15min and puffing was performed at 4-7kgf/cm(2). Cacao beans puffed at 4kgf/cm(2) showed the highest total polyphenols (23.16mgGAE/gsample) and total flavonoids (10.65mgCE/gsample) (p<0.05). As the puffing pressure increased, the amount of total polyphenols and total flavonoids decreased. The antioxidant capacity of cacao beans reflected the total polyphenols and flavonoids measured. The quantities of theobromine, catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2 were higher in cacao beans puffed at 4kgf/cm(2) than in roasted cacao beans. Puffed cacao beans received a good sensory score in flavor, but sourness increased as puffing pressure increased. Thus, these results suggest that, in cacao bean processing, puffing could be an alternative to roasting, which provide a rich taste and high antioxidant capacity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Leishmania infantum PUF proteins are targets of the humoral response during visceral leishmaniasis

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background RNA-binding proteins of the PUF family share a conserved domain consisting of tandemly repeated 36-40 amino acid motifs (typically eight) known as Puf repeats. Proteins containing tandem repeats are often dominant targets of humoral responses during infectious diseases. Thus, we considered of interest to analyze whether Leishmania PUF proteins result antigenic during visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Findings Here, employing whole-genome databases, we report the composition, and structural features, of the PUF family in Leishmania infantum. Additionally, the 10 genes of the L. infantum PUF family were cloned and used to express the Leishmania PUFs in bacteria as recombinant proteins. Finally, the antigenicity of these PUF proteins was evaluated by determining levels of specific antibodies in sera from experimentally infected hamsters. The Leishmania PUFs were all recognized by the sera, even though with different degree of reactivity and/or frequency of recognition. The reactivity of hamster sera against recombinant LiPUF1 and LiPUF2 was particularly prominent, and these proteins were subsequently assayed against sera from human patients. High antibody responses against rLiPUF1 and rLiPUF2 were found in sera from VL patients, but these proteins resulted also recognized by sera from Chagas' disease patients. Conclusion Our results suggest that Leishmania PUFs are targets of the humoral response during L. infantum infection and may represent candidates for serodiagnosis and/or vaccine reagents; however, it should be kept in mind the cross-reactivity of LiPUFs with antibodies induced against other trypanosomatids such as Trypanosoma cruzi. PMID:20180988

Development, validation and application of a device to measure e-cigarette users’ puffing topography

PubMed Central

Cunningham, Anthony; Slayford, Sandra; Vas, Carl; Gee, Jodie; Costigan, Sandra; Prasad, Krishna

2016-01-01

With the rapidly rising popularity and substantial evolution of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in the past 5–6 years, how these devices are used by vapers and consumers’ exposure to aerosol emissions need to be understood. We used puffing topography to measure directly product use. We adapted a cigarette puffing topography device for use with e-cigarettes. We performed validation using air and e-cigarette aerosol under multiple regimes. Consumer puffing topography was measured for 60 vapers provided with rechargeable “cig-a-like” or larger button-activated e-cigarettes, to use ad-libitum in two sessions. Under all regimes, air puff volumes were within 1 mL of the target and aerosol volumes within 5 mL for all device types, serving to validate the device. Vapers’ mean puff durations (2.0 s and 2.2 s) were similar with both types of e-cigarette, but mean puff volumes (52.2 mL and 83.0 mL) and mean inter-puff intervals (23.2 s and 29.3 s) differed significantly. The differing data show that product characteristics influence puffing topography and, therefore, the results obtained from a given e-cigarette might not read across to other products. Understanding the factors that affect puffing topography will be important for standardising testing protocols for e-cigarette emissions. PMID:27721496

Development, validation and application of a device to measure e-cigarette users' puffing topography.

PubMed

Cunningham, Anthony; Slayford, Sandra; Vas, Carl; Gee, Jodie; Costigan, Sandra; Prasad, Krishna

2016-10-10

With the rapidly rising popularity and substantial evolution of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in the past 5-6 years, how these devices are used by vapers and consumers' exposure to aerosol emissions need to be understood. We used puffing topography to measure directly product use. We adapted a cigarette puffing topography device for use with e-cigarettes. We performed validation using air and e-cigarette aerosol under multiple regimes. Consumer puffing topography was measured for 60 vapers provided with rechargeable "cig-a-like" or larger button-activated e-cigarettes, to use ad-libitum in two sessions. Under all regimes, air puff volumes were within 1 mL of the target and aerosol volumes within 5 mL for all device types, serving to validate the device. Vapers' mean puff durations (2.0 s and 2.2 s) were similar with both types of e-cigarette, but mean puff volumes (52.2 mL and 83.0 mL) and mean inter-puff intervals (23.2 s and 29.3 s) differed significantly. The differing data show that product characteristics influence puffing topography and, therefore, the results obtained from a given e-cigarette might not read across to other products. Understanding the factors that affect puffing topography will be important for standardising testing protocols for e-cigarette emissions.

Relationship of starch changes to puffing expansion of parboiled rice.

PubMed

Mahanta, Charu Lata; Bhattacharya, K R

2010-03-01

'Intan' variety of paddy (Oryza sativa) was tested for puffing. It was parboiled under a wide range of paddy moisture content, steaming pressure and time, as also temperature and time of sand heating. The resulting milled rices were studied for their diverse properties including puffing. Indices of starch changes in the samples were calculated as: (1) gelatinisation index from the solubility of amylose in 0.2 N KOH; (2) amylopectin retrogradation from the post-production drop in room-temperature hydration power of the parboiled paddy during air-drying, (3) thermal breakdown of starch from the drop in gel permeation chromatographic fraction I of starch; lipid-amylose complexation indirectly from (4) drop in rate of water uptake during cooking and (5) cooked-rice firmness. It was found that the puffing expansion was very highly correlated with the combined above 5 indices of starch changes, as much as 90% of the variation in puffing being explainable on that basis. Puffing was promoted by gelatinisation as well as lipid-amylose complexation, but was retarded by amylopectin retrogradation and probably starch breakdown.

Polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers for monitoring phenanthrene in stormwater.

PubMed

Dou, Yueqin; Zhang, Tian C; Zeng, Jing; Stansbury, John; Moussavi, Massoum; Richter-Egger, Dana L; Klein, Mitchell R

2016-04-01

Pollution from highway stormwater runoff has been an increasing area of concern. Many structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been implemented for stormwater treatment and management. One challenge for these BMPs is to sample stormwater and monitor BMP performance. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers (PSs) for sampling phenanthrene (PHE) in highway stormwater runoff and BMPs. Tests were conducted using batch reactors, glass-tube columns, and laboratory-scale BMPs (bioretention cells). Results indicate that sorption for PHE by PUF is mainly linearly relative to time, and the high sorption capacity allows the PUF passive sampler to monitor stormwater events for months or years. The PUF passive samplers could be embedded in BMPs for monitoring influent and effluent PHE concentrations. Models developed to link the results of batch and column tests proved to be useful for determining removal or sorption parameters and performance of the PUF-PSs. The predicted removal efficiencies of BMPs were close to the real values obtained from the control columns with errors ranging between -8.46 and 1.52%. This research showed that it is possible to use PUF passive samplers for sampling stormwater and monitoring the performance of stormwater BMPs, which warrants the field-scale feasibility studies in the future.

Characterization of polyurethane foam (PUF) and sorbent impregnated PUF (SIP) disk passive air samplers for measuring organophosphate flame retardants.

PubMed

Abdollahi, Atousa; Eng, Anita; Jantunen, Liisa M; Ahrens, Lutz; Shoeib, Mahiba; Parnis, J Mark; Harner, Tom

2017-01-01

This study aimed to characterize the uptake of organophosphate esters (OPEs) by polyurethane foam (PUF) and sorbent-impregnated polyurethane foam (SIP) disk passive air samplers (PAS). Atmospheric OPE concentrations were monitored with high-volume active air samplers (HV-AAS) that were co-deployed with passive air samplers. Samples were analyzed for tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tri(phenyl) phosphate (TPhP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), and tris(2,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP). The mean concentration of ∑OPEs in air was 2650 pg/m 3 for the HV-AAS. Sampling rates and the passive sampler medium (PSM)-air partition coefficient (K PSM-Air ) were calculated for individual OPEs. The average calculated sampling rates (R) for the four OPEs were 3.6 ± 1.2 and 4.2 ± 2.0 m 3 /day for the PUF and SIP disks, respectively, and within the range of the recommended default value of 4 ± 2 m 3 /day. Since most of the OPEs remained in the linear uptake phase during the study, COSMO-RS solvation theory and an oligomer-based model were used to estimate K PUF-Air for the OPEs. The estimated values of log K PUF-Air were 7.45 (TCIPP), 9.35 (TPhP), 8.44 (TCEP), and 9.67 (TDCIPP). Finally, four configurations of the PUF and SIP disks were tested by adjusting the distance of the gap opening between the upper and lower domes of the sampler housing: i.e. 2 cm, 1 cm, no gap and 1 cm overlap. The sampling rate did not differ significantly between these four configurations (p < 0.05). Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of the PufX protein in photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. 2. PufX is required for efficient ubiquinone/ubiquinol exchange between the reaction center QB site and the cytochrome bc1 complex.

PubMed

Barz, W P; Verméglio, A; Francia, F; Venturoli, G; Melandri, B A; Oesterhelt, D

1995-11-21

The PufX membrane protein is essential for photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides because it is required for multiple-turnover electron transfer under anaerobic conditions [see accompanying article; Barz, W. P., Francia, F., Venturoli, G., Melandri, B. A., Verméglio, A., & Oesterhelt, D. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 15235-15247]. In order to understand the molecular role of PufX, light-induced absorption spectroscopy was performed using a pufX- mutant, a pufX+ strain, and two suppressor mutants. We show that the reaction center (RC) requires PufX for its functionality under different redox conditions than the cytochrome bc1 complex: When the kinetics of flash-induced reduction of cytochrome b561 were monitored in chromatophores, we observed a requirement of PufX for turnover of the cytochrome bc1 complex only at high redox potential (Eh > 140 mV), suggesting a function of PufX in lateral ubiquinol transfer from the RC. In contrast, PufX is required for multiple turnover of the RC only under reducing conditions: When the Q pool was partially oxidized in vivo using oxygen or electron acceptors like dimethyl sulfoxide or trimethylamine N-oxide, the deletion of PufX had no effect on light-driven electron flow through the RC. Flash train experiments under anaerobic in vivo conditions revealed that RC photochemistry does not depend on PufX for the first two flash excitations. Following the third and subsequent flashes, however, efficient charge separation requires PufX, indicating an important role of PufX for fast Q/QH2 exchange at the QB site of the RC. We show that the Q/QH2 exchange rate is reduced approximately 500-fold by the deletion of PufX when the Q pool is nearly completely reduced, demonstrating an essential role of PufX for the access of ubiquinone to the QB site. The fast ubiquinone/ubiquinol exchange is partially restored by suppressor mutations altering the macromolecular antenna structure. These results suggest an indirect role of PufX in

Multi-omics Reveal Specific Targets of the RNA-Binding Protein Puf3p and Its Orchestration of Mitochondrial Biogenesis.

PubMed

Lapointe, Christopher P; Stefely, Jonathan A; Jochem, Adam; Hutchins, Paul D; Wilson, Gary M; Kwiecien, Nicholas W; Coon, Joshua J; Wickens, Marvin; Pagliarini, David J

2018-01-24

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a redox-active lipid required for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). How CoQ biosynthesis is coordinated with the biogenesis of OxPhos protein complexes is unclear. Here, we show that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA-binding protein (RBP) Puf3p regulates CoQ biosynthesis. To establish the mechanism for this regulation, we employed a multi-omic strategy to identify mRNAs that not only bind Puf3p but also are regulated by Puf3p in vivo. The CoQ biosynthesis enzyme Coq5p is a critical Puf3p target: Puf3p regulates the abundance of Coq5p and prevents its detrimental hyperaccumulation, thereby enabling efficient CoQ production. More broadly, Puf3p represses a specific set of proteins involved in mitochondrial protein import, translation, and OxPhos complex assembly (pathways essential to prime mitochondrial biogenesis). Our data reveal a mechanism for post-transcriptionally coordinating CoQ production with OxPhos biogenesis, and they demonstrate the power of multi-omics for defining genuine targets of RBPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heat damage and in vitro starch digestibility of puffed wheat kernels.

PubMed

Cattaneo, Stefano; Hidalgo, Alyssa; Masotti, Fabio; Stuknytė, Milda; Brandolini, Andrea; De Noni, Ivano

2015-12-01

The effect of processing conditions on heat damage, starch digestibility, release of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and antioxidant capacity of puffed cereals was studied. The determination of several markers arising from Maillard reaction proved pyrraline (PYR) and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) as the most reliable indices of heat load applied during puffing. The considerable heat load was evidenced by the high levels of both PYR (57.6-153.4 mg kg(-1) dry matter) and HMF (13-51.2 mg kg(-1) dry matter). For cost and simplicity, HMF looked like the most appropriate index in puffed cereals. Puffing influenced starch in vitro digestibility, being most of the starch (81-93%) hydrolyzed to maltotriose, maltose and glucose whereas only limited amounts of AGEs were released. The relevant antioxidant capacity revealed by digested puffed kernels can be ascribed to both the new formed Maillard reaction products and the conditions adopted during in vitro digestion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physics of puffing and microexplosion of emulsion fuel droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinjo, J.; Xia, J.; Ganippa, L. C.; Megaritis, A.

2014-10-01

The physics of water-in-oil emulsion droplet microexplosion/puffing has been investigated using high-fidelity interface-capturing simulation. Varying the dispersed-phase (water) sub-droplet size/location and the initiation location of explosive boiling (bubble formation), the droplet breakup processes have been well revealed. The bubble growth leads to local and partial breakup of the parent oil droplet, i.e., puffing. The water sub-droplet size and location determine the after-puffing dynamics. The boiling surface of the water sub-droplet is unstable and evolves further. Finally, the sub-droplet is wrapped by boiled water vapor and detaches itself from the parent oil droplet. When the water sub-droplet is small, the detachment is quick, and the oil droplet breakup is limited. When it is large and initially located toward the parent droplet center, the droplet breakup is more extensive. For microexplosion triggered by the simultaneous growth of multiple separate bubbles, each explosion is local and independent initially, but their mutual interactions occur at a later stage. The degree of breakup can be larger due to interactions among multiple explosions. These findings suggest that controlling microexplosion/puffing is possible in a fuel spray, if the emulsion-fuel blend and the ambient flow conditions such as heating are properly designed. The current study also gives us an insight into modeling the puffing and microexplosion of emulsion droplets and sprays.

Puffing, a novel coffee bean processing technique for the enhancement of extract yield and antioxidant capacity.

PubMed

Kim, Wooki; Kim, Sang-Youn; Kim, Dae-Ok; Kim, Byung-Yong; Baik, Moo-Yeol

2018-02-01

Puffing of coffee beans, which induces heat- and pressure-derived physicochemical changes, was applied as an alternative to roasting. Roasted or puffed coffee beans with equivalent lightness values were compared. The moisture content was higher while the crude fat and protein compositions were lower in puffed beans than in roasted beans. The pH was lower and the acid content was higher in puffed beans than in roasted beans. The roasted beans exhibited greater specific volumes, while the puffed beans displayed greater extraction yields. The trigonelline and total phenolic contents were greater in puffed beans than in roasted beans resulting in an enhanced antioxidant capacity. Sensory evaluation of roasted and puffed coffee bean brews revealed that puffing did not affect the flavor or overall acceptance. The current study provides evidence that puffing is an alternative to roasting coffee beans with various benefits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of polyurethane foam passive air sampler (PUF) as a tool for occupational PAH measurements.

PubMed

Strandberg, Bo; Julander, Anneli; Sjöström, Mattias; Lewné, Marie; Koca Akdeva, Hatice; Bigert, Carolina

2018-01-01

Routine monitoring of workplace exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is performed mainly via active sampling. However, active samplers have several drawbacks and, in some cases, may even be unusable. Polyurethane foam (PUF) as personal passive air samplers constitute good alternatives for PAH monitoring in occupational air (8 h). However, PUFs must be further tested to reliably yield detectable levels of PAHs in short exposure times (1-3 h) and under extreme occupational conditions. Therefore, we compared the personal exposure monitoring performance of a passive PUF sampler with that of an active air sampler and determined the corresponding uptake rates (Rs). These rates were then used to estimate the occupational exposure of firefighters and police forensic specialists to 32 PAHs. The work environments studied were heavily contaminated by PAHs with (for example) benzo(a)pyrene ranging from 0.2 to 56 ng m -3 , as measured via active sampling. We show that, even after short exposure times, PUF can reliably accumulate both gaseous and particle-bound PAHs. The Rs-values are almost independent of variables such as the concentration and the wind speed. Therefore, by using the Rs-values (2.0-20 m 3 day -1 ), the air concentrations can be estimated within a factor of two for gaseous PAHs and a factor of 10 for particulate PAHs. With very short sampling times (1 h), our method can serve as a (i) simple and user-friendly semi-quantitative screening tool for estimating and tracking point sources of PAH in micro-environments and (ii) complement to the traditional active pumping methods. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Structural basis for specific recognition of multiple mRNA targets by a PUF regulatory protein

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

Wang, Yeming; Opperman, Laura; Wickens, Marvin

2011-11-02

Caenorhabditis elegans fem-3 binding factor (FBF) is a founding member of the PUMILIO/FBF (PUF) family of mRNA regulatory proteins. It regulates multiple mRNAs critical for stem cell maintenance and germline development. Here, we report crystal structures of FBF in complex with 6 different 9-nt RNA sequences, including elements from 4 natural mRNAs. These structures reveal that FBF binds to conserved bases at positions 1-3 and 7-8. The key specificity determinant of FBF vs. other PUF proteins lies in positions 4-6. In FBF/RNA complexes, these bases stack directly with one another and turn away from the RNA-binding surface. A short regionmore » of FBF is sufficient to impart its unique specificity and lies directly opposite the flipped bases. We suggest that this region imposes a flattened curvature on the protein; hence, the requirement for the additional nucleotide. The principles of FBF/RNA recognition suggest a general mechanism by which PUF proteins recognize distinct families of RNAs yet exploit very nearly identical atomic contacts in doing so.« less

Structural basis for specific recognition of multiple mRNA targets by a PUF regulatory protein

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

Wang, Yeming; Opperman, Laura; Wickens, Marvin

2010-08-19

Caenorhabditis elegans fem-3 binding factor (FBF) is a founding member of the PUMILIO/FBF (PUF) family of mRNA regulatory proteins. It regulates multiple mRNAs critical for stem cell maintenance and germline development. Here, we report crystal structures of FBF in complex with 6 different 9-nt RNA sequences, including elements from 4 natural mRNAs. These structures reveal that FBF binds to conserved bases at positions 1-3 and 7-8. The key specificity determinant of FBF vs. other PUF proteins lies in positions 4-6. In FBF/RNA complexes, these bases stack directly with one another and turn away from the RNA-binding surface. A short regionmore » of FBF is sufficient to impart its unique specificity and lies directly opposite the flipped bases. We suggest that this region imposes a flattened curvature on the protein; hence, the requirement for the additional nucleotide. The principles of FBF/RNA recognition suggest a general mechanism by which PUF proteins recognize distinct families of RNAs yet exploit very nearly identical atomic contacts in doing so.« less

Calibration of polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers for quantitative measurement of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): factors influencing sampling rates.

PubMed

Hazrati, Sadegh; Harrad, Stuart

2007-03-01

PUF disk passive air samplers are increasingly employed for monitoring of POPs in ambient air. In order to utilize them as quantitative sampling devices, a calibration experiment was conducted. Time integrated indoor air concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs were obtained from a low volume air sampler operated over a 50 d period alongside the PUF disk samplers in the same office microenvironment. Passive sampling rates for the fully-sheltered sampler design employed in our research were determined for the 51 PCB and 7 PBDE congeners detected in all calibration samples. These values varied from 0.57 to 1.55 m3 d(-1) for individual PCBs and from 1.1 to 1.9 m3 d(-1) for PBDEs. These values are appreciably lower than those reported elsewhere for different PUF disk sampler designs (e.g. partially sheltered) employed under different conditions (e.g. in outdoor air), and derived using different calibration experiment configurations. This suggests that sampling rates derived for a specific sampler configuration deployed under specific environmental conditions, should not be extrapolated to different sampler configurations. Furthermore, our observation of variable congener-specific sampling rates (consistent with other studies), implies that more research is required in order to understand fully the factors that influence sampling rates. Analysis of wipe samples taken from the inside of the sampler housing, revealed evidence that the housing surface scavenges particle bound PBDEs.

Effects of calcium supplements on the quality and acrylamide content of puffed shrimp chips.

PubMed

Chen, Tai-Yuan; Luo, Hsuan-Min; Hsu, Pang-Hung; Sung, Wen-Chieh

2016-01-01

The quality and acrylamide content of deep-fried and microwave-puffed shrimp chips fortified with 0.1%, 0.5%, or 1.0% calcium salts (calcium lactate, calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, or calcium acetate) were investigated. Microwave-puffed shrimp chips contained higher amounts of acrylamide (130.43 ppb) than did deep-fried shrimp chips. The greatest mitigation of acrylamide formation in overfried chips was obtained with 0.1% calcium lactate. All browning indexes of fortified shrimp chips, whether deep-fried or microwave-puffed, were reduced. L* values of microwave-puffed shrimp chips were higher than those of deep-fried shrimp chips, whereas a* and b* values and browning indexes were lower. Color differences (ΔE) between deep-fried puffed shrimp chips fortified with calcium salts and a control sample were higher than 5, and the sensory scores of shrimp chips were significantly decreased by the addition of calcium lactate. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Polyurethane foam (PUF) disks passive air samplers: wind effect on sampling rates.

PubMed

Tuduri, Ludovic; Harner, Tom; Hung, Hayley

2006-11-01

Different passive sampler housings were evaluated for their wind dampening ability and how this might translate to variability in sampler uptake rates. Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk samplers were used as the sampling medium and were exposed to a PCB-contaminated atmosphere in a wind tunnel. The effect of outside wind speed on PUF disk sampling rates was evaluated by exposing polyurethane foam (PUF) disks to a PCB-contaminated air stream in a wind tunnel over air velocities in the range 0 to 1.75 m s-1. PUF disk sampling rates increased gradually over the range 0-0.9 m s-1 at approximately 4.5-14.6 m3 d-1 and then increased sharply to approximately 42 m3 d-1 at approximately 1.75 m s-1 (sum of PCBs). The results indicate that for most field deployments the conventional 'flying saucer' housing adequately dampens the wind effect and will yield approximately time-weighted air concentrations.

Changes in puffing behavior among smokers who switched from tobacco to electronic cigarettes

PubMed Central

Lee, Yong Hee; Gawron, Michal; Goniewicz, Maciej Lukasz

2015-01-01

Introduction Nicotine intake from electronic cigarette (e-cigarettes) increases with user’s experience. This suggests that smokers who switched from tobacco to electronic cigarettes compensate for nicotine over the time to get as much nicotine as they need. One of the mechanism by which smokers may compensate for nicotine is by modifying their puffing behavior. The aim of the study was to assess the changes in puffing behavior after switching from conventional to electronic cigarettes among regular smokers. Materials and Methods Twenty smokers (11 female, aged 31±10, CPD 16±8, FTND 4±3, and exhaled CO 16±17 (mean±SD)) who were naïve to e-cigarettes participated in this study. They were asked to substitute their regular tobacco cigarettes with first generation e-cigarettes (labelled 18 mg nicotine) for two weeks. Puffing topography (number of puffs, puff volume, intervals between puffs, and average puff flow rate) was measured at the initial use (baseline), as well as after one and two weeks of product use. We tested changes in puffing topography outcomes using repeated measures ANOVA. Results We found that after one week of using e-cigarettes, participants significantly increased the average time they puffed on e-cigarettes from 2.2±0.1 (mean±SEM) to 3.1±0.3 sec (p<0.05). The average puff flow rate decreased from 30.6±2.3 to 25.1±1.8 ml/sec after one week of e-cigarette use (p<0.05). Conclusions Our data show that smokers modify their puffing behavior after switching from tobacco to electronic cigarettes by taking longer and slower puffs. The potential reason for changing puffing behavior is to compensate for less efficient nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes. PMID:25930009

Changes in puffing behavior among smokers who switched from tobacco to electronic cigarettes.

PubMed

Lee, Yong Hee; Gawron, Michal; Goniewicz, Maciej Lukasz

2015-09-01

Nicotine intake from electronic cigarette (e-cigarettes) increases with user's experience. This suggests that smokers who switched from tobacco to electronic cigarettes compensate for nicotine over time to get as much nicotine as they need. One of the mechanisms by which smokers may compensate for nicotine is by modifying their puffing behavior. The aim of the study was to assess the changes in puffing behavior after switching from conventional to electronic cigarettes among regular smokers. Twenty smokers (11 female, aged 31±10, CPD 16±8, FTND 4±3, and exhaled CO 16±17 (mean±SD)) who were naïve to e-cigarettes participated in this study. They were asked to substitute their regular tobacco cigarettes with first generation e-cigarettes (labeled 18mg nicotine) for two weeks. Puffing topography (number of puffs, puff volume, intervals between puffs, and average puff flow rate) was measured at the initial use (baseline), as well as after one and two weeks of product use. We tested changes in puffing topography outcomes using repeated measures ANOVA. We found that after one week of using e-cigarettes, participants significantly increased the average time they puffed on e-cigarettes from 2.2±0.1 (mean±SEM) to 3.1±0.3s (p<0.05). The average puff flow rate decreased from 30.6±2.3 to 25.1±1.8ml/s after one week of e-cigarette use (p<0.05). Our data show that smokers modify their puffing behavior after switching from tobacco to electronic cigarettes by taking longer and slower puffs. The potential reason for changing puffing behavior is to compensate for less efficient nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of chemical composite, puffing temperature and intermediate moisture content on physical properties of potato and apple slices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabtaing, S.; Paengkanya, S.; Tanthong, P.

2017-09-01

Puffing technique is the process that can improve texture and volumetric of crisp fruit and vegetable. However, the effect of chemical composite in foods on puffing characteristics is still lack of study. Therefore, potato and apple slices were comparative study on their physical properties. Potato and apple were sliced into 2.5 mm thickness and 2.5 cm in diameter. Potato slices were treated by hot water for 2 min while apple slices were not treatment. After that, they were dried in 3 steps. First step, they were dried by hot air at temperature of 90°C until their moisture content reached to 30, 40, and 50 % dry basis. Then they were puffed by hot air at temperature of 130, 150, and 170°C for 2 min. Finally, they were dried again by hot air at temperature of 90°C until their final moisture content reached to 4% dry basis. The experimental results showed that chemical composite of food affected on physical properties of puffed product. Puffed potato had higher volume ratio than those puffed apple because potato slices contains starch. The higher starch content provided more hard texture of potato than those apples. Puffing temperature and moisture content strongly affected on the color, volume ratio, and textural properties of puffed potato slices. In addition, the high drying rate of puffed product observed at high puffing temperature and higher moisture content.

The Puf family of RNA-binding proteins in plants: phylogeny, structural modeling, activity and subcellular localization

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Puf proteins have important roles in controlling gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by promoting RNA decay and repressing translation. The Pumilio homology domain (PUM-HD) is a conserved region within Puf proteins that binds to RNA with sequence specificity. Although Puf proteins have been well characterized in animal and fungal systems, little is known about the structural and functional characteristics of Puf-like proteins in plants. Results The Arabidopsis and rice genomes code for 26 and 19 Puf-like proteins, respectively, each possessing eight or fewer Puf repeats in their PUM-HD. Key amino acids in the PUM-HD of several of these proteins are conserved with those of animal and fungal homologs, whereas other plant Puf proteins demonstrate extensive variability in these amino acids. Three-dimensional modeling revealed that the predicted structure of this domain in plant Puf proteins provides a suitable surface for binding RNA. Electrophoretic gel mobility shift experiments showed that the Arabidopsis AtPum2 PUM-HD binds with high affinity to BoxB of the Drosophila Nanos Response Element I (NRE1) RNA, whereas a point mutation in the core of the NRE1 resulted in a significant reduction in binding affinity. Transient expression of several of the Arabidopsis Puf proteins as fluorescent protein fusions revealed a dynamic, punctate cytoplasmic pattern of localization for most of these proteins. The presence of predicted nuclear export signals and accumulation of AtPuf proteins in the nucleus after treatment of cells with leptomycin B demonstrated that shuttling of these proteins between the cytosol and nucleus is common among these proteins. In addition to the cytoplasmically enriched AtPum proteins, two AtPum proteins showed nuclear targeting with enrichment in the nucleolus. Conclusions The Puf family of RNA-binding proteins in plants consists of a greater number of members than any other model species studied to date. This, along with the

Photosynthesis Is Widely Distributed among Proteobacteria as Demonstrated by the Phylogeny of PufLM Reaction Center Proteins

PubMed Central

Imhoff, Johannes F.; Rahn, Tanja; Künzel, Sven; Neulinger, Sven C.

2018-01-01

Two different photosystems for performing bacteriochlorophyll-mediated photosynthetic energy conversion are employed in different bacterial phyla. Those bacteria employing a photosystem II type of photosynthetic apparatus include the phototrophic purple bacteria (Proteobacteria), Gemmatimonas and Chloroflexus with their photosynthetic relatives. The proteins of the photosynthetic reaction center PufL and PufM are essential components and are common to all bacteria with a type-II photosynthetic apparatus, including the anaerobic as well as the aerobic phototrophic Proteobacteria. Therefore, PufL and PufM proteins and their genes are perfect tools to evaluate the phylogeny of the photosynthetic apparatus and to study the diversity of the bacteria employing this photosystem in nature. Almost complete pufLM gene sequences and the derived protein sequences from 152 type strains and 45 additional strains of phototrophic Proteobacteria employing photosystem II were compared. The results give interesting and comprehensive insights into the phylogeny of the photosynthetic apparatus and clearly define Chromatiales, Rhodobacterales, Sphingomonadales as major groups distinct from other Alphaproteobacteria, from Betaproteobacteria and from Caulobacterales (Brevundimonas subvibrioides). A special relationship exists between the PufLM sequences of those bacteria employing bacteriochlorophyll b instead of bacteriochlorophyll a. A clear phylogenetic association of aerobic phototrophic purple bacteria to anaerobic purple bacteria according to their PufLM sequences is demonstrated indicating multiple evolutionary lines from anaerobic to aerobic phototrophic purple bacteria. The impact of pufLM gene sequences for studies on the environmental diversity of phototrophic bacteria is discussed and the possibility of their identification on the species level in environmental samples is pointed out. PMID:29472894

Bluffing, puffing and spinning in managed-care organizations.

PubMed

Illingworth, P

2000-02-01

I argue that because bluffing, puffing, and spinning are features of corporate life, they are likely to characterize the doctor-patient relationship in managed care medicine. I show that managed-care organizations (MCOs) and the physicians who contract with them make liberal use of puffing and spinning. In this way, they create a context in which it is likely that patients will also use deceptive mechanisms. Unfortunately, patients risk their health when they deceive their doctors. Using the warranty theory of truth I argue that although bluffing may be ethical in business because all participants agree to it and business has not warranted truth-telling, it is not ethical in a medical context because physicians and MCOs have warranted truth-telling and the quality of medical care depends on it.

Synthesis of plutonium trifluoride by hydro-fluorination and novel thermodynamic data for the PuF3-LiF system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tosolin, A.; Souček, P.; Beneš, O.; Vigier, J.-F.; Luzzi, L.; Konings, R. J. M.

2018-05-01

PuF3 was synthetized by hydro-fluorination of PuO2 and subsequent reduction of the product by hydrogenation. The obtained PuF3 was analysed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and found phase-pure. High purity was also confirmed by the melting point analysis using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). PuF3 was then used for thermodynamic assessment of the PuF3-LiF system. Phase equilibrium points and enthalpy of fusion of the eutectic composition were measured by DSC. XRD analyses of selected samples after DSC measurement confirm that after solidification from the liquid, the system returns to a mixture of LiF and PuF3.

A Trustworthy Key Generation Prototype Based on DDR3 PUF for Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Liu, Wenchao; Zhang, Zhenhua; Li, Miaoxin; Liu, Zhenglin

2014-01-01

Secret key leakage in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a high security risk especially when sensor nodes are deployed in hostile environment and physically accessible to attackers. With nowadays semi/fully-invasive attack techniques attackers can directly derive the cryptographic key from non-volatile memory (NVM) storage. Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) is a promising technology to resist node capture attacks, and it also provides a low cost and tamper-resistant key provisioning solution. In this paper, we designed a PUF based on double-data-rate SDRAM Type 3 (DDR3) memory by exploring its memory decay characteristics. We also described a prototype of 128-bit key generation based on DDR3 PUF with integrated fuzzy extractor. Due to the wide adoption of DDR3 memory in WSN, our proposed DDR3 PUF technology with high security levels and no required hardware changes is suitable for a wide range of WSN applications. PMID:24984058

An Anti-Electromagnetic Attack PUF Based on a Configurable Ring Oscillator for Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Lu, Zhaojun; Li, Dongfang; Liu, Hailong; Gong, Mingyang; Liu, Zhenglin

2017-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are an emerging technology employed in some crucial applications. However, limited resources and physical exposure to attackers make security a challenging issue for a WSN. Ring oscillator-based physical unclonable function (RO PUF) is a potential option to protect the security of sensor nodes because it is able to generate random responses efficiently for a key extraction mechanism, which prevents the non-volatile memory from storing secret keys. In order to deploy RO PUF in a WSN, hardware efficiency, randomness, uniqueness, and reliability should be taken into account. Besides, the resistance to electromagnetic (EM) analysis attack is important to guarantee the security of RO PUF itself. In this paper, we propose a novel architecture of configurable RO PUF based on exclusive-or (XOR) gates. First, it dramatically increases the hardware efficiency compared with other types of RO PUFs. Second, it mitigates the vulnerability to EM analysis attack by placing the adjacent RO arrays in accordance with the cosine wave and sine wave so that the frequency of each RO cannot be detected. We implement our proposal in XINLINX A-7 field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and conduct a set of experiments to evaluate the quality of the responses. The results show that responses pass the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) statistical test and have good uniqueness and reliability under different environments. Therefore, the proposed configurable RO PUF is suitable to establish a key extraction mechanism in a WSN. PMID:28914756

An Anti-Electromagnetic Attack PUF Based on a Configurable Ring Oscillator for Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Lu, Zhaojun; Li, Dongfang; Liu, Hailong; Gong, Mingyang; Liu, Zhenglin

2017-09-15

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are an emerging technology employed in some crucial applications. However, limited resources and physical exposure to attackers make security a challenging issue for a WSN. Ring oscillator-based physical unclonable function (RO PUF) is a potential option to protect the security of sensor nodes because it is able to generate random responses efficiently for a key extraction mechanism, which prevents the non-volatile memory from storing secret keys. In order to deploy RO PUF in a WSN, hardware efficiency, randomness, uniqueness, and reliability should be taken into account. Besides, the resistance to electromagnetic (EM) analysis attack is important to guarantee the security of RO PUF itself. In this paper, we propose a novel architecture of configurable RO PUF based on exclusive-or (XOR) gates. First, it dramatically increases the hardware efficiency compared with other types of RO PUFs. Second, it mitigates the vulnerability to EM analysis attack by placing the adjacent RO arrays in accordance with the cosine wave and sine wave so that the frequency of each RO cannot be detected. We implement our proposal in XINLINX A-7 field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and conduct a set of experiments to evaluate the quality of the responses. The results show that responses pass the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) statistical test and have good uniqueness and reliability under different environments. Therefore, the proposed configurable RO PUF is suitable to establish a key extraction mechanism in a WSN.

Effects of room airflow on accurate determination of PUF-PAS sampling rates in the indoor environment.

PubMed

Herkert, Nicholas J; Hornbuckle, Keri C

2018-05-23

Accurate and precise interpretation of concentrations from polyurethane passive samplers (PUF-PAS) is important as more studies show elevated concentrations of PCBs and other semivolatile air toxics in indoor air of schools and homes. If sufficiently reliable, these samplers may be used to identify local sources and human health risks. Here we report indoor air sampling rates (Rs) for polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) predicted for a frequently used double-dome and a half-dome PUF-PAS design. Both our experimentally calibrated (1.10 ± 0.23 m3 d-1) and modeled (1.08 ± 0.04 m3 d-1) Rs for the double-dome samplers compare well with literature reports for similar rooms. We determined that variability of wind speeds throughout the room significantly (P < 0.001) effected uptake rates. We examined this effect using computational fluid dynamics modeling and 3-D sonic anemometer measurements and found the airflow dynamics to have a significant but small impact on the precision of calculated airborne concentrations. The PUF-PAS concentration measurements were within 27% and 10% of the active sampling concentration measurements for the double-dome and half-dome designs, respectively. While the half-dome samplers produced more consistent concentration measurements, we find both designs to perform well indoors.

Multi-factor authentication

DOEpatents

Hamlet, Jason R; Pierson, Lyndon G

2014-10-21

Detection and deterrence of spoofing of user authentication may be achieved by including a cryptographic fingerprint unit within a hardware device for authenticating a user of the hardware device. The cryptographic fingerprint unit includes an internal physically unclonable function ("PUF") circuit disposed in or on the hardware device, which generates a PUF value. Combining logic is coupled to receive the PUF value, combines the PUF value with one or more other authentication factors to generate a multi-factor authentication value. A key generator is coupled to generate a private key and a public key based on the multi-factor authentication value while a decryptor is coupled to receive an authentication challenge posed to the hardware device and encrypted with the public key and coupled to output a response to the authentication challenge decrypted with the private key.

Puffing flame instability - Part II: Predicting the onset and frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boettcher, Philipp; Shepherd, Joseph; Menon, Shyam; Blanquart, Guillaume

2011-11-01

Experiments and simulations have been performed on fuel rich n- hexane air mixtures in a closed vessel. Both experiments and simulations show a distinct cyclic combustion or ``puffing'' mode. The misalignment of buoyancy induced pressure gradients and density gradients across the flame front is responsible for the generation of vorticity and its subsequent roll-up into vortex rings. In the present work, a simplified model is proposed based on the fundamental interactions between fluid mechanical and chemical parameters. This simplified fluid mechanics model is based on dimensional analysis and is used to predict the onset and frequency of the puffing behavior. This work was sponsored by The Boeing Company through CTBA-GTA-1.

Cleavage of influenza RNA by using a human PUF-based artificial RNA-binding protein–staphylococcal nuclease hybrid

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

Mori, Tomoaki; Nakamura, Kento; Masaoka, Keisuke

Various viruses infect animals and humans and cause a variety of diseases, including cancer. However, effective methodologies to prevent virus infection have not yet been established. Therefore, development of technologies to inactivate viruses is highly desired. We have already demonstrated that cleavage of a DNA virus genome was effective to prevent its replication. Here, we expanded this methodology to RNA viruses. In the present study, we used staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) instead of the PIN domain (PilT N-terminus) of human SMG6 as an RNA-cleavage domain and fused the SNase to a human Pumilio/fem-3 binding factor (PUF)-based artificial RNA-binding protein to constructmore » an artificial RNA restriction enzyme with enhanced RNA-cleavage rates for influenzavirus. The resulting SNase-fusion nuclease cleaved influenza RNA at rates 120-fold greater than the corresponding PIN-fusion nuclease. The cleaving ability of the PIN-fusion nuclease was not improved even though the linker moiety between the PUF and RNA-cleavage domain was changed. Gel shift assays revealed that the RNA-binding properties of the PUF derivative used was not as good as wild type PUF. Improvement of the binding properties or the design method will allow the SNase-fusion nuclease to cleave an RNA target in mammalian animal cells and/or organisms. - Highlights: • A novel RNA restriction enzyme using SNase was developed tor cleave viral RNA. • Our enzyme cleaved influenza RNA with rates >120-fold higher rates a PIN-fusion one. • Our artificial enzyme with the L5 linker showed the highest RNA cleavage rate. • Our artificial enzyme site-selectively cleaved influenza RNA in vitro.« less

Monomeric RC-LH1 core complexes retard LH2 assembly and intracytoplasmic membrane formation in PufX-minus mutants of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

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

Adams, Peter G.; Mothersole, David J.; Ng, Irene W.

2011-01-01

In the model photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides domains of light-harvesting 2 (LH2) complexes surround and interconnect dimeric reaction centre–light-harvesting 1–PufX (RC–LH1–PufX) ‘core’ complexes, forming extensive networks for energy transfer and trapping. These complexes are housed in spherical intracytoplasmic membranes (ICMs), which are assembled in a stepwise process where biosynthesis of core complexes tends to dominate the early stages of membrane invagination. The kinetics of LH2 assembly were measured in PufX mutants that assemble monomeric core complexes, as a consequence of either a twelve-residue N-terminal truncation of PufX (PufXΔ12) or the complete removal of PufX (PufX -). Lower rates of LH2more » assembly and retarded maturation of membrane invagination were observed for the larger and less curved ICM from the PufX - mutant, consistent with the proposition that local membrane curvature, initiated by arrays of bent RC–LH1–PufX dimers, creates a favourable environment for stable assembly of LH2 complexes. Transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution atomic force microscopy were used to examine ICM morphology and membrane protein organisation in these mutants. Some partitioning of core and LH2 complexes was observed in PufX - membranes, resulting in locally ordered clusters of monomeric RC–LH1 complexes. The distribution of core and LH2 complexes in the three types of membrane examined is consistent with previous models of membrane curvature and domain formation (Frese et al., 2008), which demonstrated that a combination of crowding and asymmetries in sizes and shapes of membrane protein complexes drives membrane organisation.« less

Monomeric RC-LH1 core complexes retard LH2 assembly and intracytoplasmic membrane formation in PufX-minus mutants of Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

PubMed

Adams, Peter G; Mothersole, David J; Ng, Irene W; Olsen, John D; Hunter, C Neil

2011-09-01

In the model photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides domains of light-harvesting 2 (LH2) complexes surround and interconnect dimeric reaction centre-light-harvesting 1-PufX (RC-LH1-PufX) 'core' complexes, forming extensive networks for energy transfer and trapping. These complexes are housed in spherical intracytoplasmic membranes (ICMs), which are assembled in a stepwise process where biosynthesis of core complexes tends to dominate the early stages of membrane invagination. The kinetics of LH2 assembly were measured in PufX mutants that assemble monomeric core complexes, as a consequence of either a twelve-residue N-terminal truncation of PufX (PufXΔ12) or the complete removal of PufX (PufX(-)). Lower rates of LH2 assembly and retarded maturation of membrane invagination were observed for the larger and less curved ICM from the PufX(-) mutant, consistent with the proposition that local membrane curvature, initiated by arrays of bent RC-LH1-PufX dimers, creates a favourable environment for stable assembly of LH2 complexes. Transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution atomic force microscopy were used to examine ICM morphology and membrane protein organisation in these mutants. Some partitioning of core and LH2 complexes was observed in PufX(-) membranes, resulting in locally ordered clusters of monomeric RC-LH1 complexes. The distribution of core and LH2 complexes in the three types of membrane examined is consistent with previous models of membrane curvature and domain formation (Frese et al., 2008), which demonstrated that a combination of crowding and asymmetries in sizes and shapes of membrane protein complexes drives membrane organisation. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Puffing of okara/rice blends using a rice cake machine.

PubMed

Xie, M; Huff, H; Hsieh, F; Mustapha, A

2008-10-01

Okara is the insoluble byproduct of soymilk and tofu manufactures. It is cheap, high in nutrients, and possesses great potential to be applied to functional human foods. In this study, a puffed okara/rice cake product was developed with blends of okara pellets and parboiled rice. Consumer preference and acceptance tests were conducted for the product. Okara pellets were prepared by grinding the strands obtained from extruding a mixture of dried okara and rice flour (3:2, w/w) with a twin-screw extruder. Okara pellets and parboiled rice were blended in 4 ratios, 90:10, 70:30, 40:60, and 0:100 (w/w), and tempered to 14% and 17% moisture. The blends were puffed at 221, 232, and 243 degrees C for 4, 5, or 6 s. The okara/rice cakes were evaluated for specific volume (SPV), texture, color, and percent weight loss after tumbling. Overall, the decrease in okara content and increase in moisture, heating temperature and time led to greater specific volume (SPV) and hardness, lighter color, and lower percent weight loss after tumbling. The consumer tests indicated that the okara/rice cake containing 70% okara pellets was preferred and the 90% one was liked the least. The possible drivers of liking for the puffed okara/rice cakes could be the okara content, hardness, SPV, bright color, and percent weight loss after tumbling.

PUF60 variants cause a syndrome of ID, short stature, microcephaly, coloboma, craniofacial, cardiac, renal and spinal features

PubMed Central

Low, Karen J; Ansari, Morad; Abou Jamra, Rami; Clarke, Angus; El Chehadeh, Salima; FitzPatrick, David R; Greenslade, Mark; Henderson, Alex; Hurst, Jane; Keller, Kory; Kuentz, Paul; Prescott, Trine; Roessler, Franziska; Selmer, Kaja K; Schneider, Michael C; Stewart, Fiona; Tatton-Brown, Katrina; Thevenon, Julien; Vigeland, Magnus D; Vogt, Julie; Willems, Marjolaine; Zonana, Jonathan; Study, D D D; Smithson, Sarah F

2017-01-01

PUF60 encodes a nucleic acid-binding protein, a component of multimeric complexes regulating RNA splicing and transcription. In 2013, patients with microdeletions of chromosome 8q24.3 including PUF60 were found to have developmental delay, microcephaly, craniofacial, renal and cardiac defects. Very similar phenotypes have been described in six patients with variants in PUF60, suggesting that it underlies the syndrome. We report 12 additional patients with PUF60 variants who were ascertained using exome sequencing: six through the Deciphering Developmental Disorders Study and six through similar projects. Detailed phenotypic analysis of all patients was undertaken. All 12 patients had de novo heterozygous PUF60 variants on exome analysis, each confirmed by Sanger sequencing: four frameshift variants resulting in premature stop codons, three missense variants that clustered within the RNA recognition motif of PUF60 and five essential splice-site (ESS) variant. Analysis of cDNA from a fibroblast cell line derived from one of the patients with an ESS variants revealed aberrant splicing. The consistent feature was developmental delay and most patients had short stature. The phenotypic variability was striking; however, we observed similarities including spinal segmentation anomalies, congenital heart disease, ocular colobomata, hand anomalies and (in two patients) unilateral renal agenesis/horseshoe kidney. Characteristic facial features included micrognathia, a thin upper lip and long philtrum, narrow almond-shaped palpebral fissures, synophrys, flared eyebrows and facial hypertrichosis. Heterozygote loss-of-function variants in PUF60 cause a phenotype comprising growth/developmental delay and craniofacial, cardiac, renal, ocular and spinal anomalies, adding to disorders of human development resulting from aberrant RNA processing/spliceosomal function. PMID:28327570

Programmable Pulse Generator for Aditya Gas Puffing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Narendra; Chavda, Chhaya; Bhatt, S. B.; Chattopadhyay, Prabal; Saxena, Y. C.

2012-11-01

In the Aditya Tokamak, one of primary requirement for plasma generation is to feed the required quantity of the fuel gas prior to plasma shot. Gas feed system mainly consists of piezoelectric gas leak valve and gas reservoir. The Hydrogen gas is prior to 300ms loop voltage for the duration of 4 msec to 7 msec. Gas is puffed during the shot for required plasma parameters and to increase plasma density using the same system. The valve is controlled by either continuous voltage or pulses of different width, amplitude and delay with respect to loop voltage. These voltage pulses are normally applied through standard pulse generator. The standard pulse generator is replaced by micro controller based in housed developed programmable pulse generator system consists of in built power supply, BNC input for external trigger, BNC output and serial interface. This programmable pulse generator is successfully tested and is in operation for gas puffing during ADITYA Tokamak experiments. The paper discusses the design and development aspect of the system.

Structure of the dimeric PufX-containing core complex of Rhodobacter blasticus by in situ atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Scheuring, Simon; Busselez, Johan; Lévy, Daniel

2005-01-14

We have studied photosynthetic membranes of wild type Rhodobacter blasticus, a closely related strain to the well studied Rhodobacter sphaeroides, using atomic force microscopy. High-resolution atomic force microscopy topographs of both cytoplasmic and periplasmic surfaces of LH2 and RC-LH1-PufX (RC, reaction center) complexes were acquired in situ. The LH2 is a nonameric ring inserted into the membrane with the 9-fold axis perpendicular to the plane. The core complex is an S-shaped dimer composed of two RCs, each encircled by 13 LH1 alpha/beta-heterodimers, and two PufXs. The LH1 assembly is an open ellipse with a topography-free gap of approximately 25 A. The two PufXs, one of each core, are located at the dimer center. Based on our data, we propose a model of the core complex, which provides explanation for the PufX-induced dimerization of the Rhodobacter core complex. The QB site is located facing a approximately 25-A wide gap within LH1, explaining the PufX-favored quinone passage in and out of the core complex.

Source environment feature related phylogenetic distribution pattern of anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria as revealed by pufM analysis.

PubMed

Zeng, Yonghui; Jiao, Nianzhi

2007-06-01

Anoxygenic photosynthesis, performed primarily by anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (APB), has been supposed to arise on Earth more than 3 billion years ago. The long established APB are distributed in almost every corner where light can reach. However, the relationship between APB phylogeny and source environments has been largely unexplored. Here we retrieved the pufM sequences and related source information of 89 pufM containing species from the public database. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) most likely occurred within 11 out of a total 21 pufM subgroups, not only among species within the same class but also among species of different phyla or subphyla. A clear source environment feature related phylogenetic distribution pattern was observed, with all species from oxic habitats and those from anoxic habitats clustering into independent subgroups, respectively. HGT among ancient APB and subsequent long term evolution and adaptation to separated niches may have contributed to the coupling of environment and pufM phylogeny.

Overview: Permanent University Fund (PUF)/Higher Education Fund (HEF)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2009

2009-01-01

All public institutions of higher education except community colleges and the Texas A&M University System College of Dentistry receive funding for construction and other capital purposes from the Permanent University Fund (PUF) or the Higher Education Fund (HEF) (sometimes referred to as the Higher Education Assistance Fund or HEAF). The…

Structure of the dimeric RC–LH1–PufX complex from Rhodobaca bogoriensis investigated by electron microscopy

PubMed Central

Semchonok, Dmitry A.; Chauvin, Jean-Paul; Frese, Raoul N.; Jungas, Colette; Boekema, Egbert J.

2012-01-01

Electron microscopy and single-particle averaging were performed on isolated reaction centre (RC)—antenna complexes (RC–LH1–PufX complexes) of Rhodobaca bogoriensis strain LBB1, with the aim of establishing the LH1 antenna conformation, and, in particular, the structural role of the PufX protein. Projection maps of dimeric complexes were obtained at 13 Å resolution and show the positions of the 2 × 14 LH1 α- and β-subunits. This new dimeric complex displays two open, C-shaped LH1 aggregates of 13 αβ polypeptides partially surrounding the RCs plus two LH1 units forming the dimer interface in the centre. Between the interface and the two half rings are two openings on each side. Next to the openings, there are four additional densities present per dimer, considered to be occupied by four copies of PufX. The position of the RC in our model was verified by comparison with RC–LH1–PufX complexes in membranes. Our model differs from previously proposed configurations for Rhodobacter species in which the LH1 ribbon is continuous in the shape of an S, and the stoichiometry is of one PufX per RC. PMID:23148268

PUF Proteins: Cellular Functions and Potential Applications.

PubMed

Kiani, Seyed Jalal; Taheri, Tahereh; Rafati, Sima; Samimi-Rad, Katayoun

2017-01-01

RNA-binding proteins play critical roles in the regulation of gene expression. Among several families of RNA-binding proteins, PUF (Pumilio and FBF) proteins have been the subject of extensive investigations, as they can bind RNA in a sequence-specific manner and they are evolutionarily conserved among a wide range of organisms. The outstanding feature of these proteins is a highly conserved RNA-binding domain, which is known as the Pumilio-homology domain (PUM-HD) that mostly consists of eight tandem repeats. Each repeat recognizes an RNA base with a simple three-letter code that can be programmed in order to change the sequence-specificity of the protein. Using this tailored architecture, researchers have been able to change the specificity of the PUM-HD and target desired transcripts in the cell, even in subcellular compartments. The potential applications of this versatile tool in molecular cell biology seem unbounded and the use of these factors in pharmaceutics might be an interesting field of study in near future. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Effect of explosion-puffed coffee on locomotor activity and behavioral patterns in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Ko, Bong Soo; Ahn, So Hyun; Noh, Dong Ouk; Hong, Ki-Bae; Han, Sung Hee; Suh, Hyung Joo

2017-10-01

We hypothesized that the administration of explosion-puffed coffee, containing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), would be associated with a reduction of the caffeine effect on sleep behavior and behavioral patterns, which was investigated in a Drosophila model. The effects of feeding roasted coffee beans (RB), explosion-puffed coffee beans puffed at 0.75MPa and 0.9MPa (PB 7.5 and PB 9.0, respectively), or decaffeinated coffee beans (DeRB) on locomotor activity and behavioral patterns of Drosophila was analyzed. In the decreasing order, the total chlorogenic acid (caffeoylquinic acids, CQA) content was PB 7.5>PB 9.0>RB. PB content analysis showed high levels of GABA and 5-HTP, compared with that of RB, which corresponded with the sleep-wake behavior of Drosophila. The RB and PB (PB 7.5 and PB 9.0) groups were not significantly different with respect to an activity count during the subjective night and day period compared with the normal controls. Sleep bout numbers of the normal, PB, and DeRB groups showed significant differences as compared with the caffeine and RB groups (p<0.05). The PB and DePB groups showed a significantly increased transcript levels for the GABA receptors compared to the caffeine group. The caffeine and RB groups displayed better climbing ability than the other groups, covering an average distance 6cm in the related test; the average distance covered by the normal, PB 7.5, and DeRB groups was <4cm. The normal and DeRB groups showed similar behavior patterns with respect to total distance, velocity, moving, not moving, and meander. However, the PB 7.5 group significantly regulated not moving and meander of flies compared to flies receiving only caffeine and RB. Suppression of the stimulating effect of caffeine by explosion-puffed coffee administration was indicated in the above results, which can be attributed to the increased content of GABA and 5-HTP with explosive puffing process carried out at 0.75MPa. Results of

Assessing cadmium exposure risks of vegetables with plant uptake factor and soil property.

PubMed

Yang, Yang; Chang, Andrew C; Wang, Meie; Chen, Weiping; Peng, Chi

2018-07-01

Plant uptake factors (PUFs) are of great importance in human cadmium (Cd) exposure risk assessment while it has been often treated in a generic way. We collected 1077 pairs of vegetable-soil samples from production fields to characterize Cd PUFs and demonstrated their utility in assessing Cd exposure risks to consumers of locally grown vegetables. The Cd PUFs varied with plant species and pH and organic matter content of soils. Once normalized PUFs against soil parameters, the PUFs distributions were log-normal in nature. In this manner, the PUFs were represented by definable probability distributions instead of a deterministic figure. The Cd exposure risks were then assessed using the normalized PUF based on the Monte Carlo simulation algorithm. Factors affecting the extent of Cd exposures were isolated through sensitivity analyses. Normalized PUF would illustrate the outcomes for uncontaminated and slightly contaminated soils. Among the vegetables, lettuce was potentially hazardous for residents due to its high Cd accumulation but low Zn concentration. To protect 95% of the lettuce production from causing excessive Cd exposure risks, pH of soils needed to be 5.9 and above. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic diversity assessment of anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria by distance-based grouping analysis of pufM sequences.

PubMed

Zeng, Y H; Chen, X H; Jiao, N Z

2007-12-01

To assess how completely the diversity of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (APB) was sampled in natural environments. All nucleotide sequences of the APB marker gene pufM from cultures and environmental clones were retrieved from the GenBank database. A set of cutoff values (sequence distances 0.06, 0.15 and 0.48 for species, genus, and (sub)phylum levels, respectively) was established using a distance-based grouping program. Analysis of the environmental clones revealed that current efforts on APB isolation and sampling in natural environments are largely inadequate. Analysis of the average distance between each identified genus and an uncultured environmental pufM sequence indicated that the majority of cultured APB genera lack environmental representatives. The distance-based grouping method is fast and efficient for bulk functional gene sequences analysis. The results clearly show that we are at a relatively early stage in sampling the global richness of APB species. Periodical assessment will undoubtedly facilitate in-depth analysis of potential biogeographical distribution pattern of APB. This is the first attempt to assess the present understanding of APB diversity in natural environments. The method used is also useful for assessing the diversity of other functional genes.

E-cigarette puffing patterns associated with high and low nicotine e-liquid strength: effects on toxicant and carcinogen exposure.

PubMed

Cox, Sharon; Kośmider, Leon; McRobbie, Hayden; Goniewicz, Maciej; Kimber, Catherine; Doig, Mira; Dawkins, Lynne

2016-09-20

Contrary to intuition, use of lower strength nicotine e-liquids might not offer reduced health risk if compensatory puffing behaviour occurs. Compensatory puffing (e.g. more frequent, longer puffs) or user behaviour (increasing the wattage) can lead to higher temperatures at which glycerine and propylene glycol (solvents used in e-liquids) undergo decomposition to carbonyl compounds, including the carcinogens formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. This study aims to document puffing patterns and user behaviour associated with using high and low strength nicotine e-liquid and associated toxicant/carcinogen exposure in experienced e-cigarette users (known as vapers herein). A counterbalanced repeated measures design. Non-tobacco smoking vapers; have used an e-cigarette for ≥3 months; currently using nicotine strength e-liquid ≥12mg/mL and a second or third generation device. This study will measure puffing patterns in vapers whilst they use high and low strength nicotine e-liquid under fixed and user-defined settings, each for a week. The 4 counterbalanced conditions are: i) low strength (6mg/mL), fixed settings; ii) low strength user-defined settings; iii) high strength (18mg/mL) fixed settings; iv) high strength user-defined settings. Biomarkers of exposure to toxicants and carcinogens will be measured in urine. In the second phase of this study, toxicant yields will be measured in aerosol generated using a smoking machine operated to replicate the puffing behaviours of each participant. i) Puffing patterns (mean puff number, puff duration, inter-puff interval and mL of liquid consumed) and user behaviour (changes to device settings: voltage and air-flow) associated with using high and low strength nicotine e-liquid. ii) Toxicant/carcinogen exposure associated with the puffing patterns/device settings used by our participants. i) Subjective effects. ii) comparisons with toxicant exposure from tobacco smoke (using documented evidence) and with recommended safety limits

Dietary exposure to aluminium from wheat flour and puffed products of residents in Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Guo, Junfei; Peng, Shaojie; Tian, Mingsheng; Wang, Liwei; Chen, Bo; Wu, Min; He, Gengsheng

2015-01-01

A dietary survey of 3431 residents was conducted by a 24-h dietary recall method in Shanghai, China, quarterly from September 2013 to September 2014. A total of 400 food samples were tested for aluminium concentration, including wheat flour and puffed products from 2011 to 2013. Probabilistic analysis was used to estimate the dietary exposure to aluminium from wheat and puffed products. The means of dietary aluminium exposure for children (2-6 years old), juveniles (7-17 years old), adults (18-65 years old) and seniors (over 65 years old) were 1.88, 0.94, 0.44 and 0.42 mg kg(-1) body weight (bw) week(-1) respectively, with a population average of 0.51 mg kg(-1) bw week(-1). The proportions of those who had aluminium exposure from wheat and puffed products lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) were 77%, 90%, 97%, and 97% respectively from children to seniors. We estimated that the proportions of people at risk would decrease by 13%, 6%, 2% and 2% respectively under the new China National Standards - GB 2760-2014 National Food Safety for Standards for using food additives. The results indicated that aluminium from wheat flour and puffed products is unlikely to cause adverse health effects in the general population in Shanghai; however, children were at a higher risk of excess aluminium exposure. Significant improvements in reducing the dietary exposure to aluminium are expected in the population, especially for children after the implementation of GB 2760-2014.

Diversity of pufM genes, involved in aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis, in the bacterial communities associated with colonial ascidians.

PubMed

Martínez-García, Manuel; Díaz-Valdés, Marta; Antón, Josefa

2010-03-01

Ascidians are invertebrate filter feeders widely distributed in benthic marine environments. A total of 14 different ascidian species were collected from the Western Mediterranean and their bacterial communities were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA gene. Results showed that ascidian tissues harbored Bacteria belonging to Gamma- and Alphaproteobacteria classes, some of them phylogenetically related to known aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (AAPs), such as Roseobacter sp. In addition, hierarchical cluster analysis of DGGE patterns showed a large variability in the bacterial diversity among the different ascidians analyzed, which indicates that they would harbor different bacterial communities. Furthermore, pufM genes, involved in aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis in marine and freshwater systems, were widely detected within the ascidians analyzed, because nine out of 14 species had pufM genes inside their tissues. The pufM gene was only detected in those specimens that inhabited shallow waters (<77 m of depth). Most pufM gene sequences were very closely related to that of uncultured marine bacteria. Thus, our results suggest that the association of ascidians with bacteria related to AAPs could be a general phenomenon and that ascidian-associated microbiota could use the light that penetrates through the tunic tissue as an energy source.

Field calibration of polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers for PCBs and OC pesticides.

PubMed

Chaemfa, Chakra; Barber, Jonathan L; Gocht, Tilman; Harner, Tom; Holoubek, Ivan; Klanova, Jana; Jones, Kevin C

2008-12-01

Different passive air sampler (PAS) strategies have been developed for sampling in remote areas and for cost-effective simultaneous spatial mapping of POPs (persistent organic pollutants) over differing geographical scales. The polyurethane foam (PUF) disk-based PAS is probably the most widely used. In a PUF-based PAS, the PUF disk is generally mounted inside two stainless steel bowls to buffer the air flow to the disk and to shield it from precipitation and light. The field study described in this manuscript was conducted to: compare performance of 3 different designs of sampler; to further calibrate the sampler against the conventional active sampler; to derive more information on field-based uptake rates and equilibrium times of the samplers. Samplers were also deployed at different locations across the field site, and at different heights up a meteorological tower, to investigate the possible influence of sampler location. Samplers deployed <5m above ground, and not directly sheltered from the wind gave similar uptake rates. Small differences in dimensions between the 3 designs of passive sampler chamber had no discernable effect on accumulation rates, allowing comparison with previously published data.

Biodegradation and kinetic study of benzene in bioreactor packed with PUF and alginate beads and immobilized with Bacillus sp. M3.

PubMed

Kureel, M K; Geed, S R; Giri, B S; Rai, B N; Singh, R S

2017-10-01

Benzene removal in free and immobilized cells on polyurethane foam (PUF) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-alginate beads was studied using an indigenous soil bacterium Bacillus sp. M3 isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil. The important process parameters (pH, temperature and inoculums size) were optimized and found to be 7, 37°C and 6.0×10 8 CFU/mL, respectively. Benzene removals were observed to be 70, 84 and 90% within 9days in a free cell, immobilized PVA-alginate beads and PUF, respectively under optimum operating conditions. FT-IR and GC-MS analysis confirm the presence of phenol, 1,2-benzenediol, hydroquinone and benzoate as metabolites. The important kinetic parameter ratios (µ max /K s ; L/mg·day ) calculated using Monod model was found to be 0.00123 for free cell, 0.00159 for immobilized alginate beads and 0.002016 for immobilized PUF. Similarly inhibition constants (K i ; mg/L) calculated using Andrew-Haldane model was found to be 435.84 for free cell, 664.25 for immobilized alginate beads and 724.93 for immobilized PUF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of the optimisation of puffing characteristics of potato cubes by spouted bed drying enhanced with microwave.

PubMed

Yan, Wei-qiang; Zhang, Min; Huang, Lue-lue; Tang, Juming; Mujumdar, Arun S; Sun, Jin-cai

2010-06-01

In commercial deep-fat frying of potato chips, the oil content of the final products ranges from 35 to 45 g 100 g(-1) (wet basis). High-temperature frying may cause the formation of acrylamide, making the products unhealthy to the consumer. The aim of this research was to explore a new method, spouted bed microwave drying, to produce healthier puffed snack potato cubes as possible alternatives to oil-fried potato chips. The influence of drying conditions of the spouted bed microwave drying on puffing characteristics of potato cubes were studied and compared with the direct microwave and hot air drying method. Tandem combination drying of microwave-enhanced spouted bed drying (MWSB) could achieve a good expansion ratio, breaking force and rehydration ratio. The puffing characteristics of potato cubes were significantly affected (P < 0.05) by moisture content before starting microwave power in spouted bed microwave drying, by microwave (MW) power, and by the original size of potato cubes. The optimum processing parameters were the moisture content at the start of microwave power (60%), the size of potato cubes (10-12 mm), and microwave power (2-2.5 W g(-1)) Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Influence of hydrophobic micelle structure on crystallization of the photosynthetic RC-LH1-PufX complex from Rhodobacter blasticus.

PubMed

Barret, Laurie-Anne; Barrot-Ivolot, Cherone; Raynal, Simon; Jungas, Colette; Polidori, Ange; Bonneté, Françoise

2013-07-25

Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments are performed on two non-ionic surfactants, the dodecyl β-maltoside (DDβM) and the propyl(bi)cyclohexyl α-maltoside (PCCαM), a maltoside derivative containing a rigid bicyclohexyl group as hydrophobic chain, in order to compare the influence of both hydrophobic moiety structure and anomeric form on micelle form factors and intermicellar interactions relevant for membrane protein crystallization. Density and refractive index measurements were performed in order to determine volumetric and optical properties of surfactants, essential for determination of micelle molar masses by both SAXS and SEC-MALLS. SAXS form factors were analyzed by Guinier approximation and inverse Fourier transformation, to obtain the radius of gyration (RG) and the pair distribution function (P(r)) of each surfactant. Form factor model fitting was also performed to describe the shape and the assembly of both surfactant micelles. Finally, second virial coefficients were measured at different percentages of polyethylene glycol 3350, in order to correlate surfactant intermicellar interactions and RC-LH1-PufX phase diagram. It is thus found that while size, shape, and dimensions of micelles are slightly similar for both surfactants, their molar mass and aggregation number differ significantly. PCCαM are more densely packed than DDβM, which reflects (1) an increase in van der Waals contacts between PCCαM hydrophobic chains in the micelle bulk and (2) a supplementary intermicellar attraction compared to DDβM. Finally addition of PEG, which induces a depletion attraction, decreases the solubility of the RC-LH1-PufX complex in PCCαM.

Puffed cereals with added chamomile - quantitative analysis of polyphenols and optimization of their extraction method.

PubMed

Blicharski, Tomasz; Oniszczuk, Anna; Olech, Marta; Oniszczuk, Tomasz; Wójtowicz, Agnieszka; Krawczyk, Wojciech; Nowak, Renata

2017-05-11

[b]Abstract Introduction[/b]. Functional food plays an important role in the prevention, management and treatment of chronic diseases. One of the most interesting techniques of functional food production is extrusion-cooking. Functional foods may include such items as puffed cereals, breads and beverages that are fortified with vitamins, some nutraceuticals and herbs. Due to its pharmacological activity, chamomile flowers are the most popular components added to functional food. Quantitative analysis of polyphenolic antioxidants, as well as comparison of various methods for the extraction of phenolic compounds from corn puffed cereals, puffed cereals with an addition of chamomile (3, 5, 10 and 20%) and from [i]Chamomillae anthodium. [/i] [b]Materials and Methods[/b]. Two modern extraction methods - ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) at 40 °C and 60 °C, as well as accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) at 100 °C and 120 °C were used for the isolation of polyphenols from functional food. Analysis of flavonoids and phenolic acids was carried out using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). [b]Results and Conclusions[/b]. For most of the analyzed compounds, the highest yields were obtained by ultrasound assisted extraction. The highest temperature during the ultrasonification process (60 °C) increased the efficiency of extraction, without degradation of polyphenols. UAE easily arrives at extraction equilibrium and therefore permits shorter periods of time, reducing the energy input. Furthermore, UAE meets the requirements of 'Green Chemistry'.

Treatment of petroleum cokes to inhibit coke puffing

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

Orac, T.H.; Quandt, H.C.; Ball, D.R.

1992-06-02

This patent describes apparatus for treating raw petroleum coke particles. It comprises an elongated, cylindrical, calcining kiln having an inlet end and an outlet end; and entrance chamber and a discharge chamber, an elongated, cylindrical, cooler having an inlet end and an outlet end; means defining a retention chamber communicating with the discharge chamber; means defining a hot zone communicating with the retention chamber and the inlet end of the cooler; means for introducing a dry, granulated, puffing inhibitor into the retention chamber in contact with the calcined coke particles; and a coke delivery chamber for collecting the cooled, calcinedmore » coke particles at the outlet end of the cooler.« less

Disturbed alternative splicing of FIR (PUF60) directed cyclin E overexpression in esophageal cancers.

PubMed

Ogura, Yukiko; Hoshino, Tyuji; Tanaka, Nobuko; Ailiken, Guzhanuer; Kobayashi, Sohei; Kitamura, Kouichi; Rahmutulla, Bahityar; Kano, Masayuki; Murakami, Kentarou; Akutsu, Yasunori; Nomura, Fumio; Itoga, Sakae; Matsubara, Hisahiro; Matsushita, Kazuyuki

2018-05-01

Overexpression of alternative splicing of far upstream element binding protein 1 (FUBP1) interacting repressor (FIR; poly(U) binding splicing factor 60 [PUF60]) and cyclin E were detected in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC). Accordingly, the expression of FBW7 was examined by which cyclin E is degraded as a substrate via the proteasome system. Expectedly, FBW7 expression was decreased significantly in ESCC. Conversely, c-myc gene transcriptional repressor FIR (alias PUF60; U2AF-related protein) and its alternative splicing variant form (FIRΔexon2) were overexpressed in ESCC. Further, anticancer drugs (cis-diaminedichloroplatinum/cisplatin [CDDP] or 5-fluorouracil [5-FU]) and knockdown of FIR by small interfering RNA (siRNA) increased cyclin E while knockdown of FIRΔexon2 by siRNA decreased cyclin E expression in ESCC cell lines (TE1, TE2, and T.Tn) or cervical SCC cells (HeLa cells). Especially, knockdown of SAP155 (SF3b1), a splicing factor required for proper alternative splicing of FIR pre-mRNA, decreased cyclin E. Therefore, disturbed alternative splicing of FIR generated FIR/FIRΔexon2 with cyclin E overexpression in esophageal cancers, indicating that SAP155 siRNA potentially rescued FBW7 function by reducing expression of FIR and/or FIRΔexon2. Remarkably, Three-dimensional structure analysis revealed the hypothetical inhibitory mechanism of FBW7 function by FIR/FIRΔexon2, a novel mechanism of cyclin E overexpression by FIR/FIRΔexon2-FBW7 interaction was discussed. Clinically, elevated FIR expression potentially is an indicator of the number of lymph metastases and anti-FIR/FIRΔexon2 antibodies in sera as cancer diagnosis, indicating chemical inhibitors of FIR/FIRΔexon2-FBW7 interaction could be potential candidate drugs for cancer therapy. In conclusion, elevated cyclin E expression was, in part, induced owing to potential FIR/FIRΔexon2-FBW7 interaction in ESCC.

A Compact and Low Power RO PUF with High Resilience to the EM Side-Channel Attack and the SVM Modelling Attack of Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Cao, Yuan; Ye, Wenbin; Han, Qingbang; Pan, Xiaofang

2018-01-01

Authentication is a crucial security service for the wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in versatile domains. The deployment of WSN devices in the untrusted open environment and the resource-constrained nature make the on-chip authentication an open challenge. The strong physical unclonable function (PUF) came in handy as light-weight authentication security primitive. In this paper, we present the first ring oscillator (RO) based strong physical unclonable function (PUF) with high resilience to both the electromagnetic (EM) side-channel attack and the support vector machine (SVM) modelling attack. By employing an RO based PUF architecture with the current starved inverter as the delay cell, the oscillation power is significantly reduced to minimize the emitted EM signal, leading to greatly enhanced immunity to the EM side-channel analysis attack. In addition, featuring superior reconfigurability due to the conspicuously simplified circuitries, the proposed implementation is capable of withstanding the SVM modelling attack by generating and comparing a large number of RO frequency pairs. The reported experimental results validate the prototype of a 9-stage RO PUF fabricated using standard 65 nm complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process. Operating at the supply voltage of 1.2 V and the frequency of 100 KHz, the fabricated RO PUF occupies a compact silicon area of 250 μm2 and consumes a power as low as 5.16 μW per challenge-response pair (CRP). Furthermore, the uniqueness and the worst-case reliability are measured to be 50.17% and 98.30% for the working temperature range of −40∼120 ∘C and the supply voltage variation of ±2%, respectively. Thus, the proposed PUF is applicable for the low power, low cost and secure WSN communications. PMID:29360790

A Compact and Low Power RO PUF with High Resilience to the EM Side-Channel Attack and the SVM Modelling Attack of Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Cao, Yuan; Zhao, Xiaojin; Ye, Wenbin; Han, Qingbang; Pan, Xiaofang

2018-01-23

Authentication is a crucial security service for the wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in versatile domains. The deployment of WSN devices in the untrusted open environment and the resource-constrained nature make the on-chip authentication an open challenge. The strong physical unclonable function (PUF) came in handy as light-weight authentication security primitive. In this paper, we present the first ring oscillator (RO) based strong physical unclonable function (PUF) with high resilience to both the electromagnetic (EM) side-channel attack and the support vector machine (SVM) modelling attack. By employing an RO based PUF architecture with the current starved inverter as the delay cell, the oscillation power is significantly reduced to minimize the emitted EM signal, leading to greatly enhanced immunity to the EM side-channel analysis attack. In addition, featuring superior reconfigurability due to the conspicuously simplified circuitries, the proposed implementation is capable of withstanding the SVM modelling attack by generating and comparing a large number of RO frequency pairs. The reported experimental results validate the prototype of a 9-stage RO PUF fabricated using standard 65 nm complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process. Operating at the supply voltage of 1.2 V and the frequency of 100 KHz, the fabricated RO PUF occupies a compact silicon area of 250 μ m 2 and consumes a power as low as 5.16 μ W per challenge-response pair (CRP). Furthermore, the uniqueness and the worst-case reliability are measured to be 50.17% and 98.30% for the working temperature range of -40∼120 ∘ C and the supply voltage variation of ±2%, respectively. Thus, the proposed PUF is applicable for the low power, low cost and secure WSN communications.

Effects of instant controlled pressure drop process on physical and sensory properties of puffed wheat snack.

PubMed

Yağcı, Sibel

2017-04-01

In this study, research on the development of a puffed wheat snack using the instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) process was carried out. Snack products were produced by expanding moistened wheat under various DIC processing conditions in order to obtain adequate puffing, followed by drying in a hot air dryer. The effects of operational variables such as wheat initial moisture content (11-23% w/w, wet basis), processing pressure (3-5 × 10 2 kPa) and processing time (3-11 min) on the physical (density, color and textural characteristics) and sensory properties of the product were investigated. The physical properties of the wheat snack were most affected by changes in processing pressure, followed by processing time and wheat moisture content. Increasing processing pressure and time often improved expansion and textural properties but led to darkening of the raw wheat color. The most acceptable snack in terms of physical properties was obtained at the lowest wheat moisture content. Sensory analysis suggested that consumer acceptability was optimal for wheat snacks produced at higher processing pressure, medium processing time and lower moisture content. The most desirable conditions for puffed wheat snack production using the DIC process were determined as 11% (w/w) of wheat moisture content, 5 × 10 2 kPa of processing pressure and 7 min of processing time. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Accelerated Weathering of Waste Glass at 90°C with the Pressurized Unsaturated Flow (PUF) Apparatus: Implications for Predicting Glass Corrosion with a Reactive Transport Model

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

Pierce, Eric M.; Bacon, Diana H.

2009-09-21

The interest in the long-term durability of waste glass stems from the need to predict radionuclide release rates from the corroding glass over geologic time-scales. Several long-term test methods have been developed to accelerate the glass-water reaction [drip test, vapor hydration test, product consistency test-B, and pressurized unsaturated flow (PUF)]. Currently, the PUF test is the only method that can mimic the unsaturated hydraulic properties expected in a subsurface disposal facility and simultaneously monitor the glass-water reaction. PUF tests are being conducted to accelerate the weathering of glass and validate the model parameters being used to predict long-term glass behavior.more » One dimensional reactive chemical transport simulations of glass dissolution and secondary phase formation during a 1.5-year long PUF experiment was conducted with the subsurface transport over reactive multi-phases (STORM) code. Results show that parameterization of the computer model by combining direct laboratory measurements and thermodynamic data provides an integrated approach to predicting glass behavior over geologic-time scales.« less

Puffed and bothered: Personality, performance, and the effects of stress on checkered pufferfish.

PubMed

Pleizier, Naomi; Wilson, Alexander D M; Shultz, Aaron D; Cooke, Steven J

2015-12-01

Although consistent individual-level differences in behaviour are widespread and potentially important in evolutionary and ecological processes, relatively few studies focus on the physiological mechanisms that might underlie and regulate these individual-level differences in wild populations. We conducted experiments to determine whether checkered pufferfish (Sphoeroides testudineus), which were collected from a dynamic (in terms of depth and water temperature) tidal mangrove creek environment in The Bahamas, have consistent individual-level differences in locomotor activity and the response to a simulated predator threat, as well as swimming performance and puffing in response to stressors. The relationships between personality and performance traits were evaluated to determine whether they represented stress-coping styles or syndromes. Subsequently, a displacement study was conducted to determine how personality and performance in the laboratory compared to movements in the field. In addition, we tested whether a physiological dose of the stress hormone cortisol would alter individual consistency in behavioural and performance traits. We found that pufferfish exhibited consistent individual differences in personality traits over time (e.g., activity and the duration of a response to a threat) and that performance was consistent between the lab and the natural enclosure. Locomotor activity and the duration of startled behaviour were not associated with swimming and puffing performance. Locomotor activity, puffing performance, and swimming performance were not related to whether fish returned to the tidal creek of capture after displacement. Similarly, a cortisol treatment did not modify behaviour or performance in the laboratory. The results reveal that consistent individual-level differences in behaviour and performance were present in a population from a fluctuating and physiologically challenging environment but that such traits are not necessarily correlated

Assessing levels and seasonal variations of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in the Tuscan atmosphere, Italy, using polyurethane foam disks (PUF) passive air samplers.

PubMed

Estellano, Victor H; Pozo, Karla; Efstathiou, Christos; Pozo, Katerine; Corsolini, Simonetta; Focardi, Silvano

2015-10-01

Polyurethane foam disks (PUF) passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed over 4 sampling periods of 3-5-months (≥ 1 year) at ten urban and rural locations throughout the Tuscany Region. The purpose was to assess the occurrence and seasonal variations of ten current-use pesticides (CUPs). PUF disk extracts were analyzed using GC-MS. The organophosphates insecticides; chlorpyrifos (3-580 pg m(-3)) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (below detection limit - to 570 pg m(-3)) presented the highest levels in air, and showed seasonal fluctuation coinciding with the growing seasons. The relative proportion urban/(urban + rural) ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 showing no differences between urban and rural concentrations. Air back trajectories analysis showed air masses passing over agricultural fields and potentially enhancing the drift of pesticides into the urban sites. This study represents the first information regarding CUPs in the atmosphere of Tuscany region using PAS-PUF disk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outdoor passive air monitoring of semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs): a critical evaluation of performance and limitations of polyurethane foam (PUF) disks.

PubMed

Bohlin, P; Audy, O; Škrdlíková, L; Kukučka, P; Přibylová, P; Prokeš, R; Vojta, Š; Klánová, J

2014-03-01

The most commonly used passive air sampler (PAS) (i.e. polyurethane foam (PUF) disk) is cheap, versatile, and capable of accumulating compounds present both in gas and particle phases. Its performance for particle associated compounds is however disputable. In this study, twelve sets of triplicate PUF-PAS were deployed outdoors for exposure periods of 1-12 weeks together with continuously operated active samplers, to characterize sampling efficiency and derive sampling rates (RS) for compounds belonging to 7 SVOC classes (including particle associated compounds). PUF-PAS efficiently and consistently sampled polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and eight novel brominated flame retardant (nBFR) compounds. Low accuracy and lack of sensitivity was observed for most polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans PCDD/Fs and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (under the conditions of this study), with the exception of some congeners which may be used as qualitative markers for their respective classes. Application of compound specific RS was found crucial for all compounds except PCBs. Sampling efficiency of the particle associated compounds was often low.

Studying the effects of nucleating agents on texture modification of puffed corn-fish snack.

PubMed

Shahmohammadi, Hamid Reza; Bakar, Jamilah; Rahman, Russly Abdul; Adzhan, Noranizan Mohd

2014-02-01

To improve textural attributes of puffed corn-fish snack, the effects of 1%, 1.5%, and 2% of calcium carbonate, magnesium silicate (talc), sodium bicarbonate as well as 5% and 10% of wheat bran (as the nucleating materials) on textural attributes were studied. Sensory evaluation, bulk density, expansion ratio, maximum force, and count peaks were measured using the Kramer test. The results showed that all of the additives except bran significantly enhanced the texture. Among them, talc at 0.5% was the best to enhance the density and expansion ratio. Effects of using 0.5% talc on puffed corn-fish snack microstructure were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The average cell diameter of 109 ± 48 μm and cell numbers per square centimeter of 67.4 for talc-treated products were obtained, while for nontalc-treated extrudates, average cell diameter of 798 ± 361 μm and cell numbers per square centimeter of 13.9 were found. Incorporation of 0.5% w/w of magnesium silicate reduced (7-fold) the average cell diameter while increased (4-fold) the cell number. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

Compositional Characteristics and In Vitro Evaluations of Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Properties of Crude Extracts of Fucoidan Prepared from Compressional Puffing-Pretreated Sargassum crassifolium

PubMed Central

Yang, Wen-Ning; Chen, Po-Wei; Huang, Chun-Yung

2017-01-01

Fucoidan, a fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharide with diverse biological functions, is mainly recovered from brown algae. In this study, we utilized a compressional-puffing process (CPP) to pretreat Sargassum crassifolium (SC) and extracted fucoidans from SC by warm water. Three fucoidan extracts (SC1: puffing at 0 kg/cm2; SC2: puffing at 1.7 kg/cm2; and SC3: puffing at 6.3 kg/cm2) were obtained, and their composition, and antioxidant and neuroprotective activities were examined. The results suggest that CPP decreased the bulk density of algal samples, expanded the algal cellular structures, and eliminated the unpleasant algal odor. The extraction yields of fucoidans were increased and impurities of fucoidans were decreased by increasing the pressures used in CPP. The SC1–SC3 extracts displayed various characteristics of fucoidan as illustrated by the analyses of composition, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and molecular weight. All three extracts SC1–SC3 showed antioxidant activity dose-dependently. Although both SC1 and SC2 possessed high and similar neuronal protective properties, SC2 showed a higher extraction yield, higher efficacy in the reversion of H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in rat pheochromocytoma PC-12 cells, and lower impurities compared with SC1, and thus SC2 is suggested as a good candidate for a therapeutic agent in the preventive treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:28629153

Combined actions of multiple hairpin loop structures and sites of rate-limiting endonucleolytic cleavage determine differential degradation rates of individual segments within polycistronic puf operon mRNA.

PubMed Central

Klug, G; Cohen, S N

1990-01-01

Differential expression of the genes within the puf operon of Rhodobacter capsulatus is accomplished in part by differences in the rate of degradation of different segments of the puf transcript. We report here that decay of puf mRNA sequences specifying the light-harvesting I (LHI) and reaction center (RC) photosynthetic membrane peptides is initiated endoribonucleolytically within a discrete 1.4-kilobase segment of the RC-coding region. Deletion of this segment increased the half-life of the RC-coding region from 8 to 20 min while not affecting decay of LHI-coding sequences upstream from an intercistronic hairpin loop structure shown previously to impede 3'-to-5' degradation. Prolongation of RC segment half-life was dependent on the presence of other hairpin structures 3' to the RC region. Inserting the endonuclease-sensitive sites into the LHI-coding segment markedly accelerated its degradation. Our results suggest that differential degradation of the RC- and LHI-coding segments of puf mRNA is accomplished at least in part by the combined actions of RC region-specific endonuclease(s), one or more exonucleases, and several strategically located exonuclease-impeding hairpins. Images PMID:2394682

Evaluation and guidelines for using polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air samplers in double-dome chambers to assess semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in non-industrial indoor environments.

PubMed

Bohlin, Pernilla; Audy, Ondřej; Škrdlíková, Lenka; Kukučka, Petr; Vojta, Šimon; Přibylová, Petra; Prokeš, Roman; Čupr, Pavel; Klánová, Jana

2014-11-01

Indoor air pollution has been recognized as an important risk factor for human health, especially in areas where people tend to spend most of their time indoors. Many semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) have primarily indoor sources and are present in orders of magnitude higher concentrations indoors than outdoors. Despite this, awareness of SVOCs in indoor air and assessment of the link between indoor concentrations and human health have lagged behind those of outdoor air. This is partially related to challenges associated with indoor sampling of SVOCs. Passive air samplers (PASs), which are widely accepted in established outdoor air monitoring networks, have been used to fill the knowledge gaps on indoor SVOCs distribution. However, their applicability for indoor environments and the assessment of human health risks lack sufficient experimental data. To address this issue, we performed an indoor calibration study of polyurethane foam (PUF) PAS deployed in a double-dome chamber, covering both legacy and new SVOC classes. PUF-PAS and a continuous low-volume active air sampler (AAS) were co-deployed for a calibration period of twelve weeks. Based on the results from this evaluation, PUF-PAS in a double-bowl chamber is recommended for indoor sampling and health risk assessment of gas phase SVOCs, including novel brominated flame retardants (nBFR) providing sufficient exposure time is applied. Data for particle associated SVOCs suffered from significant uncertainties caused by low level of detection and low precision in this study. A more open chamber design for indoor studies may allow for higher sampling rates (RS) and better performance for the particle associated SVOCs.

FK COMAE BERENICES, KING OF SPIN: THE COCOA-PUFS PROJECT

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

Ayres, Thomas R.; Kashyap, V.; Saar, S.

COCOA-PUFS is an energy-diverse, time-domain study of the ultra-fast spinning, heavily spotted, yellow giant FK Comae Berenices (FK Com: HD117555; G4 III). This single star is thought to be a recent binary merger, and is exceptionally active by measure of its intense ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray emissions, and proclivity to flare. COCOA-PUFS was carried out with the Hubble Space Telescope in the UV (1200–3000 Å), using mainly its high-performance Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, but also high precision Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph; Chandra X-ray Observatory in the soft X-rays (0.5–10 keV), utilizing its High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer; together with supporting photometry andmore » spectropolarimetry in the visible from the ground. This is an introductory report on the project. FK Com displayed variability on a wide range of timescales over all wavelengths during the week-long main campaign, including a large X-ray flare; “super-rotational broadening” of the far-ultraviolet “hot lines” (e.g., Si iv 1393 Å; 8 × 10{sup 4} K) together with chromospheric Mg ii 2800 Å and C ii 1335 Å (1–3 × 10{sup 4} K); large Doppler swings suggestive of bright regions alternately on advancing and retreating limbs of the star; and substantial redshifts of the epoch-average emission profiles. These behaviors paint a picture of a highly extended, dynamic, hot (∼10 MK) coronal magnetosphere around the star, threaded by cooler structures perhaps analogous to solar prominences and replenished continually by surface activity and flares. Suppression of angular momentum loss by the confining magnetosphere could temporarily postpone the inevitable stellar spindown, thereby lengthening this highly volatile stage of coronal evolution.« less

FK Comae Berenices, King of Spin: The COCOA-PUFS Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayres, Thomas R.; Kashyap, V.; Saar, S.; Huenemoerder, D.; Korhonen, H.; Drake, J. J.; Testa, P.; Cohen, O.; Garraffo, C.; Granzer, T.; Strassmeier, K.

2016-03-01

COCOA-PUFS is an energy-diverse, time-domain study of the ultra-fast spinning, heavily spotted, yellow giant FK Comae Berenices (FK Com: HD117555; G4 III). This single star is thought to be a recent binary merger, and is exceptionally active by measure of its intense ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray emissions, and proclivity to flare. COCOA-PUFS was carried out with the Hubble Space Telescope in the UV (1200-3000 Å), using mainly its high-performance Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, but also high precision Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph; Chandra X-ray Observatory in the soft X-rays (0.5-10 keV), utilizing its High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer; together with supporting photometry and spectropolarimetry in the visible from the ground. This is an introductory report on the project. FK Com displayed variability on a wide range of timescales over all wavelengths during the week-long main campaign, including a large X-ray flare; “super-rotational broadening” of the far-ultraviolet “hot lines” (e.g., Si IV 1393 Å 8 × 104 K) together with chromospheric Mg II 2800 Å and C II 1335 Å (1-3 × 104 K); large Doppler swings suggestive of bright regions alternately on advancing and retreating limbs of the star; and substantial redshifts of the epoch-average emission profiles. These behaviors paint a picture of a highly extended, dynamic, hot (˜10 MK) coronal magnetosphere around the star, threaded by cooler structures perhaps analogous to solar prominences and replenished continually by surface activity and flares. Suppression of angular momentum loss by the confining magnetosphere could temporarily postpone the inevitable stellar spindown, thereby lengthening this highly volatile stage of coronal evolution. COordinated Campaign of Observations and Analysis, Photosphere to Upper Atmosphere, of a Fast-rotating Star.

Compressional-Puffing Pretreatment Enhances Neuroprotective Effects of Fucoidans from the Brown Seaweed Sargassum hemiphyllum on 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Apoptosis in SH-SY5Y Cells.

PubMed

Huang, Chun-Yung; Kuo, Chia-Hung; Chen, Po-Wei

2017-12-29

In this study, a compressional-puffing process (CPP) was used to pretreat Sargassum hemiphyllum (SH) and then fucoidan was extracted from SH by hot water. Three fucoidan extracts, namely SH1 (puffing at 0 kg/cm²); SH2 (puffing at 1.7 kg/cm²); and SH3 (puffing at 10.0 kg/cm²) were obtained, and their compositions and biological activities were evaluated. The results indicate that CPP increased the extraction yield, total sugar content, and molar ratios of sulfate/fucose of fucoidan and decreased molecular weight and impurities of fucoidan. The SH1-SH3 extracts exhibited characteristics of fucoidan as demonstrated by the analyses of composition, FTIR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and molecular weight. All SH1-SH3 extracts showed antioxidant activities. The SH1-SH3 extracts protected SH-SY5Y cells from 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced apoptosis as illustrated by cell cycle distribution, cytochrome c release, activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3, and DNA fragmentation analyses. Additional experiments revealed that phosphorylation of Akt is involved in the opposing effects of SH1-SH3 on 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity. SH3 exhibited a relatively high extraction yield, the lowest levels of impurities, and was the most effective at reversing the 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity of SH-SY5Y cells among SH1-SH3, which taken together indicate that it may have potential as a candidate therapeutic agent for the preventive therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.

A divergent Pumilio repeat protein family for pre-rRNA processing and mRNA localization

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

Qiu, Chen; McCann, Kathleen L.; Wine, Robert N.

Pumilio/feminization of XX and XO animals (fem)-3 mRNA-binding factor (PUF) proteins bind sequence specifically to mRNA targets using a single-stranded RNA-binding domain comprising eight Pumilio (PUM) repeats. PUM repeats have now been identified in proteins that function in pre-rRNA processing, including human Puf-A and yeast Puf6. This is a role not previously ascribed to PUF proteins. In this paper we present crystal structures of human Puf-A that reveal a class of nucleic acid-binding proteins with 11 PUM repeats arranged in an “L”-like shape. In contrast to classical PUF proteins, Puf-A forms sequence-independent interactions with DNA or RNA, mediated by conservedmore » basic residues. We demonstrate that equivalent basic residues in yeast Puf6 are important for RNA binding, pre-rRNA processing, and mRNA localization. Finally, PUM repeats can be assembled into alternative folds that bind to structured nucleic acids in addition to forming canonical eight-repeat crescent-shaped RNA-binding domains found in classical PUF proteins.« less

A divergent Pumilio repeat protein family for pre-rRNA processing and mRNA localization

DOE PAGES

Qiu, Chen; McCann, Kathleen L.; Wine, Robert N.; ...

2014-12-15

Pumilio/feminization of XX and XO animals (fem)-3 mRNA-binding factor (PUF) proteins bind sequence specifically to mRNA targets using a single-stranded RNA-binding domain comprising eight Pumilio (PUM) repeats. PUM repeats have now been identified in proteins that function in pre-rRNA processing, including human Puf-A and yeast Puf6. This is a role not previously ascribed to PUF proteins. In this paper we present crystal structures of human Puf-A that reveal a class of nucleic acid-binding proteins with 11 PUM repeats arranged in an “L”-like shape. In contrast to classical PUF proteins, Puf-A forms sequence-independent interactions with DNA or RNA, mediated by conservedmore » basic residues. We demonstrate that equivalent basic residues in yeast Puf6 are important for RNA binding, pre-rRNA processing, and mRNA localization. Finally, PUM repeats can be assembled into alternative folds that bind to structured nucleic acids in addition to forming canonical eight-repeat crescent-shaped RNA-binding domains found in classical PUF proteins.« less

Tunable porous structure of carbon nanosheets derived from puffed rice for high energy density supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Jianhua; Jiang, Kun; Tahir, Muhammad; Wu, Xiaoge; Idrees, Faryal; Shen, Ming; Cao, Chuanbao

2017-12-01

The development of green and clean synthetic techniques to overcome energy requirements have motivated the researchers for the utilization of sustainable biomass. Driven by this desire we choose rice as starting materials source. After the explosion effect, the precursor is converted into puffed rice with a honeycomb-like structures composed of thin sheets. These honeycomb-like macrostructures, effectively prevent the cross-linking tendency towards the adjacent nanosheets during activation process. Furthermore, tuneable micro/mesoporous structures with ultrahigh specific surface areas (SBET) are successfully designed by KOH activation. The highest SBET of 3326 m2 g-1 with optimized proportion of small-mesopores is achieved at 850 °C. The rice-derived porous N-doped carbon nanosheets (NCS-850) are used as the active electrode materials for supercapacitors. It exhibites high specific capacitance specifically of 218 F g-1 at 80 A g-1 in 6 M KOH and a high-energy density of 104 Wh kg-1 (53 Wh L-1) in the ionic liquid electrolytes. These are the highest values among the reported biomass-derived carbon materials for the best of our knowledge. The present work demonstrates that the combination of "puffing effect" and common chemical activation can turn natural products such as rice into functional products with prospective applications in high-performance energy storage devices.

Integration of two RAB5 groups during endosomal transport in plants

PubMed Central

Ebine, Kazuo; Choi, Seung-won; Ichinose, Sakura; Uemura, Tomohiro; Nakano, Akihiko

2018-01-01

RAB5 is a key regulator of endosomal functions in eukaryotic cells. Plants possess two different RAB5 groups, canonical and plant-unique types, which act via unknown counteracting mechanisms. Here, we identified an effector molecule of the plant-unique RAB5 in Arabidopsis thaliana, ARA6, which we designated PLANT-UNIQUE RAB5 EFFECTOR 2 (PUF2). Preferential colocalization with canonical RAB5 on endosomes and genetic interaction analysis indicated that PUF2 coordinates vacuolar transport with canonical RAB5, although PUF2 was identified as an effector of ARA6. Competitive binding of PUF2 with GTP-bound ARA6 and GDP-bound canonical RAB5, together interacting with the shared activating factor VPS9a, showed that ARA6 negatively regulates canonical RAB5-mediated vacuolar transport by titrating PUF2 and VPS9a. These results suggest a unique and unprecedented function for a RAB effector involving the integration of two RAB groups to orchestrate endosomal trafficking in plant cells. PMID:29749929

Evaluation of the polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air sampler: Computational modeling and experimental measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

May, Andrew A.; Ashman, Paul; Huang, Jiaoyan; Dhaniyala, Suresh; Holsen, Thomas M.

2011-08-01

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations coupled with wind tunnel-experiments were used to determine the sampling rate (SR) of the widely used polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive sampler. In the wind-tunnel experiments, water evaporation rates from a water saturated PUF disk installed in the sampler housing were determined by measuring weight loss over time. In addition, a modified passive sampler designed to collect elemental mercury (Hg 0) with gold-coated filters was used. Experiments were carried out at different wind speeds and various sampler angles. The SRs obtained from wind-tunnel experiments were compared to those obtained from the field by scaling the values by the ratios of air diffusivities. Three-dimensional (3D) CFD simulations were also used to generate SRs for both polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Hg 0. Overall, the modeled and measured SRs agree well and are consistent with the values obtained from field studies. As previously observed, the SRs increased linearly with increasing wind speed. In addition, it was determined that the SR was strongly dependent on the angle of the ambient wind. The SRs increased when the base was tilted up pointing into the wind and when the base was tilted down (i.e., such that the top of the sampler was facing the wind) the SR decreased initially and then increased. The results suggest that there may be significant uncertainty in concentrations obtained from passive sampler measurements without knowledge of wind speed and wind angle relative to the sampler.

Assessing electronic cigarette emissions: linking physico-chemical properties to product brand, e-liquid flavoring additives, operational voltage and user puffing patterns.

PubMed

Zhao, Jiayuan; Nelson, Jordan; Dada, Oluwabunmi; Pyrgiotakis, Georgios; Kavouras, Ilias G; Demokritou, Philip

2018-02-01

Users of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are exposed to particles and other gaseous pollutants. However, major knowledge gaps on the physico-chemical properties of such exposures and contradictory data in published literature prohibit health risk assessment. Here, the effects of product brand, type, e-liquid flavoring additives, operational voltage, and user puffing patterns on emissions were systematically assessed using a recently developed, versatile, e-cig exposure generation platform and state-of-the-art analytical methods. Parameters of interest in this systematic evaluation included two brands (A and B), three flavors (tobacco, menthol, and fruit), three types of e-cigs (disposable, pre-filled, and refillable tanks), two puffing protocols (4 and 2 s/puff), and four operational voltages (2.2-5.7 V). Particles were generated at a high number concentration (10 6 -10 7 particles/cm 3 ). The particle size distribution was bi-modal (∼200 nm and 1 µm). Furthermore, organic species (humectants propylene glycol and glycerin, nicotine) that were present in e-liquid and trace metals (potassium and sodium) that were present on e-cig heating coil were also released into the emission. In addition, combustion-related byproducts, such as benzene and toluene, were also detected in the range of 100-38,000 ppbv/puff. Parametric analyzes performed in this study show the importance of e-cig brand, type, flavor additives, user puffing pattern (duration and frequency), and voltage on physico-chemical properties of emissions. This observed influence is indicative of the complexity associated with the toxicological screening of emissions from e-cigs and needs to be taken into consideration.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in Great Lakes air: assessing spatial trends and combustion inputs using PUF disk passive air samplers

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

Tom Harner; Mahiba Shoeib; Todd Gouin

2006-09-01

Passive air samplers made from polyurethane foam (PUF) disks housed in stainless steel chambers were deployed over four seasons during 2002-2003, at 15 sites in the Laurentian Great lakes, to assess spatial and temporal trends of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). Sampling rates, determined using depuration compounds pre-spiked into the PUF disk prior to exposure, were, on average, 2.9 {+-} 1.1 m{sup 3} d{sup -1}, consistent with previous studies employing these samplers. PCN air concentrations exhibited strong urban-rural differences - typically a few pg m{sup 3} at rural sites and an order of magnitude higher at urban sites (Toronto, 12-31 pg m{supmore » -3} and Chicago, 13-52 pg m{sup -3}). The high concentrations at urban sites were attributed to continued emissions of historically used technical PCN. Contributions from combustion-derived PCNs seemed to be more important at rural locations where congeners 24 and 50, associated with wood and coal burning, were elevated. Congener 66/67, associated with incineration and other industrial thermal processes, was elevated at two sites and explained by nearby and/or upwind sources. Probability density maps were constructed for each site and for every integration period were shown to be a useful complement to seasonally integrated passive sampling data to resolve source-receptor relationship for PCNs and other pollutants. 25 refs., 7 figs., 1 tabs.« less

OEDGE modeling of plasma contamination efficiency of Ar puffing from different divertor locations in EAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pengfei, ZHANG; Ling, ZHANG; Zhenwei, WU; Zong, XU; Wei, GAO; Liang, WANG; Qingquan, YANG; Jichan, XU; Jianbin, LIU; Hao, QU; Yong, LIU; Juan, HUANG; Chengrui, WU; Yumei, HOU; Zhao, JIN; J, D. ELDER; Houyang, GUO

2018-04-01

Modeling with OEDGE was carried out to assess the initial and long-term plasma contamination efficiency of Ar puffing from different divertor locations, i.e. the inner divertor, the outer divertor and the dome, in the EAST superconducting tokamak for typical ohmic plasma conditions. It was found that the initial Ar contamination efficiency is dependent on the local plasma conditions at the different gas puff locations. However, it quickly approaches a similar steady state value for Ar recycling efficiency >0.9. OEDGE modeling shows that the final equilibrium Ar contamination efficiency is significantly lower for the more closed lower divertor than that for the upper divertor.

Puffing Topography and Nicotine Intake of Electronic Cigarette Users

PubMed Central

Behar, Rachel Z.; Hua, My; Talbot, Prue

2015-01-01

Background Prior electronic cigarette (EC) topography data are based on two video analyses with limited parameters. Alternate methods for measuring topography are needed to understand EC use and nicotine intake. Objectives This study evaluated EC topography with a CReSS Pocket device and quantified nicotine intake. Methods Validation tests on pressure drop, flow rate, and volume confirmed reliable performance of the CReSS Pocket device. Twenty participants used Blu Cigs and V2 Cigs for 10 minute intervals with a 10–15 minute break between brands. Brand order was reversed and repeated within 7 days Data were analyzed to determine puff duration, puff count, volume, flow rate, peak flow, and inter-puff interval. Nicotine intake was estimated from cartomizer fluid consumption and topography data. Results Nine patterns of EC use were identified. The average puff count and inter-puff interval were 32 puffs and 17.9 seconds. All participants, except one, took more than 20 puffs/10 minutes. The averages for puff duration (2.65 seconds/puff), volume/puff (51ml/puff), total puff volume (1,579 ml), EC fluid consumption (79.6 mg), flow rate (20 ml/s), and peak flow rate (27 ml/s) were determined for 10-minute sessions. All parameters except total puff count were significantly different for Blu versus V2 EC. Total volume for Blu versus V2 was four-times higher than for conventional cigarettes. Average nicotine intake for Blu and V2 across both sessions was 1.2 ± 0.5 mg and 1.4 ± 0.7 mg, respectively, which is similar to conventional smokers. Conclusions EC puffing topography was variable among participants in the study, but often similar within an individual between brands or days. Puff duration, inter-puff interval, and puff volume varied from conventional cigarette standards. Data on total puff volume and nicotine intake are consistent with compensatory usage of EC. These data can contribute to the development of a standard protocol for laboratory testing of EC products

Identifying environmental factors harmful to reproduction.

PubMed Central

Palmer, A K

1993-01-01

Reproduction is essential for the continuation of the species and for life itself. In biological terms, living and reproducing are essentially one and the same. There is, therefore, no sharp division between identifying factors harmful to reproduction and identifying factors harmful to life or vice versa. Detection of harmful factors requires balanced use of a variety of methodologies from databases on structure-activity relationships through in vitro and in vivo test systems of varying complexity to surveys of wildlife and human populations. Human surveys provide the only assured means of discriminating between real and imagined harmful factors, but they are time consuming and provide information after the harm has been done. Test systems with whole animals provide the best prospects for identifying harmful factors quickly, but currently available methods used for testing agrochemicals and drugs need a thorough overhaul before they can provide a role model. Whether there is a need for new methodology is doubtful. More certain is the need to use existing methodology more wisely. We need a better understanding of the environment--whatever it is--and a more thoughtful approach to investigation of multifactorial situations. PMID:8243390

Quality evaluation of yellow peach chips prepared by explosion puffing drying.

PubMed

Lyu, Jian; Zhou, Lin-Yan; Bi, Jin-Feng; Liu, Xuan; Wu, Xin-Ye

2015-12-01

Nineteen evaluation indicators in 15 yellow peach chips prepared by explosion puffing drying were analyzed, including color, rehydration ratio, texture, and so on. The analysis methods of principle component analysis (PCA), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), K-means cluster (KC) and Discriminate analysis (DA) were used to analyze the comprehensive quality of the yellow peach chips. The dispersed coefficient of variation of the 19 evaluation indicators varied from 3.58 to 852.89 %, suggesting significant differences among yellow peach cultivars. The characteristic evaluation indicators, namely, reducing sugar content, out-put ratio, water content, a value and L value were analyzed by PCA, and their weights 0.0429, 0.1140, 0.4816, 1.1807 and 0.1807 were obtained by AHP. The levels in 15 cultivars effectively were classified by discrimination functions which obtained by KC and DA. The results suggested that three levels of comprehensive quality for yellow peach chips were divided, and the highest synthesis scores was observed in "senggelin" (11.1037), while the lowest synthesis value was found in "goldbaby" (-3.7600).

Modeling the effects of biomass accumulation on the performance of a biotrickling filter packed with PUF support for the alkaline biotreatment of dimethyl disulfide vapors in air.

PubMed

Arellano-García, Luis; Dorado, Antonio D; Morales-Guadarrama, Axayacatl; Sacristan, Emilio; Gamisans, Xavier; Revah, Sergio

2015-01-01

Excess biomass buildup in biotrickling filters leads to low performance. The effect of biomass accumulation in a biotrickling filter (BTF) packed with polyurethane foam (PUF) was assessed in terms of hydrodynamics and void space availability in a system treating dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) vapors with an alkaliphilic consortium. A sample of colonized support from a BTF having been operating for over a year was analyzed, and it was found that the BTF void bed fraction was reduced to almost half of that calculated initially without biomass. Liquid flow through the examined BTF yielded dispersion coefficient values of 0.30 and 0.72 m(2) h(-1), for clean or colonized PUF, respectively. 3D images of attached biomass obtained with magnetic resonance imaging allowed to calculate the superficial area and the biofilm volume percentage and depth as 650 m(2) m(-3), 35%, and 0.6 mm respectively. A simplified geometric approximation of the complex PUF structure was proposed using an orthogonal 3D mesh that predicted 600 m(2) m(-3) for the same biomass content. With this simplified model, it is suggested that the optimum biomass content would be around 20% of bed volume. The activity of the microorganisms was evaluated by respirometry and the kinetics represented with a Haldane equation type. Experimentally determined parameters were used in a mathematical model to simulate the DMDS elimination capacity (EC), and better description was found when the removal experimental data were matched with a model including liquid axial dispersion in contrast to an ideal plug flow model.

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR PREPARATION OF FILTERS AND PUF FOR FIELD COLLECTION OF METALS AND PESTICIDES IN AIR (BCO-L-2.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe the procedures for pre-cleaning filters and polyurethane foam (PUF) plug prior to air sampling with these media. The sampling media are used for sampling indoor air, outdoor air, and personal air. This procedure was followed to ensure consi...

Field aligned flows driven by neutral puffing at MAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waters, I.; Frerichs, H.; Silburn, S.; Feng, Y.; Harrison, J.; Kirk, A.; Schmitz, O.

2018-06-01

Neutral deuterium gas puffing at the high field side of the mega ampere spherical tokamak (MAST) is shown to drive carbon impurity flows that are aligned with the trajectory of the magnetic field lines in the plasma scrape-off-layer. These impurity flows were directly imaged with emissions from C2+ ions at MAST by coherence imaging spectroscopy and were qualitatively reproduced in deuterium plasmas by modeling with the EMC3-EIRENE plasma edge fluid and kinetic neutral transport code. A reduced one-dimensional momentum and particle balance shows that a localized increase in the static plasma pressure in front of the neutral gas puff yields an acceleration of the plasma due to local ionization. Perpendicular particle transport yields a decay from which a parallel length scale can be determined. Parameter scans in EMC3-EIRENE were carried out to determine the sensitivity of the deuterium plasma flow phenomena to local fueling and diffusion parameters and it is found that these flows robustly form across a wide variety of plasma conditions. Finally, efforts to couple this behavior in the background plasma directly to the impurity flows observed experimentally in MAST using a trace impurity model are discussed. These results provide insight into the fueling and exhaust features at this pivotal point of the radial and parallel particle flux balance, which is a major part of the plasma fueling and exhaust characteristics in a magnetically confined fusion device.

Cadmium Accumulation Risk in Vegetables and Rice in Southern China: Insights from Solid-Solution Partitioning and Plant Uptake Factor.

PubMed

Yang, Yang; Wang, Meie; Chen, Weiping; Li, Yanling; Peng, Chi

2017-07-12

Solid-solution partitioning coefficient (K d ) and plant uptake factor (PUF) largely determine the solubility and mobility of soil Cd to food crops. A four-year regional investigation was conducted in contaminated vegetable and paddy fields of southern China to quantify the variability in K d and PUF. The distributions of K d and PUF characterizing transfers of Cd from soil to vegetable and rice are probabilistic in nature. Dynamics in soil pH and soil Zn greatly affected the variations of K d . In addition to soil pH, soil organic matter had a major influence on PUF variations in vegetables. Heavy leaching of soil Mn caused a higher Cd accumulation in rice grain. Dietary ingestion of 85.5% of the locally produced vegetable and rice would have adverse health risks, with rice consumption contributing 97.2% of the risk. A probabilistic risk analysis based on derived transfer function reveals the amorphous Mn oxide content exerts a major influence on Cd accumulation in rice in pH conditions below 5.5. Risk estimation and field experiments show that to limit the Cd concentration in rice grains, soil management strategies should include improving the pH and soil Mn concentration to around 6.0 and 345 mg kg -1 , respectively. Our work illustrates that re-establishing a balance in trace elements in soils' labile pool provides an effective risk-based approach for safer crop practices.

Characterizing the Solid-Solution Coefficient and Plant Uptake Factor of As, Cd and Pb in California Croplands

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In risk assessment models, the solid-solution partition coefficient (Kd), and plant uptake factor (PUF), are often employed to model the fate and transport of trace elements in soils. The trustworthiness of risk assessments depends on the reliability of the parameters used. In this study, we exami...

Identifying Factors for Worker Motivation in Zambia's Rural Health Facilities.

PubMed

Cross, Samuel S; Baernholdt, Dr Marianne

2017-01-01

Within Zambia there is a shortage of health workers in rural areas. This study aims to identify motivating factors for retaining rural health workers. Sixty rural health workers completed surveys and 46 were interviewed. They rated the importance of six motivating factors and discussed these and other factors in interviews. An interview was conducted with a Government Human Resources Manager (HR Manager) to elicit contextual information. All six factors were identified as being very important motivators, as were two additional factors. Additional career training was identified by many as the most important factor. Comparison of results and the HR Manager interview revealed that workers lacked knowledge about opportunities and that the HR manager was aware of barriers to career development. The Zambian government might better motivate and retain rural health workers by offering them any combination of identified factors, and by addressing the barriers to career development.

[Determination of trace metals in atmospheric dry deposition with a heavy matrix of PUF by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy after microwave digestion].

PubMed

Pan, Yue-peng; Wang, Yue-si; Yang, Yong-jie; Wu, Dan; Xin, Jin-yuan; Fan, Wen-yan

2010-03-01

Interest in atmospheric dry deposition results mostly from concerns about the effects of the deposited trace elements entering waterbody, soil and vegetation as well as their subsequent health effects. A microwave assisted digestion method followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (MAD-ICP/MS) analysis was developed to determine the concentrations of a large number of trace metals in atmospheric dry deposition samples with a heavy matrix of polyurethane foam (PUF). A combination of HNO3-H2O2-HF was used for digestion. The experimental protocol for the microwave assisted digestion was established using two different SRMs (GBW 07401, Soil and GBW 08401, Coal fly ash). Subsequently, blanks and limits of detection for total trace metal concentrations were determined for PUF filter which was used for dry deposition sampling. Finally, the optimized digestion method was applied to real world atmospheric dry deposition samples collected at 10 sites in Jingjinji area in winter from Dec. 2007 to Feb. 2008. The results showed that the area-averaged total mass fluxes ranged between 85 and 912 mg x (m2 x d)(-1), and fluxes of most elements were highest at Baoding and lowest at Xinglong. In addition, the elemental fluxes in urban areas of Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan were measured to be higher than that in suburb and rural sites. The average fluxes of crust elements (A1, Fe, Mn, K, Na, Ca and Mg) were one to three orders of magnitude higher than anthropogenic elements (Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, V, Zn and Ba), varying from 151 to 16034 microg x (m2 x d)(-1) versus 14 to 243 microg x (m2 x d)(-1). Zinc was the most abundant heavy metal and calcium the highest of the crust elements while the elements Mo, Co, Cd, As and Be deposited less or even could not be detected. The anthropogenic and crustal contributions were estimated by employing enrichment factors (EF) calculated relative to the average crustal composition. The EF values of all elements except Pb and Zn were below

Characterization of LHI- and LHI+ Rhodobacter capsulatus pufA mutants.

PubMed Central

Richter, P; Brand, M; Drews, G

1992-01-01

The NH2 termini of light-harvesting complex I (LHI) polypeptides alpha and beta of Rhodobacter capsulatus are thought to be involved in the assembly of the LHI complex. For a more detailed study of the role of the NH2-terminal segment of the LHI alpha protein in insertion into the intracytoplasmic membrane (ICM) of R. capsulatus, amino acids 6 to 8, 9 to 11, 12 and 13, or 14 and 15 of the LHI alpha protein were deleted. Additionally, the hydrophobic stretch of the amino acids 7 to 11 was lengthened by insertion of hydrophobic or hydrophilic amino acids. All mutations abolished the ability of the mutant strains to form a functional LHI antenna complex. All changes introduced into the LHI alpha protein strongly reduced the stability of its LHI beta partner protein in the ICM. The effects on the mutated protein itself, however, were different. Deletion of amino acids 6 to 8, 9 to 11, or 14 and 15 drastically reduced the amount of the LHI alpha protein inserted into the membrane or prevented its insertion. Deletion of amino acids 12 and 13 and lengthening of the stretch of amino acids 7 to 11 reduced the half-life of the mutated LHI alpha protein in the ICM in comparison with the wild-type LHI alpha protein. Under the selective pressure of low light, revertants which regained a functional LHI antenna complex were identified only for the mutant strain deleted of amino acids 9 to 11 of the LHI alpha polypeptide [U43 (pTPR15)]. The restoration of the LHI+ phenotype was due to an in-frame duplication of 9 bp in the pufA gene directly upstream of the site of deletion present in strain U43(pTPR15). The duplicated nucleotides code for the amino acids Lys, Ile, and Trp. Membranes purified from the revertants were different from that of the reaction center-positive LHI+ LHII- control strain U43(pTX35) in doubling of the carotenoid content and increase of the size of the photosynthetic unit. By separating the reaction center and LHI complexes of the revertants by native

Using Quantum Confinement to Uniquely Identify Devices

PubMed Central

Roberts, J.; Bagci, I. E.; Zawawi, M. A. M.; Sexton, J.; Hulbert, N.; Noori, Y. J.; Young, M. P.; Woodhead, C. S.; Missous, M.; Migliorato, M. A.; Roedig, U.; Young, R. J.

2015-01-01

Modern technology unintentionally provides resources that enable the trust of everyday interactions to be undermined. Some authentication schemes address this issue using devices that give a unique output in response to a challenge. These signatures are generated by hard-to-predict physical responses derived from structural characteristics, which lend themselves to two different architectures, known as unique objects (UNOs) and physically unclonable functions (PUFs). The classical design of UNOs and PUFs limits their size and, in some cases, their security. Here we show that quantum confinement lends itself to the provision of unique identities at the nanoscale, by using fluctuations in tunnelling measurements through quantum wells in resonant tunnelling diodes (RTDs). This provides an uncomplicated measurement of identity without conventional resource limitations whilst providing robust security. The confined energy levels are highly sensitive to the specific nanostructure within each RTD, resulting in a distinct tunnelling spectrum for every device, as they contain a unique and unpredictable structure that is presently impossible to clone. This new class of authentication device operates with minimal resources in simple electronic structures above room temperature. PMID:26553435

Semi-analytical study of the tokamak pedestal density profile in a single-null diverted plasma with puffing-recycling gas sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Bingren

2010-10-01

The tokamak pedestal density structure is generally studied using a diffusion-dominant model. Recent investigations (Stacey and Groebner 2009 Phys. Plasmas 16 102504) from first principle based physics have shown a plausible existence of large inward convection in the pedestal region. The diffusion-convection equation with rapidly varying convection and diffusion coefficients in the near edge region and model puffing-recycling neutral particles is studied in this paper. A peculiar property of its solution for the existence of the large convection case is that the pedestal width of the density profile, qualitatively different from the diffusion-dominant case, depends mainly on the width of the inward convection and only weakly on the neutral penetration length and its injection position.

Architecture and dynamics of overlapped RNA regulatory networks.

PubMed

Lapointe, Christopher P; Preston, Melanie A; Wilinski, Daniel; Saunders, Harriet A J; Campbell, Zachary T; Wickens, Marvin

2017-11-01

A single protein can bind and regulate many mRNAs. Multiple proteins with similar specificities often bind and control overlapping sets of mRNAs. Yet little is known about the architecture or dynamics of overlapped networks. We focused on three proteins with similar structures and related RNA-binding specificities-Puf3p, Puf4p, and Puf5p of S. cerevisiae Using RNA Tagging, we identified a "super-network" comprised of four subnetworks: Puf3p, Puf4p, and Puf5p subnetworks, and one controlled by both Puf4p and Puf5p. The architecture of individual subnetworks, and thus the super-network, is determined by competition among particular PUF proteins to bind mRNAs, their affinities for binding elements, and the abundances of the proteins. The super-network responds dramatically: The remaining network can either expand or contract. These strikingly opposite outcomes are determined by an interplay between the relative abundance of the RNAs and proteins, and their affinities for one another. The diverse interplay between overlapping RNA-protein networks provides versatile opportunities for regulation and evolution. © 2017 Lapointe et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

High fusion performance at high T i/T e in JET-ILW baseline plasmas with high NBI heating power and low gas puffing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyun-Tae; Sips, A. C. C.; Romanelli, M.; Challis, C. D.; Rimini, F.; Garzotti, L.; Lerche, E.; Buchanan, J.; Yuan, X.; Kaye, S.; contributors, JET

2018-03-01

This paper presents the transport analysis of high density baseline discharges in the 2016 experimental campaign of the Joint European Torus with the ITER-Like Wall (JET-ILW), where a significant increase in the deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion neutron rate (~2.8  ×  1016 s-1) was achieved with stable high neutral beam injection (NBI) powers of up to 28 MW and low gas puffing. Increase in T i exceeding T e were produced for the first time in baseline discharges despite the high electron density; this enabled a significant increase in the thermal fusion reaction rate. As a result, the new achieved record in fusion performance was much higher than the previous record in the same heating power baseline discharges, where T i  =  T e. In addition to the decreases in collisionality and the increases in ion heating fraction in the discharges with high NBI power, T i  >  T e can also be attributed to positive feedback between the high T i/T e ratio and stabilisation of the turbulent heat flux resulting from the ion temperature gradient driven mode. The high T i/T e ratio was correlated with high rotation frequency. Among the discharges with identical beam heating power, higher rotation frequencies were observed when particle fuelling was provided by low gas puffing and pellet injection. This reveals that particle fuelling played a key role for achieving high T i/T e, and the improved fusion performance.

High fusion performance at high T i/ T e in JET-ILW baseline plasmas with high NBI heating power and low gas puffing

DOE PAGES

Kim, Hyun-Tae; Sips, A. C. C.; Romanelli, M.; ...

2018-02-01

This article presents the transport analysis of high density baseline discharges in the 2016 experimental campaign of the Joint European Torus with the ITER-Like Wall (JET-ILW), where a significant increase in the deuterium–deuterium (D–D) fusion neutron rate (~2.8 × 10 16 s -1) was achieved with stable high neutral beam injection (NBI) powers of up to 28 MW and low gas puffing. Increase in T i exceeding T e were produced for the first time in baseline discharges despite the high electron density; this enabled a significant increase in the thermal fusion reaction rate. As a result, the new achievedmore » record in fusion performance was much higher than the previous record in the same heating power baseline discharges, where T i = T e. In addition to the decreases in collisionality and the increases in ion heating fraction in the discharges with high NBI power, T i > T e can also be attributed to positive feedback between the high T i/T e ratio and stabilisation of the turbulent heat flux resulting from the ion temperature gradient driven mode. The high T i/T e ratio was correlated with high rotation frequency. Among the discharges with identical beam heating power, higher rotation frequencies were observed when particle fuelling was provided by low gas puffing and pellet injection. Lastly, this reveals that particle fuelling played a key role for achieving high T i/T e, and the improved fusion performance.« less

High fusion performance at high T i/ T e in JET-ILW baseline plasmas with high NBI heating power and low gas puffing

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

Kim, Hyun-Tae; Sips, A. C. C.; Romanelli, M.

This article presents the transport analysis of high density baseline discharges in the 2016 experimental campaign of the Joint European Torus with the ITER-Like Wall (JET-ILW), where a significant increase in the deuterium–deuterium (D–D) fusion neutron rate (~2.8 × 10 16 s -1) was achieved with stable high neutral beam injection (NBI) powers of up to 28 MW and low gas puffing. Increase in T i exceeding T e were produced for the first time in baseline discharges despite the high electron density; this enabled a significant increase in the thermal fusion reaction rate. As a result, the new achievedmore » record in fusion performance was much higher than the previous record in the same heating power baseline discharges, where T i = T e. In addition to the decreases in collisionality and the increases in ion heating fraction in the discharges with high NBI power, T i > T e can also be attributed to positive feedback between the high T i/T e ratio and stabilisation of the turbulent heat flux resulting from the ion temperature gradient driven mode. The high T i/T e ratio was correlated with high rotation frequency. Among the discharges with identical beam heating power, higher rotation frequencies were observed when particle fuelling was provided by low gas puffing and pellet injection. Lastly, this reveals that particle fuelling played a key role for achieving high T i/T e, and the improved fusion performance.« less

Recurrent rewiring and emergence of RNA regulatory networks.

PubMed

Wilinski, Daniel; Buter, Natascha; Klocko, Andrew D; Lapointe, Christopher P; Selker, Eric U; Gasch, Audrey P; Wickens, Marvin

2017-04-04

Alterations in regulatory networks contribute to evolutionary change. Transcriptional networks are reconfigured by changes in the binding specificity of transcription factors and their cognate sites. The evolution of RNA-protein regulatory networks is far less understood. The PUF (Pumilio and FBF) family of RNA regulatory proteins controls the translation, stability, and movements of hundreds of mRNAs in a single species. We probe the evolution of PUF-RNA networks by direct identification of the mRNAs bound to PUF proteins in budding and filamentous fungi and by computational analyses of orthologous RNAs from 62 fungal species. Our findings reveal that PUF proteins gain and lose mRNAs with related and emergent biological functions during evolution. We demonstrate at least two independent rewiring events for PUF3 orthologs, independent but convergent evolution of PUF4/5 binding specificity and the rewiring of the PUF4/5 regulons in different fungal lineages. These findings demonstrate plasticity in RNA regulatory networks and suggest ways in which their rewiring occurs.

Patterns and plasticity in RNA-protein interactions enable recruitment of multiple proteins through a single site

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

Valley, Cary T.; Porter, Douglas F.; Qiu, Chen

2012-06-28

mRNA control hinges on the specificity and affinity of proteins for their RNA binding sites. Regulatory proteins must bind their own sites and reject even closely related noncognate sites. In the PUF [Pumilio and fem-3 binding factor (FBF)] family of RNA binding proteins, individual proteins discriminate differences in the length and sequence of binding sites, allowing each PUF to bind a distinct battery of mRNAs. Here, we show that despite these differences, the pattern of RNA interactions is conserved among PUF proteins: the two ends of the PUF protein make critical contacts with the two ends of the RNA sites.more » Despite this conserved 'two-handed' pattern of recognition, the RNA sequence is flexible. Among the binding sites of yeast Puf4p, RNA sequence dictates the pattern in which RNA bases are flipped away from the binding surface of the protein. Small differences in RNA sequence allow new modes of control, recruiting Puf5p in addition to Puf4p to a single site. This embedded information adds a new layer of biological meaning to the connections between RNA targets and PUF proteins.« less

Particle transport characteristics of the RT-1 magnetospheric plasma using gas-puffing modulation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenmochi, Naoki; Nishiura, Masaki; Yoshida, Zensho; Sugata, Tetsuya; Nakamura, Kaori; Katsura, Shotaro

2017-10-01

The Ring Trap 1 (RT-1) device creates a laboratory magnetosphere that is realized by a levitated superconducting ring magnet in vacuum. The RT-1 experiment has demonstrated the self-organization of a plasma clump with a steep density gradient; a peaked density distribution is spontaneously created through `inward diffusion'. In order to evaluate particle transport characteristics in the RT-1 magnetospheric plasmas which cause these inward diffusion, density modulation experiments were performed in the RT-1. Density modulation is a powerful method for estimating a diffusion coefficient D and a convection velocity V by puffing a periodic neutral gas. The gas puff modulation causes the change in the electron density measured by two chords of microwave interferometer (the radial positions r = 60 and 70 cm, vertical chord). In the case of 2 Hz gas puff modulation, the phase delay and the modulation-amplitude decay at the chord r = 60 cm are obtained with 15 degree and 0.8, respectively, with respect to the phase and the amplitude at r = 70 cm. The particle balance equations are solved on the assumption of profile shapes for D to evaluate D, V and particle source rate. The result suggests the inward convection in high beta magnetospheric plasmas.

Regional accumulation characteristics of cadmium in vegetables: Influencing factors, transfer model and indication of soil threshold content.

PubMed

Yang, Yang; Chen, Weiping; Wang, Meie; Peng, Chi

2016-12-01

A regional investigation in the Youxian prefecture, southern China, was conducted to analyze the impact of environmental factors including soil properties and irrigation in conjunction with the use of fertilizers on the accumulation of Cd in vegetables. The Cd transfer potential from soil to vegetable was provided by the plant uptake factor (PUF), which varied by three orders of magnitude and was described by a Gaussian distribution model. The soil pH, content of soil organic matter (SOM), concentrations of Zn in the soil, pH of irrigation water and nitrogenous fertilizers contributed significantly to the PUF variations. A path model analysis, however, revealed the principal control of the PUF values resulted from the soil pH, soil Zn concentrations and SOM. Transfer functions were developed using the total soil Cd concentrations, soil pH, and SOM. They explained 56% of the variance for all samples irrespective of the vegetable genotypes. The transfer functions predicted the probability of exceeding China food safety standard concentrations for Cd in four major consumable vegetables under different soil conditions. Poor production practices in the study area involved usage of soil with pH values ≤ 5.5, especially for the cultivation of Raphanus sativus L., even with soil Cd concentrations below the China soil quality standard. We found the soil standard Cd concentrations for cultivating vegetables was not strict enough for strongly acidic (pH ≤ 5.5) and SOM-poor (SOM ≤ 10 g kg -1 ) soils present in southern China. It is thus necessary to address the effect of environmental variables to generate a suitable Cd threshold for cultivated soils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying influential factors of business process performance using dependency analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetzstein, Branimir; Leitner, Philipp; Rosenberg, Florian; Dustdar, Schahram; Leymann, Frank

2011-02-01

We present a comprehensive framework for identifying influential factors of business process performance. In particular, our approach combines monitoring of process events and Quality of Service (QoS) measurements with dependency analysis to effectively identify influential factors. The framework uses data mining techniques to construct tree structures to represent dependencies of a key performance indicator (KPI) on process and QoS metrics. These dependency trees allow business analysts to determine how process KPIs depend on lower-level process metrics and QoS characteristics of the IT infrastructure. The structure of the dependencies enables a drill-down analysis of single factors of influence to gain a deeper knowledge why certain KPI targets are not met.

Polyurethane foam containing rhEGF as a dressing material for healing diabetic wounds: Synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in vivo studies.

PubMed

Pyun, Do Gi; Choi, Hyun Jun; Yoon, Hyoung Soon; Thambi, Thavasyappan; Lee, Doo Sung

2015-11-01

Diabetic wounds are a major health issue associated with diabetes mellitus. To surmount this issue, we developed polyurethane foams (PUFs) incorporating varying amounts of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) (rhEGF-PUFs) as a wound dressing for diabetic wounds. From electron microscopy images, it was found that the pore size of the rhEGF-PUFs surface (the wound contact layer) was less than 100μm, regardless of rhEGF content. The release of rhEGF from the PUFs was evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The result showed that the release of rhEGF was time and concentration dependent, i.e., the amount of released rhEGF significantly increased as the immersion time and the rhEGF content of the PUFs increased. In vitro cytotoxicity testing showed that rhEGF-PUFs increased the viability of HaCaT human keratinocytes and CCD986-sk human fibroblasts, which indicated that the incorporated rhEGF maintained its biological activity. In an in vitro scratch wound healing assay, the wound closure rate was faster in CCD986-sk human fibroblasts than in HaCaT human keratinocytes. Finally, the rhEGF-PUFs were evaluated as an in vivo treatment in a full-thickness wound model in diabetized Sprague-Dawley rats. The result indicated that compared with PUFs, rhEGF-PUFs accelerated wound healing by promoting wound contraction, re-epithelialization, collagen deposition and the formation of a skin appendage. These findings demonstrate that rhEGF-PUFs are a promising dressing for diabetic wounds. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Identifying Causal Risk Factors for Violence among Discharged Patients

PubMed Central

Coid, Jeremy W.; Kallis, Constantinos; Doyle, Mike; Shaw, Jenny; Ullrich, Simone

2015-01-01

Background Structured Professional Judgement (SPJ) is routinely administered in mental health and criminal justice settings but cannot identify violence risk above moderate accuracy. There is no current evidence that violence can be prevented using SPJ. This may be explained by routine application of predictive instead of causal statistical models when standardising SPJ instruments. Methods We carried out a prospective cohort study of 409 male and female patients discharged from medium secure services in England and Wales to the community. Measures were taken at baseline (pre-discharge), 6 and 12 months post-discharge using the Historical, Clinical and Risk-20 items version 3 (HCR-20v3) and Structural Assessment of Protective Factors (SAPROF). Information on violence was obtained via the McArthur community violence instrument and the Police National Computer. Results In a lagged model, HCR-20v3 and SAPROF items were poor predictors of violence. Eight items of the HCR-20v3 and 4 SAPROF items did not predict violent behaviour better than chance. In re-analyses considering temporal proximity of risk/ protective factors (exposure) on violence (outcome), risk was elevated due to violent ideation (OR 6.98, 95% CI 13.85–12.65, P<0.001), instability (OR 5.41, 95% CI 3.44–8.50, P<0.001), and poor coping/ stress (OR 8.35, 95% CI 4.21–16.57, P<0.001). All 3 risk factors were explanatory variables which drove the association with violent outcome. Self-control (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.08–0.24, P<0.001) conveyed protective effects and explained the association of other protective factors with violence. Conclusions Using two standardised SPJ instruments, predictive (lagged) methods could not identify risk and protective factors which must be targeted in interventions for discharged patients with severe mental illness. Predictive methods should be abandoned if the aim is to progress from risk assessment to effective risk management and replaced by methods which identify factors

Using factor analysis to identify neuromuscular synergies during treadmill walking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merkle, L. A.; Layne, C. S.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Zhang, J. J.

1998-01-01

Neuroscientists are often interested in grouping variables to facilitate understanding of a particular phenomenon. Factor analysis is a powerful statistical technique that groups variables into conceptually meaningful clusters, but remains underutilized by neuroscience researchers presumably due to its complicated concepts and procedures. This paper illustrates an application of factor analysis to identify coordinated patterns of whole-body muscle activation during treadmill walking. Ten male subjects walked on a treadmill (6.4 km/h) for 20 s during which surface electromyographic (EMG) activity was obtained from the left side sternocleidomastoid, neck extensors, erector spinae, and right side biceps femoris, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, and medial gastrocnemius. Factor analysis revealed 65% of the variance of seven muscles sampled aligned with two orthogonal factors, labeled 'transition control' and 'loading'. These two factors describe coordinated patterns of muscular activity across body segments that would not be evident by evaluating individual muscle patterns. The results show that factor analysis can be effectively used to explore relationships among muscle patterns across all body segments to increase understanding of the complex coordination necessary for smooth and efficient locomotion. We encourage neuroscientists to consider using factor analysis to identify coordinated patterns of neuromuscular activation that would be obscured using more traditional EMG analyses.

Identifying molecular subtypes related to clinicopathologic factors in pancreatic cancer

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal tumors and usually presented with locally advanced and distant metastasis disease, which prevent curative resection or treatments. In this regard, we considered identifying molecular subtypes associated with clinicopathological factor as prognosis factors to stratify PDAC for appropriate treatment of patients. Results In this study, we identified three molecular subtypes which were significant on survival time and metastasis. We also identified significant genes and enriched pathways represented for each molecular subtype. Considering R0 resection patients included in each subtype, metastasis and survival times are significantly associated with subtype 1 and subtype 2. Conclusions We observed three PDAC molecular subtypes and demonstrated that those subtypes were significantly related with metastasis and survival time. The study may have utility in stratifying patients for cancer treatment. PMID:25560450

Comparisons between tokamak fueling of gas puffing and supersonic molecular beam injection in 2D simulations

DOE PAGES

Zhou, Y. L.; Wang, Z. H.; Xu, X. Q.; ...

2015-01-09

Plasma fueling with high efficiency and deep injection is very important to enable fusion power performance requirements. It is a powerful and efficient way to study neutral transport dynamics and find methods of improving the fueling performance by doing large scale simulations. Furthermore, two basic fueling methods, gas puffing (GP) and supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI), are simulated and compared in realistic divertor geometry of the HL-2A tokamak with a newly developed module, named trans-neut, within the framework of BOUT++ boundary plasma turbulence code [Z. H. Wang et al., Nucl. Fusion 54, 043019 (2014)]. The physical model includes plasma density,more » heat and momentum transport equations along with neutral density, and momentum transport equations. In transport dynamics and profile evolutions of both plasma and neutrals are simulated and compared between GP and SMBI in both poloidal and radial directions, which are quite different from one and the other. It finds that the neutrals can penetrate about four centimeters inside the last closed (magnetic) flux surface during SMBI, while they are all deposited outside of the LCF during GP. Moreover, it is the radial convection and larger inflowing flux which lead to the deeper penetration depth of SMBI and higher fueling efficiency compared to GP.« less

Comparisons between tokamak fueling of gas puffing and supersonic molecular beam injection in 2D simulations

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

Zhou, Y. L.; Wang, Z. H.; Xu, X. Q.

Plasma fueling with high efficiency and deep injection is very important to enable fusion power performance requirements. It is a powerful and efficient way to study neutral transport dynamics and find methods of improving the fueling performance by doing large scale simulations. Furthermore, two basic fueling methods, gas puffing (GP) and supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI), are simulated and compared in realistic divertor geometry of the HL-2A tokamak with a newly developed module, named trans-neut, within the framework of BOUT++ boundary plasma turbulence code [Z. H. Wang et al., Nucl. Fusion 54, 043019 (2014)]. The physical model includes plasma density,more » heat and momentum transport equations along with neutral density, and momentum transport equations. In transport dynamics and profile evolutions of both plasma and neutrals are simulated and compared between GP and SMBI in both poloidal and radial directions, which are quite different from one and the other. It finds that the neutrals can penetrate about four centimeters inside the last closed (magnetic) flux surface during SMBI, while they are all deposited outside of the LCF during GP. Moreover, it is the radial convection and larger inflowing flux which lead to the deeper penetration depth of SMBI and higher fueling efficiency compared to GP.« less

Comparisons between tokamak fueling of gas puffing and supersonic molecular beam injection in 2D simulations

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

Zhou, Y. L.; Southwestern Institute of Physics, Chengdu 610041; Wang, Z. H., E-mail: zhwang@swip.ac.cn

Plasma fueling with high efficiency and deep injection is very important to enable fusion power performance requirements. It is a powerful and efficient way to study neutral transport dynamics and find methods of improving the fueling performance by doing large scale simulations. Two basic fueling methods, gas puffing (GP) and supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI), are simulated and compared in realistic divertor geometry of the HL-2A tokamak with a newly developed module, named trans-neut, within the framework of BOUT++ boundary plasma turbulence code [Z. H. Wang et al., Nucl. Fusion 54, 043019 (2014)]. The physical model includes plasma density, heatmore » and momentum transport equations along with neutral density, and momentum transport equations. Transport dynamics and profile evolutions of both plasma and neutrals are simulated and compared between GP and SMBI in both poloidal and radial directions, which are quite different from one and the other. It finds that the neutrals can penetrate about four centimeters inside the last closed (magnetic) flux surface during SMBI, while they are all deposited outside of the LCF during GP. It is the radial convection and larger inflowing flux which lead to the deeper penetration depth of SMBI and higher fueling efficiency compared to GP.« less

Assessing vulnerability to drought: identifying underlying factors across Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urquijo, Julia; Gonzalez Tánago, Itziar; Ballesteros, Mario; De Stefano, Lucia

2015-04-01

Drought is considered one of the most severe and damaging natural hazards in terms of people and sectors affected and associated losses. Drought is a normal and recurrent climatic phenomenon that occurs worldwide, although its spatial and temporal characteristics vary significantly among climates. In the case of Europe, in the last thirty years, the region has suffered several drought events that have caused estimated economic damages over a €100 billion and have affected almost 20% of its territory and population. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness among experts and authorities of the need to shift from a reactive crisis approach to a drought risk management approach, as well as of the importance of designing and implementing policies, strategies and plans at country and river basin levels to deal with drought. The identification of whom and what is vulnerable to drought is a central aspect of drought risk mitigation and planning and several authors agree that societal vulnerability often determines drought risk more than the actual precipitation shortfalls. The final aim of a drought vulnerability assessment is to identify the underlying sources of drought impact, in order to develop policy options that help to enhance coping capacity and therefore to prevent drought impact. This study identifies and maps factors underlying vulnerability to drought across Europe. The identification of factors influencing vulnerability starts from the analysis of past drought impacts in four European socioeconomic sectors. This analysis, along with an extensive literature review, led to the selection of vulnerability factors that are both relevant and adequate for the European context. Adopting the IPCC model, vulnerability factors were grouped to describe exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The aggregation of these components has resulted in the mapping of vulnerability to drought across Europe at NUTS02 level. Final results have been compared with

Quality and storage stability of extruded puffed corn-fish snacks during 6-month storage at ambient temperature.

PubMed

Shaviklo, Gholam Reza; Thorkelsson, Gudjon; Rafipour, Fereidon; Sigurgisladottir, Sjofn

2011-03-30

Cereal-based snacks are usually low in protein and other nutrients. Increased health awareness of consumers has led the food industry to develop fortified snacks with functional ingredients. Three types of extruded corn-fish snacks, containing 150 g kg(-1) carp mince and 150 g kg(-1) trout mince, 30 g kg(-1) freeze-dried saithe protein and a regular corn snack (control). were produced to study quality changes and storage stability of the products during 6-month storage at 27±2 °C. All products had the same level of water activity and proximate composition except for protein. Fortified snacks had a protein content of 93-98 g kg(-1) , compared with 65 g kg(-1) in the control. A significant increase was observed for peroxide value during storage (0.0 to 2.8 meq kg(-1)). Scores for attributes describing oxidation and off odors and flavors increased after 5-6 months' storage but attributes describing puffed corn snack odor and flavor did not change during storage of any of the products. Extrusion of corn grits with fish flesh/fish protein can be used to produce high-protein products that would be an option to provide nutrient snacks for consumers and to increase fish consumption. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Identifying Key Drivers of Return Reversal with Dynamical Bayesian Factor Graph

PubMed Central

Zhao, Shuai; Tong, Yunhai; Wang, Zitian; Tan, Shaohua

2016-01-01

In the stock market, return reversal occurs when investors sell overbought stocks and buy oversold stocks, reversing the stocks’ price trends. In this paper, we develop a new method to identify key drivers of return reversal by incorporating a comprehensive set of factors derived from different economic theories into one unified dynamical Bayesian factor graph. We then use the model to depict factor relationships and their dynamics, from which we make some interesting discoveries about the mechanism behind return reversals. Through extensive experiments on the US stock market, we conclude that among the various factors, the liquidity factors consistently emerge as key drivers of return reversal, which is in support of the theory of liquidity effect. Specifically, we find that stocks with high turnover rates or high Amihud illiquidity measures have a greater probability of experiencing return reversals. Apart from the consistent drivers, we find other drivers of return reversal that generally change from year to year, and they serve as important characteristics for evaluating the trends of stock returns. Besides, we also identify some seldom discussed yet enlightening inter-factor relationships, one of which shows that stocks in Finance and Insurance industry are more likely to have high Amihud illiquidity measures in comparison with those in other industries. These conclusions are robust for return reversals under different thresholds. PMID:27893780

Identifying Key Drivers of Return Reversal with Dynamical Bayesian Factor Graph.

PubMed

Zhao, Shuai; Tong, Yunhai; Wang, Zitian; Tan, Shaohua

2016-01-01

In the stock market, return reversal occurs when investors sell overbought stocks and buy oversold stocks, reversing the stocks' price trends. In this paper, we develop a new method to identify key drivers of return reversal by incorporating a comprehensive set of factors derived from different economic theories into one unified dynamical Bayesian factor graph. We then use the model to depict factor relationships and their dynamics, from which we make some interesting discoveries about the mechanism behind return reversals. Through extensive experiments on the US stock market, we conclude that among the various factors, the liquidity factors consistently emerge as key drivers of return reversal, which is in support of the theory of liquidity effect. Specifically, we find that stocks with high turnover rates or high Amihud illiquidity measures have a greater probability of experiencing return reversals. Apart from the consistent drivers, we find other drivers of return reversal that generally change from year to year, and they serve as important characteristics for evaluating the trends of stock returns. Besides, we also identify some seldom discussed yet enlightening inter-factor relationships, one of which shows that stocks in Finance and Insurance industry are more likely to have high Amihud illiquidity measures in comparison with those in other industries. These conclusions are robust for return reversals under different thresholds.

Preliminary Study on LiF4-ThF4-PuF4 Utilization as Fuel Salt of miniFUJI Molten Salt Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waris, Abdul; Aji, Indarta K.; Pramuditya, Syeilendra; Widayani; Irwanto, Dwi

2016-08-01

miniFUJI reactor is molten salt reactor (MSR) which is one type of the Generation IV nuclear energy systems. The original miniFUJI reactor design uses LiF-BeF2-ThF4-233UF4 as a fuel salt. In the present study, the use of LiF4-ThF4-PuF4 as fuel salt instead of LiF-BeF2-ThF4-UF4 will be discussed. The neutronics cell calculation has been performed by using PIJ (collision probability method code) routine of SRAC 2006 code, with the nuclear data library is JENDL-4.0. The results reveal that the reactor can attain the criticality condition with the plutonium concentration in the fuel salt is equal to 9.16% or more. The conversion ratio diminishes with the enlarging of plutonium concentration in the fuel. The neutron spectrum of miniFUJI MSR with plutonium fuel becomes harder compared to that of the 233U fuel.

Identifying transcription factor functions and targets by phenotypic activation

PubMed Central

Chua, Gordon; Morris, Quaid D.; Sopko, Richelle; Robinson, Mark D.; Ryan, Owen; Chan, Esther T.; Frey, Brendan J.; Andrews, Brenda J.; Boone, Charles; Hughes, Timothy R.

2006-01-01

Mapping transcriptional regulatory networks is difficult because many transcription factors (TFs) are activated only under specific conditions. We describe a generic strategy for identifying genes and pathways induced by individual TFs that does not require knowledge of their normal activation cues. Microarray analysis of 55 yeast TFs that caused a growth phenotype when overexpressed showed that the majority caused increased transcript levels of genes in specific physiological categories, suggesting a mechanism for growth inhibition. Induced genes typically included established targets and genes with consensus promoter motifs, if known, indicating that these data are useful for identifying potential new target genes and binding sites. We identified the sequence 5′-TCACGCAA as a binding sequence for Hms1p, a TF that positively regulates pseudohyphal growth and previously had no known motif. The general strategy outlined here presents a straightforward approach to discovery of TF activities and mapping targets that could be adapted to any organism with transgenic technology. PMID:16880382

The Promise of Virtual Teams: Identifying Key Factors in Effectiveness and Failure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horwitz, Frank M.; Bravington, Desmond; Silvis, Ulrik

2006-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the investigation is to identify enabling and disenabling factors in the development and operation of virtual teams; to evaluate the importance of factors such as team development, cross-cultural variables, leadership, communication and social cohesion as contributors to virtual team effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach:…

Identifying the necessary and sufficient number of risk factors for predicting academic failure.

PubMed

Lucio, Robert; Hunt, Elizabeth; Bornovalova, Marina

2012-03-01

Identifying the point at which individuals become at risk for academic failure (grade point average [GPA] < 2.0) involves an understanding of which and how many factors contribute to poor outcomes. School-related factors appear to be among the many factors that significantly impact academic success or failure. This study focused on 12 school-related factors. Using a thorough 5-step process, we identified which unique risk factors place one at risk for academic failure. Academic engagement, academic expectations, academic self-efficacy, homework completion, school relevance, school safety, teacher relationships (positive relationship), grade retention, school mobility, and school misbehaviors (negative relationship) were uniquely related to GPA even after controlling for all relevant covariates. Next, a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine a cutoff point for determining how many risk factors predict academic failure (GPA < 2.0). Results yielded a cutoff point of 2 risk factors for predicting academic failure, which provides a way for early identification of individuals who are at risk. Further implications of these findings are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Identifying Key Hospital Service Quality Factors in Online Health Communities

PubMed Central

Jung, Yuchul; Hur, Cinyoung; Jung, Dain

2015-01-01

Background The volume of health-related user-created content, especially hospital-related questions and answers in online health communities, has rapidly increased. Patients and caregivers participate in online community activities to share their experiences, exchange information, and ask about recommended or discredited hospitals. However, there is little research on how to identify hospital service quality automatically from the online communities. In the past, in-depth analysis of hospitals has used random sampling surveys. However, such surveys are becoming impractical owing to the rapidly increasing volume of online data and the diverse analysis requirements of related stakeholders. Objective As a solution for utilizing large-scale health-related information, we propose a novel approach to identify hospital service quality factors and overtime trends automatically from online health communities, especially hospital-related questions and answers. Methods We defined social media–based key quality factors for hospitals. In addition, we developed text mining techniques to detect such factors that frequently occur in online health communities. After detecting these factors that represent qualitative aspects of hospitals, we applied a sentiment analysis to recognize the types of recommendations in messages posted within online health communities. Korea’s two biggest online portals were used to test the effectiveness of detection of social media–based key quality factors for hospitals. Results To evaluate the proposed text mining techniques, we performed manual evaluations on the extraction and classification results, such as hospital name, service quality factors, and recommendation types using a random sample of messages (ie, 5.44% (9450/173,748) of the total messages). Service quality factor detection and hospital name extraction achieved average F1 scores of 91% and 78%, respectively. In terms of recommendation classification, performance (ie, precision) is

Identifying key hospital service quality factors in online health communities.

PubMed

Jung, Yuchul; Hur, Cinyoung; Jung, Dain; Kim, Minki

2015-04-07

The volume of health-related user-created content, especially hospital-related questions and answers in online health communities, has rapidly increased. Patients and caregivers participate in online community activities to share their experiences, exchange information, and ask about recommended or discredited hospitals. However, there is little research on how to identify hospital service quality automatically from the online communities. In the past, in-depth analysis of hospitals has used random sampling surveys. However, such surveys are becoming impractical owing to the rapidly increasing volume of online data and the diverse analysis requirements of related stakeholders. As a solution for utilizing large-scale health-related information, we propose a novel approach to identify hospital service quality factors and overtime trends automatically from online health communities, especially hospital-related questions and answers. We defined social media-based key quality factors for hospitals. In addition, we developed text mining techniques to detect such factors that frequently occur in online health communities. After detecting these factors that represent qualitative aspects of hospitals, we applied a sentiment analysis to recognize the types of recommendations in messages posted within online health communities. Korea's two biggest online portals were used to test the effectiveness of detection of social media-based key quality factors for hospitals. To evaluate the proposed text mining techniques, we performed manual evaluations on the extraction and classification results, such as hospital name, service quality factors, and recommendation types using a random sample of messages (ie, 5.44% (9450/173,748) of the total messages). Service quality factor detection and hospital name extraction achieved average F1 scores of 91% and 78%, respectively. In terms of recommendation classification, performance (ie, precision) is 78% on average. Extraction and

A new physical unclonable function architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Bai; Xuecheng, Zou; Kui, Dai

2015-03-01

This paper describes a new silicon physical unclonable function (PUF) architecture that can be fabricated on a standard CMOS process. Our proposed architecture is built using process sensors, difference amplifier, comparator, voting mechanism and diffusion algorithm circuit. Multiple identical process sensors are fabricated on the same chip. Due to manufacturing process variations, each sensor produces slightly different physical characteristic values that can be compared in order to create a digital identification for the chip. The diffusion algorithm circuit ensures further that the PUF based on the proposed architecture is able to effectively identify a population of ICs. We also improve the stability of PUF design with respect to temporary environmental variations like temperature and supply voltage with the introduction of difference amplifier and voting mechanism. The PUF built on the proposed architecture is fabricated in 0.18 μm CMOS technology. Experimental results show that the PUF has a good output statistical characteristic of uniform distribution and a high stability of 98.1% with respect to temperature variation from -40 to 100 °C, and supply voltage variation from 1.7 to 1.9 V. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61376031).

Identifying Human Factors Issues in Aircraft Maintenance Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veinott, Elizabeth S.; Kanki, Barbara G.; Shafto, Michael G. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Maintenance operations incidents submitted to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) between 1986-1992 were systematically analyzed in order to identify issues relevant to human factors and crew coordination. This exploratory analysis involved 95 ASRS reports which represented a wide range of maintenance incidents. The reports were coded and analyzed according to the type of error (e.g, wrong part, procedural error, non-procedural error), contributing factors (e.g., individual, within-team, cross-team, procedure, tools), result of the error (e.g., aircraft damage or not) as well as the operational impact (e.g., aircraft flown to destination, air return, delay at gate). The main findings indicate that procedural errors were most common (48.4%) and that individual and team actions contributed to the errors in more than 50% of the cases. As for operational results, most errors were either corrected after landing at the destination (51.6%) or required the flight crew to stop enroute (29.5%). Interactions among these variables are also discussed. This analysis is a first step toward developing a taxonomy of crew coordination problems in maintenance. By understanding what variables are important and how they are interrelated, we may develop intervention strategies that are better tailored to the human factor issues involved.

What Makes Sports Fans Interactive? Identifying Factors Affecting Chat Interactions in Online Sports Viewing

PubMed Central

Yeo, Jaeryong; Lee, Juyeong

2016-01-01

Sports fans are able to watch games from many locations using TV services while interacting with other fans online. In this paper, we identify the factors that affect sports viewers’ online interactions. Using a large-scale dataset of more than 25 million chat messages from a popular social TV site for baseball, we extract various game-related factors, and investigate the relationships between these factors and fans’ interactions using a series of multiple regression analyses. As a result, we identify several factors that are significantly related to viewer interactions. In addition, we determine that the influence of these factors varies according to the user group; i.e., active vs. less active users, and loyal vs. non-loyal users. PMID:26849568

Combining Knowledge and Data Driven Insights for Identifying Risk Factors using Electronic Health Records

PubMed Central

Sun, Jimeng; Hu, Jianying; Luo, Dijun; Markatou, Marianthi; Wang, Fei; Edabollahi, Shahram; Steinhubl, Steven E.; Daar, Zahra; Stewart, Walter F.

2012-01-01

Background: The ability to identify the risk factors related to an adverse condition, e.g., heart failures (HF) diagnosis, is very important for improving care quality and reducing cost. Existing approaches for risk factor identification are either knowledge driven (from guidelines or literatures) or data driven (from observational data). No existing method provides a model to effectively combine expert knowledge with data driven insight for risk factor identification. Methods: We present a systematic approach to enhance known knowledge-based risk factors with additional potential risk factors derived from data. The core of our approach is a sparse regression model with regularization terms that correspond to both knowledge and data driven risk factors. Results: The approach is validated using a large dataset containing 4,644 heart failure cases and 45,981 controls. The outpatient electronic health records (EHRs) for these patients include diagnosis, medication, lab results from 2003–2010. We demonstrate that the proposed method can identify complementary risk factors that are not in the existing known factors and can better predict the onset of HF. We quantitatively compare different sets of risk factors in the context of predicting onset of HF using the performance metric, the Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC). The combined risk factors between knowledge and data significantly outperform knowledge-based risk factors alone. Furthermore, those additional risk factors are confirmed to be clinically meaningful by a cardiologist. Conclusion: We present a systematic framework for combining knowledge and data driven insights for risk factor identification. We demonstrate the power of this framework in the context of predicting onset of HF, where our approach can successfully identify intuitive and predictive risk factors beyond a set of known HF risk factors. PMID:23304365

Sexual harassment: identifying risk factors.

PubMed

O'Hare, E A; O'Donohue, W

1998-12-01

A new model of the etiology of sexual harassment, the four-factor model, is presented and compared with several models of sexual harassment including the biological model, the organizational model, the sociocultural model, and the sex role spillover model. A number of risk factors associated with sexually harassing behavior are examined within the framework of the four-factor model of sexual harassment. These include characteristics of the work environment (e.g., sexist attitudes among co-workers, unprofessional work environment, skewed sex ratios in the workplace, knowledge of grievance procedures for sexual harassment incidents) as well as personal characteristics of the subject (e.g., physical attractiveness, job status, sex-role). Subjects were 266 university female faculty, staff, and students who completed the Sexual Experience Questionnaire to assess the experience of sexual harassment and a questionnaire designed to assess the risk factors stated above. Results indicated that the four-factor model is a better predictor of sexual harassment than the alternative models. The risk factors most strongly associated with sexual harassment were an unprofessional environment in the workplace, sexist atmosphere, and lack of knowledge about the organization's formal grievance procedures.

RM-DEMATEL: a new methodology to identify the key factors in PM2.5.

PubMed

Chen, Yafeng; Liu, Jie; Li, Yunpeng; Sadiq, Rehan; Deng, Yong

2015-04-01

Weather system is a relative complex dynamic system, the factors of the system are mutually influenced PM2.5 concentration. In this paper, a new method is proposed to quantify the influence on PM2.5 by other factors in the weather system and identify the most important factors for PM2.5 with limited resources. The relation map (RM) is used to figure out the direct relation matrix of 14 factors in PM2.5. The decision making trial and evaluation laboratory(DEMATEL) is applied to calculate the causal relationship and extent to a mutual influence of 14 factors in PM2.5. According to the ranking results of our proposed method, the most important key factors is sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO(X)). In addition, the other factors, the ambient maximum temperature (T(max)), concentration of PM10, and wind direction (W(dir)), are important factors for PM2.5. The proposed method can also be applied to other environment management systems to identify key factors.

Hazardous drinking and military community functioning: identifying mediating risk factors.

PubMed

Foran, Heather M; Heyman, Richard E; Slep, Amy M Smith

2011-08-01

Hazardous drinking is a serious societal concern in military populations. Efforts to reduce hazardous drinking among military personnel have been limited in effectiveness. There is a need for a deeper understanding of how community-based prevention models apply to hazardous drinking in the military. Community-wide prevention efforts may be most effective in targeting community functioning (e.g., support from formal agencies, community cohesion) that impacts hazardous drinking via other proximal risk factors. The goal of the current study is to inform community-wide prevention efforts by testing a model of community functioning and mediating risk factors of hazardous drinking among active duty U.S. Air Force personnel. A large, representative survey sample of U.S. Air Force active duty members (N = 52,780) was collected at 82 bases worldwide. Hazardous drinking was assessed with the widely used Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Saunders, Aasland, Babor, de la Fuente, & Grant, 1993). A variety of individual, family, and community measures were also assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to test a hypothesized model of community functioning, mediating risk factors and hazardous drinking. Depressive symptoms, perceived financial stress, and satisfaction with the U.S. Air Force were identified as significant mediators of the link between community functioning and hazardous drinking for men and women. Relationship satisfaction was also identified as a mediator for men. These results provide a framework for further community prevention research and suggest that prevention efforts geared at increasing aspects of community functioning (e.g., the U.S. Air Force Community Capacity model) may indirectly lead to reductions in hazardous drinking through other proximal risk factors.

Using an interdisciplinary approach to identify factors that affect clinicians' compliance with evidence-based guidelines.

PubMed

Gurses, Ayse P; Marsteller, Jill A; Ozok, A Ant; Xiao, Yan; Owens, Sharon; Pronovost, Peter J

2010-08-01

Our objective was to identify factors that affect clinicians' compliance with the evidence-based guidelines using an interdisciplinary approach and develop a conceptual framework that can provide a comprehensive and practical guide for designing effective interventions. A literature review and a brainstorming session with 11 researchers from a variety of scientific disciplines were used to identify theoretical and conceptual models describing clinicians' guideline compliance. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the bibliographies of the papers identified were used as data sources for identifying the relevant theoretical and conceptual models. Thirteen different models that originated from various disciplines including medicine, rural sociology, psychology, human factors and systems engineering, organizational management, marketing, and health education were identified. Four main categories of factors that affect compliance emerged from our analysis: clinician characteristics, guideline characteristics, system characteristics, and implementation characteristics. Based on these findings, we developed an interdisciplinary conceptual framework that specifies the expected interrelationships among these four categories of factors and their impact on clinicians' compliance. An interdisciplinary approach is needed to improve clinicians' compliance with evidence-based guidelines. The conceptual framework from this research can provide a comprehensive and systematic guide to identify barriers to guideline compliance and design effective interventions to improve patient safety.

Using host-pathogen protein interactions to identify and characterize Francisella tularensis virulence factors.

PubMed

Wallqvist, Anders; Memišević, Vesna; Zavaljevski, Nela; Pieper, Rembert; Rajagopala, Seesandra V; Kwon, Keehwan; Yu, Chenggang; Hoover, Timothy A; Reifman, Jaques

2015-12-29

Francisella tularensis is a select bio-threat agent and one of the most virulent intracellular pathogens known, requiring just a few organisms to establish an infection. Although several virulence factors are known, we lack an understanding of virulence factors that act through host-pathogen protein interactions to promote infection. To address these issues in the highly infectious F. tularensis subsp. tularensis Schu S4 strain, we deployed a combined in silico, in vitro, and in vivo analysis to identify virulence factors and their interactions with host proteins to characterize bacterial infection mechanisms. We initially used comparative genomics and literature to identify and select a set of 49 putative and known virulence factors for analysis. Each protein was then subjected to proteome-scale yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screens with human and murine cDNA libraries to identify potential host-pathogen protein-protein interactions. Based on the bacterial protein interaction profile with both hosts, we selected seven novel putative virulence factors for mutant construction and animal validation experiments. We were able to create five transposon insertion mutants and used them in an intranasal BALB/c mouse challenge model to establish 50 % lethal dose estimates. Three of these, ΔFTT0482c, ΔFTT1538c, and ΔFTT1597, showed attenuation in lethality and can thus be considered novel F. tularensis virulence factors. The analysis of the accompanying Y2H data identified intracellular protein trafficking between the early endosome to the late endosome as an important component in virulence attenuation for these virulence factors. Furthermore, we also used the Y2H data to investigate host protein binding of two known virulence factors, showing that direct protein binding was a component in the modulation of the inflammatory response via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and in the oxidative stress response. Direct interactions with specific host proteins and the

Identifying Dust Sources by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelbrecht, Johann P.

2010-05-01

elemental species was modeled by PMF. A five factor solution identified three soil factors, a silicate soil, limestone soil, and a gypsum soil, as well as a salt factor and an anthropogenic metal factor. Similarly, a set of 362 quartz filter samples analyzed for 10 selected chemical species was modeled by PMF. A five factor solution provided a limestone-gypsum soil, diesel combustion, secondary ammonium sulfate, salt and agricultural-burnpit combustion source type. Examples of time series plots of PMF factor contributions for each of six sampling sites (Balad, Baghdad, Tallil, Tikrit, Taji, and Al Asad) will be discussed. Engelbrecht , J. P., McDonald, E. V., Gillies, J. A., Jayanty, R. K. M., Casuccio, G., and Gertler, A. W., 2009, Characterizing mineral dusts and other aerosols from the Middle East - Part 1: Ambient sampling: Inhalation Toxicology, v. 21, p. 297-326.

Identifying important motivational factors for professionals in Greek hospitals

PubMed Central

Kontodimopoulos, Nick; Paleologou, Victoria; Niakas, Dimitris

2009-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to identify important motivational factors according to the views of health-care professionals in Greek hospitals and particularly to determine if these might differ in the public and private sectors. Methods A previously developed -and validated- instrument addressing four work-related motivators (job attributes, remuneration, co-workers and achievements) was used. Three categories of health care professionals, doctors (N = 354), nurses (N = 581) and office workers (N = 418), working in public and private hospitals, participated and motivation was compared across socio-demographic and occupational variables. Results The range of reported motivational factors was mixed and Maslow's conclusions that lower level motivational factors must be met before ascending to the next level were not confirmed. The highest ranked motivator for the entire sample, and by professional subgroup, was achievements (P < 0.001). Within subgroups, motivators were similar, and only one significant difference was observed, namely between doctors and nurses in respect to co-workers (P < 0.05). Remuneration (and salary in particular) was reported as a significant incentive only for professionals in managerial positions. Health professionals in private hospitals were motivated by all factors significantly more than their public-hospital counterparts. Conclusion The results are in agreement with the literature which focuses attention to management approaches employing both monetary and non-monetary incentives to motivate health care workers. This study showed that intrinsic factors are particularly important and should become a target for effective employee motivation. PMID:19754968

Experimental investigation of density behaviors in front of the lower hybrid launcher in experimental advanced superconducting tokamak

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

Zhang, L.; Ding, B. J.; Li, M. H.

2013-06-15

A triple Langmuir probe is mounted on the top of the Lower Hybrid (LH) antenna to measure the electron density near the LH grills in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. In this work, the LH power density ranges from 2.3 MWm{sup −2} to 10.3 MWm{sup −2} and the rate of puffing gas varies from 1.7 × 10{sup 20} el/s to 14 × 10{sup 20} el/s. The relation between the edge density (from 0.3 × n{sub e-cutoff} to 20 × n{sub e-cutoff}, where n{sub e-cutoff} is the cutoff density, n{sub e-cutoff} = 0.74 × 10{sup 17} m{sup −3} for 2.45 GHz lowermore » hybrid current drive) near the LH grill and the LH power reflection coefficients is investigated. The factors, including the gap between the LH grills and the last closed magnetic flux surface, line-averaged density, LH power, edge safety factor, and gas puffing, are analyzed. The experiments show that injection of LH power is beneficial for increasing edge density. Gas puffing is beneficial for increasing grill density but excess gas puffing is unfavorable for coupling and current drive.« less

Thermal, Morphological and Rheological Properties of Rigid Polyurethane Foams as Thermal Insulating Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Ji Mun; Han, Mi Sun; Kim, Youn Hee; Kim, Woo Nyon

2008-07-01

The polyurethane foams (PUFs) were prepared by polyether polyols, polymeric 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI), silicone surfactants, amine catalysts and cyclopentane as a blowing agent. Solid and liquid type fillers were used as a nucleating agent to decrease a cell size of the PUFs as well as improve the thermal insulating properties of the PUFs. The PUFs were prepared by adding solid and liquid type fillers in the range of 1 to 3 wt%. For the liquid type fillers, the cell size of the PUFs showed minimum and found to decrease compared the PUF without adding fillers. Also, thermal conductivity of the PUFs with adding fillers showed minimum. For the solid type fillers, cell size and thermal conductivity of the PUFs were observed to decrease with the filler content up to 3 wt%. From these results, it is suggested that the thermal insulating property of the PUFs can be improved by adding fillers as a nucleating agent. Also, storage and loss modulus of the PUFs will be presented to study gelling points of the PUFs.

Identifying mediating factors of moral reasoning in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeidler, Dana L.; Schafer, Larry E.

The purpose of this research was to examine how science content knowledge, moral reasoning ability, attitudes, and past experiences mediate the formation of moral judgments on environmental dilemmas. The study was conducted in two phases using environmental science majors and nonscience majors of college age. Phase One determined if environmental science majors exhibited higher levels of moral reasoning on nontechnical environmental social issues than on general social issues and examined the extent to which possible mediating factors accounted for differences in moral reasoning. Phase Two was qualitative in nature, the purpose of which was to observe and identify trends in conversations between subjects as to how certain mediating factors are revealed as people form moral judgments. The framework on which this study was constructed incorporates a progressive educational position; a position that views science education as being interdisciplinary, and a social means to a social end.

Using decision tree analysis to identify risk factors for relapse to smoking

PubMed Central

Piper, Megan E.; Loh, Wei-Yin; Smith, Stevens S.; Japuntich, Sandra J.; Baker, Timothy B.

2010-01-01

This research used classification tree analysis and logistic regression models to identify risk factors related to short- and long-term abstinence. Baseline and cessation outcome data from two smoking cessation trials, conducted from 2001 to 2002, in two Midwestern urban areas, were analyzed. There were 928 participants (53.1% women, 81.8% white) with complete data. Both analyses suggest that relapse risk is produced by interactions of risk factors and that early and late cessation outcomes reflect different vulnerability factors. The results illustrate the dynamic nature of relapse risk and suggest the importance of efficient modeling of interactions in relapse prediction. PMID:20397871

Identifying and reducing risk factors related to trainee-client sexual misconduct.

PubMed

Hamilton, J C; Spruill, J

1999-06-01

Sexual misconduct involving therapists-in-training and their clients is addressed. Personal and situational factors that may constitute risk factors for the development of inappropriate sexual activity between trainees and their clients are identified. Although there may be certain characteristics that put particular students at risk for such involvement, the authors believe this risk is more strongly related to systemic, programmatic, and pedagogic characteristics of the environments in which students train. Examples include, respectively, the decline of concern over transference and countertransference, failure to include education about client-therapist sexual attraction and the consequences of sexual misconduct in graduate psychology curricula, and the reluctance of supervisors to deal straightforwardly with trainees' sexual feelings. Suggestions for reducing risks for client-therapist sexual misconduct are directed toward these situational factors.

Nightmares in the general population: identifying potential causal factors.

PubMed

Rek, Stephanie; Sheaves, Bryony; Freeman, Daniel

2017-09-01

Nightmares are inherently distressing, prevent restorative sleep, and are associated with a number of psychiatric problems, but have rarely been the subject of empirical study. Negative affect, linked to stressful events, is generally considered the key trigger of nightmares; hence nightmares have most often been considered in the context of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, many individuals with heightened negative affect do not have nightmares. The objective of this study was to identify mechanistically plausible factors, beyond negative affect, that may explain why individuals experience nightmares. 846 participants from the UK general population completed an online survey about nightmare occurrence and severity (pre-occupation, distress, and impairment), negative affect, worry, depersonalisation, hallucinatory experiences, paranoia, alcohol use, sleep duration, physical activity levels, PTSD symptoms, and stressful life events. Associations of nightmares with the putative predictive factors were tested controlling for levels of negative affect. Analyses were also repeated controlling for levels of PTSD and the recent occurrence of stressful life events. Nightmare occurrence, adjusting for negative affect, was associated with higher levels of worry, depersonalisation, hallucinatory experiences, paranoia, and sleep duration (odds ratios 1.25-1.45). Nightmare severity, controlling for negative affect, was associated with higher levels of worry, depersonalisation, hallucinatory experiences, and paranoia (R 2 s: 0.33-0.39). Alcohol use and physical activity levels were not associated with nightmares. The study identifies a number of potential predictors of the occurrence and severity of nightmares. Causal roles require testing in future longitudinal, experimental, and treatment studies.

Memristive crypto primitive for building highly secure physical unclonable functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yansong; Ranasinghe, Damith C.; Al-Sarawi, Said F.; Kavehei, Omid; Abbott, Derek

2015-08-01

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) exploit the intrinsic complexity and irreproducibility of physical systems to generate secret information. The advantage is that PUFs have the potential to provide fundamentally higher security than traditional cryptographic methods by preventing the cloning of devices and the extraction of secret keys. Most PUF designs focus on exploiting process variations in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. In recent years, progress in nanoelectronic devices such as memristors has demonstrated the prevalence of process variations in scaling electronics down to the nano region. In this paper, we exploit the extremely large information density available in nanocrossbar architectures and the significant resistance variations of memristors to develop an on-chip memristive device based strong PUF (mrSPUF). Our novel architecture demonstrates desirable characteristics of PUFs, including uniqueness, reliability, and large number of challenge-response pairs (CRPs) and desirable characteristics of strong PUFs. More significantly, in contrast to most existing PUFs, our PUF can act as a reconfigurable PUF (rPUF) without additional hardware and is of benefit to applications needing revocation or update of secure key information.

Memristive crypto primitive for building highly secure physical unclonable functions.

PubMed

Gao, Yansong; Ranasinghe, Damith C; Al-Sarawi, Said F; Kavehei, Omid; Abbott, Derek

2015-08-04

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) exploit the intrinsic complexity and irreproducibility of physical systems to generate secret information. The advantage is that PUFs have the potential to provide fundamentally higher security than traditional cryptographic methods by preventing the cloning of devices and the extraction of secret keys. Most PUF designs focus on exploiting process variations in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. In recent years, progress in nanoelectronic devices such as memristors has demonstrated the prevalence of process variations in scaling electronics down to the nano region. In this paper, we exploit the extremely large information density available in nanocrossbar architectures and the significant resistance variations of memristors to develop an on-chip memristive device based strong PUF (mrSPUF). Our novel architecture demonstrates desirable characteristics of PUFs, including uniqueness, reliability, and large number of challenge-response pairs (CRPs) and desirable characteristics of strong PUFs. More significantly, in contrast to most existing PUFs, our PUF can act as a reconfigurable PUF (rPUF) without additional hardware and is of benefit to applications needing revocation or update of secure key information.

Memristive crypto primitive for building highly secure physical unclonable functions

PubMed Central

Gao, Yansong; Ranasinghe, Damith C.; Al-Sarawi, Said F.; Kavehei, Omid; Abbott, Derek

2015-01-01

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) exploit the intrinsic complexity and irreproducibility of physical systems to generate secret information. The advantage is that PUFs have the potential to provide fundamentally higher security than traditional cryptographic methods by preventing the cloning of devices and the extraction of secret keys. Most PUF designs focus on exploiting process variations in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. In recent years, progress in nanoelectronic devices such as memristors has demonstrated the prevalence of process variations in scaling electronics down to the nano region. In this paper, we exploit the extremely large information density available in nanocrossbar architectures and the significant resistance variations of memristors to develop an on-chip memristive device based strong PUF (mrSPUF). Our novel architecture demonstrates desirable characteristics of PUFs, including uniqueness, reliability, and large number of challenge-response pairs (CRPs) and desirable characteristics of strong PUFs. More significantly, in contrast to most existing PUFs, our PUF can act as a reconfigurable PUF (rPUF) without additional hardware and is of benefit to applications needing revocation or update of secure key information. PMID:26239669

Using a Delphi Method to Identify Human Factors Contributing to Nursing Errors.

PubMed

Roth, Cheryl; Brewer, Melanie; Wieck, K Lynn

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to identify human factors associated with nursing errors. Using a Delphi technique, this study used feedback from a panel of nurse experts (n = 25) on an initial qualitative survey questionnaire followed by summarizing the results with feedback and confirmation. Synthesized factors regarding causes of errors were incorporated into a quantitative Likert-type scale, and the original expert panel participants were queried a second time to validate responses. The list identified 24 items as most common causes of nursing errors, including swamping and errors made by others that nurses are expected to recognize and fix. The responses provided a consensus top 10 errors list based on means with heavy workload and fatigue at the top of the list. The use of the Delphi survey established consensus and developed a platform upon which future study of nursing errors can evolve as a link to future solutions. This list of human factors in nursing errors should serve to stimulate dialogue among nurses about how to prevent errors and improve outcomes. Human and system failures have been the subject of an abundance of research, yet nursing errors continue to occur. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Size distributions of ambient air particles and enrichment factor analyses of metallic elements at Taichung Harbor near the Taiwan Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Guor-Cheng; Wu, Yuh-Shen; Chang, Shih-Yu; Huang, Shih-Han; Rau, Jui-Yeh

2006-10-01

This work attempts to characterize metallic elements associated with atmospheric particulate matter on a dry deposition plate, a TE-PUF high-volume air sampler and a universal air sampler. Dry deposition fluxes of particulates and concentrations of total suspended particulate, fine (PM 2.5) and coarse (PM 2.5-10) particulate matters were collected at Taichung harbor sampling sites from August 2004 to January 2005. Chemical analyses of metallic elements were made using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer coupled with hollow cathode lamps. Concentrations of metal elements in the forms of coarse particles and fine particles as well as the coarse/fine particulate ratios were presented. Statistical methods such as correlation analysis, principal component analysis and enrichment factor analysis were performed to compare the chemical components and identify possible emission sources at the sampling sites. Metallic elements of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni and Mg had higher EF crust ratios in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. Diurnal and nocturnal variations of metallic element concentrations in fine and coarse particles were also discussed.

Hospital Readmission and Social Risk Factors Identified from Physician Notes.

PubMed

Navathe, Amol S; Zhong, Feiran; Lei, Victor J; Chang, Frank Y; Sordo, Margarita; Topaz, Maxim; Navathe, Shamkant B; Rocha, Roberto A; Zhou, Li

2018-04-01

To evaluate the prevalence of seven social factors using physician notes as compared to claims and structured electronic health records (EHRs) data and the resulting association with 30-day readmissions. A multihospital academic health system in southeastern Massachusetts. An observational study of 49,319 patients with cardiovascular disease admitted from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2013, using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for patient characteristics. All-payer claims, EHR data, and physician notes extracted from a centralized clinical registry. All seven social characteristics were identified at the highest rates in physician notes. For example, we identified 14,872 patient admissions with poor social support in physician notes, increasing the prevalence from 0.4 percent using ICD-9 codes and structured EHR data to 16.0 percent. Compared to an 18.6 percent baseline readmission rate, risk-adjusted analysis showed higher readmission risk for patients with housing instability (readmission rate 24.5 percent; p < .001), depression (20.6 percent; p < .001), drug abuse (20.2 percent; p = .01), and poor social support (20.0 percent; p = .01). The seven social risk factors studied are substantially more prevalent than represented in administrative data. Automated methods for analyzing physician notes may enable better identification of patients with social needs. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Identifying items to assess methodological quality in physical therapy trials: a factor analysis.

PubMed

Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Cummings, Greta G; Fuentes, Jorge; Saltaji, Humam; Ha, Christine; Chisholm, Annabritt; Pasichnyk, Dion; Rogers, Todd

2014-09-01

Numerous tools and individual items have been proposed to assess the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The frequency of use of these items varies according to health area, which suggests a lack of agreement regarding their relevance to trial quality or risk of bias. The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify the underlying component structure of items and (2) to determine relevant items to evaluate the quality and risk of bias of trials in physical therapy by using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). A methodological research design was used, and an EFA was performed. Randomized controlled trials used for this study were randomly selected from searches of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Two reviewers used 45 items gathered from 7 different quality tools to assess the methodological quality of the RCTs. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted using the principal axis factoring (PAF) method followed by varimax rotation. Principal axis factoring identified 34 items loaded on 9 common factors: (1) selection bias; (2) performance and detection bias; (3) eligibility, intervention details, and description of outcome measures; (4) psychometric properties of the main outcome; (5) contamination and adherence to treatment; (6) attrition bias; (7) data analysis; (8) sample size; and (9) control and placebo adequacy. Because of the exploratory nature of the results, a confirmatory factor analysis is needed to validate this model. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first factor analysis to explore the underlying component items used to evaluate the methodological quality or risk of bias of RCTs in physical therapy. The items and factors represent a starting point for evaluating the methodological quality and risk of bias in physical therapy trials. Empirical evidence of the association among these items with treatment effects and a confirmatory factor analysis of these results are needed to validate these items. �

Characterization of two passive air samplers for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

PubMed

Ahrens, Lutz; Harner, Tom; Shoeib, Mahiba; Koblizkova, Martina; Reiner, Eric J

2013-12-17

Two passive air sampler (PAS) media were characterized under field conditions for the measurement of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the atmosphere. The PASs, consisting of polyurethane foam (PUF) and sorbent-impregnated PUF (SIP) disks, were deployed for over one year in parallel with high volume active air samplers (HV-AAS) and low volume active air samplers (LV-AAS). Samples were analyzed for perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs), fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorotelomer methacrylates (FTMACs), fluorotelomer acrylates (FTACs), perfluorooctane sulfonamides (FOSAs), and perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanols (FOSEs). Sampling rates and the passive sampler medium (PSM)-air partition coefficient (KPSM-A) were calculated for individual PFASs. Sampling rates were similar for PFASs present in the gas phase and particle phase, and the linear sampling rate of 4 m(-3) d(-1) is recommended for calculating effective air sample volumes in the SIP-PAS and PUF-PAS for PFASs except for the FOSAs and FOSEs in the PUF-PAS. SIP disks showed very good performance for all tested PFASs while PUF disks were suitable only for the PFSAs and their precursors. Experiments evaluating the suitability of different isotopically labeled fluorinated depuration compounds (DCs) revealed that (13)C8-perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was suitable for the calculation of site-specific sampling rates. Ambient temperature was the dominant factor influencing the seasonal trend of PFASs.

Consumer-based optimization of a third-generation product made from peanut and rice flour.

PubMed

Choi, I-D; Phillips, R D; Resurreccion, A V A

2007-09-01

Indirectly puffed snacks were produced by an extrusion process with partially defatted (12% fat) peanut flour (30%, 40%, 50%) at different levels of screw speed (200, 300, 400 rpm) and feed rate (4, 5, 6 kg/h). Extrudates were dried to obtain half-products (11% to 12% MC) followed by puffing with deep-fat frying. The puffed snack prototypes were subjected to consumer acceptance test. Consumers rated higher than 6.0 (= like slightly) for all products produced within the experimental factor ranges on the attributes of crispness and texture, whereas consumer scores for appearance, color, flavor, and overall liking were lower than 6.0 for the product containing 50% peanut flour regardless of screw speed and feed rate. The product extruded with 50% peanut flour at screw speed of 400 rpm and feed rate of 6 kg/h received the lowest score of 5.5 on overall liking in a 9-point hedonic score. Predicted regression models indicated that feed rate had the largest effect on consumer attributes followed by peanut flour and screw speed. From the superimposed contour plot of individual contour plot of consumer attributes, the optimum region was identified as the area beginning at the 42.0% to 43.0% peanut flour and 4.0 kg/h feed rates, rising to a maximum at 45% peanut flour and 4.6 kg/h feed rates and decreasing to the 33.0% to 34.0% peanut flour and 6.0 kg/h feed rates. Verification confirmed the ability of predictive regression models to identify peanut-based snacks, which would be scored higher than 6.0 by consumer evaluation.

Genome-Wide RNAi Screen Identifies Broadly-Acting Host Factors That Inhibit Arbovirus Infection

PubMed Central

Yasunaga, Ari; Hanna, Sheri L.; Li, Jianqing; Cho, Hyelim; Rose, Patrick P.; Spiridigliozzi, Anna; Gold, Beth; Diamond, Michael S.; Cherry, Sara

2014-01-01

Vector-borne viruses are an important class of emerging and re-emerging pathogens; thus, an improved understanding of the cellular factors that modulate infection in their respective vertebrate and insect hosts may aid control efforts. In particular, cell-intrinsic antiviral pathways restrict vector-borne viruses including the type I interferon response in vertebrates and the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway in insects. However, it is likely that additional cell-intrinsic mechanisms exist to limit these viruses. Since insects rely on innate immune mechanisms to inhibit virus infections, we used Drosophila as a model insect to identify cellular factors that restrict West Nile virus (WNV), a flavivirus with a broad and expanding geographical host range. Our genome-wide RNAi screen identified 50 genes that inhibited WNV infection. Further screening revealed that 17 of these genes were antiviral against additional flaviviruses, and seven of these were antiviral against other vector-borne viruses, expanding our knowledge of invertebrate cell-intrinsic immunity. Investigation of two newly identified factors that restrict diverse viruses, dXPO1 and dRUVBL1, in the Tip60 complex, demonstrated they contributed to antiviral defense at the organismal level in adult flies, in mosquito cells, and in mammalian cells. These data suggest the existence of broadly acting and functionally conserved antiviral genes and pathways that restrict virus infections in evolutionarily divergent hosts. PMID:24550726

Identifying depressive symptom trajectory groups among Korean adults and psychosocial factors as group determinants.

PubMed

Kwon, Tae Yeon

2015-06-01

Longitudinal research is needed to examine the depressive symptom trajectories of different groups during adulthood and their antecedents and consequences, because depressive symptoms may be changeable and heterogeneous over time. This study examined the number of trajectory groups describing the depressive symptoms of Korean adults, as well as the shape of the trajectories and the association between trajectory group membership and psychosocial factors identified based on the ecosystem model. This study used Nagin's semi-parametric group-based modeling to analyze Year 1 to Year 7 data from Korea Welfare Panel Survey (N = 13,735), a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults. Three distinct trajectory groups were identified: a low stable depressive symptoms group, a moderate depressive symptoms group and a high depressive symptoms group. Result from multinominal logit analysis showed that all psychosocial factors except family relationships affected the likelihood of membership in the three depressive symptoms groups. Especially, self-esteem was the psychosocial factor with the largest impact on depressive symptom trajectory group membership. When screening for depressive symptoms, individuals with a low socioeconomic status should be a primary concern and intervention should be made available to them. Prevention or intervention with members of the identified trajectory groups would likely require integrative approaches targeting psychosocial factors across multiple contexts. © The Author(s) 2015.

Physical Unclonable Function with Multiplexing Units and its Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshikawa, Masaya; Asai, Toshiya; Shiozaki, Mitsuru; Fujino, Takeshi

Recently, semiconductor counterfeiting has become an increasingly serious problem. Therefore, techniques to prevent the counterfeit by using random characteristic patterns that are difficult to control artificially have attracted attention. The physical unclonable function (PUF) is one of the techniques. It is a method to derive ID information peculiar to a device by detecting random physical features that cannot be controlled during the device's manufacture. Because information such as the ID information is difficult to replicate, PUF is used as a technique to prevent counterfeiting. Several studies have been reported on PUF. Arbiter PUF, which utilizes the difference in signal propagation delay between selectors, is the typical method of composing PUF using delay characteristics. This paper proposed a new PUF which is based on the arbiter PUF. The proposed PUF introduces new multiplexing selector units. It attempts to generate an effective response using the orders of three signal arrivals. Experiments using FPGAs verify the validity of the proposed PUF. Although Uniqueness is deteriorated, Correctness, Steadiness, Randomness and Resistance against the machine learning attacks are improved in comparison with conventional one.

Linking Strengths: Identifying and Exploring Protective Factor Clusters in Academically Resilient Low-Socioeconomic Urban Students of Color

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales, Erik E.

2010-01-01

Based on data from qualitative interviews with 50 high-achieving low-socioeconomic students of color, two "clusters" of important and symbiotic protective factors are identified and explored. Each cluster consists of a series of interrelated protective factors identified by the participants as crucial to their statistically exceptional academic…

Epigenetic priors for identifying active transcription factor binding sites.

PubMed

Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; Buske, Fabian A; McLeay, Robert C; Whitington, Tom; Noble, William Stafford; Bailey, Timothy L

2012-01-01

Accurate knowledge of the genome-wide binding of transcription factors in a particular cell type or under a particular condition is necessary for understanding transcriptional regulation. Using epigenetic data such as histone modification and DNase I, accessibility data has been shown to improve motif-based in silico methods for predicting such binding, but this approach has not yet been fully explored. We describe a probabilistic method for combining one or more tracks of epigenetic data with a standard DNA sequence motif model to improve our ability to identify active transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs). We convert each data type into a position-specific probabilistic prior and combine these priors with a traditional probabilistic motif model to compute a log-posterior odds score. Our experiments, using histone modifications H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K9ac and H3K27ac, as well as DNase I sensitivity, show conclusively that the log-posterior odds score consistently outperforms a simple binary filter based on the same data. We also show that our approach performs competitively with a more complex method, CENTIPEDE, and suggest that the relative simplicity of the log-posterior odds scoring method makes it an appealing and very general method for identifying functional TFBSs on the basis of DNA and epigenetic evidence. FIMO, part of the MEME Suite software toolkit, now supports log-posterior odds scoring using position-specific priors for motif search. A web server and source code are available at http://meme.nbcr.net. Utilities for creating priors are at http://research.imb.uq.edu.au/t.bailey/SD/Cuellar2011. t.bailey@uq.edu.au Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Structures of Human Pumilio with Noncognate RNAs Reveal Molecular Mechanisms for Binding Promiscuity

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

Gupta,Y.; Nair, D.; Wharton, R.

2008-01-01

Pumilio is a founder member of the evolutionarily conserved Puf family of RNA-binding proteins that control a number of physiological processes in eukaryotes. A structure of human Pumilio (hPum) Puf domain bound to a Drosophila regulatory sequence showed that each Puf repeat recognizes a single nucleotide. Puf domains in general bind promiscuously to a large set of degenerate sequences, but the structural basis for this promiscuity has been unclear. Here, we describe the structures of hPum Puf domain complexed to two noncognate RNAs, CycBreverse and Puf5. In each complex, one of the nucleotides is ejected from the binding surface, inmore » effect, acting as a 'spacer.' The complexes also reveal the plasticity of several Puf repeats, which recognize noncanonical nucleotides. Together, these complexes provide a molecular basis for recognition of degenerate binding sites, which significantly increases the number of mRNAs targeted for regulation by Puf proteins in vivo.« less

Identifying Items to Assess Methodological Quality in Physical Therapy Trials: A Factor Analysis

PubMed Central

Cummings, Greta G.; Fuentes, Jorge; Saltaji, Humam; Ha, Christine; Chisholm, Annabritt; Pasichnyk, Dion; Rogers, Todd

2014-01-01

Background Numerous tools and individual items have been proposed to assess the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The frequency of use of these items varies according to health area, which suggests a lack of agreement regarding their relevance to trial quality or risk of bias. Objective The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify the underlying component structure of items and (2) to determine relevant items to evaluate the quality and risk of bias of trials in physical therapy by using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Design A methodological research design was used, and an EFA was performed. Methods Randomized controlled trials used for this study were randomly selected from searches of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Two reviewers used 45 items gathered from 7 different quality tools to assess the methodological quality of the RCTs. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted using the principal axis factoring (PAF) method followed by varimax rotation. Results Principal axis factoring identified 34 items loaded on 9 common factors: (1) selection bias; (2) performance and detection bias; (3) eligibility, intervention details, and description of outcome measures; (4) psychometric properties of the main outcome; (5) contamination and adherence to treatment; (6) attrition bias; (7) data analysis; (8) sample size; and (9) control and placebo adequacy. Limitation Because of the exploratory nature of the results, a confirmatory factor analysis is needed to validate this model. Conclusions To the authors' knowledge, this is the first factor analysis to explore the underlying component items used to evaluate the methodological quality or risk of bias of RCTs in physical therapy. The items and factors represent a starting point for evaluating the methodological quality and risk of bias in physical therapy trials. Empirical evidence of the association among these items with treatment effects and a confirmatory factor

Use of clinical risk factors to identify postmenopausal women with vertebral fractures.

PubMed

Tobias, J H; Hutchinson, A P; Hunt, L P; McCloskey, E V; Stone, M D; Martin, J C; Thompson, P W; Palferman, T G; Bhalla, A K

2007-01-01

Previous studies have been unable to identify risk factors for prevalent vertebral fractures (VF), which are suitable for use in selection strategies intended to target high-risk sub-groups for diagnostic assessment. However, these studies generally consisted of large epidemiology surveys based on questionnaires and were only able to evaluate a limited number of risk factors. Here, we investigated whether a stronger relationship exists with prevalent VF when conventional risk factors are combined with additional information obtained from detailed one-to-one assessment. Women aged 65-75 registered at four geographically distinct GP practices were invited to participate (n=1,518), of whom 540 attended for assessment as follows: a questionnaire asking about risk factors for osteoporosis such as height loss compared to age 25 and history of non-vertebral fracture (NVF), the get-up-and-go test, Margolis back pain score, measurement of wall-tragus and rib-pelvis distances, and BMD as measured by the distal forearm BMD. A lateral thoraco-lumbar spine X-ray was obtained, which was subsequently scored for the presence of significant vertebral deformities. Of the 509 subjects who underwent spinal radiographs, 37 (7.3%) were found to have one or more VF. Following logistic regression analysis, the four most predictive clinical risk factors for prevalent VF were: height loss (P=0.006), past NVF (P=0.004), history of back pain (P=0.075) and age (P=0.05). BMD was also significantly associated with prevalent VF (P=0.002), but its inclusion did not affect associations with other variables. Factors elicited from detailed one-to-one assessment were not related to the risk of one or more prevalent VFs. The area under ROC curves derived from these regressions, which suggested that models for prevalent VF had modest predictive accuracy, were as follows: 0.68 (BMD), 0.74 (four clinical risk factors above) and 0.78 (clinical risk factors + BMD). Analyses were repeated in relation to the

Identifying Trajectories of Adolescents' Depressive Phenomena: An Examination of Early Risk Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazza, James J.; Fleming, Charles B.; Abbott, Robert D.; Haggerty, Kevin P.; Catalano, Richard F.

2010-01-01

Few studies have examined risk factors of childhood and early adolescent depressive symptomatology trajectories. This study examined self-report depressive symptomatology across a 6-year time period from 2nd to 8th grade to identify latent groups of individuals with similar patterns of depressive phenomena in a sample of 951 children (440 girls,…

Identifying risk factors for refractory febrile neutropenia in patients with lung cancer.

PubMed

Fujita, Masaki; Tokunaga, Shoji; Ikegame, Satoshi; Harada, Eiji; Matsumoto, Takemasa; Uchino, Junji; Watanabe, Kentaro; Nakanishi, Yoichi

2012-02-01

Information about the development of febrile neutropenia in patients with solid tumors remains insufficient. In this study, we tried to identify the risk factors for refractory febrile neutropenia in patients with lung cancer. A total of 59 neutropenic fever episodes associated with anti-tumor chemotherapy for lung cancer were retrospectively analyzed. We compared patient characteristics according to their initial response to treatment with antibiotics. For 34 of 59 (58%) episodes a response to initial antibiotics was obtained whereas 25 of 59 (42%) were refractory to treatment. Multivariate analysis demonstrated independent risk factors for refractory febrile neutropenia with lung cancer. These risk factors were the severity of febrile neutropenia (odds ratio (OR) 6.11; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85-20.14) and C-reactive protein more than 10 mg/dl (OR 4.39; 95% CI 1.22-15.74). These factors could predict outcome for patients with lung cancer who develop refractory febrile neutropenia.

Identifying Stress Transcription Factors Using Gene Expression and TF-Gene Association Data

PubMed Central

Wu, Wei-Sheng; Chen, Bor-Sen

2007-01-01

Unicellular organisms such as yeasts have evolved to survive environmental stresses by rapidly reorganizing the genomic expression program to meet the challenges of harsh environments. The complex adaptation mechanisms to stress remain to be elucidated. In this study, we developed Stress Transcription Factor Identification Algorithm (STFIA), which integrates gene expression and TF-gene association data to identify the stress transcription factors (TFs) of six kinds of stresses. We identified some general stress TFs that are in response to various stresses, and some specific stress TFs that are in response to one specific stress. The biological significance of our findings is validated by the literature. We found that a small number of TFs may be sufficient to control a wide variety of expression patterns in yeast under different stresses. Two implications can be inferred from this observation. First, the adaptation mechanisms to different stresses may have a bow-tie structure. Second, there may exist extensive regulatory cross-talk among different stress responses. In conclusion, this study proposes a network of the regulators of stress responses and their mechanism of action. PMID:20066130

An independent component analysis confounding factor correction framework for identifying broad impact expression quantitative trait loci

PubMed Central

Ju, Jin Hyun; Crystal, Ronald G.

2017-01-01

Genome-wide expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTL) studies in humans have provided numerous insights into the genetics of both gene expression and complex diseases. While the majority of eQTL identified in genome-wide analyses impact a single gene, eQTL that impact many genes are particularly valuable for network modeling and disease analysis. To enable the identification of such broad impact eQTL, we introduce CONFETI: Confounding Factor Estimation Through Independent component analysis. CONFETI is designed to address two conflicting issues when searching for broad impact eQTL: the need to account for non-genetic confounding factors that can lower the power of the analysis or produce broad impact eQTL false positives, and the tendency of methods that account for confounding factors to model broad impact eQTL as non-genetic variation. The key advance of the CONFETI framework is the use of Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to identify variation likely caused by broad impact eQTL when constructing the sample covariance matrix used for the random effect in a mixed model. We show that CONFETI has better performance than other mixed model confounding factor methods when considering broad impact eQTL recovery from synthetic data. We also used the CONFETI framework and these same confounding factor methods to identify eQTL that replicate between matched twin pair datasets in the Multiple Tissue Human Expression Resource (MuTHER), the Depression Genes Networks study (DGN), the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), and multiple tissue types in the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) consortium. These analyses identified both cis-eQTL and trans-eQTL impacting individual genes, and CONFETI had better or comparable performance to other mixed model confounding factor analysis methods when identifying such eQTL. In these analyses, we were able to identify and replicate a few broad impact eQTL although the overall number was small even when applying CONFETI. In

An independent component analysis confounding factor correction framework for identifying broad impact expression quantitative trait loci.

PubMed

Ju, Jin Hyun; Shenoy, Sushila A; Crystal, Ronald G; Mezey, Jason G

2017-05-01

Genome-wide expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTL) studies in humans have provided numerous insights into the genetics of both gene expression and complex diseases. While the majority of eQTL identified in genome-wide analyses impact a single gene, eQTL that impact many genes are particularly valuable for network modeling and disease analysis. To enable the identification of such broad impact eQTL, we introduce CONFETI: Confounding Factor Estimation Through Independent component analysis. CONFETI is designed to address two conflicting issues when searching for broad impact eQTL: the need to account for non-genetic confounding factors that can lower the power of the analysis or produce broad impact eQTL false positives, and the tendency of methods that account for confounding factors to model broad impact eQTL as non-genetic variation. The key advance of the CONFETI framework is the use of Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to identify variation likely caused by broad impact eQTL when constructing the sample covariance matrix used for the random effect in a mixed model. We show that CONFETI has better performance than other mixed model confounding factor methods when considering broad impact eQTL recovery from synthetic data. We also used the CONFETI framework and these same confounding factor methods to identify eQTL that replicate between matched twin pair datasets in the Multiple Tissue Human Expression Resource (MuTHER), the Depression Genes Networks study (DGN), the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), and multiple tissue types in the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) consortium. These analyses identified both cis-eQTL and trans-eQTL impacting individual genes, and CONFETI had better or comparable performance to other mixed model confounding factor analysis methods when identifying such eQTL. In these analyses, we were able to identify and replicate a few broad impact eQTL although the overall number was small even when applying CONFETI. In

Identifying the factors underlying discontinuation of triptans.

PubMed

Wells, Rebecca E; Markowitz, Shira Y; Baron, Eric P; Hentz, Joseph G; Kalidas, Kavita; Mathew, Paul G; Halker, Rashmi; Dodick, David W; Schwedt, Todd J

2014-02-01

To identify factors associated with triptan discontinuation among migraine patients. It is unclear why many migraine patients who are prescribed triptans discontinue this treatment. This study investigated correlates of triptan discontinuation with a focus on potentially modifiable factors to improve compliance. This multicenter cross-sectional survey (n = 276) was performed at US tertiary care headache clinics. Headache fellows who were members of the American Headache Society Headache Fellows Research Consortium recruited episodic and chronic migraine patients who were current triptan users (use within prior 3 months and for ≥1 year) or past triptan users (no use within 6 months; prior use within 2 years). Univariate analyses were first completed to compare current triptan users to past users for: migraine characteristics, other migraine treatments, triptan education, triptan efficacy, triptan side effects, type of prescribing provider, Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scores and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores. Then, a multivariable logistic regression model was selected from all possible combinations of predictor variables to determine the factors that best correlated with triptan discontinuation. Compared with those still using triptans (n = 207), those who had discontinued use (n = 69) had higher rates of medication overuse (30 vs. 18%, P = .04) and were more likely to have ever used opioids for migraine treatment (57 vs. 38%, P = .006) as well as higher MIDAS (mean 63 vs. 37, P = .001) and BDI scores (mean 10.4 vs. 7.4, P = .009). Compared with discontinued users, current triptan users were more likely to have had their triptan prescribed by a specialist (neurologist, headache specialist, or pain specialist) (74 vs. 54%, P = .002) and were more likely to report headache resolution (53 vs. 14%, P < .001) or a reduction in pain intensity (71 vs. 28%, P < .001) most of the time from their triptan. On a 1

Factor Analysis of Therapist-Identified Treatment Targets in Community-Based Children's Mental Health.

PubMed

Love, Allison R; Okado, Izumi; Orimoto, Trina E; Mueller, Charles W

2018-01-01

The present study used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to identify underlying latent factors affecting variation in community therapists' endorsement of treatment targets. As part of a statewide practice management program, therapist completed monthly reports of treatment targets (up to 10 per month) for a sample of youth (n = 790) receiving intensive in-home therapy. Nearly 75 % of youth were diagnosed with multiple co-occurring disorders. Five factors emerged: Disinhibition, Societal Rules Evasion, Social Engagement Deficits, Emotional Distress, and Management of Biodevelopmental Outcomes. Using logistic regression, primary diagnosis predicted therapist selection of Disinhibition and Emotional Distress targets. Client age predicted endorsement of Societal Rules Evasion targets. Practice-to-research implications are discussed.

Identifying RNA splicing factors using IFT genes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

PubMed

Lin, Huawen; Zhang, Zhengyan; Iomini, Carlo; Dutcher, Susan K

2018-03-01

Intraflagellar transport moves proteins in and out of flagella/cilia and it is essential for the assembly of these organelles. Using whole-genome sequencing, we identified splice site mutations in two IFT genes, IFT81 ( fla9 ) and IFT121 ( ift121-2 ), which lead to flagellar assembly defects in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii The splicing defects in these ift mutants are partially corrected by mutations in two conserved spliceosome proteins, DGR14 and FRA10. We identified a dgr14 deletion mutant, which suppresses the 3' splice site mutation in IFT81 , and a frameshift mutant of FRA10 , which suppresses the 5' splice site mutation in IFT121 Surprisingly, we found dgr14-1 and fra10 mutations suppress both splice site mutations. We suggest these two proteins are involved in facilitating splice site recognition/interaction; in their absence some splice site mutations are tolerated. Nonsense mutations in SMG1 , which is involved in nonsense-mediated decay, lead to accumulation of aberrant transcripts and partial restoration of flagellar assembly in the ift mutants. The high density of introns and the conservation of noncore splicing factors, together with the ease of scoring the ift mutant phenotype, make Chlamydomonas an attractive organism to identify new proteins involved in splicing through suppressor screening. © 2018 The Authors.

Genome-wide RNAi screening identifies host restriction factors critical for in vivo AAV transduction

PubMed Central

Mano, Miguel; Ippodrino, Rudy; Zentilin, Lorena; Zacchigna, Serena; Giacca, Mauro

2015-01-01

Viral vectors based on the adeno-associated virus (AAV) hold great promise for in vivo gene transfer; several unknowns, however, still limit the vectors’ broader and more efficient application. Here, we report the results of a high-throughput, whole-genome siRNA screening aimed at identifying cellular factors regulating AAV transduction. We identified 1,483 genes affecting vector efficiency more than 4-fold and up to 50-fold, either negatively or positively. Most of these factors have not previously been associated to AAV infection. The most effective siRNAs were independent from the virus serotype or analyzed cell type and were equally evident for single-stranded and self-complementary AAV vectors. A common characteristic of the most effective siRNAs was the induction of cellular DNA damage and activation of a cell cycle checkpoint. This information can be exploited for the development of more efficient AAV-based gene delivery procedures. Administration of the most effective siRNAs identified by the screening to the liver significantly improved in vivo AAV transduction efficiency. PMID:26305933

A multi-factor GIS method to identify optimal geographic locations for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yongqin; Iman, Kory

2018-05-01

Fuel-based transportation is one of the major contributors to poor air quality in the United States. Electric Vehicle (EV) is potentially the cleanest transportation technology to our environment. This research developed a spatial suitability model to identify optimal geographic locations for installing EV charging stations for travelling public. The model takes into account a variety of positive and negative factors to identify prime locations for installing EV charging stations in Wasatch Front, Utah, where automobile emission causes severe air pollution due to atmospheric inversion condition near the valley floor. A walkable factor grid was created to store index scores from input factor layers to determine prime locations. 27 input factors including land use, demographics, employment centers etc. were analyzed. Each factor layer was analyzed to produce a summary statistic table to determine the site suitability. Potential locations that exhibit high EV charging usage were identified and scored. A hot spot map was created to demonstrate high, moderate, and low suitability areas for installing EV charging stations. A spatially well distributed EV charging system was then developed, aiming to reduce "range anxiety" from traveling public. This spatial methodology addresses the complex problem of locating and establishing a robust EV charging station infrastructure for decision makers to build a clean transportation infrastructure, and eventually improve environment pollution.

Identifying the Factors That Predict Degree Completion for Entirely Online Community College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brock, Kishia R.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to identify demographic characteristics, academic factors, and student behaviors that contributed to successful degree and certificate completion for entirely online, nontraditional undergraduate students at a large community college. A discrete-time event history analysis was used to model the retention of…

Hardware device to physical structure binding and authentication

DOEpatents

Hamlet, Jason R.; Stein, David J.; Bauer, Todd M.

2013-08-20

Detection and deterrence of device tampering and subversion may be achieved by including a cryptographic fingerprint unit within a hardware device for authenticating a binding of the hardware device and a physical structure. The cryptographic fingerprint unit includes an internal physically unclonable function ("PUF") circuit disposed in or on the hardware device, which generate an internal PUF value. Binding logic is coupled to receive the internal PUF value, as well as an external PUF value associated with the physical structure, and generates a binding PUF value, which represents the binding of the hardware device and the physical structure. The cryptographic fingerprint unit also includes a cryptographic unit that uses the binding PUF value to allow a challenger to authenticate the binding.

Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive samplers derived polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations in the ambient air of Bursa-Turkey: Spatial and temporal variations and health risk assessment.

PubMed

Birgül, Aşkın; Kurt-Karakus, Perihan Binnur; Alegria, Henry; Gungormus, Elif; Celik, Halil; Cicek, Tugba; Güven, Emine Can

2017-02-01

Polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers were employed to assess air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in background, agricultural, semi-urban, urban and industrial sites in Bursa, Turkey. Samplers were deployed for approximately 2-month periods from February to December 2014 in five sampling campaign. Results showed a clear rural-agricultural-semi-urban-urban-industrial PCBs concentration gradient. Considering all sampling periods, ambient air concentrations of Σ 43 PCBs ranged from 9.6 to 1240 pg/m 3 at all sites with an average of 24.1 ± 8.2, 43.8 ± 24.4, 140 ± 190, 42.8 ± 24.6, 160 ± 280, 84.1 ± 105, 170 ± 150 and 280 ± 540 pg/m 3 for Mount Uludag, Uludag University Campus, Camlica, Bursa Technical University Osmangazi Campus, Hamitler, Agakoy, Kestel Organised Industrial District and Demirtas Organised Industrial District sampling sites, respectively. The ambient air PCB concentrations increased along a gradient from background to industrial areas by a factor of 1.7-11.4. 4-Cl PCBs (31.50-81.60%) was the most dominant homologue group at all sampling sites followed by 3-Cl, 7-Cl, 6-Cl and 5-Cl homologue groups. Sampling locations and potential sources grouped in principal component analysis. Results of PCA plots highlighted a large variability of the PCB mixture in air, hence possible related sources, in Bursa area. Calculated inhalation risk levels in this study indicated no serious adverse health effects. This study is one of few efforts to characterize PCB composition in ambient air seasonally and spatially for urban and industrial areas of Turkey by using passive samplers as an alternative sampling method for concurrent monitoring at multiple sites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The in vitro real-time oscillation monitoring system identifies potential entrainment factors for circadian clocks

PubMed Central

Nakahata, Yasukazu; Akashi, Makoto; Trcka, Daniel; Yasuda, Akio; Takumi, Toru

2006-01-01

Background Circadian rhythms are endogenous, self-sustained oscillations with approximately 24-hr rhythmicity that are manifested in various physiological and metabolic processes. The circadian organization of these processes in mammals is governed by the master oscillator within the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Recent findings revealed that circadian oscillators exist in most organs, tissues, and even in immortalized cells, and that the oscillators in peripheral tissues are likely to be coordinated by SCN, the master oscillator. Some candidates for endogenous entrainment factors have sporadically been reported, however, their details remain mainly obscure. Results We developed the in vitro real-time oscillation monitoring system (IV-ROMS) by measuring the activity of luciferase coupled to the oscillatory gene promoter using photomultiplier tubes and applied this system to screen and identify factors able to influence circadian rhythmicity. Using this IV-ROMS as the primary screening of entrainment factors for circadian clocks, we identified 12 candidates as the potential entrainment factor in a total of 299 peptides and bioactive lipids. Among them, four candidates (endothelin-1, all-trans retinoic acid, 9-cis retinoic acid, and 13-cis retinoic acid) have already been reported as the entrainment factors in vivo and in vitro. We demonstrated that one of the novel candidates, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), a natural ligand of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), triggers the rhythmic expression of endogenous clock genes in NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, we showed that 15d-PGJ2 transiently induces Cry1, Cry2, and Rorα mRNA expressions and that 15d-PGJ2-induced entrainment signaling pathway is PPAR-γ – and MAPKs (ERK, JNK, p38MAPK)-independent. Conclusion Here, we identified 15d-PGJ2 as an entrainment factor in vitro. Using our developed IV-ROMS to screen 299 compounds, we found eight novel and four known

Identifying Risk and Protective Factors in Recidivist Juvenile Offenders: A Decision Tree Approach

PubMed Central

Ortega-Campos, Elena; García-García, Juan; Gil-Fenoy, Maria José; Zaldívar-Basurto, Flor

2016-01-01

Research on juvenile justice aims to identify profiles of risk and protective factors in juvenile offenders. This paper presents a study of profiles of risk factors that influence young offenders toward committing sanctionable antisocial behavior (S-ASB). Decision tree analysis is used as a multivariate approach to the phenomenon of repeated sanctionable antisocial behavior in juvenile offenders in Spain. The study sample was made up of the set of juveniles who were charged in a court case in the Juvenile Court of Almeria (Spain). The period of study of recidivism was two years from the baseline. The object of study is presented, through the implementation of a decision tree. Two profiles of risk and protective factors are found. Risk factors associated with higher rates of recidivism are antisocial peers, age at baseline S-ASB, problems in school and criminality in family members. PMID:27611313

Surface modification of self-healing poly(urea-formaldehyde) microcapsules using silane-coupling agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Haiyan; Wang, Rongguo; Hu, Honglin; Liu, Wenbo

2008-12-01

Poly(urea-formaldehyde) (PUF) microcapsules, which are used as self-healing component of fibre reinforced resin matrix composites, were prepared by in situ polymerization method. The surface of PUF microcapsules was modified by using 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane-coupling agent (KH550), and the interfacial interactions between PUF microcapsules and KH550 was also studied. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) analyses showed that the silane-coupling agent molecular binds strongly to PUF microcapsules surface. Chemical bond (Si-O-C) was formed by the reaction between Si-OH and the hydroxyl group of PUF microcapsules, also there have chemical adsorption effect in the interface simultaneously because of the existence of hydrogen bond between Si-OH and the hydroxyl group of PUF microcapsules. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) observation showed that a thin layer was formed on the surface of modified PUF microcapsules. Additionally, fractured surface were observed under SEM to investigate the interfacial adhesion effect between PUF microcapsules and epoxy matrix. The result indicted that the silane-coupling agent play an important role in improving the interfacial performance between microcapsules and resin matrix.

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

Dondero, Rachel Elizabeth

The increased use of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) in critical systems brings new challenges in securing the diversely programmable fabric from cyber-attacks. FPGAs are an inexpensive, efficient, and flexible alternative to Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), which are becoming increasingly expensive and impractical for low volume manufacturing as technology nodes continue to shrink. Unfortunately, FPGAs are not designed for high security applications, and their high-flexibility lends itself to low security and vulnerability to malicious attacks. Similar to securing an ASIC’s functionality, FPGA programmers can exploit the inherent randomness introduced into hardware structures during fabrication for security applications. Physically Unclonablemore » Functions (PUFs) are one such solution that uses the die specific variability in hardware fabrication for both secret key generation and verification. PUFs strive to be random, unique, and reliable. Throughout recent years many PUF structures have been presented to try and maximize these three design constraints, reliability being the most difficult of the three to achieve. This thesis presents a new PUF structure that combines two elementary PUF concepts (a bi-stable SRAM PUF and a delay-based arbiter PUF) to create a PUF with increased reliability, while maintaining both random and unique qualities. Properties of the new PUF will be discussed as well as the various design modifications that can be made to tweak the desired performance and overhead.« less

Catalytic performance of quinone and graphene-modified polyurethane foam on the decolorization of azo dye Acid Red 18 by Shewanella sp. RQs-106.

PubMed

Zhou, Yang; Lu, Hong; Wang, Jing; Zhou, Jiti; Leng, Xueying; Liu, Guangfei

2018-08-15

Quinone-modified graphene powder is not reusable in bio-treatment systems, and the roles of quinone and graphene during extracellular electron-transfer processes remain unclear. In this study, we prepared anthraquinone-2-sulfonate and reduced graphene-oxide-modified polyurethane foam (AQS-rGO-PUF) and found that AQS-rGO-PUF exhibited higher catalytic performance on Acid Red 18 (AR 18) bio-decolorization compared with AQS-PUF and rGO-PUF. We observed a significant synergistic effect between AQS and rGO in AQS-rGO-PUF-mediated system in the presence of 50 μM AQS and 1.63 mg/L rGO. The synergistic effect was mainly attributed to electron transfer from AQS to rGO either directly or via flavins secreted by strain RQs-106, and ultimately to AR 18, accounting for ∼33.47% of AR 18 removal during AQS-rGO-PUF-mediated decolorization. Additionally, AQS-rGO-PUF exhibited good mechanical properties and maintained its macroporous structure. Furthermore, after eight rounds of experiments using AQS-rGO-PUF, the bio-decolorization efficiency of AR 18 retained >98.18% of its original value. These results indicate that the combination of AQS-rGO-PUF and Shewanella strains show potential efficacy for enhancing the treatment of azo-dye-containing wastewater. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organisational Issues for E-Learning: Critical Success Factors as Identified by HE Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPherson, Maggie; Nunes, Miguel Baptista

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on a research project that identified organisational critical success factors (CSFs) for e-learning implementation in higher education (HE). These CSFs can be used as a theoretical foundation upon which to base decision-making and strategic thinking about e-learning. Design/methodology/approach: The…

Identifying predictive factors for long-term complications following button battery impactions: A case series and literature review.

PubMed

Eliason, Michael J; Melzer, Jonathan M; Winters, Jessica R; Gallagher, Thomas Q

2016-08-01

To complement a case series review of button battery impactions managed at our single military tertiary care center with a thorough literature review of laboratory research and clinical cases to develop a protocol to optimize patient care. Specifically, to identify predictive factors of long-term complications which can be used by the pediatric otolaryngologist to guide patient management after button battery impactions. A retrospective review of the Department of Defense's electronic medical record systems was conducted to identify patients with button battery ingestions and then characterize their treatment course. A thorough literature review complemented the lessons learned to identify potentially predictive clinical measures for long-term complications. Eight patients were identified as being treated for button battery impaction in the aerodigestive tract with two sustaining long-term complications. The median age of the patients treated was 33 months old and the median estimated time of impaction in the aerodigestive tract prior to removal was 10.5 h. Time of impaction, anatomic direction of the battery's negative pole, and identifying specific battery parameters were identified as factors that may be employed to predict sequelae. Based on case reviews, advancements in battery manufacturing, and laboratory research, there are distinct clinical factors that should be assessed at the time of initial therapy to guide follow-up management to minimize potential catastrophic sequelae of button battery ingestion. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Drosophila Pumilio Protein Contains Multiple Autonomous Repression Domains That Regulate mRNAs Independently of Nanos and Brain Tumor

PubMed Central

Weidmann, Chase A.

2012-01-01

Drosophila melanogaster Pumilio is an RNA-binding protein that potently represses specific mRNAs. In developing embryos, Pumilio regulates a key morphogen, Hunchback, in collaboration with the cofactor Nanos. To investigate repression by Pumilio and Nanos, we created cell-based assays and found that Pumilio inhibits translation and enhances mRNA decay independent of Nanos. Nanos robustly stimulates repression through interactions with the Pumilio RNA-binding domain. We programmed Pumilio to recognize a new binding site, which garners repression of new target mRNAs. We show that cofactors Brain Tumor and eIF4E Homologous Protein are not obligatory for Pumilio and Nanos activity. The conserved RNA-binding domain of Pumilio was thought to be sufficient for its function. Instead, we demonstrate that three unique domains in the N terminus of Pumilio possess the major repressive activity and can function autonomously. The N termini of insect and vertebrate Pumilio and Fem-3 binding factors (PUFs) are related, and we show that corresponding regions of human PUM1 and PUM2 have repressive activity. Other PUF proteins lack these repression domains. Our findings suggest that PUF proteins have evolved new regulatory functions through protein sequences appended to their conserved PUF repeat RNA-binding domains. PMID:22064486

Drosophila Pumilio protein contains multiple autonomous repression domains that regulate mRNAs independently of Nanos and brain tumor.

PubMed

Weidmann, Chase A; Goldstrohm, Aaron C

2012-01-01

Drosophila melanogaster Pumilio is an RNA-binding protein that potently represses specific mRNAs. In developing embryos, Pumilio regulates a key morphogen, Hunchback, in collaboration with the cofactor Nanos. To investigate repression by Pumilio and Nanos, we created cell-based assays and found that Pumilio inhibits translation and enhances mRNA decay independent of Nanos. Nanos robustly stimulates repression through interactions with the Pumilio RNA-binding domain. We programmed Pumilio to recognize a new binding site, which garners repression of new target mRNAs. We show that cofactors Brain Tumor and eIF4E Homologous Protein are not obligatory for Pumilio and Nanos activity. The conserved RNA-binding domain of Pumilio was thought to be sufficient for its function. Instead, we demonstrate that three unique domains in the N terminus of Pumilio possess the major repressive activity and can function autonomously. The N termini of insect and vertebrate Pumilio and Fem-3 binding factors (PUFs) are related, and we show that corresponding regions of human PUM1 and PUM2 have repressive activity. Other PUF proteins lack these repression domains. Our findings suggest that PUF proteins have evolved new regulatory functions through protein sequences appended to their conserved PUF repeat RNA-binding domains.

Identifying at-risk profiles and protective factors for problem gambling: A longitudinal study across adolescence and early adulthood.

PubMed

Allami, Youssef; Vitaro, Frank; Brendgen, Mara; Carbonneau, René; Tremblay, Richard E

2018-05-01

Past studies have identified various risk and protective factors for problem gambling (PG). However, no study has examined the interplay between these factors using a combination of person-centered and variable-centered approaches embedded within a longitudinal design. The present study aimed to (a) identify distinct profiles in early adolescence based on a set of risk factors commonly associated with PG (impulsivity, depression, anxiety, drug-alcohol use, aggressiveness, and antisociality), (b) explore the difference in reported gambling problems between these profiles during midadolescence and early adulthood, and (c) identify family- and peer-related variables that could operate as protective or compensatory factors in this context. Two samples were used: (a) a population sample (N = 1,033) living in low socioeconomic-status neighborhoods and (b) a population sample (N = 3,017) representative of students attending Quebec schools. Latent profile analyses were conducted to identify at-risk profiles based on individual risk factors measured at age 12 years. Negative binomial regression models were estimated to compare profiles in terms of their reported gambling problems at ages 16 and 23. Finally, family- and peer-related variables measured at age 14 were included to test their protective or compensatory role with respect to the link between at-risk profiles and gambling problems. Four profiles were identified: well-adjusted, internalizing, externalizing, and comorbid. Compared to the well-adjusted profile, the externalizing and comorbid profiles reported more gambling problems at ages 16 and 23, but the internalizing profile did not differ significantly. Various protective and compensatory factors emerged for each profile at both time points. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Factor analysis in the Genetics of Asthma International Network family study identifies five major quantitative asthma phenotypes.

PubMed

Pillai, S G; Tang, Y; van den Oord, E; Klotsman, M; Barnes, K; Carlsen, K; Gerritsen, J; Lenney, W; Silverman, M; Sly, P; Sundy, J; Tsanakas, J; von Berg, A; Whyte, M; Ortega, H G; Anderson, W H; Helms, P J

2008-03-01

Asthma is a clinically heterogeneous disease caused by a complex interaction between genetic susceptibility and diverse environmental factors. In common with other complex diseases the lack of a standardized scheme to evaluate the phenotypic variability poses challenges in identifying the contribution of genes and environments to disease expression. To determine the minimum number of sets of features required to characterize subjects with asthma which will be useful in identifying important genetic and environmental contributors. Methods Probands aged 7-35 years with physician diagnosed asthma and symptomatic siblings were identified in 1022 nuclear families from 11 centres in six countries forming the Genetics of Asthma International Network. Factor analysis was used to identify distinct phenotypes from questionnaire, clinical, and laboratory data, including baseline pulmonary function, allergen skin prick test (SPT). Five distinct factors were identified:(1) baseline pulmonary function measures [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and forced vital capacity (FVC)], (2) specific allergen sensitization by SPT, (3) self-reported allergies, (4) symptoms characteristic of rhinitis and (5) symptoms characteristic of asthma. Replication in symptomatic siblings was consistent with shared genetic and/or environmental effects, and was robust across age groups, gender, and centres. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.719 to 0.983 suggesting acceptable internal scale consistencies. Derived scales were correlated with serum IgE, methacholine PC(20), age and asthma severity (interrupted sleep). IgE correlated with all three atopy-related factors, the strongest with the SPT factor whereas severity only correlated with baseline lung function, and with symptoms characteristic of rhinitis and of asthma. In children and adolescents with established asthma, five distinct sets of correlated patient characteristics appear to represent important aspects of the disease. Factor scores as

Design Factors Affecting the Reaction Time for Identifying Toilet Signs: A Preliminary Study.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-Lang; Sie, Cai-Cin

2016-04-01

This study focused on the manner in which design factors affect the reaction time for identifying toilet signs. Taiwanese university students and staff members (50 men, 50 women; M age = 23.5 year, SD = 5.7) participated in the study. The 36 toilet signs were modified on three factors (six presenting styles, two figure-ground exchanges, and three colors), and the reaction time data of all participants were collected when the signs were presented in a simulation onscreen. Participants were quickest when reading Chinese text, followed by graphics and English texts. The findings also showed that men and women had different reaction times across various design combinations. These findings can serve as a reference for practically designing toilet signs, since design factors can lead to difficulties with comprehension based on reaction time measurements. © The Author(s) 2016.

Effect of DMMP on the pyrolysis products of polyurethane foam materials in the gaseous phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.; Li, F.; Ge, X. G.; Zhang, Z. J.; He, J.; Gao, N.

2016-07-01

Dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) has been used as a flame retardant containing phosphorus to decrease the flammability of the polyurethane foam material (PUF). Flame retardancy and thermal degradation of PUF samples have been investigated by the LOI tests and thermal analysis. The results show that LOI values of all PUF/DMMP samples are higher than that of the neat PUF sample and the LOI value of the samples increases with both DMMP concentration and the %P value. Thermal analysis indicates that flame retardant PUF shows a dominant condensed flame retardant activity during combustion. Thermogravimetric analysis-infrared spectrometry (TG-FTIR) has been used to study the influence of DMMP on the pyrolysis products in the gaseous phase during the thermal degradation of the PUF sample. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) spectra of the PUF sample at the maximum evolution rates and the generated trends of water and the products containing -NCO have been examined to obtain more information about the pyrolysis product evolutions of the samples at high temperature. These results reveal that although DMMP could improve the thermal stability of PUF samples through the formation of the residual char layer between fire and the decomposed materials, the influence of DMMP on the gaseous phase can be also observed during the thermal degradation process of materials.

Measurement of polyurethane foam - air partition coefficients for semivolatile organic compounds as a function of temperature: Application to passive air sampler monitoring.

PubMed

Francisco, Ana Paula; Harner, Tom; Eng, Anita

2017-05-01

Polyurethane foam - air partition coefficients (K PUF-air ) for 9 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 10 alkyl-substituted PAHs, 4 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and dibenzothiophene were measured as a function of temperature over the range 5 °C-35 °C, using a generator column approach. Enthalpies of PUF-to-air transfer (ΔH PUF-air , kJ/mol) were determined from the slopes of log K PUF-air versus 1000/T (K), and have an average value of 81.2 ± 7.03 kJ/mol. The log K PUF-air values at 22 °C ranged from 4.99 to 7.25. A relationship for log K PUF-air versus log K OA was shown to agree with a previous relationship based on only polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and derived from long-term indoor uptake study experiments. The results also confirm that the existing K OA -based model for predicting log K PUF-air values is accurate. This new information is important in the derivation of uptake profiles and effective air sampling volumes for PUF disk samplers so that results can be reported in units of concentration in air. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing speech and language outcomes of children with early identified severe/profound hearing loss: Clinician-identified facilitators and barriers.

PubMed

Fulcher, Anne Nivelles; Purcell, Alison; Baker, Elise; Munro, Natalie

2015-06-01

Early identification of severe/profound childhood hearing loss (HL) gives these children access to hearing devices and early intervention to facilitate improved speech and language outcomes. Predicting which infants will go on to achieve such outcomes remains difficult. This study describes clinician identified malleable and non-malleable factors that may influence speech and language outcomes for children with severe/profound HL. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six experienced auditory verbal clinicians. A collective case study design was implemented. The interviews were transcribed and coded into themes using constant comparative analysis. Clinicians identified that, for children with severe/profound HL, early identification, early amplification and commencing auditory-verbal intervention under 6 months of age may facilitate child progress. Possible barriers were living in rural/remote areas, the clinicians' lack of experience and confidence in providing intervention for infants under age 6-months and belonging to a family with a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background. The results indicate that multiple factors need to be considered by clinicians working with children with HL and their families to determine how each child functions within their own environment and personal contexts, consistent with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Such an approach is likely to empower clinicians to carefully balance potential barriers to, and facilitators of, optimal speech and language outcomes for all children with HL.

Method, apparatus and system to compensate for drift by physically unclonable function circuitry

DOEpatents

Hamlet, Jason

2016-11-22

Techniques and mechanisms to detect and compensate for drift by a physically uncloneable function (PUF) circuit. In an embodiment, first state information is registered as reference information to be made available for subsequent evaluation of whether drift by PUF circuitry has occurred. The first state information is associated with a first error correction strength. The first state information is generated based on a first PUF value output by the PUF circuitry. In another embodiment, second state information is determined based on a second PUF value that is output by the PUF circuitry. An evaluation of whether drift has occurred is performed based on the first state information and the second state information, the evaluation including determining whether a threshold error correction strength is exceeded concurrent with a magnitude of error being less than the first error correction strength.

A framework to enhance security of physically unclonable functions using chaotic circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lanxiang

2018-05-01

As a new technique for authentication and key generation, physically unclonable function (PUF) has attracted considerable attentions, with extensive research results achieved already. To resist the popular machine learning modeling attacks, a framework to enhance the security of PUFs is proposed. The basic idea is to combine PUFs with a chaotic system of which the response is highly sensitive to initial conditions. For this framework, a specific construction which combines the common arbiter PUF circuit, a converter, and the Chua's circuit is given to implement a more secure PUF. Simulation experiments are presented to further validate the framework. Finally, some practical suggestions for the framework and specific construction are also discussed.

Identifying risk factors for victimization among male prisoners in Taiwan.

PubMed

Kuo, Shih-Ya; Cuvelier, Steven J; Huang, Yung-Shun

2014-02-01

This study identified risk factors for prison victimization in Taiwan with an application of Western literature and assessed the extent of its applicability in an Eastern context. The sample was drawn from four male prisons located in Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Taiwan; a total of 1,181 valid surveys were collected. The results generally support the major findings of the extant Western studies. Crowding, however, was not significantly associated with the risk of victimization in any of the statistical models, which might be related to the different experiences and living conditions in the free community between Taiwanese and American inmates. This study generated clear policy implications, which may reduce prison victimization and engender a greater sense of well-being in the prison environment.

MONKEY: Identifying conserved transcription-factor binding sitesin multiple alignments using a binding site-specific evolutionarymodel

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

Moses, Alan M.; Chiang, Derek Y.; Pollard, Daniel A.

2004-10-28

We introduce a method (MONKEY) to identify conserved transcription-factor binding sites in multispecies alignments. MONKEY employs probabilistic models of factor specificity and binding site evolution, on which basis we compute the likelihood that putative sites are conserved and assign statistical significance to each hit. Using genomes from the genus Saccharomyces, we illustrate how the significance of real sites increases with evolutionary distance and explore the relationship between conservation and function.

Identifying crash contributory factors at urban roundabouts and using association rules to explore their relationships to different crash types.

PubMed

Montella, Alfonso

2011-07-01

The use of roundabouts improves intersection safety by eliminating or altering conflict types, reducing crash severity, and causing drivers to reduce speeds. However, roundabout performances can degrade if precautions are not taken during either the design or the operation phase. Therefore, additional information on the safety of the roundabouts is extremely helpful for planners and designers in identifying existing deficiencies and in refining the design criteria currently being used. The aim of the paper was to investigate the crash contributory factors in 15 urban roundabouts located in Italy and to study the interdependences between these factors. The crash data refer to the period 2003-2008. The identification of the crash contributory factors was based on site inspections and rigorous analyses performed by a team of specialists with a relevant road safety engineering background. Each roundabout was inspected once every year from 2004 to 2009, both in daytime and in nighttime. Overall, 62 different contributory factors and 2156 total contributory factors were identified. In 51 crashes, a single contributory factor was found, whereas in the other 223 crashes, a combination of contributory factors was identified. Given the large amount of data, the interdependences between the contributory factors and between the contributory factors and the different crash types were explored by an association discovery. Association discovery is the identification of sets of items (i.e., crash contributory factors and crash types in our study) that occur together in a given event (i.e., a crash in our study). The rules were filtered by support, confidence, and lift. As a result, 112 association rules were discovered. Overall, numerous contributory factors related to the road and environment deficiencies but not related to the road user or to the vehicle were identified. The most important factors related to geometric design were the radius of deflection and the deviation angle

Risk factors identified for certain lymphoma subtypes

Cancer.gov

In a large international collaborative analysis of risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), scientists were able to quantify risk associated with medical history, lifestyle factors, family history of blood or lymph-borne cancers, and occupation for 11

Identifying Some Factors That Might Predispose Drug Abuse among Learners in a South African Township School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grobler, R.; Khatite, M.

2012-01-01

This study inquires into some of the factors that might predispose the use and abuse of drugs among secondary school learners in a township school. The objective of this research is to identify these factors and to offer a few suggestions on how the abuse may be prevented. A quantitative research strategy is used and a document analysis technique…

Long-term reliable physically unclonable function based on oxide tunnel barrier breakdown on two-transistors two-magnetic-tunnel-junctions cell-based embedded spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takaya, Satoshi; Tanamoto, Tetsufumi; Noguchi, Hiroki; Ikegami, Kazutaka; Abe, Keiko; Fujita, Shinobu

2017-04-01

Among the diverse applications of spintronics, security for internet-of-things (IoT) devices is one of the most important. A physically unclonable function (PUF) with a spin device (spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory, STT-MRAM) is presented. Oxide tunnel barrier breakdown is used to realize long-term stability for PUFs. A secure PUF has been confirmed by evaluating the Hamming distance of a 32-bit STT-MRAM-PUF fabricated using 65 nm CMOS technology.

Utilizing the Digital Fingerprint Methodology for Secure Key Generation

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

circuits. 2.2.2. Arbiter PUF 2.2.1 Arbiter PUF Description Figure 3 represents the arbiter PUF circuitry designed by Suh and Devadas [4]. The D latch...Reliability The results of Suh and Devadas ‟s experiments on the arbiter PUF circuit showed that when the arbiter circuit output was measured for the...and Devada pointed out that this low percentage was the result of not laying out their circuit symmetrically as it appears in the idealized

Acute respiratory distress syndrome without identifiable risk factors: A secondary analysis of the ARDS network trials.

PubMed

Harrington, John S; Schenck, Edward J; Oromendia, Clara; Choi, Augustine M K; Siempos, Ilias I

2018-06-02

We examined whether patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) lacking risk factors are enrolled in therapeutic trials and assessed their clinical characteristics and outcomes. We performed a secondary analysis of patient-level data pooled from the ARMA, ALVEOLI, FACTT, ALTA and EDEN ARDSNet randomized controlled trials obtained from the Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. We compared baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes (before and after adjustment using Poisson regression model) of ARDS patients with versus without risk factors. Of 3733 patients with ARDS, 81 (2.2%) did not have an identifiable risk factor. Patients without risk factors were younger, had lower baseline severity of illness, were more likely to have the ARDS resolve rapidly (i.e., within 24 h) (p < 0.001) and they had more ventilator-free days (median 21; p = 0.003), more intensive care unit-free days (18; p = 0.010), and more non-pulmonary organ failure-free days (24; p < 0.001) than comparators (17, 14 and 18, respectively). Differences persisted after adjustment for potential confounders. Patients with ARDS without identifiable risk factors are enrolled in therapeutic trials and may have better outcomes, including a higher proportion of rapidly resolving ARDS, than those with risk factors. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Identifying context factors explaining physician's low performance in communication assessment: an explorative study in general practice.

PubMed

Essers, Geurt; van Dulmen, Sandra; van Weel, Chris; van der Vleuten, Cees; Kramer, Anneke

2011-12-13

Communication is a key competence for health care professionals. Analysis of registrar and GP communication performance in daily practice, however, suggests a suboptimal application of communication skills. The influence of context factors could reveal why communication performance levels, on average, do not appear adequate. The context of daily practice may require different skills or specific ways of handling these skills, whereas communication skills are mostly treated as generic. So far no empirical analysis of the context has been made. Our aim was to identify context factors that could be related to GP communication. A purposive sample of real-life videotaped GP consultations was analyzed (N = 17). As a frame of reference we chose the MAAS-Global, a widely used assessment instrument for medical communication. By inductive reasoning, we analyzed the GP behaviour in the consultation leading to poor item scores on the MAAS-Global. In these cases we looked for the presence of an intervening context factor, and how this might explain the actual GP communication behaviour. We reached saturation after having viewed 17 consultations. We identified 19 context factors that could potentially explain the deviation from generic recommendations on communication skills. These context factors can be categorized into doctor-related, patient-related, and consultation-related factors. Several context factors seem to influence doctor-patient communication, requiring the GP to apply communication skills differently from recommendations on communication. From this study we conclude that there is a need to explicitly account for context factors in the assessment of GP (and GP registrar) communication performance. The next step is to validate our findings.

Influence of azo dye concentration on activated sludge bacterial community in the presence of functionalized polyurethane foam.

PubMed

Lu, Hong; Wang, Jing; Lu, Shuilong; Wang, Ying; Liu, Guangfei; Zhou, Jiti; Quan, Zhexue

2015-03-01

Immobilized quinones exhibit good catalytic performance in the biodecolorization of azo dyes. However, in practical activated sludge systems, little is known about the effect of azo dye concentration on microbial communities in the presence of immobilized quinones. 454 Pyrosequencing was used to investigate structural changes and to determine the key microorganisms involved in Reactive Red X-3B decolorization in the presence of anthraquinone-2-sulfonate immobilized on polyurethane foam (AQS-PUF). Our results show that the AQS-PUF-supplemented system exhibited better stability and decolorization performance during a 30-day run than polyurethane-foam-only (PUF-supplemented) and control systems. Analysis of pyrosequencing data showed that the AQS-PUF-supplemented system had the highest bacterial diversity, followed by the control and PUF-supplemented systems during decolorization. Reactive Red X-3B and AQS-PUF significantly influenced bacterial communities at the class level: Erysipelotrichia and the most dominant Deltaproteobacteria showed significant positive correlations with Reactive Red X-3B, while unclassified Firmicutes were found to be significantly correlated with AQS-PUF. At the genus level, Desulfomicrobium, which represents 8-44 % of the total population, displayed a significant positive correlation with Reactive Red X-3B. Some bacteria, including Desulfovibrio, Shewanella, and Clostridium with relative abundances of less than 6 %, were positively correlated with AQS-PUF. These findings provide a novel insight into the changes that occur in the bacterial community during immobilized AQS-mediated decolorization. Less abundant quinone-reducing bacteria play important roles in accelerating the effect of AQS-PUF on biodecolorization.

Functional Genomic Screen Identifies Klebsiella pneumoniae Factors Implicated in Blocking Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB) Signaling*

PubMed Central

Tomás, Anna; Lery, Leticia; Regueiro, Verónica; Pérez-Gutiérrez, Camino; Martínez, Verónica; Moranta, David; Llobet, Enrique; González-Nicolau, Mar; Insua, Jose L.; Tomas, Juan M.; Sansonetti, Philippe J.; Tournebize, Régis; Bengoechea, José A.

2015-01-01

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an etiologic agent of community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia. It has been shown that K. pneumoniae infections are characterized by reduced early inflammatory response. Recently our group has shown that K. pneumoniae dampens the activation of inflammatory responses by antagonizing the activation of the NF-κB canonical pathway. Our results revealed that K. pneumoniae capsule polysaccharide (CPS) was necessary but not sufficient to attenuate inflammation. To identify additional Klebsiella factors required to dampen inflammation, we standardized and applied a high-throughput gain-of-function screen to examine a Klebsiella transposon mutant library. We identified 114 mutants that triggered the activation of NF-κB. Two gene ontology categories accounted for half of the loci identified in the screening: metabolism and transport genes (32% of the mutants) and envelope-related genes (17%). Characterization of the mutants revealed that the lack of the enterobactin siderophore was linked to a reduced CPS expression, which in turn underlined the NF-κB activation induced by the mutant. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-polysaccharide and the pullulanase (PulA) type 2 secretion system (T2SS) are required for full effectiveness of the immune evasion. Importantly, these factors do not play a redundant role. The fact that LPS O-polysaccharide and T2SS mutant-induced responses were dependent on TLR2-TLR4-MyD88 activation suggested that LPS O-polysaccharide and PulA perturbed Toll-like receptor (TLR)-dependent recognition of K. pneumoniae. Finally, we demonstrate that LPS O-polysaccharide and pulA mutants are attenuated in the pneumonia mouse model. We propose that LPS O-polysaccharide and PulA T2SS could be new targets for the design of new antimicrobials. Increasing TLR-governed defense responses might provide also selective alternatives for the management of K. pneumoniae pneumonia. PMID:25971969

Electronic Cigarette Topography in the Natural Environment

PubMed Central

Morabito, P. N.; Roundtree, K. A.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the results of a clinical, observational, descriptive study to quantify the use patterns of electronic cigarette users in their natural environment. Previously published work regarding puff topography has been widely indirect in nature, and qualitative rather than quantitative, with the exception of three studies conducted in a laboratory environment for limited amounts of time. The current study quantifies the variation in puffing behaviors among users as well as the variation for a given user throughout the course of a day. Puff topography characteristics computed for each puffing session by each subject include the number of subject puffs per puffing session, the mean puff duration per session, the mean puff flow rate per session, the mean puff volume per session, and the cumulative puff volume per session. The same puff topography characteristics are computed across all puffing sessions by each single subject and across all subjects in the study cohort. Results indicate significant inter-subject variability with regard to puffing topography, suggesting that a range of representative puffing topography patterns should be used to drive machine-puffed electronic cigarette aerosol evaluation systems. PMID:26053075

Electronic Cigarette Topography in the Natural Environment.

PubMed

Robinson, R J; Hensel, E C; Morabito, P N; Roundtree, K A

2015-01-01

This paper presents the results of a clinical, observational, descriptive study to quantify the use patterns of electronic cigarette users in their natural environment. Previously published work regarding puff topography has been widely indirect in nature, and qualitative rather than quantitative, with the exception of three studies conducted in a laboratory environment for limited amounts of time. The current study quantifies the variation in puffing behaviors among users as well as the variation for a given user throughout the course of a day. Puff topography characteristics computed for each puffing session by each subject include the number of subject puffs per puffing session, the mean puff duration per session, the mean puff flow rate per session, the mean puff volume per session, and the cumulative puff volume per session. The same puff topography characteristics are computed across all puffing sessions by each single subject and across all subjects in the study cohort. Results indicate significant inter-subject variability with regard to puffing topography, suggesting that a range of representative puffing topography patterns should be used to drive machine-puffed electronic cigarette aerosol evaluation systems.

Comparison of using polyurethane foam passive samplers and tree bark samples from Western China to determine atmospheric organochlorine pesticide.

PubMed

Li, Qiuxu; Lu, Yao; Jin, Jun; Li, Guangyao; Li, Peng; He, Chang; Wang, Ying

2016-03-01

Polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers were deployed and tree bark samples were collected at 15 sites across western China in 2013, and the organochlorine pesticide (OCP) concentrations in the samples were determined. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its degradation products (collectively called DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were the dominant OCPs in the PUF samples and tree bark samples. The mean DDTs, HCHs and HCB concentrations were 33, 22 and 18ng/sample in the PUF samples, and 428, 74, and 43ng/(g lipid weight (lw)) in the tree bark, respectively. The OCP concentrations in the air, calculated using PUF-air and tree-bark-air partitioning models, were of the same order of magnitude. Both sample types showed that relatively fresh inputs of DDT and HCHs to the environment have occurred in western China. Meanwhile, PUF passive samplers were compared with the use of tree bark samples as passive samplers. The OCP compositions in the PUF and tree bark samples were different. Only the relatively stable OCPs (such as HCB, β-HCH and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE)) were consistent in the PUF and tree bark samples. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A data mining paradigm for identifying key factors in biological processes using gene expression data.

PubMed

Li, Jin; Zheng, Le; Uchiyama, Akihiko; Bin, Lianghua; Mauro, Theodora M; Elias, Peter M; Pawelczyk, Tadeusz; Sakowicz-Burkiewicz, Monika; Trzeciak, Magdalena; Leung, Donald Y M; Morasso, Maria I; Yu, Peng

2018-06-13

A large volume of biological data is being generated for studying mechanisms of various biological processes. These precious data enable large-scale computational analyses to gain biological insights. However, it remains a challenge to mine the data efficiently for knowledge discovery. The heterogeneity of these data makes it difficult to consistently integrate them, slowing down the process of biological discovery. We introduce a data processing paradigm to identify key factors in biological processes via systematic collection of gene expression datasets, primary analysis of data, and evaluation of consistent signals. To demonstrate its effectiveness, our paradigm was applied to epidermal development and identified many genes that play a potential role in this process. Besides the known epidermal development genes, a substantial proportion of the identified genes are still not supported by gain- or loss-of-function studies, yielding many novel genes for future studies. Among them, we selected a top gene for loss-of-function experimental validation and confirmed its function in epidermal differentiation, proving the ability of this paradigm to identify new factors in biological processes. In addition, this paradigm revealed many key genes in cold-induced thermogenesis using data from cold-challenged tissues, demonstrating its generalizability. This paradigm can lead to fruitful results for studying molecular mechanisms in an era of explosive accumulation of publicly available biological data.

Random T-DNA mutagenesis identifies a Cu-Zn-superoxide dismutase gene as a virulence factor of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) was used to identify potential virulence factors in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Screening AMT transformants identified two mutants showing significantly reduced virulence. The mutants showed similar growth rate, colony morphology, and sclerotial and oxalate ...

Testing job typologies and identifying at-risk subpopulations using factor mixture models.

PubMed

Keller, Anita C; Igic, Ivana; Meier, Laurenz L; Semmer, Norbert K; Schaubroeck, John M; Brunner, Beatrice; Elfering, Achim

2017-10-01

Research in occupational health psychology has tended to focus on the effects of single job characteristics or various job characteristics combined into 1 factor. However, such a variable-centered approach does not account for the clustering of job attributes among groups of employees. We addressed this issue by using a person-centered approach to (a) investigate the occurrence of different empirical constellations of perceived job stressors and resources and (b) validate the meaningfulness of profiles by analyzing their association with employee well-being and performance. We applied factor mixture modeling to identify profiles in 4 large samples consisting of employees in Switzerland (Studies 1 and 2) and the United States (Studies 3 and 4). We identified 2 profiles that spanned the 4 samples, with 1 reflecting a combination of relatively low stressors and high resources (P1) and the other relatively high stressors and low resources (P3). The profiles differed mainly in terms of their organizational and social aspects. Employees in P1 reported significantly higher mean levels of job satisfaction, performance, and general health, and lower means in exhaustion compared with P3. Additional analyses showed differential relationships between job attributes and outcomes depending on profile membership. These findings may benefit organizational interventions as they show that perceived work stressors and resources more strongly influence satisfaction and well-being in particular profiles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

[Analysis of dietary pattern and diabetes mellitus influencing factors identified by classification tree model in adults of Fujian].

PubMed

Yu, F L; Ye, Y; Yan, Y S

2017-05-10

Objective: To find out the dietary patterns and explore the relationship between environmental factors (especially dietary patterns) and diabetes mellitus in the adults of Fujian. Methods: Multi-stage sampling method were used to survey residents aged ≥18 years by questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory detection in 10 disease surveillance points in Fujian. Factor analysis was used to identify the dietary patterns, while logistic regression model was applied to analyze relationship between dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus, and classification tree model was adopted to identify the influencing factors for diabetes mellitus. Results: There were four dietary patterns in the population, including meat, plant, high-quality protein, and fried food and beverages patterns. The result of logistic analysis showed that plant pattern, which has higher factor loading of fresh fruit-vegetables and cereal-tubers, was a protective factor for non-diabetes mellitus. The risk of diabetes mellitus in the population at T2 and T3 levels of factor score were 0.727 (95 %CI: 0.561-0.943) times and 0.736 (95 %CI : 0.573-0.944) times higher, respectively, than those whose factor score was in lowest quartile. Thirteen influencing factors and eleven group at high-risk for diabetes mellitus were identified by classification tree model. The influencing factors were dyslipidemia, age, family history of diabetes, hypertension, physical activity, career, sex, sedentary time, abdominal adiposity, BMI, marital status, sleep time and high-quality protein pattern. Conclusion: There is a close association between dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus. It is necessary to promote healthy and reasonable diet, strengthen the monitoring and control of blood lipids, blood pressure and body weight, and have good lifestyle for the prevention and control of diabetes mellitus.

In-situ strain monitoring in liquid containers of LNG transporting carriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Min-Cheol; Seo, Jun-Kyu; Kim, Kyung-Jo; Lee, Sang-Min; Kim, Myung-Hyun

2008-08-01

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport carriers are exposed to a risk by the repeated bump in the LNG container during the vessel traveling over the wave in ocean. The liquid inside the container, especially when it was not fully contained, make a strong bump onto the insulation panel of the tank wall. The insulation panel consists of several layers of thick polyurethane foam (PUF) to maintain the LNG below the cryogenic temperature, -162°C. Due to the repeated shock on the PUF, a crack could be developed on the tank wall causing a tremendous disaster for LNG carriers. To prevent the accidental crack on the tank, a continuous monitoring of the strain imposed on the PUF is recommended. In this work, a fiber-optic Bragg grating was imbedded inside the PUF for monitoring the strain parallel to the impact direction. The optical fiber sensor with a small diameter of 125 μm was suitable to be inserted in the PUF through a small hole drilled after the PUF was cured. In-situ monitoring of the strain producing the change of Bragg reflection wavelength, a high speed wavelength interrogation method was employed by using an arrayed waveguide grating. By dropping a heavy mass on the PUF, we measured the strain imposed on the insulation panel.

Identifying critical factors influencing the disposal of dead pigs by farmers in China.

PubMed

Wu, Linhai; Xu, Guoyan; Wang, Xiaoli

2016-01-01

Disposal of dead pigs by pig farmers may have a direct impact on pork safety, public health, and the ecological environment in China. Drawing on the existing literature, this study analyzed and summarized the main factors that could affect the disposal of dead pigs by pig farmers by conducting a survey of 654 pig farmers in Funing County, Jiangsu Province, China. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the disposal of dead pigs in China and provide useful regulatory strategies for the government. The interrelationships among dimensions and factors that affect the disposal of dead pigs by farmers were analyzed, and critical factors were identified by a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making method, which is a combination of decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and analytic network process (ANP). Our results demonstrated that production characteristics were the most important dimensions and that costs and profits, scale of farming, pattern of farming, knowledge of relevant laws and regulations, and knowledge of pig disease and prevention were the five most critical factors affecting the disposal of dead pigs by farmers in China at this stage. The significance of this study lies in further discussing some management policies for the Chinese government regarding strengthen regulation of disposing dead pigs.

Identifying Environmental and Social Factors Predisposing to Pathological Gambling Combining Standard Logistic Regression and Logic Learning Machine.

PubMed

Parodi, Stefano; Dosi, Corrado; Zambon, Antonella; Ferrari, Enrico; Muselli, Marco

2017-12-01

Identifying potential risk factors for problem gambling (PG) is of primary importance for planning preventive and therapeutic interventions. We illustrate a new approach based on the combination of standard logistic regression and an innovative method of supervised data mining (Logic Learning Machine or LLM). Data were taken from a pilot cross-sectional study to identify subjects with PG behaviour, assessed by two internationally validated scales (SOGS and Lie/Bet). Information was obtained from 251 gamblers recruited in six betting establishments. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle and cognitive-related factors, and type, place and frequency of preferred gambling were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. The following variables associated with PG were identified: instant gratification games, alcohol abuse, cognitive distortion, illegal behaviours and having started gambling with a relative or a friend. Furthermore, the combination of LLM and LR indicated the presence of two different types of PG, namely: (a) daily gamblers, more prone to illegal behaviour, with poor money management skills and who started gambling at an early age, and (b) non-daily gamblers, characterised by superstitious beliefs and a higher preference for immediate reward games. Finally, instant gratification games were strongly associated with the number of games usually played. Studies on gamblers habitually frequently betting shops are rare. The finding of different types of PG by habitual gamblers deserves further analysis in larger studies. Advanced data mining algorithms, like LLM, are powerful tools and potentially useful in identifying risk factors for PG.

A recurrent, multistate outbreak of salmonella serotype agona infections associated with dry, unsweetened cereal consumption, United States, 2008.

PubMed

Russo, Elizabeth T; Biggerstaff, Gwen; Hoekstra, R Michael; Meyer, Stephanie; Patel, Nehal; Miller, Benjamin; Quick, Rob

2013-02-01

An outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Agona infections associated with nationwide distribution of cereal from Company X was identified in April 2008. This outbreak was detected using PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance, which coincided with Company X's voluntary recall of unsweetened puffed rice and wheat cereals after routine product sampling yielded Salmonella Agona. A case patient was defined as being infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Agona, with illness onset from 1 January through 1 July 2008. Case patients were interviewed using a standard questionnaire, and the proportion of ill persons who reported eating Company X puffed rice cereal was compared with Company X's market share data using binomial testing. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture inspected the cereal production facility and collected both product and environmental swab samples. Routine surveillance identified 33 case patients in 17 states. Of 32 patients interviewed, 24 (83%) reported eating Company X puffed rice cereal. Company X puffed rice cereal represented 0.063% of the total ready-to-eat dry cereal market share in the United States at the time of the investigation. Binomial testing suggested that the proportion of exposed case patients would not likely occur by chance (P < 0.0001). Of 17 cereal samples collected from case patient homes for laboratory testing, 2 (12%) yielded Salmonella Agona indistinguishable from the outbreak strain. Twelve environmental swabs and nine product samples from the cereal plant yielded the outbreak strain of Salmonella Agona. Company X cereal was implicated in a similar outbreak of Salmonella Agona infection in 1998 with the same outbreak strain linked to the same production facility. We hypothesize that a recent construction project at this facility created an open wall near the cereal production area allowing reintroduction of Salmonella Agona into the product, highlighting the

Identifying environmental variables explaining genotype-by-environment interaction for body weight of rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss): reaction norm and factor analytic models.

PubMed

Sae-Lim, Panya; Komen, Hans; Kause, Antti; Mulder, Han A

2014-02-26

Identifying the relevant environmental variables that cause GxE interaction is often difficult when they cannot be experimentally manipulated. Two statistical approaches can be applied to address this question. When data on candidate environmental variables are available, GxE interaction can be quantified as a function of specific environmental variables using a reaction norm model. Alternatively, a factor analytic model can be used to identify the latent common factor that explains GxE interaction. This factor can be correlated with known environmental variables to identify those that are relevant. Previously, we reported a significant GxE interaction for body weight at harvest in rainbow trout reared on three continents. Here we explore their possible causes. Reaction norm and factor analytic models were used to identify which environmental variables (age at harvest, water temperature, oxygen, and photoperiod) may have caused the observed GxE interaction. Data on body weight at harvest was recorded on 8976 offspring reared in various locations: (1) a breeding environment in the USA (nucleus), (2) a recirculating aquaculture system in the Freshwater Institute in West Virginia, USA, (3) a high-altitude farm in Peru, and (4) a low-water temperature farm in Germany. Akaike and Bayesian information criteria were used to compare models. The combination of days to harvest multiplied with daily temperature (Day*Degree) and photoperiod were identified by the reaction norm model as the environmental variables responsible for the GxE interaction. The latent common factor that was identified by the factor analytic model showed the highest correlation with Day*Degree. Day*Degree and photoperiod were the environmental variables that differed most between Peru and other environments. Akaike and Bayesian information criteria indicated that the factor analytical model was more parsimonious than the reaction norm model. Day*Degree and photoperiod were identified as environmental

Identifying environmental variables explaining genotype-by-environment interaction for body weight of rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss): reaction norm and factor analytic models

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Identifying the relevant environmental variables that cause GxE interaction is often difficult when they cannot be experimentally manipulated. Two statistical approaches can be applied to address this question. When data on candidate environmental variables are available, GxE interaction can be quantified as a function of specific environmental variables using a reaction norm model. Alternatively, a factor analytic model can be used to identify the latent common factor that explains GxE interaction. This factor can be correlated with known environmental variables to identify those that are relevant. Previously, we reported a significant GxE interaction for body weight at harvest in rainbow trout reared on three continents. Here we explore their possible causes. Methods Reaction norm and factor analytic models were used to identify which environmental variables (age at harvest, water temperature, oxygen, and photoperiod) may have caused the observed GxE interaction. Data on body weight at harvest was recorded on 8976 offspring reared in various locations: (1) a breeding environment in the USA (nucleus), (2) a recirculating aquaculture system in the Freshwater Institute in West Virginia, USA, (3) a high-altitude farm in Peru, and (4) a low-water temperature farm in Germany. Akaike and Bayesian information criteria were used to compare models. Results The combination of days to harvest multiplied with daily temperature (Day*Degree) and photoperiod were identified by the reaction norm model as the environmental variables responsible for the GxE interaction. The latent common factor that was identified by the factor analytic model showed the highest correlation with Day*Degree. Day*Degree and photoperiod were the environmental variables that differed most between Peru and other environments. Akaike and Bayesian information criteria indicated that the factor analytical model was more parsimonious than the reaction norm model. Conclusions Day*Degree and

Field estimates of polyurethane foam - air partition coefficients for hexachlorobenzene, alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane and bromoanisoles.

PubMed

Bidleman, Terry F; Nygren, Olle; Tysklind, Mats

2016-09-01

Partition coefficients of gaseous semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) between polyurethane foam (PUF) and air (KPA) are needed in the estimation of sampling rates for PUF disk passive air samplers. We determined KPA in field experiments by conducting long-term (24-48 h) air sampling to saturate PUF traps and shorter runs (2-4 h) to measure air concentrations. Sampling events were done at daily mean temperatures ranging from 1.9 to 17.5 °C. Target compounds were hexachlorobenzene (HCB), alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), 2,4-dibromoanisole (2,4-DiBA) and 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (2,4,6-TriBA). KPA (mL g(-1)) was calculated from quantities on the PUF traps at saturation (ng g(-1)) divided by air concentrations (ng mL(-1)). Enthalpies of PUF-to-air transfer (ΔHPA, kJ mol(-1)) were determined from the slopes of log KPA/mL g(-1) versus 1/T(K) for HCB and the bromoanisoles, KPA of α-HCH was measured only at 14.3 to 17.5 °C and ΔHPA was not determined. Experimental log KPA/mL g(-1) at 15 °C were HCB = 7.37; α-HCH = 8.08; 2,4-DiBA = 7.26 and 2,4,6-TriBA = 7.26. Experimental log KPA/mL g(-1) were compared with predictions based on an octanol-air partition coefficient (log KOA) model (Shoeib and Harner, 2002a) and a polyparameter linear free relationship (pp-LFER) model (Kamprad and Goss, 2007) using different sets of solute parameters. Predicted KP values varied by factors of 3 to over 30, depending on the compound and the model. Such discrepancies provide incentive for experimental measurements of KPA for other SVOCs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Demand Equations for Qualitatively Different Foods under Fixed-Ratio Schedules: A Comparison of Three Data Conversions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, T. Mary; Sumpter, Catherine E.; Temple, William; Flevill, Amanda; Poling, Alan

2009-01-01

Concurrent schedules were used to establish 6 hens' preferences for three foods. The resulting biases suggested wheat was preferred over honey-puffed and puffed wheat, and puffed wheat was the least preferred food. The hens then responded under fixed-ratio schedules for each food in 40-min (excluding reinforcer time) sessions, with the response…

Repeated batch cultivation of the hydrocarbon-degrading, micro-algal strain Prototheca zopfii RND16 immobilized in polyurethane foam.

PubMed

Ueno, Ryohei; Wada, Shun; Urano, Naoto

2008-01-01

This study reports on the stability of the cells of a heterotrophic green micro-algal strain Prototheca zopfii RND16 immobilized in polyurethane foam (PUF) cubes during degradation of mixed hydrocarbon substrate, which was composed of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in 5 successive cycles of repeated batch cultivation at 30 degrees C. Both RND16 cells and mixed hydrocarbon substrate components had been entrapped in PUF cubes through cultivation. PUF-immobilized RND16 degraded n-alkanes almost completely, whereas the strain hardly degraded PAHs in PUFs, rather they accumulated in the matrices. It is noteworthy that this result is strikingly different from that of the free-living cell culture, where RND16 reduced concentrations of both n-alkanes and PAHs. However, PAHs accumulation in the PUFs did not impair the performance of the immobilized alga to utilize n-alkanes. These results suggest that the PUFs harboring RND16 cells could be used repeatedly for selective retrieval of PAHs from oil-polluted waters after preferential biodegradation of n-alkanes by algae.

Advance to and Persistence in Graduate School: Identifying the Influential Factors and Major-Based Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Yonghong Jade

2014-01-01

Structured within an expanded econometric theoretical framework, this study uses national data sources to identify the critical factors that influence college graduates' advance to and persistence in graduate education and to compare the systematic differences between students in the STEM and non-STEM majors. The findings indicate that there is a…

Engineered proteins with PUF scaffold to manipulate RNA metabolism

PubMed Central

Wang, Yang; Wang, Zefeng; Tanaka Hall, Traci M.

2013-01-01

Pumilio/fem-3 mRNA binding factor (FBF) proteins are characterized by a sequence-specific RNA-binding domain. This unique single-stranded RNA recognition module, whose sequence specificity can be reprogrammed, has been fused with functional modules to engineer protein factors with various functions. Here we summarize the advancement in developing RNA regulatory tools and opportunities for the future. PMID:23731364

Identifying sex-specific risk factors for low bone mineral density in adolescent runners.

PubMed

Tenforde, Adam Sebastian; Fredericson, Michael; Sayres, Lauren Carter; Cutti, Phil; Sainani, Kristin Lynn

2015-06-01

Adolescent runners may be at risk for low bone mineral density (BMD) associated with sports participation. Few prior investigations have evaluated bone health in young runners, particularly males. To characterize sex-specific risk factors for low BMD in adolescent runners. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Training characteristics, fracture history, eating behaviors and attitudes, and menstrual history were measured using online questionnaires. A food frequency questionnaire was used to identify dietary patterns and measure calcium intake. Runners (female: n = 94, male: n = 42) completed dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure lumbar spine (LS) and total body less head (TBLH) BMD and body composition values, including android-to-gynoid (A:G) fat mass ratio. The BMD was standardized to Z-scores using age, sex, and race/ethnicity reference values. Questionnaire values were combined with DXA values to determine risk factors associated with differences in BMD Z-scores in LS and TBLH and low bone mass (defined as BMD Z-score ≤-1). In multivariable analyses, risk factors for lower LS BMD Z-scores in girls included lower A:G ratio, being shorter, and the combination of (interaction between) current menstrual irregularity and a history of fracture (all P < .01). Later age of menarche, lower A:G ratio, lower lean mass, and drinking less milk were associated with lower TBLH BMD Z-scores (P < .01). In boys, lower body mass index (BMI) Z-scores and the belief that being thinner improves performance were associated with lower LS and TBLH BMD Z-scores (all P < .05); lower A:G ratio was additionally associated with lower TBLH Z-scores (P < .01). Thirteen girls (14%) and 9 boys (21%) had low bone mass. Girls with a BMI ≤17.5 kg/m(2) or both menstrual irregularity and a history of fracture were significantly more likely to have low bone mass. Boys with a BMI ≤17.5 kg/m(2) and belief that thinness improves performance were significantly more likely to have

Tests of Transport Theory and Reduced Impurity Influx with Highly Radiative Plasmas in TFTR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, K. W.

1997-11-01

The electron and ion temperature profiles in beam-heated plasmas were observed to be remarkably invariant when radiative losses were increased significantly through gas puffing of high-Z impurities (argon, krypton, xenon) in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor. Without impurity puffing, radiative losses accounted for typically only ~ 25\\char'45 of the input power and the radiation profile was strongly peaked at the plasma edge, where the dominant carbon impurity was not fully stripped. At central electron temperatures, T_eo, of ~ 6 keV, trace concentrations of krypton and xenon (n_z/ne ~ 10-3) generated flat and centrally peaked radiation profiles respectively, and a significant fraction of the input power (45-100\\char'45 ) was lost through radiation. This loss provided a nearly ideal technique for studying local heat transport in tokamaks because it perturbed the net heating profile strongly and in a measureable way, with little effect on the density and the beam deposition profiles. In supershot plasmas, Ti >> T_e, the ion temperature profile remained constant, or even increased modestly, as the radiated power fraction was increased to 75-90\\char'45 with krypton and xenon. This observation is surprising because ion-electron coupling is the dominant power loss term for the ions in the core of supershot plasmas, and the central Ti would have decreased a factor of two if the local ion thermal diffusivity had remained constant at its value without impurity puffing. In L-mode plasmas where ion-electron power coupling is a smaller term in the power balance, the electron temperature during impurity puffing also changed only ~ 10-15\\char'45 even as the net power flow through the electrons was decreased by a factor of ~ 3. The ``stiffness" of the temperature profiles to net input power is supportive of transport mechanisms which have a marginal-stability character. Preliminary comparisons of the temperature changes with predictions of the IFS/PPPL transport model

Identifying factors which enhance capacity to engage in clinical education among podiatry practitioners: an action research project.

PubMed

Abey, Sally; Lea, Susan; Callaghan, Lynne; Shaw, Steve; Cotton, Debbie

2015-01-01

Health profession students develop practical skills whilst integrating theory with practice in a real world environment as an important component of their training. Research in the area of practice placements has identified challenges and barriers to the delivery of effective placement learning. However, there has been little research in podiatry and the question of which factors impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage with the role remains an under-researched area. This paper presents the second phase of an action research project designed to determine the factors that impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage with the mentorship role. An online survey was developed and podiatry clinical educators recruited through National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. The survey included socio-demographic items, and questions relating to the factors identified as possible variables influencing clinical educator capacity; the latter was assessed using the 'Clinical Educator Capacity to Engage' scale (CECE). Descriptive statistics were used to explore demographic data whilst the relationship between the CECE and socio-demographic factors were examined using inferential statistics in relation to academic profile, career profile and organisation of the placement. The survey response rate was 42 % (n = 66). Multiple linear regression identified four independent variables which explain a significant proportion of the variability of the dependent variable, 'capacity to engage with clinical education', with an adjusted R2 of 0.428. The four variables were: protected mentorship time, clinical educator relationship with university, sign-off responsibility, and volunteer status. The identification of factors that impact upon clinical educators' capacity to engage in mentoring of students has relevance for strategic planning and policy-making with the emphasis upon capacity-building at an individual level, so that the key attitudes and characteristics that are linked

Validating the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ-II) Using Set-ESEM: Identifying Psychosocial Risk Factors in a Sample of School Principals

PubMed Central

Dicke, Theresa; Marsh, Herbert W.; Riley, Philip; Parker, Philip D.; Guo, Jiesi; Horwood, Marcus

2018-01-01

School principals world-wide report high levels of strain and attrition resulting in a shortage of qualified principals. It is thus crucial to identify psychosocial risk factors that reflect principals' occupational wellbeing. For this purpose, we used the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ-II), a widely used self-report measure covering multiple psychosocial factors identified by leading occupational stress theories. We evaluated the COPSOQ-II regarding factor structure and longitudinal, discriminant, and convergent validity using latent structural equation modeling in a large sample of Australian school principals (N = 2,049). Results reveal that confirmatory factor analysis produced marginally acceptable model fit. A novel approach we call set exploratory structural equation modeling (set-ESEM), where cross-loadings were only allowed within a priori defined sets of factors, fit well, and was more parsimonious than a full ESEM. Further multitrait-multimethod models based on the set-ESEM confirm the importance of a principal's psychosocial risk factors; Stressors and depression were related to demands and ill-being, while confidence and autonomy were related to wellbeing. We also show that working in the private sector was beneficial for showing a low psychosocial risk, while other demographics have little effects. Finally, we identify five latent risk profiles (high risk to no risk) of school principals based on all psychosocial factors. Overall the research presented here closes the theory application gap of a strong multi-dimensional measure of psychosocial risk-factors. PMID:29760670

Validating the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ-II) Using Set-ESEM: Identifying Psychosocial Risk Factors in a Sample of School Principals.

PubMed

Dicke, Theresa; Marsh, Herbert W; Riley, Philip; Parker, Philip D; Guo, Jiesi; Horwood, Marcus

2018-01-01

School principals world-wide report high levels of strain and attrition resulting in a shortage of qualified principals. It is thus crucial to identify psychosocial risk factors that reflect principals' occupational wellbeing. For this purpose, we used the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ-II), a widely used self-report measure covering multiple psychosocial factors identified by leading occupational stress theories. We evaluated the COPSOQ-II regarding factor structure and longitudinal, discriminant, and convergent validity using latent structural equation modeling in a large sample of Australian school principals ( N = 2,049). Results reveal that confirmatory factor analysis produced marginally acceptable model fit. A novel approach we call set exploratory structural equation modeling (set-ESEM), where cross-loadings were only allowed within a priori defined sets of factors, fit well, and was more parsimonious than a full ESEM. Further multitrait-multimethod models based on the set-ESEM confirm the importance of a principal's psychosocial risk factors; Stressors and depression were related to demands and ill-being, while confidence and autonomy were related to wellbeing. We also show that working in the private sector was beneficial for showing a low psychosocial risk, while other demographics have little effects. Finally, we identify five latent risk profiles (high risk to no risk) of school principals based on all psychosocial factors. Overall the research presented here closes the theory application gap of a strong multi-dimensional measure of psychosocial risk-factors.

Identifying Military and Combat-Specific Risk Factors for Child Adjustment: Comparing High and Low Risk Military Families and Civilian Families

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

Award Number: W81XWH-12-2-0034 TITLE: Identifying Military and Combat-Specific Risk Factors for Child Adjustment: Comparing High and Low Risk...2. REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 15May2012 - 31Aug2016 Identifying Military and Combat-Specific Risk Factors for Child Adjustment...deployment and has a child between the age of 3 and 7 and comparison groups of civilain single parent families (N=200) and civilian dual parent

Identifying socio-environmental factors that facilitate resilience among Canadian palliative family caregivers: a qualitative case study.

PubMed

Giesbrecht, Melissa; Wolse, Faye; Crooks, Valorie A; Stajduhar, Kelli

2015-06-01

In Canada, friends and family members are becoming increasingly responsible for providing palliative care in the home. This is resulting in some caregivers experiencing high levels of stress and burden that may ultimately surpass their ability to cope. Recent palliative care research has demonstrated the potential for caregiver resilience within such contexts. This research, however, is primarily focused on exploring individual-level factors that contribute to resilience, minimizing the inherent complexity of this concept, and how it is simultaneously influenced by one's social context. Therefore, our study aims to identify socio-environmental factors that contribute to palliative family caregiver resilience in the Canadian homecare context. Drawing on ethnographic fieldnotes and semistructured interviews with family caregivers, care recipients, and homecare nurses, this secondary analysis employs an intersectionality lens and qualitative case study approach to identify socio-environmental factors that facilitate family caregivers' capacity for resilience. Following a case study methodology, two cases are purposely selected for analysis. Findings demonstrate that family caregiver resilience is influenced not only by individual-level factors but also by the social environment, which sets the lived context from which caregiving roles are experienced. Thematic findings of the two case studies revealed six socio-environmental factors that play a role in shaping resilience: access to social networks, education/knowledge/awareness, employment status, housing status, geographic location, and life-course stage. Findings contribute to existing research on caregiver resilience by empirically demonstrating the role of socio-environmental factors in caregiving experiences. Furthermore, utilizing an intersectional approach, these findings build on existing notions that resilience is a multidimensional and complex process influenced by numerous related variables that intersect

Using exploratory regression to identify optimal driving factors for cellular automaton modeling of land use change.

PubMed

Feng, Yongjiu; Tong, Xiaohua

2017-09-22

Defining transition rules is an important issue in cellular automaton (CA)-based land use modeling because these models incorporate highly correlated driving factors. Multicollinearity among correlated driving factors may produce negative effects that must be eliminated from the modeling. Using exploratory regression under pre-defined criteria, we identified all possible combinations of factors from the candidate factors affecting land use change. Three combinations that incorporate five driving factors meeting pre-defined criteria were assessed. With the selected combinations of factors, three logistic regression-based CA models were built to simulate dynamic land use change in Shanghai, China, from 2000 to 2015. For comparative purposes, a CA model with all candidate factors was also applied to simulate the land use change. Simulations using three CA models with multicollinearity eliminated performed better (with accuracy improvements about 3.6%) than the model incorporating all candidate factors. Our results showed that not all candidate factors are necessary for accurate CA modeling and the simulations were not sensitive to changes in statistically non-significant driving factors. We conclude that exploratory regression is an effective method to search for the optimal combinations of driving factors, leading to better land use change models that are devoid of multicollinearity. We suggest identification of dominant factors and elimination of multicollinearity before building land change models, making it possible to simulate more realistic outcomes.

Does the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program pediatric provide actionable quality improvement data for surgical neonates?

PubMed

Bucher, Brian T; Duggan, Eileen M; Grubb, Peter H; France, Daniel J; Lally, Kevin P; Blakely, Martin L

2016-09-01

The purpose of this project was to examine the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric (ACSNSQIP-P) Participant Use File (PUF) to compare risk-adjusted outcomes of neonates versus other pediatric surgical patients. In the ACS-NSQIP-P 2012-2013 PUF, patients were classified as preterm neonate, term neonate, or nonneonate at the time of surgery. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and composite morbidity. Patient characteristics significantly associated with the primary outcomes were used to build a multivariate logistic regression model. The overall 30-day mortality rate for preterm neonates, term neonate, and nonneonates was 4.9%, 2.0%, 0.1%, respectively (p<0.0001). The overall 30-day morbidity rate for preterm neonates, term neonates, and nonneonates was 27.0%, 17.4%, 6.4%, respectively (p<0.0001). After adjustment for preoperative and operative risk factors, both preterm (adjusted odds ratio, 95% CI: 2.0, 1.4-3.0) and term neonates (aOR, 95% CI: 1.9, 1.2-3.1) had a significantly increased odds of 30-day mortality compared to nonneonates. Surgical neonates are a cohort who are particularity susceptible to postoperative morbidity and mortality after adjusting for preoperative and operative risk factors. Collaborative efforts focusing on surgical neonates are needed to understand the unique characteristics of this cohort and identify the areas where the morbidity and mortality can be improved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physical Unclonable Function Hardware Keys Utilizing Kirchhoff-Law Secure Key Exchange and Noise-Based Logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kish, Laszlo B.; Kwan, Chiman

Weak unclonable function (PUF) encryption key means that the manufacturer of the hardware can clone the key but not anybody else. Strong unclonable function (PUF) encryption key means that even the manufacturer of the hardware is unable to clone the key. In this paper, first we introduce an "ultra" strong PUF with intrinsic dynamical randomness, which is not only unclonable but also gets renewed to an independent key (with fresh randomness) during each use via the unconditionally secure key exchange. The solution utilizes the Kirchhoff-law-Johnson-noise (KLJN) method for dynamical key renewal and a one-time-pad secure key for the challenge/response process. The secure key is stored in a flash memory on the chip to provide tamper-resistance and nonvolatile storage with zero power requirements in standby mode. Simplified PUF keys are shown: a strong PUF utilizing KLJN protocol during the first run and noise-based logic (NBL) hyperspace vector string verification method for the challenge/response during the rest of its life or until it is re-initialized. Finally, the simplest PUF utilizes NBL without KLJN thus it can be cloned by the manufacturer but not by anybody else.

Antiadhesive effect of polyurethane foam packing in the guinea pig middle ear.

PubMed

Choi, Cheol Hee; Jang, Chul Ho

2015-02-01

No significant subepithelial healing differences were found between Gelfoam and polyurethane foam (PUF). However, levels of hyperplasia of the mucosal lining and inflammation were lower with PUF packing. PUF packing is not feasible as a middle ear packing material for abraded mucosa. Further studies are required before clinical application. To date, there have been few reports on the antiadhesive effect of PUF as a middle ear packing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antiadhesive effect of PUF soaked with saline in an animal model of mucosal trauma. Bioresorbable PUF soaked with saline was placed over abraded mucosa in the experimental group (n = 7), and compressed Gelfoam soaked with saline was placed in the control group (n = 7). After measurement of auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), the animals were sacrificed 3 weeks after packing placement for histological observation. The ABR results at postoperative week 3 showed no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and post-packing values. An adhesion pattern with subepithelial thickening was observed in the control group. Adhesion was not observed in the experimental group; however, subepithelial fibrous thickening was noted.

Application of acid modified polyurethane foam surface for detection and removing of organochlorine pesticides from wastewater.

PubMed

Moawed, E A; Radwan, A M

2017-02-15

The commercial polyurethane foam was acid modified to get an inexpensive adsorbent (AM-PUF) has highly surface polarity and sorption capacity. The elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis, ultraviolet/visible/infrared spectroscopies and X-ray diffraction were used for characterization of AM-PUF. The surface of AM-PUF has amorphous character (broadband at 2θ, 21.75°) and contains several active sites e.g. NH, OH, CO, CC and COC groups. The electrical conductivity (σ), iodine value and methylene blue index of AM-PUF are 1.7×10 -5 Ω -1 m -1 , 208mg/g and 107mg/g. The AM-PUF has a high efficiency for completely removing (99-100%) of Aldrin, DDT, Endrin, Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide and Lindane pesticides in both acidic and alkaline solutions. The removing rates of the organochlorine pesticides from wastewater are very rapid (t 1/2 =22s). The negative value of ΔG (-10.9kJ/mol) for removing of OCPs using AM-PUF showed that the feasibility of the removing process and its spontaneous nature. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

IDENTIFYING ELEVEN FACTORS OF SERVICE MARKETING MIX (4PS) EFFECTIVE ON TENDENCY OF PATIENTS TOWARD PRIVATE HOSPITAL.

PubMed

Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba; Etesaminia, Samira; Jafari, Mehrnoosh

2016-10-01

One of the important factors of correct management is to identify the reasons for patient tendency toward private hospitals. This study measures these factors based on service marketing mixes. This study used a cross sectional descriptive methodology. The study was conducted during 6 months in 2015. The studied population included patients of private hospitals in Tehran. Random sampling was used (n = 200). Data was collected by an author-made questionnaire for service marketing factors. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were confirmed. Data analysis was done using factor analysis test in SPSS 20. The results showed that constant attendance of physicians and nurses has the highest effect (0.707%) on patient tendency toward private hospitals.

Bacterial virulence phenotypes of Escherichia coli and host susceptibility determines risk for urinary tract infections

PubMed Central

Schreiber, Henry L.; Conover, Matt S.; Chou, Wen-Chi; Hibbing, Michael E.; Manson, Abigail L.; Dodson, Karen W.; Hannan, Thomas J.; Roberts, Pacita L.; Stapleton, Ann E.; Hooton, Thomas M.; Livny, Jonathan; Earl, Ashlee M.; Hultgren, Scott J.

2017-01-01

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains. In contrast to many enteric E. coli pathogroups, no genetic signature has been identified for UPEC strains. We conducted a high-resolution comparative genomic study using E. coli isolates collected from the urine of women suffering from frequent recurrent UTIs. These isolates were genetically diverse and varied in urovirulence, or the ability to infect the bladder of a mouse model of cystitis. Importantly, we found no set of genes, including previously defined putative urovirulence factors (PUFs), that were predictive of urovirulence. In addition, in some patients, the E. coli strain causing a recurrent UTI had fewer PUFs than the supplanted strain. In competitive experimental infections in mice, the supplanting strain was more efficient at colonizing the mouse bladder than the supplanted strain. Despite the lack of a clear genomic signature for urovirulence, comparative transcriptomic and phenotypic analyses revealed that the expression of key conserved functions during culture, such as motility and sugar metabolism, could be used to predict subsequent mouse bladder colonization. Taken together, our findings suggest that UTI risk and outcome may be determined by complex interactions between host susceptibility and the urovirulence potential of diverse bacterial strains. PMID:28330863

Deterrence of device counterfeiting, cloning, and subversion by substitution using hardware fingerprinting

DOEpatents

Hamlet, Jason R; Bauer, Todd M; Pierson, Lyndon G

2014-09-30

Deterrence of device subversion by substitution may be achieved by including a cryptographic fingerprint unit within a computing device for authenticating a hardware platform of the computing device. The cryptographic fingerprint unit includes a physically unclonable function ("PUF") circuit disposed in or on the hardware platform. The PUF circuit is used to generate a PUF value. A key generator is coupled to generate a private key and a public key based on the PUF value while a decryptor is coupled to receive an authentication challenge posed to the computing device and encrypted with the public key and coupled to output a response to the authentication challenge decrypted with the private key.

Identifying Military and Combat Specific Risk Factors for Child Adjustment: Comparing High and Low Risk Military Families and Civilian Families

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

Award Number: W81XWH-12-2-0034 TITLE: Identifying Military and Combat-Specific Risk Factors for Child Adjustment: Comparing High and Low Risk...2. REPORT TYPE Annual 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 15 May - 2013 - 14 May 2014. Identifying Military and Combat-Specific Risk Factors for Child ...parents (N=200) whose spouse/partner is currently in a “low perceived risk” deployment and has a child between the age of 3 and 7 and comparison

Identifying work ability promoting factors for home care aides and assistant nurses.

PubMed

Larsson, Agneta; Karlqvist, Lena; Westerberg, Mats; Gard, Gunvor

2012-01-11

In workplace health promotion, all potential resources needs to be taken into consideration, not only factors relating to the absence of injury and the physical health of the workers, but also psychological aspects. A dynamic balance between the resources of the individual employees and the demands of work is an important prerequisite. In the home care services, there is a noticeable trend towards increased psychosocial strain on employees at work. There are a high frequency of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, and a low prevalence of sustainable work ability. The aim of this research was to identify factors promoting work ability and self-efficacy in care aides and assistant nurses within home care services. This study is based on cross-sectional data collected in a municipality in northern Sweden. Care aides (n = 58) and assistant nurses (n = 79) replied to a self-administered questionnaire (response rate 46%). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of several independent variables on self-efficacy (model 1) and work ability (model 2) for care aides and assistant nurses separately. Perceptions of personal safety, self-efficacy and musculoskeletal wellbeing contributed to work ability for assistant nurses (R2adj of 0.36, p < 0.001), while for care aides, the safety climate, seniority and age contributed to work ability (R2adj of 0.29, p = 0.001). Self-efficacy was associated with the safety climate and the physical demands of the job in both professions (R2adj of 0.24, p = 0.003 for care aides), and also by sex and age for the assistant nurses (R2adj of 0.31, p < 0.001). The intermediate factors contributed differently to work ability in the two professions. Self-efficacy, personal safety and musculoskeletal wellbeing were important for the assistant nurses, while the work ability of the care aides was associated with the safety climate, but also with the non-changeable factors age and seniority. All

Identifying work ability promoting factors for home care aides and assistant nurses

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In workplace health promotion, all potential resources needs to be taken into consideration, not only factors relating to the absence of injury and the physical health of the workers, but also psychological aspects. A dynamic balance between the resources of the individual employees and the demands of work is an important prerequisite. In the home care services, there is a noticeable trend towards increased psychosocial strain on employees at work. There are a high frequency of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, and a low prevalence of sustainable work ability. The aim of this research was to identify factors promoting work ability and self-efficacy in care aides and assistant nurses within home care services. Methods This study is based on cross-sectional data collected in a municipality in northern Sweden. Care aides (n = 58) and assistant nurses (n = 79) replied to a self-administered questionnaire (response rate 46%). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of several independent variables on self-efficacy (model 1) and work ability (model 2) for care aides and assistant nurses separately. Results Perceptions of personal safety, self-efficacy and musculoskeletal wellbeing contributed to work ability for assistant nurses (R2adj of 0.36, p < 0.001), while for care aides, the safety climate, seniority and age contributed to work ability (R2adj of 0.29, p = 0.001). Self-efficacy was associated with the safety climate and the physical demands of the job in both professions (R2adj of 0.24, p = 0.003 for care aides), and also by sex and age for the assistant nurses (R2adj of 0.31, p < 0.001). Conclusions The intermediate factors contributed differently to work ability in the two professions. Self-efficacy, personal safety and musculoskeletal wellbeing were important for the assistant nurses, while the work ability of the care aides was associated with the safety climate, but also with the non

Relating genes to function: identifying enriched transcription factors using the ENCODE ChIP-Seq significance tool.

PubMed

Auerbach, Raymond K; Chen, Bin; Butte, Atul J

2013-08-01

Biological analysis has shifted from identifying genes and transcripts to mapping these genes and transcripts to biological functions. The ENCODE Project has generated hundreds of ChIP-Seq experiments spanning multiple transcription factors and cell lines for public use, but tools for a biomedical scientist to analyze these data are either non-existent or tailored to narrow biological questions. We present the ENCODE ChIP-Seq Significance Tool, a flexible web application leveraging public ENCODE data to identify enriched transcription factors in a gene or transcript list for comparative analyses. The ENCODE ChIP-Seq Significance Tool is written in JavaScript on the client side and has been tested on Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox browsers. Server-side scripts are written in PHP and leverage R and a MySQL database. The tool is available at http://encodeqt.stanford.edu. abutte@stanford.edu Supplementary material is available at Bioinformatics online.

Preparation and characterization of new biologically active polyurethane foams.

PubMed

Savelyev, Yuri; Veselov, Vitali; Markovskaya, Ludmila; Savelyeva, Olga; Akhranovich, Elena; Galatenko, Natalya; Robota, Ludmila; Travinskaya, Tamara

2014-12-01

Biologically active polyurethane foams are the fast-developed alternative to many applications of biomedical materials. Due to the polyurethane structure features and foam technology it is possible to incorporate into their structure the biologically active compounds of target purpose via structural-chemical modification of macromolecule. A series of new biologically active polyurethane foams (PUFs) was synthesized with polyethers (MM 2500-5000), polyesters MM (500-2200), 2,4(2,6) toluene diisocyanate, water as a foaming agent, catalysts, foam stabilizers and functional compounds. Different functional compounds: 1,4-di-N-oxy-2,3-bis-(oxymethyl)-quinoxaline (DOMQ), partial sodium salt of poly(acrylic acid) and 2,6-dimethyl-N,N-diethyl aminoacetatanilide hydrochloride were incorporated into the polymer structure/composition due to the chemical and/or physical bonding. Structural peculiarities of PUFs were studied by FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray scattering. Self-adhesion properties of PUFs were estimated by measuring of tensile strength at break of adhesive junction. The optical microscopy method was performed for the PUF morphology studies. Toxicological estimation of the PUFs was carried out in vitro and in vivo. The antibacterial action towards the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATC 25922, E. coli ATC 2150, Klebsiella pneumoniae 6447, Staphylococcus aureus 180, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 8180, Proteus mirabilis F 403, P. mirabilis 6054, and Proteus vulgaris 8718) was studied by the disc method on the solid nutrient. Physic-chemical properties of the PUFs (density, tensile strength and elongation at break, water absorption and vapor permeability) showed that all studied PUFs are within the operational requirements for such materials and represent fine-cellular foams. Spectral studies confirmed the incorporation of DOMQ into the PUF's macrochain. PUFs are characterized by microheterogeneous structure. They are antibacterially active, non

[Facilitating the diagnosis of depression and burnout by identifying demographic and work-related risk and protective factors among nurses].

PubMed

Ádám, Szilvia; Nistor, Anikó; Nistor, Katalin; Cserháti, Zoltán; Mészáros, Veronika

2015-08-09

Depression and burnout are frequent comorbidities among nurses. Despite similar symptoms, their management differ. Therefore, their timely diagnosis is essential. To identify demographic and work-related risk and protective factors of burnout and depression, and facilitate their diagnosis. A cross-sectional study among 1,713 nurses was carried out. Depression and burnout were assessed by the shortened Beck Depression Questionnaire and Maclach Burnout Inventory, respectively. Risk and protective factors were explored using t-tests and analysis of variance. The prevalence of depression and moderate-to-high burnout was 35.1% and 34-74%, respectively. Having a partner/child and longer employment in the outpatient setting protected from burnout. Lack of a partner and male sex emerged as risk factors of depression and depersonalisation, respectively. High prevalence of depression and burnout among nurses poses a significant public health issue. Familiarity with the disease-specific risk and protective factors identified in this research may facilitate timely diagnosis and effective disease management.

Prevalence of HIV in pregnant women identified with a risk factor at a tertiary care hospital.

PubMed

Mahmud, Ghazala; Abbas, Shazra

2009-01-01

HIV is an epidemic quite unlike any other, combining the problems of a lifelong medical disease with immense social, psychological, economic and public health consequences. Since we are living in a global village where human interactions has become fast and frequent, diseases like HIV are no more alien to us. HIV/AIDS in Pakistan is slowly gaining recognition as a public health issue of great importance. Objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of HIV in pregnant women identified with a high risk factor/behaviour at a tertiary care hospital. It is a Descriptive study. All pregnant women attending antenatal booking clinic were assessed via a pre-designed 'Risk assessment questionnaire'. Women identified with a risk factor were offered HIV Rapid screening test (Capillus HIV1/2). Positive (reactive) results on screening test were confirmed with ELISA. During the study period (March 2007-May 2008), out of 5263 antenatal bookings 785 (14%) women were identified with a risk factor. HIV screening test was done in 779 (99%), and 6 women refused testing. Three women (0.3%) were found positive (reactive) on screening. Two out of 3 women were confirmed positive (0.2%) on ELISA. Husbands of both women were tested and one found positive (migrant from Dubai). Second women had history of blood transfusion. Her husband was HIV negative. During the study period, in addition to 2 pregnant women diagnosed as HIV positive through ANC risk screening, 6 confirmed HIV positive women, found pregnant were referred from 'HIV Treatment Centre', Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) centre for obstetric care. Spouses of 5 out of 6 had history of working abroad and extramarital sexual relationships. All positive (8) women were referred to PPTCT centre for further management. A simple 'Risk Assessment Questionnaire' can help us in identifying women who need HIV screening. Sexual transmission still remains the

Handgrip Strength Cutoff Points to Identify Mobility Limitation in Community-dwelling Older People and Associated Factors.

PubMed

Vasconcelos, K S de Souza; Dias, J M Domingues; Bastone, A de Carvalho; Vieira, R Alvarenga; Andrade, A C de Souza; Perracini, M Rodrigues; Guerra, R Oliveira; Dias, R Corrêa

2016-03-01

Sarcopenia is defined as a progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. The specific threshold of muscle weakness that leads to mobility limitations has not been identified. To determine the best cutoff point of handgrip strength for identifying mobility limitation and to investigate the factors associated with muscle weakness and mobility limitation in community-dwelling older people. Transversal study. Cities of Belo Horizonte, Barueri and Santa Cruz in Brazil. 1374 community-dwelling older people from the Frailty study in Brazilian older people (FIBRA Study). Outcomes included muscle weakness determined according to gender-specific handgrip strength cutoff points generated by Receiver Operating Characteristic curves, mobility limitation defined as a gait speed ≤ 0.8 m/s; and a combination of both muscle weakness and mobility limitation. Associated factors included socio-demographic variables, lifestyle, anthropometrics, health conditions, use of health services and disability. The cutoff points of handgrip strength with the best balancing between sensitivity and specificity for mobility limitation were 25.8 kgf for men (sensitivity 69%, specificity 73%) and 17.4 kgf (sensitivity 60%, specificity 66%) for women. Age and disability in instrumental activities of daily living were associated with all outcomes. Women had greater odds of mobility limitation than men. Physical inactivity, body fat, diabetes, depression, sleeping disturbances, number of medications and occurrence of falls remained as significant associated factors in the final model. Handgrip strength can be a useful tool to identify mobility limitation in clinical practice. Interventions to prevent or minimize impacts of sarcopenia should stimulate physical activity and improvement of body composition in addition to the management of chronic diseases and disabilities.

A Path Analysis to Identify the Psychosocial Factors Influencing Physical Activity and Bone Health in Middle-School Girls

PubMed Central

Sharma, Shreela V.; Hoelscher, Deanna M.; Kelder, Steven H.; Diamond, Pamela M.; Day, R. Sue; Hergenroeder, Albert C.

2011-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to identify pathways used by psychosocial factors to influence physical activity and bone health in middle-school girls. Methods Baseline data from the Incorporating More Physical Activity and Calcium in Teens (IMPACT) study collected in 2001 to 2003 were used. IMPACT was a 1 1/2 years nutrition and physical activity intervention study designed to improve bone density in 717 middle-school girls in Texas. Structural Equations Modeling was used to examine the interrelationships and identify the direct and indirect pathways used by various psychosocial and environmental factors to influence physical activity and bone health. Results Results show that physical activity self-efficacy and social support (friend, family engagement, and encouragement in physical activity) had a significant direct and indirect influence on physical activity with participation in sports teams as the mediator. Participation in sports teams had a direct effect on both physical activity (β= 0.20, P < .05) and bone health and (β=0.13, P < .05). Conclusion The current study identified several direct and indirect pathways that psychosocial factors use to influence physical activity and bone health among adolescent girls. These findings are critical for the development of effective interventions for promoting bone health in this population. PMID:19953837

Identifying Frailty Levels and Associated Factors in a Population Living in the Context of Poverty and Social Vulnerability.

PubMed

Zazzetta, M S; Gomes, G A O; Orlandi, F S; Gratão, A C M; Vasilceac, F A; Gramani-Say, K; Ponti, M A; Castro, P C; Pavarini, S C I; Menezes, A L C; Nascimento, C M C; Cominetti, M R

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate a vulnerable population living in the context of poverty in a Brazilian municipality, in order to identify the factors that are associated with frailty syndrome in elderly people. From the total population living in the area, a random sample of 363 community-dwelling people, 60 years and older, age and gender-stratified, was selected to participate in the research. After losses, a sample of 304 older adults was classified as non-frail, pre-frail and frail. According to the Fried frailty criteria, the prevalence was 12.2% for non-frail individuals, 60.5% pre-frail and 27.3% frail. The main factors associated with frailty in the studied sample were low level of physical activity (OR: 5.2, 95%CI: 2.5-11.0), the occurrence of two or more falls within 12 months (OR: 3.1, 95%CI: 1.4-7.1), mobility deficits (OR: 3.0, 95%CI: 1.5-5.8), and depressive symptoms (OR: 1.9, 95%CI: 1.1-3.7). This study identified the most important factors that must be evaluated to identify frailty syndrome in a socially vulnerable population in the context of poverty. The data should help to encourage effective strategies concerning public health policies for this population.

A path analysis to identify the psychosocial factors influencing physical activity and bone health in middle-school girls.

PubMed

Sharma, Shreela V; Hoelscher, Deanna M; Kelder, Steven H; Diamond, Pamela M; Day, R Sue; Hergenroeder, Albert C

2009-09-01

The purpose of this study was to identify pathways used by psychosocial factors to influence physical activity and bone health in middle-school girls. Baseline data from the Incorporating More Physical Activity and Calcium in Teens (IMPACT) study collected in 2001 to 2003 were used. IMPACT was a 1 1/2 years nutrition and physical activity intervention study designed to improve bone density in 717 middle-school girls in Texas. Structural Equations Modeling was used to examine the interrelationships and identify the direct and indirect pathways used by various psychosocial and environmental factors to influence physical activity and bone health. Results show that physical activity self-efficacy and social support (friend, family engagement, and encouragement in physical activity) had a significant direct and indirect influence on physical activity with participation in sports teams as the mediator. Participation in sports teams had a direct effect on both physical activity (beta = 0.20, P < .05) and bone health and (beta = 0.13, P < .05). The current study identified several direct and indirect pathways that psychosocial factors use to influence physical activity and bone health among adolescent girls. These findings are critical for the development of effective interventions for promoting bone health in this population.

Genome-wide strategies identify downstream target genes of chick connective tissue-associated transcription factors.

PubMed

Orgeur, Mickael; Martens, Marvin; Leonte, Georgeta; Nassari, Sonya; Bonnin, Marie-Ange; Börno, Stefan T; Timmermann, Bernd; Hecht, Jochen; Duprez, Delphine; Stricker, Sigmar

2018-03-29

Connective tissues support organs and play crucial roles in development, homeostasis and fibrosis, yet our understanding of their formation is still limited. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of connective tissue specification, we selected five zinc-finger transcription factors - OSR1, OSR2, EGR1, KLF2 and KLF4 - based on their expression patterns and/or known involvement in connective tissue subtype differentiation. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq profiling of chick limb micromass cultures revealed a set of common genes regulated by all five transcription factors, which we describe as a connective tissue core expression set. This common core was enriched with genes associated with axon guidance and myofibroblast signature, including fibrosis-related genes. In addition, each transcription factor regulated a specific set of signalling molecules and extracellular matrix components. This suggests a concept whereby local molecular niches can be created by the expression of specific transcription factors impinging on the specification of local microenvironments. The regulatory network established here identifies common and distinct molecular signatures of limb connective tissue subtypes, provides novel insight into the signalling pathways governing connective tissue specification, and serves as a resource for connective tissue development. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Identifying Risk Factors for Drug Use in an Iranian Treatment Sample: A Prediction Approach Using Decision Trees.

PubMed

Amirabadizadeh, Alireza; Nezami, Hossein; Vaughn, Michael G; Nakhaee, Samaneh; Mehrpour, Omid

2018-05-12

Substance abuse exacts considerable social and health care burdens throughout the world. The aim of this study was to create a prediction model to better identify risk factors for drug use. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in South Khorasan Province, Iran. Of the total of 678 eligible subjects, 70% (n: 474) were randomly selected to provide a training set for constructing decision tree and multiple logistic regression (MLR) models. The remaining 30% (n: 204) were employed in a holdout sample to test the performance of the decision tree and MLR models. Predictive performance of different models was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve using the testing set. Independent variables were selected from demographic characteristics and history of drug use. For the decision tree model, the sensitivity and specificity for identifying people at risk for drug abuse were 66% and 75%, respectively, while the MLR model was somewhat less effective at 60% and 73%. Key independent variables in the analyses included first substance experience, age at first drug use, age, place of residence, history of cigarette use, and occupational and marital status. While study findings are exploratory and lack generalizability they do suggest that the decision tree model holds promise as an effective classification approach for identifying risk factors for drug use. Convergent with prior research in Western contexts is that age of drug use initiation was a critical factor predicting a substance use disorder.

IDENTIFYING ELEVEN FACTORS OF SERVICE MARKETING MIX (4PS) EFFECTIVE ON TENDENCY OF PATIENTS TOWARD PRIVATE HOSPITAL

PubMed Central

Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba; Etesaminia, Samira; Jafari, Mehrnoosh

2016-01-01

Introduction: One of the important factors of correct management is to identify the reasons for patient tendency toward private hospitals. This study measures these factors based on service marketing mixes. Patients and methods: This study used a cross sectional descriptive methodology. The study was conducted during 6 months in 2015. The studied population included patients of private hospitals in Tehran. Random sampling was used (n = 200). Data was collected by an author-made questionnaire for service marketing factors. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were confirmed. Data analysis was done using factor analysis test in SPSS 20. Results: The results showed that constant attendance of physicians and nurses has the highest effect (0.707%) on patient tendency toward private hospitals. PMID:27999486

Pilot Critical Incident Reports as a Means to Identify Human Factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Cardoza, Colleen; Null, Cynthia

2016-01-01

It has been estimated that aviation accidents are typically preceded by numerous minor incidents arising from the same causal factors that ultimately produced the accident. Accident databases provide in-depth information on a relatively small number of occurrences, however incident databases have the potential to provide insights into the human factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations based on a larger volume of less-detailed reports. Currently, there is a lack of incident data dealing with the human factors of unmanned aircraft systems. An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from RPAS pilots. Twenty-three experienced RPAS pilots volunteered to participate in focus groups in which they described critical incidents from their own experience. Participants were asked to recall (1) incidents that revealed a system flaw, or (2) highlighted a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. Participants were asked to only report incidents that could be included in a public document. During each focus group session, a note taker produced a de-identified written record of the incident narratives. At the end of the session, participants reviewed each written incident report, and made edits and corrections as necessary. The incidents were later analyzed to identify contributing factors, with a focus on design issues that either hindered or assisted the pilot during the events. A total of 90 incidents were reported. Human factor issues included the impact of reduced sensory cues, traffic separation in the absence of an out-the-window view, control latencies, vigilance during monotonous and ultra-long endurance flights, control station design considerations, transfer of control between control stations, the management of lost link procedures, and decision-making during emergencies. Pilots participated willingly and enthusiastically in the study

Application of positive matrix factorization to identify potential sources of PAHs in soil of Dalian, China.

PubMed

Wang, Degao; Tian, Fulin; Yang, Meng; Liu, Chenlin; Li, Yi-Fan

2009-05-01

Soil derived sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the region of Dalian, China were investigated using positive matrix factorization (PMF). Three factors were separated based on PMF for the statistical investigation of the datasets both in summer and winter. These factors were dominated by the pattern of single sources or groups of similar sources, showing seasonal and regional variations. The main sources of PAHs in Dalian soil in summer were the emissions from coal combustion average (46%), diesel engine (30%), and gasoline engine (24%). In winter, the main sources were the emissions from coal-fired boiler (72%), traffic average (20%), and gasoline engine (8%). These factors with strong seasonality indicated that coal combustion in winter and traffic exhaust in summer dominated the sources of PAHs in soil. These results suggested that PMF model was a proper approach to identify the sources of PAHs in soil.

Optimization of HTST process parameters for production of ready-to-eat potato-soy snack.

PubMed

Nath, A; Chattopadhyay, P K; Majumdar, G C

2012-08-01

Ready-to-eat (RTE) potato-soy snacks were developed using high temperature short time (HTST) air puffing process and the process was found to be very useful for production of highly porous and light texture snack. The process parameters considered viz. puffing temperature (185-255 °C) and puffing time (20-60 s) with constant initial moisture content of 36.74% and air velocity of 3.99 m.s(-1) for potato-soy blend with varying soy flour content from 5% to 25% were investigated using response surface methodology following central composite rotatable design (CCRD). The optimum product in terms of minimum moisture content (11.03% db), maximum expansion ratio (3.71), minimum hardness (2,749.4 g), minimum ascorbic acid loss (9.24% db) and maximum overall acceptability (7.35) were obtained with 10.0% soy flour blend in potato flour at the process conditions of puffing temperature (231.0 °C) and puffing time (25.0 s).

Application of polyurethane foam as a sorbent for trace metal pre-concentration — A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemos, V. A.; Santos, M. S.; Santos, E. S.; Santos, M. J. S.; dos Santos, W. N. L.; Souza, A. S.; de Jesus, D. S.; das Virgens, C. F.; Carvalho, M. S.; Oleszczuk, N.; Vale, M. G. R.; Welz, B.; Ferreira, S. L. C.

2007-01-01

The first publication on the use of polyurethane foam (PUF) for sorption processes dates back to 1970, and soon after the material was applied for separation processes. The application of PUF as a sorbent for solid phase extraction of inorganic analytes for separation and pre-concentration purposes is reviewed. The physical and chemical characteristics of PUF (polyether and polyester type) are discussed and an introduction to the characterization of these sorption processes using different types of isotherms is given. Separation and pre-concentration methods using unloaded and loaded PUF in batch and on-line procedures with continuous flow and flow injection systems are presented. Methods for the direct solid sampling analysis of the PUF after pre-concentration are discussed as well as approaches for speciation analysis. Thermodynamic proprieties of some extraction processes are evaluated and the interpretation of determined parameters, such as enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy in light of the physico-chemical processes is explained.

Physical Therapists' Ability to Identify Psychological Factors and Their Self-Reported Competence to Manage Chronic Low Back Pain.

PubMed

Brunner, Emanuel; Dankaerts, Wim; Meichtry, André; O'Sullivan, Kieran; Probst, Michel

2018-06-01

In the management of chronic low back pain (LBP), identifying and managing more patients who are at high risk and who have psychological barriers to recovery is important yet difficult. The objective of this study was to test physical therapists' ability to allocate patients into risk stratification groups, test correlations between therapists' assessments of psychological factors and patient questionnaires, and explore relationships between psychological factors and therapists' self-reported competence to manage patients with chronic LBP. This was a pragmatic, observational study. Patients completed the STarT Back Tool (SBT, for risk stratification), the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (distress, depression, anxiety), and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (kinesiophobia) prior to the intake session. After this session, physical therapists estimated patient prognostic risk using the 3 SBT categories and rated patient psychological factors using a 0-to-10 scale. Finally, therapists reported their self-reported competence to manage the patient. Intraclass and Spearman rank correlations tested correlations between therapists' intuitive assessments and patient questionnaires. A linear-mixed model explored relationships between psychological factors and therapists' self-reported competence. Forty-nine patients were managed by 20 therapists. Therapists accurately estimated SBT risk allocation in only 41% of patients. Correlations between therapist perceptions and patient questionnaires were moderate for distress (r = 0.602) and fair for depression (r = 0.304) and anxiety (r = 0.327). There was no correlation for kinesiophobia (r = -0.007). Patient distress was identified as a negative predictor of therapists' self-reported competence. This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in only 1 center. Physical therapists were not very accurate at allocating patients into risk stratification groups or identifying psychological factors. Therapists' self

A Genome-wide Regulatory Network Identifies Key Transcription Factors for Memory CD8+ T Cell Development

PubMed Central

Hu, Guangan; Chen, Jianzhu

2014-01-01

Memory CD8+ T cell development is defined by the expression of a specific set of memory signature genes (MSGs). Despite recent progress, many components of the transcriptional control of memory CD8+ T cell development are still unknown. To identify transcription factors (TFs) and their interactions in memory CD8+ T cell development, we construct a genome-wide regulatory network and apply it to identify key TFs that regulate MSGs. Most of the known TFs in memory CD8+ T cell development are rediscovered and about a dozen new TFs are also identified. Sox4, Bhlhe40, Bach2 and Runx2 are experimentally verified and Bach2 is further shown to promote both development and recall proliferation of memory CD8+ T cells through Prdm1 and Id3. Gene perturbation study identifies the mode of interactions among the TFs with Sox4 as a hub. The identified TFs and insights into their interactions should facilitate further dissection of molecular mechanisms underlying memory CD8+ T cell development. PMID:24335726

Hardware device binding and mutual authentication

DOEpatents

Hamlet, Jason R; Pierson, Lyndon G

2014-03-04

Detection and deterrence of device tampering and subversion by substitution may be achieved by including a cryptographic unit within a computing device for binding multiple hardware devices and mutually authenticating the devices. The cryptographic unit includes a physically unclonable function ("PUF") circuit disposed in or on the hardware device, which generates a binding PUF value. The cryptographic unit uses the binding PUF value during an enrollment phase and subsequent authentication phases. During a subsequent authentication phase, the cryptographic unit uses the binding PUF values of the multiple hardware devices to generate a challenge to send to the other device, and to verify a challenge received from the other device to mutually authenticate the hardware devices.

Restricted Authentication and Encryption for Cyber-physical Systems

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

Kirkpatrick, Michael S; Bertino, Elisa; Sheldon, Frederick T

2009-01-01

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are characterized by the close linkage of computational resources and physical devices. These systems can be deployed in a number of critical infrastructure settings. As a result, the security requirements of CPS are different than traditional computing architectures. For example, critical functions must be identified and isolated from interference by other functions. Similarly, lightweight schemes may be required, as CPS can include devices with limited computing power. One approach that offers promise for CPS security is the use of lightweight, hardware-based authentication. Specifically, we consider the use of Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) to bind an access requestmore » to specific hardware with device-specific keys. PUFs are implemented in hardware, such as SRAM, and can be used to uniquely identify the device. This technology could be used in CPS to ensure location-based access control and encryption, both of which would be desirable for CPS implementations.« less

Using clinical vignettes to assess doctors' and medical students' ability to identify sociocultural factors affecting health and health care.

PubMed

Hudelson, Patricia; Perron, N Junod; Perneger, Thomas

2011-01-01

Methods are needed for assessing clinicians' cultural knowledge frameworks. We used a mail survey containing four short clinical vignettes to explore respondents' ability to identify sociocultural factors affecting health and health care. Participants included 299 physicians working at the University Hospitals of Geneva, 156 private physicians, and all 134 local medical students in their clinical years. Twenty-one sociocultural "domains" were identified through inductive coding of responses. For each vignette, we obtained the sum of codes as a measure of the respondent's awareness of sociocultural factors that might affect care in this particular situation. As internal consistency was reasonably high (0.68), we computed a single total score as the sum of responses given to all four vignettes. Reponses correlated with factors that might be expected to impact clinicians' awareness of sociocultural factors affecting care. Medical students, females, respondents who had received cultural competence training, those with greater interest in caring for immigrant patients, and those with high self-assessed skills at exploring psychosocial and migration-related issues scored higher on the vignettes. Brief clinical vignettes appear to be a relevant and feasible method for exploring physicians' knowledge of social and cultural factors affecting health and health care.

Anterior cruciate ligament injury: Identifying information sources and risk factor awareness among the general population.

PubMed

Nagano, Yasuharu; Yako-Suketomo, Hiroko; Natsui, Hiroaki

2018-01-01

Raising awareness on a disorder is important for its prevention and for promoting public health. However, for sports injuries like the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury no studies have investigated the awareness on risk factors for injury and possible preventative measures in the general population. The sources of information among the population are also unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify these aspects of public awareness about the ACL injury. A questionnaire was randomly distributed among the general population registered with a web based questionnaire supplier, to recruit 900 participants who were aware about the ACL injury. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: Question 1 asked them about their sources of information regarding the ACL injury; Question 2 asked them about the risk factors for ACL injury. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the information sources that provide a good understanding of the risk factors. The leading source of information for ACL injury was television (57.0%). However, the results of logistic regression analysis revealed that television was not an effective medium to create awareness about the risk factors, among the general population. Instead "Lecture by a coach", "Classroom session on Health", and "Newspaper" were significantly more effective in creating a good awareness of the risk factors (p < 0.001).

Identifying Consistent and Coherent Dimensions of Nursing Home Quality: Exploratory Factor Analysis of Quality Indicators.

PubMed

Xu, Dongjuan; Kane, Robert L; Shippee, Tetyana; Lewis, Teresa M

2016-12-01

There is a general belief that the markers of nursing home quality do not aggregate easily. Identifying consistent and coherent dimensions of quality that usefully summarize the multiplicity of nursing home quality measures is an important goal. It would simplify interpretation and help consumers, their families and advocates to choose nursing facilities. This study uses quality indicators (QIs) from a state nursing home report card to explore the dimensionality of quality in nursing homes and to determine whether aggregation at the resident versus facility level yields the same underlying dimensions. Cross-sectional study. 382 Medicare- and/or Medicaid-certified nursing homes in Minnesota. Residents admitted to the nursing homes during 2011-2012. 16 QIs obtained from the Minimum Data Set 3.0 assessment instrument between 2011 and 2012 were used in the exploratory factor analysis. Factor analysis results suggest four main factors or dimensions to characterize facility performance: continence care (including 4 QIs), restraints and behavioral symptoms (including 3 QIs), care for specific conditions (including 6 QIs), and physical functioning (including 3 QIs). The resident-level and facility-level results generally agreed for 11 QIs. Nursing home quality of care can be captured in summary measures, which can be used by consumers, providers and researchers. Reporting at the resident or facility level will depend on the purpose. These summary measures can be used by policy-makers to identify and reward high-performing facilities and by families to choose nursing facilities for care. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

Effect of CNT as a Nucleating Agent on Cell Morphology and Thermal Insulation Property of the Rigid Polyurethane Foams.

PubMed

Ahn, WonSool; Lee, Joon-Man

2015-11-01

The effects of MWCNT on the cell sizes, cell uniformities, thermal conductivities, bulk densities, foaming kinetics, and compressive mechanical properties of the rigid PUFs were investigated. To obtain the better uniform dispersed state of MWCNT, grease-type master batch of MWCNT/surfactant was prepared by three-roll mill. Average cell size of the PUF samples decreased from 185.1 for the neat PUF to 162.9 μm for the sample of 0.01 phr of MWCNT concentration. Cell uniformity was also enhanced showing the standard cell-size deviation of 61.7 and 35.2, respectively. While the thermal conductivity of the neat PUF was 0.0222 W/m(o)K, that of the sample with 0.01 phr of MWCNT showed 0.0204 W/m(o)K, resulting 8.2% reduction of the thermal conductivity. Bulk density of the PUF samples was observed as nearly the same values as 30.0 ± 1.0 g/cm3 regardless of MWCNT. Temperature profiles during foaming process showed that an indirect indication of the nucleation effect of MWCNT for the PUF foaming system, showing faster and higher temperature rising with time. The compressive yield stress is nearly the same as 0.030 x 10(5) Pa regardless of MWCNT.

Magnetically-tunable rebound property for variable elastic devices made of magnetic elastomer and polyurethane foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oguro, Tsubasa; Endo, Hiroyuki; Kawai, Mika; Mitsumata, Tetsu

2017-12-01

A device consisting of a phase of magnetic elastomer, a phase of polyurethane foam (PUF), and permanent magnet was fabricated and the stress-strain curves for the two-phase magnetic elastomer were measured by a uniaxial compression measurement. A disk of magnetic elastomer was adhered on a disk of PUF by an adhesive agent. The PUF thickness was varied from 1 mm to 5 mm while the thickness of magnetic elastomers was constant at 5 mm. The stress at a strain of 0.15 for the two-phase magnetic elastomers was evaluated in the absence and in the presence of a magnetic field of 410 mT. The stress at 0 mT decreased remarkably with the PUF thickness due to the deformation of the PUF phase. On the other hand, the stress at 410 mT slightly decreased with the thickness; however, it kept high values even at high thickness. When the PUF thickness was 5 mm, the maximum stress increment with 45 times to the off-field stress was observed. An experiment using ping-pong balls demonstrated that the coefficient of restitution for the two-phase magnetic elastomers can be dramatically altered by the magnetic field.

Identifying Factors Associated with Risk Assessment Competencies of Public Health Emergency Responders.

PubMed

Hao, Jiejing; Ren, Jiaojiao; Wu, Qunhong; Hao, Yanhua; Sun, Hong; Ning, Ning; Ding, Ding

2017-06-04

This study aimed to better understand the current situation of risk assessment and identify the factors associated with competence of emergency responders in public health risk assessment. The participants were selected by a multi-stage, stratified cluster sampling method in Heilongjiang Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The questionnaires that measured their perceptions on risk assessment competences were administered through the face-to-face survey. A final sample of 1889 staff was obtained. Of this sample, 78.6% of respondents rated their own risk assessment competences as "relatively low", contrasting with 21.4% rated as "relatively high". Most of the respondents (62.7%) did not participate in any risk assessment work. Only 13.7% and 42.7% of respondents reported participating in risk assessment training and were familiar with risk assessment tools. There existed statistical significance between risk assessment-related characteristics of respondents and their self-rated competences scores. Financial support from the government and administrative attention were regarded as the important factors contributing to risk assessment competences of CDC responders. Higher attention should be given to risk assessment training and enhancing the availability of surveillance data. Continuous efforts should be made to remove the financial and technical obstacles to improve the competences of risk assessment for public health emergency responders.

Identifying factors that influence pregnancy intentions: evidence from South Africa and Malawi.

PubMed

Evens, Emily; Tolley, Elizabeth; Headley, Jennifer; McCarraher, Donna R; Hartmann, Miriam; Mtimkulu, Vuyelwa T; Manenzhe, Kgahlisho Nozibele; Hamela, Gloria; Zulu, Fatima

2015-01-01

In developing-country settings, pregnancy intentions are often assessed using a series of questions from the Demographic and Health Surveys, yet research conducted in several countries yields conflicting results regarding these questions' ability to predict pregnancy. Conducted in Malawi and South Africa, this study identified individual, partner and societal factors that influence desire for pregnancy, and women's ability to achieve their intentions. Data come from interviews and focus-group discussions conducted prior to the FEM-PrEP HIV-prevention trial with women from communities at high risk of HIV infection. Cultural norms regarding contraceptive use and childbearing influenced both women's desire for pregnancy and ability to achieve those goals. Partner's expectations for pregnancy, financial concerns, family composition and contraceptive experiences were additional influences. Actively planning for pregnancy was not a salient concept to the majority of participants. Results support the call for a multidimensional measure of pregnancy intention that reflects the variety of factors that influence intentions, highlight the fluid nature of many women's reproductive health decision making and challenge the notion that all fertility decisions are the result of conscious action. Additional work on how women's plans for pregnancy are achieved would be programmatically more useful than current measures of intention.

Application of diffusion maps to identify human factors of self-reported anomalies in aviation.

PubMed

Andrzejczak, Chris; Karwowski, Waldemar; Mikusinski, Piotr

2012-01-01

A study investigating what factors are present leading to pilots submitting voluntary anomaly reports regarding their flight performance was conducted. Diffusion Maps (DM) were selected as the method of choice for performing dimensionality reduction on text records for this study. Diffusion Maps have seen successful use in other domains such as image classification and pattern recognition. High-dimensionality data in the form of narrative text reports from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) were clustered and categorized by way of dimensionality reduction. Supervised analyses were performed to create a baseline document clustering system. Dimensionality reduction techniques identified concepts or keywords within records, and allowed the creation of a framework for an unsupervised document classification system. Results from the unsupervised clustering algorithm performed similarly to the supervised methods outlined in the study. The dimensionality reduction was performed on 100 of the most commonly occurring words within 126,000 text records describing commercial aviation incidents. This study demonstrates that unsupervised machine clustering and organization of incident reports is possible based on unbiased inputs. Findings from this study reinforced traditional views on what factors contribute to civil aviation anomalies, however, new associations between previously unrelated factors and conditions were also found.

Comparison of polyurethane foam and XAD-2 sampling matrices to measure airborne organophosphorus pesticides and their oxygen analogs in an agricultural community

PubMed Central

Armstrong, Jenna L.; Fenske, Richard A.; Yost, Michael G.; Tchong-French, Maria; Yu, Jianbo

2013-01-01

Side-by-side active air sampling for the organophosphorus (OP) pesticide, chlorpyrifos (CPF) and its oxygen analog, chlorpyrifos-oxon (CPF-O) was conducted with two recommended air sampling matrices: OSHA Versatile Sampling (OVS) tubes with XAD-2 resin, polyurethane foam (PUF) tubes, and passive PUF deposition disks. The study compared the proportion of artificially transformed CPF-O in the laboratory and in the field during a tree fruit application in Washington State. Lab results demonstrated that the NIOSH-recommended OVS tubes artificially transformed up to 32% of CPF to CPF-O during the sampling process, whereas PUF tubes had little to no artificial transformation (≤ 0.1%). In the field, the proportion of CPF-O in the sample was significantly higher on OVS tubes than on PUF tubes (p < 0.001), confirming that OVS tubes were converting a significant portion of CPF to CPF-O. In addition, PUF tubes reported measurable levels CPF-O in the field even when no artificial transformation was expected. We conclude that the PUF matrix is the superior sampling medium for OP oxygen analogs when compared to XAD-2 resin. Community-located PUF tube samples 24 hours post-application had considerably higher levels CPF-O (16–21 ng/m3) than near field samples during application (2–14 ng/m3), suggesting that the oxygen analog is volatile and formed during atmospheric transport. It is recommended that worker and community risk assessments begin to take into consideration the presence of the more toxic oxygen analogs when measuring for OP pesticide mixtures. PMID:23466277

Identifying Risk Factors for Elder Falls in Geriatric Rehabilitation in Israel.

PubMed

Ben Natan, Merav; Heyman, Neomi; Ben Israel, Joshua

2016-01-01

To identify risk factors for elder falls in a geriatric rehabilitation center in Israel. Retrospective chart review study. Four hundred and twelve medical records of inpatients in geriatric rehabilitation were retrospectively analyzed to compare between elders who sustained falls and those who did not. Of elders hospitalized during this year, 14% sustained falls. Fallers included a high proportion of males, with little comorbidity, not obese, and cardiovascular patients. Falls occurred frequently during patients' first week at the facility, mostly during the daytime. The falls occurred frequently in patients' rooms, and a common scenario was a fall during transition. The research findings single out patients who are allegedly at a lower risk of falls than more complex patients. Caregivers in geriatric rehabilitation settings should pay attention to patients who are allegedly at a lower risk of falls than more complex patients, and to cardiovascular patients in particular. © 2014 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Evaluation of an inpatient fall risk screening tool to identify the most critical fall risk factors in inpatients.

PubMed

Hou, Wen-Hsuan; Kang, Chun-Mei; Ho, Mu-Hsing; Kuo, Jessie Ming-Chuan; Chen, Hsiao-Lien; Chang, Wen-Yin

2017-03-01

To evaluate the accuracy of the inpatient fall risk screening tool and to identify the most critical fall risk factors in inpatients. Variations exist in several screening tools applied in acute care hospitals for examining risk factors for falls and identifying high-risk inpatients. Secondary data analysis. A subset of inpatient data for the period from June 2011-June 2014 was extracted from the nursing information system and adverse event reporting system of an 818-bed teaching medical centre in Taipei. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and logistic regression analysis. During the study period, 205 fallers and 37,232 nonfallers were identified. The results revealed that the inpatient fall risk screening tool (cut-off point of ≥3) had a low sensitivity level (60%), satisfactory specificity (87%), a positive predictive value of 2·0% and a negative predictive value of 99%. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0·805 (sensitivity, 71·8%; specificity, 78%). To increase the sensitivity values, the Youden index suggests at least 1·5 points to be the most suitable cut-off point for the inpatient fall risk screening tool. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a considerably increased fall risk in patients with impaired balance and impaired elimination. The fall risk factor was also significantly associated with days of hospital stay and with admission to surgical wards. The findings can raise awareness about the two most critical risk factors for falls among future clinical nurses and other healthcare professionals and thus facilitate the development of fall prevention interventions. This study highlights the needs for redefining the cut-off points of the inpatient fall risk screening tool to effectively identify inpatients at a high risk of falls. Furthermore, inpatients with impaired balance and impaired elimination should be closely

Undisclosed Human Immunodeficiency Virus Risk Factors Identified through a Computer-based Questionnaire Program among Blood Donors in Brazil

PubMed Central

Blatyta, Paula Fraiman; Custer, Brian; Gonçalez, Thelma Terezinha; Birch, Rebecca; Lopes, Maria Esther; Ferreira, Maria Ines Lopes; Proietti, Anna Barbara Carneiro; Sabino, Ester Cerdeira; Page, Kimberly; de Almeida Neto, Cesar

2013-01-01

Background HIV risk factor screening among blood donors remains a cornerstone for the safety of blood supply and is dependent on prospective donor self-disclosure and an attentive predonation interview. Residual risk of HIV transmission through blood transfusion is higher in Brazil than in many other countries. Audio computer-assisted structured-interview (ACASI) has been shown to increase self-reporting of risk behaviors. Study design and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2009 and March 2011 at four Brazilian blood centers to identify the population of HIV-negative eligible blood donors that answered face-to-face interviews without disclosing risks, but subsequently disclosed deferrable risk factors by ACASI. Compared to the donor interview, the ACASI contained expanded content on demographics, sexual behavior and other HIV risk factors questions. Results 901 HIV-negative blood donors were interviewed. On the ACASI, 13% of donors (N=120) declared a risk factor that would have resulted in deferral that was not disclosed during the face-to-face assessment. The main risk factors identified were recent unprotected sex with an unknown or irregular partner (49 donors), sex with a person with exposure to blood/ fluids (26 donors), multiple sexual partners (19 donors), and male-male sexual behavior (10 donors). Independent factors associated with the disclosure of any risk factor for HIV were age (≥40 years vs. 18–25 years, AOR=0.45; 95% CI 0.23–0.88) and blood center (Hemope vs. Hemominas, AOR=2.51; 95% CI 1.42–4.44). Conclusion ACASI elicited increased disclosure of HIV risk factors among blood donors. ACASI may be a valuable modality of interview to be introduced in Brazilian blood banks. PMID:23521083

Identifying factors of comfort in using hand tools.

PubMed

Kuijt-Evers, L F M; Groenesteijn, L; de Looze, M P; Vink, P

2004-09-01

To design comfortable hand tools, knowledge about comfort/discomfort in using hand tools is required. We investigated which factors determine comfort/discomfort in using hand tools according to users. Therefore, descriptors of comfort/discomfort in using hand tools were collected from literature and interviews. After that, the relatedness of a selection of the descriptors to comfort in using hand tools was investigated. Six comfort factors could be distinguished (functionality, posture and muscles, irritation and pain of hand and fingers, irritation of hand surface, handle characteristics, aesthetics). These six factors can be classified into three meaningful groups: functionality, physical interaction and appearance. The main conclusions were that (1) the same descriptors were related to comfort and discomfort in using hand tools, (2) descriptors of functionality are most related to comfort in using hand tools followed by descriptors of physical interaction and (3) descriptors of appearance become secondary in comfort in using hand tools.

Effect of Varroa destructor, Wounding and Varroa Homogenate on Gene Expression in Brood and Adult Honey Bees

PubMed Central

Koleoglu, Gun; Goodwin, Paul H.; Reyes-Quintana, Mariana; Hamiduzzaman, Mollah Md.; Guzman-Novoa, Ernesto

2017-01-01

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) gene expression related to immunity for hymenoptaecin (AmHym) and defensin-1 (AmDef-1), longevity for vitellogenin (AmVit2) and stem cell proliferation for poly U binding factor 68 kDa (AmPuf68) was compared following Varroa destructor parasitism, buffer injection and injection of V. destructor compounds in its homogenate. In adults, V. destructor parasitism decreased expression of all four genes, while buffer injection decreased expression of AmHym, AmPuf68 and AmVit2, and homogenate injection decreased expression of AmPuf68 and AmVit2 but increased expression of AmDef-1 relative to their respective controls. The effect of V. destructor parasitism in adults relative to the controls was not significantly different from buffer injection for AmHym and AmVit2 expression, and it was not significantly different from homogenate injection for AmPuf68 and AmVit2. In brood, V. destructor parasitism, buffer injection and homogenate injection decreased AmVit2 expression, whereas AmHym expression was decreased by V. destructor parasitism but increased by buffer and homogenate injection relative to the controls. The effect of varroa parasitism in brood was not significantly different from buffer or homogenate injection for AmPuf68 and AmVit2. Expression levels of the four genes did not correlate with detectable viral levels in either brood or adults. The results of this study indicate that the relative effects of V. destructor parasitism on honey bee gene expression are also shared with other types of stresses. Therefore, some of the effects of V. destructor on honey bees may be mostly due to wounding and injection of foreign compounds into the hemolymph of the bee during parasitism. Although both brood and adults are naturally parasitized by V. destructor, their gene expression responded differently, probably the result of different mechanisms of host responses during development. PMID:28081188

Effect of Varroa destructor, Wounding and Varroa Homogenate on Gene Expression in Brood and Adult Honey Bees.

PubMed

Koleoglu, Gun; Goodwin, Paul H; Reyes-Quintana, Mariana; Hamiduzzaman, Mollah Md; Guzman-Novoa, Ernesto

2017-01-01

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) gene expression related to immunity for hymenoptaecin (AmHym) and defensin-1 (AmDef-1), longevity for vitellogenin (AmVit2) and stem cell proliferation for poly U binding factor 68 kDa (AmPuf68) was compared following Varroa destructor parasitism, buffer injection and injection of V. destructor compounds in its homogenate. In adults, V. destructor parasitism decreased expression of all four genes, while buffer injection decreased expression of AmHym, AmPuf68 and AmVit2, and homogenate injection decreased expression of AmPuf68 and AmVit2 but increased expression of AmDef-1 relative to their respective controls. The effect of V. destructor parasitism in adults relative to the controls was not significantly different from buffer injection for AmHym and AmVit2 expression, and it was not significantly different from homogenate injection for AmPuf68 and AmVit2. In brood, V. destructor parasitism, buffer injection and homogenate injection decreased AmVit2 expression, whereas AmHym expression was decreased by V. destructor parasitism but increased by buffer and homogenate injection relative to the controls. The effect of varroa parasitism in brood was not significantly different from buffer or homogenate injection for AmPuf68 and AmVit2. Expression levels of the four genes did not correlate with detectable viral levels in either brood or adults. The results of this study indicate that the relative effects of V. destructor parasitism on honey bee gene expression are also shared with other types of stresses. Therefore, some of the effects of V. destructor on honey bees may be mostly due to wounding and injection of foreign compounds into the hemolymph of the bee during parasitism. Although both brood and adults are naturally parasitized by V. destructor, their gene expression responded differently, probably the result of different mechanisms of host responses during development.

Influence maximization in time bounded network identifies transcription factors regulating perturbed pathways

PubMed Central

Jo, Kyuri; Jung, Inuk; Moon, Ji Hwan; Kim, Sun

2016-01-01

Motivation: To understand the dynamic nature of the biological process, it is crucial to identify perturbed pathways in an altered environment and also to infer regulators that trigger the response. Current time-series analysis methods, however, are not powerful enough to identify perturbed pathways and regulators simultaneously. Widely used methods include methods to determine gene sets such as differentially expressed genes or gene clusters and these genes sets need to be further interpreted in terms of biological pathways using other tools. Most pathway analysis methods are not designed for time series data and they do not consider gene-gene influence on the time dimension. Results: In this article, we propose a novel time-series analysis method TimeTP for determining transcription factors (TFs) regulating pathway perturbation, which narrows the focus to perturbed sub-pathways and utilizes the gene regulatory network and protein–protein interaction network to locate TFs triggering the perturbation. TimeTP first identifies perturbed sub-pathways that propagate the expression changes along the time. Starting points of the perturbed sub-pathways are mapped into the network and the most influential TFs are determined by influence maximization technique. The analysis result is visually summarized in TF-Pathway map in time clock. TimeTP was applied to PIK3CA knock-in dataset and found significant sub-pathways and their regulators relevant to the PIP3 signaling pathway. Availability and Implementation: TimeTP is implemented in Python and available at http://biohealth.snu.ac.kr/software/TimeTP/. Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. Contact: sunkim.bioinfo@snu.ac.kr PMID:27307609

Recent trends in hardware security exploiting hybrid CMOS-resistive memory circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahay, Shubham; Suri, Manan

2017-12-01

This paper provides a comprehensive review and insight of recent trends in the field of random number generator (RNG) and physically unclonable function (PUF) circuits implemented using different types of emerging resistive non-volatile (NVM) memory devices. We present a detailed review of hybrid RNG/PUF implementations based on the use of (i) Spin-Transfer Torque (STT-MRAM), and (ii) metal-oxide based (OxRAM), NVM devices. Various approaches on Hybrid CMOS-NVM RNG/PUF circuits are considered, followed by a discussion on different nanoscale device phenomena. Certain nanoscale device phenomena (variability/stochasticity etc), which are otherwise undesirable for reliable memory and storage applications, form the basis for low power and highly scalable RNG/PUF circuits. Detailed qualitative comparison and benchmarking of all implementations is performed.

Apparatus, system and method for providing cryptographic key information with physically unclonable function circuitry

DOEpatents

Areno, Matthew

2015-12-08

Techniques and mechanisms for providing a value from physically unclonable function (PUF) circuitry for a cryptographic operation of a security module. In an embodiment, a cryptographic engine receives a value from PUF circuitry and based on the value, outputs a result of a cryptographic operation to a bus of the security module. The bus couples the cryptographic engine to control logic or interface logic of the security module. In another embodiment, the value is provided to the cryptographic engine from the PUF circuitry via a signal line which is distinct from the bus, where any exchange of the value by either of the cryptographic engine and the PUF circuitry is for communication of the first value independent of the bus.

Estimate variable importance for recurrent event outcomes with an application to identify hypoglycemia risk factors.

PubMed

Duan, Ran; Fu, Haoda

2015-08-30

Recurrent event data are an important data type for medical research. In particular, many safety endpoints are recurrent outcomes, such as hypoglycemic events. For such a situation, it is important to identify the factors causing these events and rank these factors by their importance. Traditional model selection methods are not able to provide variable importance in this context. Methods that are able to evaluate the variable importance, such as gradient boosting and random forest algorithms, cannot directly be applied to recurrent events data. In this paper, we propose a two-step method that enables us to evaluate the variable importance for recurrent events data. We evaluated the performance of our proposed method by simulations and applied it to a data set from a diabetes study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In vivo insertion pool sequencing identifies virulence factors in a complex fungal–host interaction

PubMed Central

Uhse, Simon; Pflug, Florian G.; Stirnberg, Alexandra; Ehrlinger, Klaus; von Haeseler, Arndt

2018-01-01

Large-scale insertional mutagenesis screens can be powerful genome-wide tools if they are streamlined with efficient downstream analysis, which is a serious bottleneck in complex biological systems. A major impediment to the success of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based screens for virulence factors is that the genetic material of pathogens is often underrepresented within the eukaryotic host, making detection extremely challenging. We therefore established insertion Pool-Sequencing (iPool-Seq) on maize infected with the biotrophic fungus U. maydis. iPool-Seq features tagmentation, unique molecular barcodes, and affinity purification of pathogen insertion mutant DNA from in vivo-infected tissues. In a proof of concept using iPool-Seq, we identified 28 virulence factors, including 23 that were previously uncharacterized, from an initial pool of 195 candidate effector mutants. Because of its sensitivity and quantitative nature, iPool-Seq can be applied to any insertional mutagenesis library and is especially suitable for genetically complex setups like pooled infections of eukaryotic hosts. PMID:29684023

Identifying critical success factors (CSFs) of implementing building information modeling (BIM) in Malaysian construction industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaakob, Mazri; Ali, Wan Nur Athirah Wan; Radzuan, Kamaruddin

2016-08-01

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is defined as existing from the earliest concept to demolition and it involves creating and using an intelligent 3D model to inform and communicate project decisions. This research aims to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of BIM implementation in Malaysian construction industry. A literature review was done to explore previous BIM studies on definitions and history of BIM, construction issues, application of BIM in construction projects as well as benefits of BIM. A series of interviews with multidisciplinary Malaysian construction experts will be conducted purposely for data collection process guided by the research design and methodology approach of this study. The analysis of qualitative data from the process will be combined with criteria identified in the literature review in order to identify the CSFs. Finally, the CSFs of BIM implementation will be validated by further Malaysian industrialists during a workshop. The validated CSFs can be used as a term of reference for both Malaysian practitioners and academics towards measuring BIM effectiveness level in their organizations.

Identifying the environmental factors that effect within canopy BVOC loss using a multilevel canopy model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, W. S.; Fuentes, J. D.; Lerdau, M.

2010-12-01

This presentation will provide research findings to evaluate the hypothesis that the loss of biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) within plant canopies is dynamic and depends on factors such as plant canopy architecture (height and leaf area distribution), atmospheric turbulence, concentration of oxidants (OH, O3, NO3), and the reactivity of BVOC species. Results will be presented from a new one dimensional, multilevel canopy model that couples algorithms for canopy microclimate, leaf physiology, BVOC emission, turbulent transport, and atmospheric chemistry to investigate the relative importance of factors that impact BVOC loss within a forest canopy. Model sensitivity tests will be presented and discussed to identify factors driving canopy loss. Results show isoprene and monoterpene canopy losses as high as 9 and 18%, respectively, for tall canopies during the daytime. We hypothesize that canopy height and wind speed (i.e. canopy residence time) may be the most important in dictating within-canopy loss. This work will reduce the error in bottom-up flux estimates of BVOCs and ultimately improve parameterizations of BVOC sources in air quality models by accounting for within canopy processes.

Engineered photoproteins that give rise to photosynthetically-incompetent bacteria are effective as photovoltaic materials for biohybrid photoelectrochemical cells.

PubMed

Liu, Juntai; Friebe, Vincent M; Swainsbury, David J K; Crouch, Lucy I; Szabo, David A; Frese, Raoul N; Jones, Michael R

2018-04-17

Reaction centre/light harvesting proteins such as the RCLH1X complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides carry out highly quantum-efficient conversion of solar energy through ultrafast energy transfer and charge separation, and these pigment-proteins have been incorporated into biohybrid photoelectrochemical cells for a variety of applications. In this work we demonstrate that, despite not being able to support normal photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides, an engineered variant of this RCLH1X complex lacking the PufX protein and with an enlarged light harvesting antenna is unimpaired in its capacity for photocurrent generation in two types of bio-photoelectrochemical cells. Removal of PufX also did not impair the ability of the RCLH1 complex to act as an acceptor of energy from synthetic light harvesting quantum dots. Unexpectedly, the removal of PufX led to a marked improvement in the overall stability of the RCLH1 complex under heat stress. We conclude that PufX-deficient RCLH1 complexes are fully functional in solar energy conversion in a device setting and that their enhanced structural stability could make them a preferred choice over their native PufX-containing counterpart. Our findings on the competence of RCLH1 complexes for light energy conversion in vitro are discussed with reference to the reason why these PufX-deficient proteins are not capable of light energy conversion in vivo.

Engineered photoproteins that give rise to photosynthetically-incompetent bacteria are effective as photovoltaic materials for biohybrid photoelectrochemical cells

PubMed Central

Liu, Juntai; Friebe, Vincent M.; Swainsbury, David J. K.; Crouch, Lucy I.; Szabo, David A.; Frese, Raoul N.

2018-01-01

Reaction centre/light harvesting proteins such as the RCLH1X complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides carry out highly quantum-efficient conversion of solar energy through ultrafast energy transfer and charge separation, and these pigment-proteins have been incorporated into biohybrid photoelectrochemical cells for a variety of applications. In this work we demonstrate that, despite not being able to support normal photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides, an engineered variant of this RCLH1X complex lacking the PufX protein and with an enlarged light harvesting antenna is unimpaired in its capacity for photocurrent generation in two types of bio-photoelectrochemical cells. Removal of PufX also did not impair the ability of the RCLH1 complex to act as an acceptor of energy from synthetic light harvesting quantum dots. Unexpectedly, the removal of PufX led to a marked improvement in the overall stability of the RCLH1 complex under heat stress. We conclude that PufX-deficient RCLH1 complexes are fully functional in solar energy conversion in a device setting and that their enhanced structural stability could make them a preferred choice over their native PufX-containing counterpart. Our findings on the competence of RCLH1 complexes for light energy conversion in vitro are discussed with reference to the reason why these PufX-deficient proteins are not capable of light energy conversion in vivo. PMID:29364305

Identifying Factors Associated with Risk Assessment Competencies of Public Health Emergency Responders

PubMed Central

Hao, Jiejing; Ren, Jiaojiao; Wu, Qunhong; Hao, Yanhua; Sun, Hong; Ning, Ning; Ding, Ding

2017-01-01

This study aimed to better understand the current situation of risk assessment and identify the factors associated with competence of emergency responders in public health risk assessment. The participants were selected by a multi-stage, stratified cluster sampling method in Heilongjiang Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The questionnaires that measured their perceptions on risk assessment competences were administered through the face-to-face survey. A final sample of 1889 staff was obtained. Of this sample, 78.6% of respondents rated their own risk assessment competences as “relatively low”, contrasting with 21.4% rated as “relatively high”. Most of the respondents (62.7%) did not participate in any risk assessment work. Only 13.7% and 42.7% of respondents reported participating in risk assessment training and were familiar with risk assessment tools. There existed statistical significance between risk assessment-related characteristics of respondents and their self-rated competences scores. Financial support from the government and administrative attention were regarded as the important factors contributing to risk assessment competences of CDC responders. Higher attention should be given to risk assessment training and enhancing the availability of surveillance data. Continuous efforts should be made to remove the financial and technical obstacles to improve the competences of risk assessment for public health emergency responders. PMID:28587226

Increasing organizational energy conservation behaviors: Comparing the theory of planned behavior and reasons theory for identifying specific motivational factors to target for change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finlinson, Scott Michael

Social scientists frequently assess factors thought to underlie behavior for the purpose of designing behavioral change interventions. Researchers commonly identify these factors by examining relationships between specific variables and the focal behaviors being investigated. Variables with the strongest relationships to the focal behavior are then assumed to be the most influential determinants of that behavior, and therefore often become the targets for change in a behavioral change intervention. In the current proposal, multiple methods are used to compare the effectiveness of two theoretical frameworks for identifying influential motivational factors. Assessing the relative influence of all factors and sets of factors for driving behavior should clarify which framework and methodology is the most promising for identifying effective change targets. Results indicated each methodology adequately predicted the three focal behaviors examined. However, the reasons theory approach was superior for predicting factor influence ratings compared to the TpB approach. While common method variance contamination had minimal impact on the results or conclusions derived from the present study's findings, there were substantial differences in conclusions depending on the questionnaire design used to collect the data. Examples of applied uses of the present study are discussed.

CORE_TF: a user-friendly interface to identify evolutionary conserved transcription factor binding sites in sets of co-regulated genes

PubMed Central

Hestand, Matthew S; van Galen, Michiel; Villerius, Michel P; van Ommen, Gert-Jan B; den Dunnen, Johan T; 't Hoen, Peter AC

2008-01-01

Background The identification of transcription factor binding sites is difficult since they are only a small number of nucleotides in size, resulting in large numbers of false positives and false negatives in current approaches. Computational methods to reduce false positives are to look for over-representation of transcription factor binding sites in a set of similarly regulated promoters or to look for conservation in orthologous promoter alignments. Results We have developed a novel tool, "CORE_TF" (Conserved and Over-REpresented Transcription Factor binding sites) that identifies common transcription factor binding sites in promoters of co-regulated genes. To improve upon existing binding site predictions, the tool searches for position weight matrices from the TRANSFACR database that are over-represented in an experimental set compared to a random set of promoters and identifies cross-species conservation of the predicted transcription factor binding sites. The algorithm has been evaluated with expression and chromatin-immunoprecipitation on microarray data. We also implement and demonstrate the importance of matching the random set of promoters to the experimental promoters by GC content, which is a unique feature of our tool. Conclusion The program CORE_TF is accessible in a user friendly web interface at . It provides a table of over-represented transcription factor binding sites in the users input genes' promoters and a graphical view of evolutionary conserved transcription factor binding sites. In our test data sets it successfully predicts target transcription factors and their binding sites. PMID:19036135

Defense Against Chip Cloning Attacks Based on Fractional Hopfield Neural Networks.

PubMed

Pu, Yi-Fei; Yi, Zhang; Zhou, Ji-Liu

2017-06-01

This paper presents a state-of-the-art application of fractional hopfield neural networks (FHNNs) to defend against chip cloning attacks, and provides insight into the reason that the proposed method is superior to physically unclonable functions (PUFs). In the past decade, PUFs have been evolving as one of the best types of hardware security. However, the development of the PUFs has been somewhat limited by its implementation cost, its temperature variation effect, its electromagnetic interference effect, the amount of entropy in it, etc. Therefore, it is imperative to discover, through promising mathematical methods and physical modules, some novel mechanisms to overcome the aforementioned weaknesses of the PUFs. Motivated by this need, in this paper, we propose applying the FHNNs to defend against chip cloning attacks. At first, we implement the arbitrary-order fractor of a FHNN. Secondly, we describe the implementation cost of the FHNNs. Thirdly, we propose the achievement of the constant-order performance of a FHNN when ambient temperature varies. Fourthly, we analyze the electrical performance stability of the FHNNs under electromagnetic disturbance conditions. Fifthly, we study the amount of entropy of the FHNNs. Lastly, we perform experiments to analyze the pass-band width of the fractor of an arbitrary-order FHNN and the defense against chip cloning attacks capability of the FHNNs. In particular, the capabilities of defense against chip cloning attacks, anti-electromagnetic interference, and anti-temperature variation of a FHNN are illustrated experimentally in detail. Some significant advantages of the FHNNs are that their implementation cost is considerably lower than that of the PUFs, their electrical performance is much more stable than that of the PUFs under different temperature conditions, their electrical performance stability of the FHNNs under electromagnetic disturbance conditions is much more robust than that of the PUFs, and their amount of

Identifying Risk Factors Associated with Inappropriate Use of Acid Suppressive Therapy at a Community Hospital

PubMed Central

Bodukam, Vijay; Saigal, Kirit; Bahl, Jaya; Wang, Yvette; Hanlon, Alexandra; Lu, Yinghui; Davis, Michael

2016-01-01

Purpose. By examining the prescribing patterns and inappropriate use of acid suppressive therapy (AST) during hospitalization and at discharge we sought to identify the risk factors associated with such practices. Methods. In this retrospective observational study, inpatient records were reviewed from January 2011 to December 2013. Treatment with AST was considered appropriate if the patient had a known specific indication or met criteria for stress ulcer prophylaxis. Results. In 2011, out of 58 patients who were on AST on admission, 32 were newly started on it and 23 (72%) were inappropriate cases. In 2012, out of 97 patients on AST, 61 were newly started on it and 51 (84%) were inappropriate cases. In 2013, 99 patients were on AST, of which 48 were newly started on it and 36 (75%) were inappropriate cases. 19% of the patients inappropriately started on AST were discharged on it in three years. Younger age, female sex, and 1 or more handoffs between services were significantly associated with increased risk of inappropriate AST. Conclusion. Our findings reflect inappropriate prescription of AST which leads to increase in costs of care and unnecessarily puts the patient at risk for potential adverse events. The results of this study emphasize the importance of examining the patient's need for AST at each level of care especially when the identified risk factors are present. PMID:27818680

Adolescents Can Know Best: Using concept mapping to identify factors and pathways driving adolescent sexuality in Lima, Peru

PubMed Central

Bayer, Angela M.; Cabrera, Lilia Z.; Gilman, Robert H.; Hindin, Michelle J.; Tsui, Amy O.

2011-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to identify and describe individual- and environmental-level factors that Peruvian adolescents perceive to be related to adolescent sexuality. A series of concept mapping sessions were carried out from January-March 2006 with 63 15–17 year olds from a low-income community near Lima in order for adolescents to (1) brainstorm items that they thought were related to sexuality (2) sort, group and rate items to score their importance for sexuality-related outcomes, and (3) create pathways from the groups of items to engaging in sex. Brainstorming resulted in 61 items, which participants grouped into 11 clusters. The highest rated clusters were personal values, respect and confidence in relationships, future achievements and parent-child communication. The pathway of decision-making about having sex primarily contained items rated as only moderately important. This study identified important understudied factors, new perspectives on previously-recognized factors, and possible pathways to sexual behavior. These interesting, provocative findings underscore the importance of directly integrating adolescent voices into future sexual and reproductive health research, policies and programs that target this population. PMID:20382462

siRNA Screen Identifies Trafficking Host Factors that Modulate Alphavirus Infection

PubMed Central

Radoshitzky, Sheli R.; Pegoraro, Gianluca; Chī, Xiǎolì; Dǒng, Lián; Chiang, Chih-Yuan; Jozwick, Lucas; Clester, Jeremiah C.; Cooper, Christopher L.; Courier, Duane; Langan, David P.; Underwood, Knashka; Kuehl, Kathleen A.; Sun, Mei G.; Caì, Yíngyún; Yú, Shuǐqìng; Burk, Robin; Zamani, Rouzbeh; Kota, Krishna; Kuhn, Jens H.; Bavari, Sina

2016-01-01

Little is known about the repertoire of cellular factors involved in the replication of pathogenic alphaviruses. To uncover molecular regulators of alphavirus infection, and to identify candidate drug targets, we performed a high-content imaging-based siRNA screen. We revealed an actin-remodeling pathway involving Rac1, PIP5K1- α, and Arp3, as essential for infection by pathogenic alphaviruses. Infection causes cellular actin rearrangements into large bundles of actin filaments termed actin foci. Actin foci are generated late in infection concomitantly with alphavirus envelope (E2) expression and are dependent on the activities of Rac1 and Arp3. E2 associates with actin in alphavirus-infected cells and co-localizes with Rac1–PIP5K1-α along actin filaments in the context of actin foci. Finally, Rac1, Arp3, and actin polymerization inhibitors interfere with E2 trafficking from the trans-Golgi network to the cell surface, suggesting a plausible model in which transport of E2 to the cell surface is mediated via Rac1- and Arp3-dependent actin remodeling. PMID:27031835

Naturalistic Cycling Study: Identifying Risk Factors for On-Road Commuter Cyclists

PubMed Central

Johnson, Marilyn; Charlton, Judith; Oxley, Jennifer; Newstead, Stuart

2010-01-01

The study aim was to identify risk factors for collisions/near-collisions involving on-road commuter cyclists and drivers. A naturalistic cycling study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia, with cyclists wearing helmet-mounted video cameras. Video recordings captured cyclists’ perspective of the road and traffic behaviours including head checks, reactions and manoeuvres. The 100-car naturalistic driving study analysis technique was adapted for data analysis and events were classified by severity: collision, near-collision and incident. Participants were adult cyclists and each filmed 12 hours of commuter cycling trips over a 4-week period. In total, 127 hours and 38 minutes were analysed for 13 participants, 54 events were identified: 2 collisions, 6 near-collisions and 46 incidents. Prior to events, 88.9% of cyclists travelled in a safe/legal manner. Sideswipe was the most frequent event type (40.7%). Most events occurred at an intersection/intersection-related location (70.3%). The vehicle driver was judged at fault in the majority of events (87.0%) and no post-event driver reaction was observed (83.3%). Cross tabulations revealed significant associations between event severity and: cyclist reaction, cyclist post-event manoeuvre, pre-event driver behaviour, other vehicle involved, driver reaction, visual obstruction, cyclist head check (left), event type and vehicle location (p<0.05). Frequent head checks suggest cyclists had high situational awareness and their reactive behaviour to driver actions led to successful avoidance of collisions/near-collisions. Strategies to improve driver awareness of on-road cyclists and to indicate early before turning/changing lanes when sharing the roadway with cyclists are discussed. Findings will contribute to the development of effective countermeasures to reduce cyclist trauma. PMID:21050610

Naturalistic cycling study: identifying risk factors for on-road commuter cyclists.

PubMed

Johnson, Marilyn; Charlton, Judith; Oxley, Jennifer; Newstead, Stuart

2010-01-01

The study aim was to identify risk factors for collisions/near-collisions involving on-road commuter cyclists and drivers. A naturalistic cycling study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia, with cyclists wearing helmet-mounted video cameras. Video recordings captured cyclists' perspective of the road and traffic behaviours including head checks, reactions and manoeuvres. The 100-car naturalistic driving study analysis technique was adapted for data analysis and events were classified by severity: collision, near-collision and incident. Participants were adult cyclists and each filmed 12 hours of commuter cycling trips over a 4-week period. In total, 127 hours and 38 minutes were analysed for 13 participants, 54 events were identified: 2 collisions, 6 near-collisions and 46 incidents. Prior to events, 88.9% of cyclists travelled in a safe/legal manner. Sideswipe was the most frequent event type (40.7%). Most events occurred at an intersection/intersection-related location (70.3%). The vehicle driver was judged at fault in the majority of events (87.0%) and no post-event driver reaction was observed (83.3%). Cross tabulations revealed significant associations between event severity and: cyclist reaction, cyclist post-event manoeuvre, pre-event driver behaviour, other vehicle involved, driver reaction, visual obstruction, cyclist head check (left), event type and vehicle location (p<0.05). Frequent head checks suggest cyclists had high situational awareness and their reactive behaviour to driver actions led to successful avoidance of collisions/near-collisions. Strategies to improve driver awareness of on-road cyclists and to indicate early before turning/changing lanes when sharing the roadway with cyclists are discussed. Findings will contribute to the development of effective countermeasures to reduce cyclist trauma.

Bioaccumulation syndrome: identifying factors that make some stream food webs prone to elevated mercury bioaccumulation

PubMed Central

Ward, Darren M.; Nislow, Keith H.; Folt, Carol L.

2010-01-01

Mercury is a ubiquitous contaminant in aquatic ecosystems, posing a significant health risk to humans and wildlife that eat fish. Mercury accumulates in aquatic food webs as methylmercury (MeHg), a particularly toxic and persistent organic mercury compound. While mercury in the environment originates largely from anthropogenic activities, MeHg accumulation in freshwater aquatic food webs is not a simple function of local or regional mercury pollution inputs. Studies show that even sites with similar mercury inputs can produce fish with mercury concentrations ranging over an order of magnitude. While much of the foundational work to identify the drivers of variation in mercury accumulation has focused on freshwater lakes, mercury contamination in stream ecosystems is emerging as an important research area. Here, we review recent research on mercury accumulation in stream-dwelling organisms. Taking a hierarchical approach, we identify a suite of characteristics of individual consumers, food webs, streams, watersheds, and regions that are consistently associated with elevated MeHg concentrations in stream fish. We delineate a conceptual, mechanistic basis for explaining the ecological processes that underlie this vulnerability to MeHg. Key factors, including suppressed individual growth of consumers, low rates of primary and secondary production, hydrologic connection to methylation sites (e.g. wetlands), heavily forested catchments, and acidification are frequently associated with increased MeHg concentrations in fish across both streams and lakes. Hence, we propose that these interacting factors define a syndrome of characteristics that drive high MeHg production and bioaccumulation rates across these freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Finally, based on an understanding of the ecological drivers of MeHg accumulation, we identify situations when anthropogenic effects and management practices could significantly exacerbate or ameliorate MeHg accumulation in stream fish

Identifying the bleeding trauma patient: predictive factors for massive transfusion in an Australasian trauma population.

PubMed

Hsu, Jeremy Ming; Hitos, Kerry; Fletcher, John P

2013-09-01

Military and civilian data would suggest that hemostatic resuscitation results in improved outcomes for exsanguinating patients. However, identification of those patients who are at risk of significant hemorrhage is not clearly defined. We attempted to identify factors that would predict the need for massive transfusion (MT) in an Australasian trauma population, by comparing those trauma patients who did receive massive transfusion with those who did not. Between 1985 and 2010, 1,686 trauma patients receiving at least 1 U of packed red blood cells were identified from our prospectively maintained trauma registry. Demographic, physiologic, laboratory, injury, and outcome variables were reviewed. Univariate analysis determined significant factors between those who received MT and those who did not. A predictive multivariate logistic regression model with backward conditional stepwise elimination was used for MT risk. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS PASW. MT patients had a higher pulse rate, lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, lower systolic blood pressure, lower hemoglobin level, higher Injury Severity Score (ISS), higher international normalized ratio (INR), and longer stay. Initial logistic regression identified base deficit (BD), INR, and hemoperitoneum at laparotomy as independent predictive variables. After assigning cutoff points of BD being greater than 5 and an INR of 1.5 or greater, a further model was created. A BD greater than 5 and either INR of 1.5 or greater or hemoperitoneum was associated with 51 times increase in MT risk (odds ratio, 51.6; 95% confidence interval, 24.9-95.8). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the model was 0.859. From this study, a combination of BD, INR, and hemoperitoneum has demonstrated good predictability for MT. This tool may assist in the determination of those patients who might benefit from hemostatic resuscitation. Prognostic study, level III.

Integrative transcriptome analysis identifies deregulated microRNA-transcription factor networks in lung adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Cinegaglia, Naiara C.; Andrade, Sonia Cristina S.; Tokar, Tomas; Pinheiro, Maísa; Severino, Fábio E.; Oliveira, Rogério A.; Hasimoto, Erica N.; Cataneo, Daniele C.; Cataneo, Antônio J.M.; Defaveri, Júlio; Souza, Cristiano P.; Marques, Márcia M.C.; Carvalho, Robson F.; Coutinho, Luiz L.; Gross, Jefferson L.; Rogatto, Silvia R.; Lam, Wan L.; Jurisica, Igor; Reis, Patricia P.

2016-01-01

Herein, we aimed at identifying global transcriptome microRNA (miRNA) changes and miRNA target genes in lung adenocarcinoma. Samples were selected as training (N = 24) and independent validation (N = 34) sets. Tissues were microdissected to obtain >90% tumor or normal lung cells, subjected to miRNA transcriptome sequencing and TaqMan quantitative PCR validation. We further integrated our data with published miRNA and mRNA expression datasets across 1,491 lung adenocarcinoma and 455 normal lung samples. We identified known and novel, significantly over- and under-expressed (p ≤ 0.01 and FDR≤0.1) miRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma compared to normal lung tissue: let-7a, miR-10a, miR-15b, miR-23b, miR-26a, miR-26b, miR-29a, miR-30e, miR-99a, miR-146b, miR-181b, miR-181c, miR-421, miR-181a, miR-574 and miR-1247. Validated miRNAs included let-7a-2, let-7a-3, miR-15b, miR-21, miR-155 and miR-200b; higher levels of miR-21 expression were associated with lower patient survival (p = 0.042). We identified a regulatory network including miR-15b and miR-155, and transcription factors with prognostic value in lung cancer. Our findings may contribute to the development of treatment strategies in lung adenocarcinoma. PMID:27081085

Identifying the principal driving factors of water ecosystem dependence and the corresponding indicator species in a pilot City, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, C. S.; Shao, N. F.; Yang, S. T.; Xiang, H.; Lou, H. Z.; Sun, Y.; Yang, Z. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Yu, X. Y.; Zhang, C. B.; Yu, Q.

2018-01-01

The world's aquatic ecosystems yield numerous vital services, which are essential to human existence but have deteriorated seriously in recent years. By studying the mechanisms of interaction between ecosystems and habitat processes, the constraining factors can be identified, and this knowledge can be used to improve the success rate of ecological restoration initiatives. At present, there is insufficient data on the link between hydrological, water quality factors and the changes in the structure of aquatic communities to allow any meaningful study of driving factors of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, the typical monitoring stations were selected by fuzzy clustering analysis based on the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of water ecology in Jinan City, the first pilot city for the construction of civilized aquatic ecosystems in China. The dominant species identification model was used to identify the dominant species of the aquatic community. The driving effect of hydrological and water quality factors on dominant species was analyzed by Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Then, the principal factors of aquatic ecosystem dependence were selected. The results showed that there were 10 typical monitoring stations out of 59 monitoring sites, which were representative of aquatic ecosystems, 9 dominant fish species, and 20 dominant invertebrate species. The selection of factors for aquatic ecosystem dependence in Jinan were highly influenced by its regional conditions. Chemical environmental parameters influence the temporal and spatial variation of invertebrate much more than that of fish in Jinan City. However, the methodologies coupling typical monitoring stations selection, dominant species determination and driving factors identification were certified to be a cost-effective way, which can provide in-deep theoretical and technical directions for the restoration of aquatic ecosystems elsewhere.

Identifying the influential aquifer heterogeneity factor on nitrate reduction processes by numerical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, E.; He, W.; Savoy, H.; Dietrich, P.; Kolditz, O.; Rubin, Y.; Schüth, C.; Kalbacher, T.

2017-01-01

Nitrate reduction reactions in groundwater systems are strongly influenced by various aquifer heterogeneity factors that affect the transport of chemical species, spatial distribution of redox reactive substances and, as a result, the overall nitrate reduction efficiency. In this study, we investigated the influence of physical and chemical aquifer heterogeneity, with a focus on nitrate transport and redox transformation processes. A numerical modeling study for simulating coupled hydrological-geochemical aquifer heterogeneity was conducted in order to improve our understanding of the influence of the aquifer heterogeneity on the nitrate reduction reactions and to identify the most influential aquifer heterogeneity factors throughout the simulation. Results show that the most influential aquifer heterogeneity factors could change over time. With abundant presence of electron donors in the high permeable zones (initial stage), physical aquifer heterogeneity significantly influences the nitrate reduction since it enables the preferential transport of nitrate to these zones and enhances mixing of reactive partners. Chemical aquifer heterogeneity plays a comparatively minor role. Increasing the spatial variability of the hydraulic conductivity also increases the nitrate removal efficiency of the system. However, ignoring chemical aquifer heterogeneity can lead to an underestimation of nitrate removals in long-term behavior. With the increase of the spatial variability of the electron donor, i.e. chemical heterogeneity, the number of the ;hot spots; i.e. zones with comparably higher reactivity, should also increase. Hence, nitrate removal efficiencies will also be spatially variable but overall removal efficiency will be sustained if longer time scales are considered and nitrate fronts reach these high reactivity zones.

Identifying the critical success factors in the coverage of low vision services using the classification analysis and regression tree methodology.

PubMed

Chiang, Peggy Pei-Chia; Xie, Jing; Keeffe, Jill Elizabeth

2011-04-25

To identify the critical success factors (CSF) associated with coverage of low vision services. Data were collected from a survey distributed to Vision 2020 contacts, government, and non-government organizations (NGOs) in 195 countries. The Classification and Regression Tree Analysis (CART) was used to identify the critical success factors of low vision service coverage. Independent variables were sourced from the survey: policies, epidemiology, provision of services, equipment and infrastructure, barriers to services, human resources, and monitoring and evaluation. Socioeconomic and demographic independent variables: health expenditure, population statistics, development status, and human resources in general, were sourced from the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, and the United Nations (UN). The findings identified that having >50% of children obtaining devices when prescribed (χ(2) = 44; P < 0.000), multidisciplinary care (χ(2) = 14.54; P = 0.002), >3 rehabilitation workers per 10 million of population (χ(2) = 4.50; P = 0.034), higher percentage of population urbanized (χ(2) = 14.54; P = 0.002), a level of private investment (χ(2) = 14.55; P = 0.015), and being fully funded by government (χ(2) = 6.02; P = 0.014), are critical success factors associated with coverage of low vision services. This study identified the most important predictors for countries with better low vision coverage. The CART is a useful and suitable methodology in survey research and is a novel way to simplify a complex global public health issue in eye care.

Identifying the challenging factors in the transition from colleges of engineering to employment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baytiyeh, Hoda; Naja, Mohamad

2012-03-01

The transition from university to a career in engineering is a challenging process. This study examined the perceptions of engineering graduates regarding the difficulties they encountered in their transition from the university to the workplace. Lebanese practising engineers (n=217), living around the world, were surveyed to identify their current employment situations and their attitudes toward their academic preparation. Factor analysis revealed three main challenges facing engineering graduates: communication; responsibility; self-confidence. Seventeen interviews were conducted to gather information on ways to facilitate this transition. Comments reflected the need for better collaboration between engineering schools and engineering firms. The results will provide insight for engineering colleges, faculty members and administrators into the challenges faced by graduates and their aspirations for a smoother transition into employment.

Pulmonary response to polyurethane dust.

PubMed

Stemmer, K L; Bingham, E; Barkley, W

1975-06-01

Weanling and 9 months or older rats were exposed to particles of an aged (PUF I) or freshly prepared (PUF II) rigid polyurethane foam by intratracheal intubation. The dose was 5 mg of particles. The response of the lung tissue was examined morphologically by serial sacrifices. Inflammation and macrophage activity were the initial responses. Fibrosis developed after 6 months. Nodular scars and perifocal emphysema were seen after 12 months. Four rats had a papillary adenoma in a major bronchus after 18 months exposure to PUF II.

GLD-4-Mediated Translational Activation Regulates the Size of the Proliferative Germ Cell Pool in the Adult C. elegans Germ Line

PubMed Central

Millonigg, Sophia; Eckmann, Christian R.

2014-01-01

To avoid organ dysfunction as a consequence of tissue diminution or tumorous growth, a tight balance between cell proliferation and differentiation is maintained in metazoans. However, cell-intrinsic gene expression mechanisms controlling adult tissue homeostasis remain poorly understood. By focusing on the adult Caenorhabditis elegans reproductive tissue, we show that translational activation of mRNAs is a fundamental mechanism to maintain tissue homeostasis. Our genetic experiments identified the Trf4/5-type cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase (cytoPAP) GLD-4 and its enzymatic activator GLS-1 to perform a dual role in regulating the size of the proliferative zone. Consistent with a ubiquitous expression of GLD-4 cytoPAP in proliferative germ cells, its genetic activity is required to maintain a robust proliferative adult germ cell pool, presumably by regulating many mRNA targets encoding proliferation-promoting factors. Based on translational reporters and endogenous protein expression analyses, we found that gld-4 activity promotes GLP-1/Notch receptor expression, an essential factor of continued germ cell proliferation. RNA-protein interaction assays documented also a physical association of the GLD-4/GLS-1 cytoPAP complex with glp-1 mRNA, and ribosomal fractionation studies established that GLD-4 cytoPAP activity facilitates translational efficiency of glp-1 mRNA. Moreover, we found that in proliferative cells the differentiation-promoting factor, GLD-2 cytoPAP, is translationally repressed by the stem cell factor and PUF-type RNA-binding protein, FBF. This suggests that cytoPAP-mediated translational activation of proliferation-promoting factors, paired with PUF-mediated translational repression of differentiation factors, forms a translational control circuit that expands the proliferative germ cell pool. Our additional genetic experiments uncovered that the GLD-4/GLS-1 cytoPAP complex promotes also differentiation, forming a redundant translational circuit with

A Rare SNP Identified a TCP Transcription Factor Essential for Tendril Development in Cucumber.

PubMed

Wang, Shenhao; Yang, Xueyong; Xu, Mengnan; Lin, Xingzhong; Lin, Tao; Qi, Jianjian; Shao, Guangjin; Tian, Nana; Yang, Qing; Zhang, Zhonghua; Huang, Sanwen

2015-12-07

Rare genetic variants are abundant in genomes but less tractable in genome-wide association study. Here we exploit a strategy of rare variation mapping to discover a gene essential for tendril development in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). In a collection of >3000 lines, we discovered a unique tendril-less line that forms branches instead of tendrils and, therefore, loses its climbing ability. We hypothesized that this unusual phenotype was caused by a rare variation and subsequently identified the causative single nucleotide polymorphism. The affected gene TEN encodes a TCP transcription factor conserved within the cucurbits and is expressed specifically in tendrils, representing a new organ identity gene. The variation occurs within a protein motif unique to the cucurbits and impairs its function as a transcriptional activator. Analyses of transcriptomes from near-isogenic lines identified downstream genes required for the tendril's capability to sense and climb a support. This study provides an example to explore rare functional variants in plant genomes. Copyright © 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Virulence factors of the human opportunistic pathogen Serratia marcescens identified by in vivo screening

PubMed Central

Kurz, C.Léopold; Chauvet, Sophie; Andrès, Emmanuel; Aurouze, Marianne; Vallet, Isabelle; Michel, Gérard P.F.; Uh, Mitch; Celli, Jean; Filloux, Alain; de Bentzmann, Sophie; Steinmetz, Ivo; Hoffmann, Jules A.; Finlay, B.Brett; Gorvel, Jean-Pierre; Ferrandon, Dominique; Ewbank, Jonathan J.

2003-01-01

The human opportunistic pathogen Serratia marcescens is a bacterium with a broad host range, and represents a growing problem for public health. Serratia marcescens kills Caenorhabditis elegans after colonizing the nematode’s intestine. We used C.elegans to screen a bank of transposon-induced S.marcescens mutants and isolated 23 clones with an attenuated virulence. Nine of the selected bacterial clones also showed a reduced virulence in an insect model of infection. Of these, three exhibited a reduced cytotoxicity in vitro, and among them one was also markedly attenuated in its virulence in a murine lung infection model. For 21 of the 23 mutants, the transposon insertion site was identified. This revealed that among the genes necessary for full in vivo virulence are those that function in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis, iron uptake and hemolysin produc tion. Using this system we also identified novel conserved virulence factors required for Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenicity. This study extends the utility of C.elegans as an in vivo model for the study of bacterial virulence and advances the molecular understanding of S.marcescens pathogenicity. PMID:12660152

Previously identified patellar tendinopathy risk factors differ between elite and sub-elite volleyball players.

PubMed

Janssen, I; Steele, J R; Munro, B J; Brown, N A T

2015-06-01

Patellar tendinopathy is the most common knee injury incurred in volleyball, with its prevalence in elite athletes more than three times that of their sub-elite counterparts. The purpose of this study was to determine whether patellar tendinopathy risk factors differed between elite and sub-elite male volleyball players. Nine elite and nine sub-elite male volleyball players performed a lateral stop-jump block movement. Maximum vertical jump, training history, muscle extensibility and strength, three-dimensional landing kinematics (250 Hz), along with lower limb neuromuscular activation patterns (1500 Hz), and patellar tendon loading were collected during each trial. Multivariate analyses of variance (P < 0.05) assessed for between-group differences in risk factors or patellar tendon loading. Significant interaction effects were further evaluated using post-hoc univariate analysis of variance tests. Landing kinematics, neuromuscular activation patterns, patellar tendon loading, and most of the previously identified risk factors did not differ between the elite and sub-elite players. However, elite players participated in a higher training volume and had less quadriceps extensibility than sub-elite players. Therefore, high training volume is likely the primary contributor to the injury discrepancy between elite and sub-elite volleyball players. Interventions designed to reduce landing frequency and improve quadriceps extensibility are recommended to reduce patellar tendinopathy prevalence in volleyball players. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Understanding and Improving the Elastic Compressive Modulus of Fibre Reinforced Soy-Based Polyurethane Foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Sadakat

Soy-based polyurethane foams (PUFs) were reinforced with fibres of different aspect ratios to improve the compressive modulus. Each of the three fibre types reinforced PUF differently. Shorter micro-crystalline cellulose fibres were found embedded inside the cell struts of PUF and reinforced them. The reinforcement was attributed to be stress transfer from the matrix to the fibre by comparing the experimental results to those predicted by micro-mechanical models for short fibre reinforced composites. The reinforced cell struts increased the overall compressive modulus of the foam. Longer glass fibres (470 microns, length) provided the best reinforcement. These fibres were found to be larger than the cell diameters. The micro-mechanical models could not predict the reinforcement provided by the longer glass fibres. The models predicted negligible reinforcement because the very low modulus PUF should not transfer load to the higher modulus fibres. However, using a finite element model, it was determined that the fibres were providing reinforcement through direct fibre interaction with each other. Intermediate length glass fibres (260 microns, length) were found to poorly reinforce the PUF and should be avoided. These fibres were too short to interact with each other and were on average too large to embed and reinforce cell struts. In order to produce natural fibre reinforced PUFs in the future, a novel device was invented. The purpose of the device is to deliver natural fibres at a constant mass flow rate. The device was found to consistently meter individual loose natural fibre tufts at a mass flow rate of 2 grams per second. However, the device is not robust and requires further development to deliver a fine stream of natural fibre that can mix and interact with the curing polymeric components of PUF. A design plan was proposed to address the remaining issues with the device.

Zirconium-based metal organic frameworks loaded on polyurethane foam membrane for simultaneous removal of dyes with different charges.

PubMed

Li, Juan; Gong, Ji-Lai; Zeng, Guang-Ming; Zhang, Peng; Song, Biao; Cao, Wei-Cheng; Liu, Hong-Yu; Huan, Shuang-Yan

2018-10-01

Treating dye wastewater by membrane filtration technology has received much attention from researchers all over the world, however, current studies mainly focused on the removal of singly charged dyes but actual wastewater usually contains dyes with different charges. In this study, the removal of neutral, cationic and anionic dyes in binary or ternary systems was conducted by using zirconium-based metal organic frameworks loaded on polyurethane foam (Zr-MOFs-PUF) membrane. The Zr-MOFs-PUF membrane was fabricated by an in-situ hydrothermal synthesis approach and a hot-pressing process. Neutrally charged Rhodamine B (RB), positively charged Methylene blue (MB), and negatively charged Congo red (CR) were chosen as model pollutants for investigating filtration performance of the membrane. The results of filtration experiments showed that the Zr-MOFs-PUF membrane could simultaneously remove RB, MB, and CR not only from their binary system including RB/MB, RB/CR, and MB/CR mixtures, but also from RB/MB/CR ternary system. The removal of dyes by Zr-MOFs-PUF membrane was mainly attributed to the electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bond interaction, and Lewis acid-base interactions between the membrane and dye molecules. The maximum removal efficiencies by Zr-MOFs-PUF membrane were 98.80% for RB at pH ≈ 7, 97.57% for MB at pH ≈ 9, and 87.39% for CR at pH ≈ 3. Additionally, when the NaCl concentration reached 0.5 mol/L in single dye solutions, the removal efficiencies of RB, MB, and CR by Zr-MOFs-PUF membrane were 93.08%, 79.52%, and 97.82%, respectively. All the results suggested that the as-prepared Zr-MOFs-PUF membrane has great potential in practical treatment of dye wastewater. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying social factors amongst older individuals in linked electronic health records: An assessment in a population based study

PubMed Central

van Hoek, Albert J.; Walker, Jemma L.; Mathur, Rohini; Smeeth, Liam; Thomas, Sara L.

2017-01-01

Identification and quantification of health inequities amongst specific social groups is a pre-requisite for designing targeted healthcare interventions. This study investigated the recording of social factors in linked electronic health records (EHR) of individuals aged ≥65 years, to assess the potential of these data to identify the social determinants of disease burden and uptake of healthcare interventions. Methodology was developed for ascertaining social factors recorded on or before a pre-specified index date (01/01/2013) using primary care data from Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) linked to hospitalisation and deprivation data in a cross-sectional study. Social factors included: religion, ethnicity, immigration status, small area-level deprivation, place of residence (including communal establishments such as care homes), marital status and living arrangements (e.g. living alone, cohabitation). Each social factor was examined for: completeness of recording including improvements in completeness by using other linked EHR, timeliness of recording for factors that might change over time and their representativeness (compared with English 2011 Census data when available). Data for 591,037 individuals from 389 practices from England were analysed. The completeness of recording varied from 1.6% for immigration status to ~80% for ethnicity. Linkages provided the deprivation data (available for 82% individuals) and improved completeness of ethnicity recording from 55% to 79% (when hospitalisation data were added). Data for ethnicity, deprivation, living arrangements and care home residence were comparable to the Census data. For time-varying variables such as residence and living alone, ~60% and ~35% respectively of those with available data, had this information recorded within the last 5 years of the index date. This work provides methods to identify social factors in EHR relevant to older individuals and shows that factors such as ethnicity

Identifying risk factors of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 subtype) in Indonesia.

PubMed

Loth, Leo; Gilbert, Marius; Wu, Jianmei; Czarnecki, Christina; Hidayat, Muhammad; Xiao, Xiangming

2011-10-01

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), subtype H5N1, was first officially reported in Indonesia in 2004. Since then the disease has spread and is now endemic in large parts of the country. This study investigated the statistical relationship between a set of risk factors and the presence or absence of HPAI in Indonesia during 2006 and 2007. HPAI was evaluated through participatory disease surveillance (PDS) in backyard village chickens (the study population), and risk factors included descriptors of people and poultry distribution (separating chickens, ducks and production sectors), poultry movement patterns and agro-ecological conditions. The study showed that the risk factors "elevation", "human population density" and "rice cropping" were significant in accounting for the spatial variation of the PDS-defined HPAI cases. These findings were consistent with earlier studies in Thailand and Vietnam. In addition "commercial poultry population", and two indicators of market locations and transport; "human settlements" and "road length", were identified as significant risk factors in the models. In contrast to several previous studies carried out in Southeast Asia, domestic backyard ducks were not found to be a significant risk factor in Indonesia. The study used surrogate estimates of market locations and marketing chains and further work should focus on the actual location of the live bird markets, and on the flow of live poultry and poultry products between them, so that patterns of possible transmission, and regions of particular risk could be better inferred. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying risk factors of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 subtype) in Indonesia

PubMed Central

Leo, Loth; Marius, Gilbert; Jianmei, Wu; Christina, Czarnecki; Muhammad, Hidayat; Xiangming, Xiao

2016-01-01

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), subtype H5N1, was first officially reported in Indonesia in 2004. Since then the disease has spread and is now endemic in large parts of the country. This study investigated the statistical relationship between a set of risk factors and the presence or absence of HPAI in Indonesia during 2006 and 2007. HPAI was evaluated through participatory disease surveillance (PDS) in backyard village chickens (the study population), and risk factors included descriptors of people and poultry distribution (separating chickens, ducks and production sectors), poultry movement patterns and agro-ecological conditions. The study showed that the risk factors “elevation”, “human population density” and “rice cropping” were significant in accounting for the spatial variation of the PDS-defined HPAI cases. These findings were consistent with earlier studies in Thailand and Vietnam. In addition “commercial poultry population”, and two indicators of market locations and transport; “human settlements” and “road length”, were identified as significant risk factors in the models. In contrast to several previous studies carried out in Southeast Asia, domestic backyard ducks were not found to be a significant risk factor in Indonesia. The study used surrogate estimates of market locations and marketing chains and further work should focus on the actual location of the live bird markets, and on the flow of live poultry and poultry products between them, so that patterns of possible transmission, and regions of particular risk could be better inferred. PMID:21813198

Defluoridation technology for drinking water and tea by green synthesized Fe3O4/Al2O3 nanoparticles coated polyurethane foams for rural communities.

PubMed

Kumari, Sonu; Khan, Suphiya

2017-08-14

Fluoride (F) contaminated ground water poses a serious public health concern to rural population with unaffordable purification technologies. Therefore, development of a cost-effective, portable, environment and user-friendly defluoridation technique is imperative. In the present study, we report on the development of a green and cost-effective method that utilizes Fe 3 O 4 and Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles (NPs) that were synthesized using jojoba defatted meal. These NPs were impregnated on to polyurethane foam (PUF) and made into tea infusion bags. The Al 2 O 3 NPs-PUF displayed a higher water defluoridation capacity of 43.47 mg g -1 of F as compared to 34.48 mg g -1 of F with Fe 3 O 4 NPs-PUF. The synthesized Al 2 O 3 -PUF infusion bags removed the F that was under the permissible limit of 1.5 mg L -1 . The sorption experiments were conducted to verify the effect of different parameters such as pH, contact time, size of PUF and initial F concentration. The different properties of adsorbent were characterized using a combination of FESEM, EDX, XRD and FTIR techniques, respectively. The calculated total cost per NPs-PUF pouch developed is as low as US $0.05, which makes the technology most suitable for rural communities. This paper will be beneficial for researchers working toward further improvement in water purification technologies.

Polyurethane foam loaded with SDS for the adsorption of cationic dyes from aqueous medium: Multivariate optimization of the loading process.

PubMed

Robaina, Nicolle F; Soriano, Silvio; Cassella, Ricardo J

2009-08-15

This paper reports the development of a new procedure for the adsorption of four cationic dyes (Rhodamine B, Methylene Blue, Crystal Violet and Malachite Green) from aqueous medium employing polyurethane foam (PUF) loaded with sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) as solid phase. PUF loading process was based on the stirring of 200mg PUF cylinders with acidic solutions containing SDS. The conditions for loading were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) using a Doehlert design with three variables that were SDS and HCl concentrations and stirring time. Results obtained in the optimization process showed that the stirring time is not a relevant parameter in the PUF loading, evidencing that the transport of SDS from solution to PUF surface is fast. On the other hand, both SDS and HCl concentrations were important parameters causing significant variation in the efficiency of the resulting solid phase for the removal of dyes from solution. At optimized conditions, SDS and HCl concentrations were 4.0 x 10(-4) and 0.90 mol L(-1), respectively. The influence of stirring time was evaluated by univariate methodology. A 20 min stirring time was established in order to make the PUF loading process fast and robust without losing efficiency. The procedure was tested for the removal of the four cationic dyes from aqueous solutions and removal efficiencies always better than 90% were achieved for the two concentrations tested (2.0 x 10(-5) and 1.0 x 10(-4)mol L(-1)).

A retrospective analysis to identify the factors affecting infection in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

PubMed

Park, Ji Hyun; Kim, Hyeon-Young; Lee, Hanna; Yun, Eun Kyoung

2015-12-01

This study compares the performance of the logistic regression and decision tree analysis methods for assessing the risk factors for infection in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The subjects were 732 cancer patients who were receiving chemotherapy at K university hospital in Seoul, Korea. The data were collected between March 2011 and February 2013 and were processed for descriptive analysis, logistic regression and decision tree analysis using the IBM SPSS Statistics 19 and Modeler 15.1 programs. The most common risk factors for infection in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were identified as alkylating agents, vinca alkaloid and underlying diabetes mellitus. The logistic regression explained 66.7% of the variation in the data in terms of sensitivity and 88.9% in terms of specificity. The decision tree analysis accounted for 55.0% of the variation in the data in terms of sensitivity and 89.0% in terms of specificity. As for the overall classification accuracy, the logistic regression explained 88.0% and the decision tree analysis explained 87.2%. The logistic regression analysis showed a higher degree of sensitivity and classification accuracy. Therefore, logistic regression analysis is concluded to be the more effective and useful method for establishing an infection prediction model for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of contextual factors in the rehabilitation of adolescent survivors of traumatic brain injury: emerging concepts identified through modified narrative review.

PubMed

Ciccia, Angela Hein; Threats, Travis

2015-07-01

Recently research in traumatic brain injury (TBI) intervention has identified the benefits of contextualized, embedded, functionally based approaches to maximize treatment outcomes. An essential component of contextualized intervention is the direct and purposeful consideration of the broader context, in which the person with TBI functions. However, systematic consideration of contextual factors remains limited both in research and clinical practice. The purposes of this modified narrative review were (1) to provide a succinct review of the available literature regarding the contextual factors that are specific to adolescent survivors of TBI, one of highest incidence groups for brain injury; (2) to connect these contextual factors to the direct long-term management of TBI and to identify their potential impact on outcome; and (3) to highlight areas that are open to research and clinical advances that could enhance positive outcomes for adolescent survivors of TBI. The framework of the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-Children and Youth Version (ICF-CY; 2007) was used as a foundation for this review. A systematic literature search was conducted using databases and hand searches. A total of 102 articles were originally identified. Twenty-five original research articles, eight review papers and four expert opinion papers met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the final review. The body of research specifically focused on contextual factors is an emerging area. Early findings indicate that a focus on the direct modification of contextual factors is promising for the facilitation of positive outcomes long into the chronic phase of management for adolescences who have survived a TBI. The contextual factors included in this review were the overall ability of the school to support a student post-TBI, family psychosocial risk (sibling/sibling relationships/stress/burden/support), coping

Identifying youth at risk for difficulties following a traumatic event: pre-event factors are associated with acute symptomatology.

PubMed

Goslin, Megan C; Stover, Carla Smith; Berkowitz, Steven; Marans, Steven

2013-08-01

This study examined factors related to children's acute symptoms following a potentially traumatic event (PTE) to more clearly identify domains that should be included in screenings of youth exposed to a PTE. In particular, the authors examined whether trauma category (i.e., sexual abuse/disclosure of abuse, intentionally perpetrated traumas other than sexual abuse, and unintentional traumas) was related to symptoms after controlling for other relevant factors. Participants were 112 youth presenting for clinical evaluation within a month of a PTE and their nonoffending caregivers. Using data from baseline assessments collected as part of a randomized controlled trial of a secondary prevention program, the following factors were tested in 3 hierarchical regression models: index PTE category, history of traumatic exposure, preindex event functioning, and parenting behaviors. Prior trauma exposure, preindex event functioning, and hostile parenting were uniquely related to children's symptoms in the acute posttraumatic period after controlling for time since the event and child age, but trauma category was not. Implications for identifying and referring children at high risk for poor outcomes in the early aftermath of a PTE are discussed. An exclusive focus on the event is insufficient and more comprehensive understanding of the child and family is required. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

TG-FTIR characterization of flame retardant polyurethane foams materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.; Tang, Y.; Li, F.; Ge, X. G.; Zhang, Z. J.

2016-07-01

Dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and trichloroethyl phosphtate (TCEP) have been used to enhance the flame retardancy of polyurethane foams materials (PUF). Flame retardancy and thermal degradation of PUF samples have been investigated by the LOI tests and thermal analysis. The results indicate that the excellent flame retardancy can be achieved due to the presence of the flame retardant system containing DMMP and TCEP. TG-FTIR reveals that the addition of DMMP/TCEP can not only improve the thermal stability of PUF samples but can also affect the gaseous phase at high temperature.

Identifying psychosocial stressors of well-being and factors related to substance use among Latino day laborers.

PubMed

Nalini Junko Negi

2011-08-01

Day labor is largely comprised of young Latino immigrant men, many of who are undocumented, and thus vulnerable to a myriad of workers' rights abuses. The difficult work and life conditions of this marginalized population may place them at heightened risk for mental health problems and substance use and abuse. However, factors related to Latino day laborers' well-being and substance misuse are largely unknown. This article utilizes ethnographic and focus group methodology to elucidate participant identified factors associated to well-being and substance use and abuse. This study has implications for informing public health and social service programming as it provides thick description regarding the context and circumstances associated to increased vulnerability to substance abuse and lack of well-being among this hard-to-reach population of Latino immigrants.

Identifying Psychosocial Stressors of Well-Being and Factors Related to Substance Use Among Latino Day Laborers

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Day labor is largely comprised of young Latino immigrant men, many of who are undocumented, and thus vulnerable to a myriad of workers’ rights abuses. The difficult work and life conditions of this marginalized population may place them at heightened risk for mental health problems and substance use and abuse. However, factors related to Latino day laborers’ well-being and substance misuse are largely unknown. This article utilizes ethnographic and focus group methodology to elucidate participant identified factors associated to well-being and substance use and abuse. This study has implications for informing public health and social service programming as it provides thick description regarding the context and circumstances associated to increased vulnerability to substance abuse and lack of well-being among this hard-to-reach population of Latino immigrants. PMID:21107694

Identifying Key Factors Relevant for Base Camp Siting

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

designated by other authorized documents. DESTROY THIS REPORT WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. DO NOT RETURN IT TO THE ORIGINATOR. ERDC TR-17-17 iii Contents...Criteria Framework .......................................................................................... 6 3.1 Design templates...18 Tables Table 1. Design choice factors. Each

Impact of identifying factors which trigger bothersome tinnitus on the treatment outcome in tinnitus retraining therapy.

PubMed

Molini, Egisto; Faralli, Mario; Calzolaro, Lucia; Ricci, Giampietro

2014-01-01

The aim of this work was to ascertain any differences in the effectiveness of rehabilitation therapy in relation to the presence or absence of a known negative reinforcement responsible for the tinnitus-related pathology. Between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2008, we recruited 294 subjects suffering from incapacitating tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. The patients underwent tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) according to the methods described by Jastreboff and Hazell [Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: Implementing the Neurophysiological Model. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004, pp 121-133]. We clinically assessed the presence or absence of known phenomena of associative learning, regarding the presence of adverse events temporally correlated with tinnitus and the treatment outcome. The separate analysis of the 2 subgroups shows a statistically significant difference in the improvement rate between the group with a known triggering factor and the group without a triggering factor, with a preponderance of the former with a 91% improvement rate versus approximately 56% for the latter. In our study, the inability to identify factors triggering bothersome tinnitus negatively affected the treatment outcome in TRT. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Identifying effective factors on consumers' choice behavior toward green products: the case of Tehran, the capital of Iran.

PubMed

Rahnama, Hassan; Rajabpour, Shayan

2017-01-01

The environment is increasingly turning to a vital and very important issue for all people. By increasing environmental concerns as well as legislating and regulating rules on the protection of the environment and the emergence of green consumers, implementing green marketing approach for organizations seems to be more crucial and essential. As a result, the need for ecological products and green business activities compels companies to combine environmental issues with marketing strategies. The first step in the success of companies and organizations is to identify consumers and their consumption behaviors correctly and accurately. So, the purpose of this study is to identify effective factors for the choice of consumers of green products. We used consumption values (functional value, social value, emotional value, conditional value, epistemic value, and environmental value) as the effective factor for choosing green products. The original place of this research was in Tehran, capital city of Iran, which is one of the most polluted cities in the world due to environmental issues. The results from the survey questionnaires are analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results indicated that functional value-price, functional value-quality, social value, epistemic value, and environmental value had significantly positive effects on the choice of green products; also, conditional value and emotional value had no influence on it. It was concluded that the main influential factors for consumers' choice behavior regarding green products included environmental value and epistemic value. This study emphasized the proper pricing of green products by producers and sellers.

Proteomic analysis identifies insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-related protein-1 as a podocyte product.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Takayuki; Hess, Sonja; Kajiyama, Hiroshi; Sakairi, Toru; Saleem, Moin A; Mathieson, Peter W; Nojima, Yoshihisa; Kopp, Jeffrey B

2010-10-01

The podocyte secretory proteome may influence the phenotype of adjacent podocytes, endothelial cells, parietal epithelial cells, and tubular epithelial cells but has not been systematically characterized. We have initiated studies to characterize this proteome, with the goal of further understanding the podocyte cell biology. We cultured differentiated conditionally immortalized human podocytes and subjected the proteins in conditioned medium to mass spectrometry. At a false discovery rate of <3%, we identified 111 candidates from conditioned medium, including 44 proteins that have signal peptides or are described as secreted proteins in the UniProt database. As validation, we confirmed that one of these proteins, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-related protein-1 (IGFBP-rP1), was expressed in mRNA and protein of cultured podocytes. In addition, transforming growth factor-β1 stimulation increased IGFBP-rP1 in conditioned medium. We analyzed IGFBP-rP1 glomerular expression in a mouse model of human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy. IGFBP-rP1 was absent from podocytes of normal mice and was expressed in podocytes and pseudocrescents of transgenic mice, where it was coexpressed with desmin, a podocyte injury marker. We conclude that IGFBP-rP1 may be a product of injured podocytes. Further analysis of the podocyte secretory proteome may identify biomarkers of podocyte injury.

New breast cancer prognostic factors identified by computer-aided image analysis of HE stained histopathology images

PubMed Central

Chen, Jia-Mei; Qu, Ai-Ping; Wang, Lin-Wei; Yuan, Jing-Ping; Yang, Fang; Xiang, Qing-Ming; Maskey, Ninu; Yang, Gui-Fang; Liu, Juan; Li, Yan

2015-01-01

Computer-aided image analysis (CAI) can help objectively quantify morphologic features of hematoxylin-eosin (HE) histopathology images and provide potentially useful prognostic information on breast cancer. We performed a CAI workflow on 1,150 HE images from 230 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast. We used a pixel-wise support vector machine classifier for tumor nests (TNs)-stroma segmentation, and a marker-controlled watershed algorithm for nuclei segmentation. 730 morphologic parameters were extracted after segmentation, and 12 parameters identified by Kaplan-Meier analysis were significantly associated with 8-year disease free survival (P < 0.05 for all). Moreover, four image features including TNs feature (HR 1.327, 95%CI [1.001 - 1.759], P = 0.049), TNs cell nuclei feature (HR 0.729, 95%CI [0.537 - 0.989], P = 0.042), TNs cell density (HR 1.625, 95%CI [1.177 - 2.244], P = 0.003), and stromal cell structure feature (HR 1.596, 95%CI [1.142 - 2.229], P = 0.006) were identified by multivariate Cox proportional hazards model to be new independent prognostic factors. The results indicated that CAI can assist the pathologist in extracting prognostic information from HE histopathology images for IDC. The TNs feature, TNs cell nuclei feature, TNs cell density, and stromal cell structure feature could be new prognostic factors. PMID:26022540

A critical assessment of passive air samplers for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karásková, Pavlína; Codling, Garry; Melymuk, Lisa; Klánová, Jana

2018-07-01

Since their inclusion in the Stockholm Convention, there has been a need for global monitoring of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF), along with other non-listed highly fluorinated compounds. Passive air samplers (PAS) are ideal for geographic coverage of atmospheric monitoring. The most common type of PAS, using polyurethane foam (PUF) as a sorbent, was primarily developed for non-polar semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and are not well-validated for polar substances such as the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), however, they have been used for some PFASs, particularly PFOS. To evaluate their applicability, PAS were deployed for measurement of PFASs in outdoor and indoor air. Outdoors, two types of PAS, one consisting of PUF and one of XAD-2 resin, were deployed in an 18-week calibration study in parallel with a low-volume active air sampler (LV-AAS) in a suburban area. Indoors, PUF-PAS were similarly deployed over 12 weeks to evaluate their applicability for indoor monitoring. Samples were analysed for perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs), perfluorooctane sulfonamides (FOSAs), and perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanols (FOSEs). In outdoor air, 17 out of the 21 PFAS were detected in more than 50% of samples, with a median ∑17PFASs of 18.0 pg m-3 while 20 compounds were detected in indoor air with a median concentration ∑20PFASs of 76.6 pg m-3 using AAS samplers. PFOS was the most common PFAS in the outdoor air while PFBA was most common indoors. Variability between PAS and AAS was observed and comparing gas phase and particle phase separately or in combination did not account for the variation observed. PUF-PAS may still have a valuable use in PFAS monitoring but more work is needed to identify the applicability of passive samplers for ionic PFAS.

Factors associated with onset timing, symptoms, and severity of depression identified in the postpartum period.

PubMed

Fisher, Sheehan D; Wisner, Katherine L; Clark, Crystal T; Sit, Dorothy K; Luther, James F; Wisniewski, Stephen

2016-10-01

Unipolar and bipolar depression identified in the postpartum period have a heterogeneous etiology. The objectives of this study are to examine the risk factors that distinguish the timing of onset for unipolar and bipolar depression and the associations between depression onset by diagnosis, and general and atypical depressive symptoms. Symptoms of depression were assessed at 4- to 6-weeks postpartum by the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-Atypical Depression Symptoms in an obstetrical sample of 727 women. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Chi-square, and linear regression. Mothers with postpartum onset of depression were more likely to be older, Caucasian, educated, married/cohabitating, have one or no previous child, and have private insurance in contrast to mothers with pre-pregnancy and prenatal onset of depression. Mothers with bipolar depression were more likely to have a pre-pregnancy onset. Three general and two atypical depressive symptoms distinguished pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, and postpartum depression onset, and the presence of agitation distinguished between unipolar and bipolar depression. The sample was urban, which may not be generalizable to other populations. The study was cross-sectional, which excludes potential late onset of depression (after 4-6 weeks) in the first postpartum year. A collective set of factors predicted the onset of depression identified in the postpartum for mothers distinguished by episodes of unipolar versus bipolar depression, which can inform clinical interventions. Future research on the onset of major depressive episodes could inform prophylactic and early psychiatric interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying relationships between baseflow geochemistry and land use with synoptic sampling and R-Mode factor analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wayland, Karen G.; Long, David T.; Hyndman, David W.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Woodhams, Sarah M.; Haak, Sheridan K.

2003-01-01

The relationship between land use and stream chemistry is often explored through synoptic sampling rivers at baseflow condition. However, base flow chemistry is likely to vary temporally and spatially with land use. The purpose of our study is to examine the usefulness of the synoptic sampling approach for identifying the relationship between complex land use configurations and stream water quality. This study compares biogeochemical data from three synoptic sampling events representing the temporal variability of baseflow chemistry and land use using R-mode factor analysis. Separate R-mode factor analyses of the data from individual sampling events yielded only two consistent factors. Agricultural activity was associated with elevated levels of Ca2+, Mg2+, alkalinity, and frequently K+, SO42-, and NO3-. Urban areas were associated with higher concentrations of Na+, K+, and Cl-. Other retained factors were not  consistent among sampling events, and some factors were difficult to interpret in the context of biogeochemical sources and processes. When all data were combined, further associations were revealed such as an inverse relationship between the proportion of wetlands and stream nitrate concentrations. We also found that barren lands were associated with elevated sulfate levels. This research suggests that an individual sampling event is unlikely to characterize adequately the complex processes controlling interactions between land uses and stream chemistry. Combining data collected over two years during three synoptic sampling events appears to enhance our ability to understand processes linking stream chemistry and land use.  

Identifying Factors Associated with Maternal Deaths in Jharkhand, India: A Verbal Autopsy Study

PubMed Central

Pradhan, Manas Ranjan

2013-01-01

Maternal mortality has been identified as a priority issue in health policy and research in India. The country, with an annual decrease of maternal mortality rate by 4.9% since 1990, now records 63,000 maternal deaths a year. India tops the list of countries with high maternal mortality. Based on a verbal autopsy study of 403 maternal deaths, conducted in 2008, this paper explores the missed opportunities to save maternal lives, besides probing into the socioeconomic factors contributing to maternal deaths in Jharkhand, India. This cross-sectional study was carried out in two phases, and a multistage sampling design was used in selecting deaths for verbal autopsy. Informed consent was taken into consideration before verbal autopsy. The analytical approach includes bivariate analysis using SPSS 15, besides triangulation of qualitative and quantitative findings. Most of the deceased were poor (89%), non-literates (85%), and housewives (74%). Again, 80% died in the community/at home, 28% died during pregnancy while another 26% died during delivery. Any antenatal care was received by merely 28% women, and only 20% of the deliveries were conducted by skilled birth attendants (doctors and midwives). Delays in decision-making, travel, and treatment compounded by ignorance of obstetric complications, inadequate use of maternal healthcare services, poor healthcare infrastructure, and harmful rituals are the major contributing factors of maternal deaths in India. PMID:23930345

Genome-wide RNAi Screening to Identify Host Factors That Modulate Oncolytic Virus Therapy.

PubMed

Allan, Kristina J; Mahoney, Douglas J; Baird, Stephen D; Lefebvre, Charles A; Stojdl, David F

2018-04-03

High-throughput genome-wide RNAi (RNA interference) screening technology has been widely used for discovering host factors that impact virus replication. Here we present the application of this technology to uncovering host targets that specifically modulate the replication of Maraba virus, an oncolytic rhabdovirus, and vaccinia virus with the goal of enhancing therapy. While the protocol has been tested for use with oncolytic Maraba virus and oncolytic vaccinia virus, this approach is applicable to other oncolytic viruses and can also be utilized for identifying host targets that modulate virus replication in mammalian cells in general. This protocol describes the development and validation of an assay for high-throughput RNAi screening in mammalian cells, the key considerations and preparation steps important for conducting a primary high-throughput RNAi screen, and a step-by-step guide for conducting a primary high-throughput RNAi screen; in addition, it broadly outlines the methods for conducting secondary screen validation and tertiary validation studies. The benefit of high-throughput RNAi screening is that it allows one to catalogue, in an extensive and unbiased fashion, host factors that modulate any aspect of virus replication for which one can develop an in vitro assay such as infectivity, burst size, and cytotoxicity. It has the power to uncover biotherapeutic targets unforeseen based on current knowledge.

Identifying factors associated with maternal deaths in Jharkhand, India: a verbal autopsy study.

PubMed

Khan, Nizamuddin; Pradhan, Manas Ranjan

2013-06-01

Maternal mortality has been identified as a priority issue in health policy and research in India. The country, with an annual decrease of maternal mortality rate by 4.9% since 1990, now records 63,000 maternal deaths a year. India tops the list of countries with high maternal mortality. Based on a verbal autopsy study of 403 maternal deaths, conducted in 2008, this paper explores the missed opportunities to save maternal lives, besides probing into the socioeconomic factors contributing to maternal deaths in Jharkhand, India. This cross-sectional study was carried out in two phases, and a multistage sampling design was used in selecting deaths for verbal autopsy. Informed consent was taken into consideration before verbal autopsy. The analytical approach includes bivariate analysis using SPSS 15, besides triangulation of qualitative and quantitative findings. Most of the deceased were poor (89%), non-literates (85%), and housewives (74%). Again, 80% died in the community/at home, 28% died during pregnancy while another 26% died during delivery. Any antenatal care was received by merely 28% women, and only 20% of the deliveries were conducted by skilled birth attendants (doctors and midwives). Delays in decision-making, travel, and treatment compounded by ignorance of obstetric complications, inadequate use of maternal healthcare services, poor healthcare infrastructure, and harmful rituals are the major contributing factors of maternal deaths in India.

Identifying and exploring factors influencing career choice, recruitment and retention of anaesthesia trainees in the UK.

PubMed

Moore, J N; McDiarmid, A J; Johnston, P W; Cleland, J A

2017-02-01

Many acute hospital specialties are experiencing low recruitment and high attrition of trainees. Understanding what is important to current trainees is critical in terms of identifying and addressing factors which adversely affect recruitment and retention. To identify and explore factors involved in anaesthetic trainees' career decision making. This was a mixed methods study using a questionnaire survey (assessing how influential 18 different factors were when choosing anaesthetics, using a five-point Likert scale), supplemented by semi-structured interviews, carried out in August-December 2014, in Scotland, UK. 42/68 (62%) completed responses were received, representing over half of all core (58%) and Acute Care Common Stem (65%) trainees across Scotland. Overall, questionnaire data indicated that the following were most important in career decision making: perceived job satisfaction among those already in the specialty, structured training, the nature of the work (practical, varied, immediate outcomes). Thirteen interviews were carried out. These highlighted that prior positive exposure and experience with anaesthetists encouraged trainees into the specialty. Enthusiastic, supportive colleagues and structured training (including clear milestones, regular teaching and feedback) were considered to enhance the quality of training. Sustainable working conditions, flexibility within programme and out-of-programme opportunities were valued. Respondents reported concerns about the impact of increasing service delivery demands on training quality. Many of the elements important to today's anaesthetics trainees are related to positive learning and working environments. This fits with research findings from other professional groups. These findings can inform the development of programmes which cultivate trainee commitment to, and enthusiasm for, anaesthetics. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence

Comparison of packing material in an animal model of middle ear trauma.

PubMed

Perez, Enrique; Hachem, Ralph Abi; Carlton, Daniel; Bueno, Isabel; Vernon, Stephen; Van De Water, Thomas R; Angeli, Simon I

2016-01-01

To compare the performance of absorbable gelatin sponge (AGS) with polyurethane foam (PUF) as middle ear packing material after mucosal trauma. Using a randomized, controlled and blinded study design fifteen guinea pigs underwent middle ear surgery with mucosal trauma performed on both ears. One ear was packed with either PUF or AGS while the contralateral ear remained untreated and used as non-packed paired controls. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds were measured pre-operatively and repeated at 1, 2, and 6weeks postoperatively. Histological analysis of middle ear mucosa was done in each group to evaluate the inflammatory reaction and wound healing. Another eighteen animals underwent middle ear wounding and packing in one ear while the contralateral ear was left undisturbed as control. Twelve guinea pigs were euthanized at 2weeks postoperatively, and six were euthanized at 3days post-operatively. Mucosal samples were collected for analysis of TGF-β1 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ABR recordings demonstrate that threshold level changes from baseline were minor in PUF packed and control ears. Threshold levels were higher in the AGS packed ears compared with both control and PUF packed ears for low frequency stimuli. Histological analysis showed persistence of packing material at 6weeks postoperatively, inflammation, granulation tissue formation, foreign body reaction and neo-osteogenesis in both AGS and PUF groups. TGF-β1 protein levels did not differ between groups. PUF and AGS packing cause inflammation and neo-osteogenesis in the middle ear following wounding of the mucosa and packing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Burden of liver disease in Europe: epidemiology and analysis of risk factors to identify prevention policies.

PubMed

Pimpin, Laura; Cortez-Pinto, Helena; Negro, Francesco; Corbould, Emily; Lazarus, Jeffrey V; Webber, Laura; Sheron, Nick

2018-05-16

The burden of liver disease in Europe continues to grow. We aimed to describe the epidemiology of liver diseases and their risk factors in European countries, and identify public health interventions that could impact on these risk factors to reduce the burden of liver disease. As part of the HEPAHEALTH project, commissioned by EASL, we extracted information on historical and current prevalence and mortality from national and international literature and databases on liver disease in 35 countries in the WHO European region, as well as historical and recent prevalence data on their main determinants; alcohol consumption, obesity and hepatitis B and C virus infections. We extracted information from peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify public health interventions targeting these risk factors. The epidemiology of liver disease is diverse and countries cluster with similar pictures, although the exact composition of diseases and the trends in risk factors which drive them is varied. Prevalence and mortality data indicate that increasing cirrhosis and liver cancer may be linked to dramatic increases in harmful alcohol consumption in Northern European countries, and viral hepatitis epidemics in Eastern and Southern European countries. Countries with historically low levels of liver disease may experience an increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the future, given the rise of obesity across the majority of European countries. Interventions exist for curbing harmful alcohol use, reducing obesity, preventing or treating viral hepatitis, and screening for liver disease at an early stage. Liver disease in Europe is a serious issue, with increasing cirrhosis and liver cancer. The public health and hepatology communities are uniquely placed to implement measures aimed at reducing their causes: harmful alcohol consumption, child and adult obesity prevalence and chronic infection with hepatitis viruses, which will in turn reduce the burden of liver disease. The

Pulmonary response to polyurethane dust.

PubMed Central

Stemmer, K L; Bingham, E; Barkley, W

1975-01-01

Weanling and 9 months or older rats were exposed to particles of an aged (PUF I) or freshly prepared (PUF II) rigid polyurethane foam by intratracheal intubation. The dose was 5 mg of particles. The response of the lung tissue was examined morphologically by serial sacrifices. Inflammation and macrophage activity were the initial responses. Fibrosis developed after 6 months. Nodular scars and perifocal emphysema were seen after 12 months. Four rats had a papillary adenoma in a major bronchus after 18 months exposure to PUF II. Images FIGURE 1. FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3. FIGURE 4. FIGURE 5. FIGURE 6. FIGURE 7. PMID:1175548

PTEN IDENTIFIED AS IMPORTANT RISK FACTOR OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

PubMed Central

Hosgood, H Dean; Menashe, Idan; He, Xingzhou; Chanock, Stephen; Lan, Qing

2009-01-01

Common genetic variation may play an important role in altering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk. In Xuanwei, China, the COPD rate is more than twice the Chinese national average, and COPD is strongly associated with in-home coal use. To identify genetic variation that may be associated with COPD in a population with substantial in-home coal smoke exposures, we evaluated 1,261 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 380 candidate genes potentially relevant for cancer and other human diseases in a population-based case-control study in Xuanwei (53 cases; 107 controls). PTEN was the most significantly associated gene with COPD in a minP analysis using 20,000 permutations (P = 0.00005). SNP-based analyses found that homozygote variant carriers of PTEN rs701848 (ORTT = 0.12, 95%CI = 0.03 - 0.47) had a significant decreased risk of COPD. PTEN, or phosphatase and tensin homolog, is an important regulator of cell cycle progression and cellular survival via the AKT signaling pathway. Our exploratory analysis suggests that genetic variation in PTEN may be an important risk factor of COPD in Xuanwei. However, due to the small sample size, additional studies are needed to evaluate these associations within Xuanwei and other populations with coal smoke exposures. PMID:19625176

Qualitative Analysis of E-Liquid Emissions as a Function of Flavor Additives Using Two Aerosol Capture Methods.

PubMed

Eddingsaas, Nathan; Pagano, Todd; Cummings, Cody; Rahman, Irfan; Robinson, Risa; Hensel, Edward

2018-02-13

This work investigates emissions sampling methods employed for qualitative identification of compounds in e-liquids and their resultant aerosols to assess what capture methods may be sufficient to identify harmful and potentially harmful constituents present. Three popular e-liquid flavors (cinnamon, mango, vanilla) were analyzed using qualitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the un-puffed state. Each liquid was also machine-puffed under realistic-use flow rate conditions and emissions were captured using two techniques: filter pads and methanol impingers. GC-MS analysis was conducted on the emissions captured using both techniques from all three e-liquids. The e-liquid GC-MS analysis resulted in positive identification of 13 compounds from the cinnamon flavor e-liquid, 31 from mango, and 19 from vanilla, including a number of compounds observed in all e-liquid experiments. Nineteen compounds were observed in emissions which were not present in the un-puffed e-liquid. Qualitative GC-MS analysis of the emissions samples identify compounds observed in all three samples: e-liquid, impinge, and filter pads, and each subset thereof. A limited number of compounds were observed in emissions captured with impingers, but were not observed in emissions captured using filter pads; a larger number of compounds were observed on emissions collected from the filter pads, but not those captured with impingers. It is demonstrated that sampling methods have different sampling efficiencies and some compounds might be missed using only one method. It is recommended to investigate filter pads, impingers, thermal desorption tubes, and solvent extraction resins to establish robust sampling methods for emissions testing of e-cigarette emissions.

Qualitative Analysis of E-Liquid Emissions as a Function of Flavor Additives Using Two Aerosol Capture Methods

PubMed Central

Eddingsaas, Nathan; Pagano, Todd; Cummings, Cody; Rahman, Irfan; Robinson, Risa

2018-01-01

This work investigates emissions sampling methods employed for qualitative identification of compounds in e-liquids and their resultant aerosols to assess what capture methods may be sufficient to identify harmful and potentially harmful constituents present. Three popular e-liquid flavors (cinnamon, mango, vanilla) were analyzed using qualitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the un-puffed state. Each liquid was also machine-puffed under realistic-use flow rate conditions and emissions were captured using two techniques: filter pads and methanol impingers. GC-MS analysis was conducted on the emissions captured using both techniques from all three e-liquids. The e-liquid GC-MS analysis resulted in positive identification of 13 compounds from the cinnamon flavor e-liquid, 31 from mango, and 19 from vanilla, including a number of compounds observed in all e-liquid experiments. Nineteen compounds were observed in emissions which were not present in the un-puffed e-liquid. Qualitative GC-MS analysis of the emissions samples identify compounds observed in all three samples: e-liquid, impinge, and filter pads, and each subset thereof. A limited number of compounds were observed in emissions captured with impingers, but were not observed in emissions captured using filter pads; a larger number of compounds were observed on emissions collected from the filter pads, but not those captured with impingers. It is demonstrated that sampling methods have different sampling efficiencies and some compounds might be missed using only one method. It is recommended to investigate filter pads, impingers, thermal desorption tubes, and solvent extraction resins to establish robust sampling methods for emissions testing of e-cigarette emissions. PMID:29438289

Identifying factors influencing contraceptive use in Bangladesh: evidence from BDHS 2014 data.

PubMed

Hossain, M B; Khan, M H R; Ababneh, F; Shaw, J E H

2018-01-30

Birth control is the conscious control of the birth rate by methods which temporarily prevent conception by interfering with the normal process of ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. High contraceptive prevalence rate is always expected for controlling births for those countries that are experiencing high population growth rate. The factors that influence contraceptive prevalence are also important to know for policy implication purposes in Bangladesh. This study aims to explore the socio-economic, demographic and others key factors that influence the use of contraception in Bangladesh. The contraception data are extracted from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data which were collected by using a two stage stratified random sampling technique that is a source of nested variability. The nested sources of variability must be incorporated in the model using random effects in order to model the actual parameter effects on contraceptive prevalence. A mixed effect logistic regression model has been implemented for the binary contraceptive data, where parameters are estimated through generalized estimating equation by assuming exchangeable correlation structure to explore and identify the factors that truly affect the use of contraception in Bangladesh. The prevalence of contraception use by currently married 15-49 years aged women or their husbands is 62.4%. Our study finds that administrative division, place of residence, religion, number of household members, woman's age, occupation, body mass index, breastfeeding practice, husband's education, wish for children, living status with wife, sexual activity in past year, women amenorrheic status, abstaining status, number of children born in last five years and total children ever died were significantly associated with contraception use in Bangladesh. The odds of women experiencing the outcome of interest are not independent due to the nested structure of the data. As a result, a mixed

Integration of energy and electron transfer processes in the photosynthetic membrane of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

DOE PAGES

Cartron, Michaël L.; Olsen, John D.; Sener, Melih; ...

2014-02-13

Photosynthesis converts absorbed solar energy to a protonmotive force, which drives ATP synthesis. The membrane network of chlorophyll–protein complexes responsible for light absorption, photochemistry and quinol (QH 2) production has been mapped in the purple phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides using atomic force microscopy (AFM), but the membrane location of the cytochrome bc 1 (cytbc 1) complexes that oxidise QH 2 to quinone (Q) to generate a protonmotive force is unknown. We labelled cytbc 1 complexes with gold nanobeads, each attached by a Histidine 10 (His 10)-tag to the C-terminus of cytc1. Electron microscopy (EM) of negatively stained chromatophore vesiclesmore » showed that the majority of the cytbc 1 complexes occur as dimers in the membrane. The cytbc 1 complexes appeared to be adjacent to reaction centre light-harvesting 1-PufX (RC-LH1-PufX) complexes, consistent with AFM topographs of a gold-labelled membrane. His-tagged cytbc1 complexes were retrieved from chromatophores partially solubilised by detergent; RC-LH1-PufX complexes tended to co-purify with cytbc 1, whereas LH2 complexes became detached, consistent with clusters of cytbc1 complexes close to RC-LH1-PufX arrays, but not with a fixed, stoichiometric cytbc 1-RC-LH1- PufX supercomplex. This information was combined with a quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of the RC, cytbc 1, ATP synthase, cytaa 3 and cytcbb 3 membrane protein complexes, to construct an atomic-level model of a chromatophore vesicle comprising 67 LH2 complexes, 11 LH1-RC-PufX dimers & 2 RC-LH1-PufX monomers, 4 cytbc 1 dimers and 2 ATP synthases. In conclusion, simulation of the interconnected energy, electron and proton transfer processes showed a halfmaximal ATP turnover rate for a light intensity equivalent to only 1% of bright sunlight. Thus, the photosystem architecture of the chromatophore is optimised for growth at low light intensities.« less

Trans-Ethnic Meta-Analysis Identifies Common and Rare Variants Associated with Hepatocyte Growth Factor Levels in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

PubMed Central

Larson, Nicholas B.; Berardi, Cecilia; Decker, Paul A.; Wassel, Christina L.; Kirsch, Phillip S.; Pankow, James S.; Sale, Michele M.; de Andrade, Mariza; Sicotte, Hugues; Tang, Weihong; Hanson, Naomi Q.; Tsai, Michael Y.; Taylor, Kent D.; Bielinski, Suzette J.

2015-01-01

Summary Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a mesenchyme-derived pleiotropic factor that regulates cell growth, motility, mitogenesis, and morphogenesis in a variety of cells, and increased serum levels of HGF have been linked to a number of clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease phenotypes. However, little is currently known regarding what genetic factors influence HGF levels, despite evidence of substantial genetic contributions to HGF variation. Based upon ethnicity-stratified single-variant association analysis and trans-ethnic meta-analysis of 6201 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), we discovered five statistically significant common and low-frequency variants: HGF missense polymorphism rs5745687 (p.E299K) as well as four variants (rs16844364, rs4690098, rs114303452, rs3748034) within or in proximity to HGFAC. We also identified two significant ethnicity-specific gene-level associations (A1BG in African Americans; FASN in Chinese Americans) based upon low-frequency/rare variants, while meta-analysis of gene-level results identified a significant association for HGFAC. However, identified single-variant associations explained modest proportions of the total trait variation and were not significantly associated with coronary artery calcium or coronary heart disease. Our findings indicate genetic factors influencing circulating HGF levels may be complex and ethnically diverse. PMID:25998175

Proteomic analysis of polyribosomes identifies splicing factors as potential regulators of translation during mitosis

PubMed Central

Hofmann, Sarah; Elman, Tamar; Shenoy, Anjana; Geiger, Tamar; Elkon, Ran; Ehrlich, Marcelo

2017-01-01

Abstract Precise regulation of mRNA translation is critical for proper cell division, but little is known about the factors that mediate it. To identify mRNA-binding proteins that regulate translation during mitosis, we analyzed the composition of polysomes from interphase and mitotic cells using unbiased quantitative mass-spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). We found that mitotic polysomes are enriched with a subset of proteins involved in RNA processing, including alternative splicing and RNA export. To demonstrate that these may indeed be regulators of translation, we focused on heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (hnRNP C) as a test case and confirmed that it is recruited to elongating ribosomes during mitosis. Then, using a combination of pulsed SILAC, metabolic labeling and ribosome profiling, we showed that knockdown of hnRNP C affects both global and transcript-specific translation rates and found that hnRNP C is specifically important for translation of mRNAs that encode ribosomal proteins and translation factors. Taken together, our results demonstrate how proteomic analysis of polysomes can provide insight into translation regulation under various cellular conditions of interest and suggest that hnRNP C facilitates production of translation machinery components during mitosis to provide daughter cells with the ability to efficiently synthesize proteins as they enter G1 phase. PMID:28460002

Newly identified poor prognostic factors for adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma treated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Tokunaga, Masahito; Uto, Hirofumi; Takeuchi, Shogo; Nakano, Nobuaki; Kubota, Ayumu; Tokunaga, Mayumi; Takatsuka, Yoshifusa; Seto, Masao; Ido, Akio; Utsunomiya, Atae

2017-01-01

To explore pre-transplantation prognostic factors for adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL), we retrospectively analyzed allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in 70 patients at our institute (63 acute type and seven lymphoma type patients). Forty-five patients died after HSCT and the three-year overall survival (OS) rate was 35.2%. By univariate analysis, the adverse prognostic factors for OS were performance status ≥2, hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) score ≥3, European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) risk score ≥5, HSCT from an HLA-mismatched donor, serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) level ≥10,000 U/mL, lymphocyte count ≥4000/μL, and hemoglobin <9 g/dL at the time of HSCT. EBMT risk score and sIL-2R were identified as significant adverse prognostic factors using multivariate analysis. This analysis clearly demonstrates for the first time that HCT-CI and EBMT risk scores are reliable prognostic factors for ATL patients receiving allo-HSCT.

Development of mass production type rigid polyurethane foam for LNG carrier using ozone depletion free blowing agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yeongbeom; Baek, Kye Hyun; Choe, Kunhyung; Han, Chonghun

2016-12-01

Nowadays the price of natural gas has become higher and the efficiency of propulsion system of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers has improved. Due to these trends, required boil-off rate (BOR) for LNG carrier has been lowered from 0.15%/day to 0.12%/day for conventional LNG carriers with sizes between 125,000 m3 and 170,000 m3. This requirement of BOR can be satisfied by using a rigid polyurethane foam (PUF) blown by 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (HCFC-141b) as an insulator. However, ozone depletion potential (ODP) of HCFC-141b requires alternative blowing agents with zero ODP such as hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) because of tougher environmental regulations. This paper introduces use of HFCs and additives to enhance properties of rigid PUFs under a mass production environment. Among the additives, perfluoroalkane (PFA) reduces thermal conductivity down to 12% and increases compressive strength up to 15% of a rigid PUF prepared in a laboratory scale. Based on this result, a mass production type rigid PUF is manufactured and is evaluated for BOR, mechanical strengths over operation temperature range, and thermal shock stability for LNG carriers. The BOR of the manufactured rigid PUF is below 0.12%/day, which satisfies the recent BOR specification for LNG carriers. The other required properties are also met the specifications for a conventional LNG carrier. Consequently, it is expected that the results in this paper will bring low BOR (<0.12%/day) LNG carries with rigid PUFs using ODP free blowing agents and contribute environmental protection through saving energy and preserving the ozone layer in the stratosphere.

Identifying contributing factors to fatal and serious injury motorcycle collisions involving children in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Oxley, Jennifer; Ravi, Mano Deepa; Yuen, Jeremy; Hoareau, Effie; Hashim, Hizal Hanis

2013-01-01

In Malaysia, motorcycle crashes constitute approximately 60 percent of all road trauma, and a substantial proportion involve children 16 years and younger. There are, however, many gaps in our knowledge on contributing factors to crashes and injury patterns amongst children killed and seriously injured in motorcycle crashes. The aim of this study was to examine fatal and serious injury motorcycle-related collisions to identify contributing factors and injury patterns amongst child motorcyclists. All identified motorcyclist fatal crashes between 2007 and 2011 (inclusive) were extracted from the national Police-reported crash database (M-ROADS) and a range of variables were selected for examination. A total of 17,677 crashes were extracted where a rider or pillion was killed and of these crashes 2,038 involved children, equating to 12 percent. Examination of crashes involving children revealed that some crashes involved more than two children on the motorcycle, therefore, overall children constituted 9.5% of fatal and 18.4% of serious injury collisions. A high proportion of child fatal or serious injury collisions involved the child as the rider (62%), and this was most common for children aged between 10 and 16 years. The majority of collisions occurred on rural roads, in speed limit zones of 50–70km/h, and approximately one-third occurred at an intersection. Collisions involving another motorcycle or a passenger vehicle contributed to 41% and 53% of the total fatalities and severe injuries, respectively. A high proportion (43.9%) of the children (25.5% riders and 18.8% pillion) sustained head injuries with 37.7% being in the 10–16 age group. Furthermore, 52.4% of the children sustaining head injuries did not wear a helmet. The implications of these findings for countermeasures within a Safe System framework, particularly interventions aimed at reducing the rate of unlicensed riding and helmet wearing, and infrastructure countermeasures are discussed. PMID

Serum 6-Bromotryptophan Levels Identified as a Risk Factor for CKD Progression.

PubMed

Tin, Adrienne; Nadkarni, Girish; Evans, Anne M; Winkler, Cheryl A; Bottinger, Erwin; Rebholz, Casey M; Sarnak, Mark J; Inker, Lesley A; Levey, Andrew S; Lipkowitz, Michael S; Appel, Lawrence J; Arking, Dan E; Coresh, Josef; Grams, Morgan E

2018-05-18

Background Metabolite levels reflect physiologic homeostasis and may serve as biomarkers of disease progression. Identifying metabolites associated with APOL1 risk alleles-genetic variants associated with CKD risk commonly present in persons of African descent-may reveal novel markers of CKD progression relevant to other populations. Methods We evaluated associations between the number of APOL1 risk alleles and 760 serum metabolites identified via untargeted profiling in participants of the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) ( n =588; Bonferroni significance threshold P <6.5×10 -5 ) and replicated findings in 678 black participants with CKD in Bio Me , an electronic medical record-linked biobank. We tested the metabolite association with CKD progression in AASK, Bio Me , and the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study. Results One metabolite, 6-bromotryptophan, was significant in AASK ( P =4.7×10 -5 ) and replicated in Bio Me ( P =5.7×10 -3 ) participants, with lower levels associated with more APOL1 risk alleles. Lower levels of 6-bromotryptophan were associated with CKD progression in AASK and Bio Me participants and in white participants in the MDRD Study, independent of demographics and clinical characteristics, including baseline GFR (adjusted hazard ratio per two-fold higher 6-bromotryptophan level, AASK, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.64 to 0.91; Bio Me , 0.61; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.85; MDRD, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.79). The interaction between the APOL1 risk alleles and 6-bromotryptophan was not significant. The identity of 6-bromotryptophan was confirmed in experiments comparing its molecular signature with that of authentic standards of other bromotryptophan isomers. Conclusions Serum 6-bromotryptophan is a consistent and novel risk factor for CKD progression. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Hypoxia leads to significant changes in alternative splicing and elevated expression of CLK splice factor kinases in PC3 prostate cancer cells.

PubMed

Bowler, Elizabeth; Porazinski, Sean; Uzor, Simon; Thibault, Philippe; Durand, Mathieu; Lapointe, Elvy; Rouschop, Kasper M A; Hancock, John; Wilson, Ian; Ladomery, Michael

2018-04-02

Mounting evidence suggests that one of the ways that cells adapt to hypoxia is through alternative splicing. The aim of this study was firstly to examine the effect of hypoxia on the alternative splicing of cancer associated genes using the prostate cancer cell line PC3 as a model. Secondly, the effect of hypoxia on the expression of several regulators of splicing was examined. PC3 cells were grown in 1% oxygen in a hypoxic chamber for 48 h, RNA extracted and sent for high throughput PCR analysis at the RNomics platform at the University of Sherbrooke, Canada. Genes whose exon inclusion rate PSI (ψ) changed significantly were identified, and their altered exon inclusion rates verified by RT-PCR in three cell lines. The expression of splice factors and splice factor kinases in response to hypoxia was examined by qPCR and western blotting. The splice factor kinase CLK1 was inhibited with the benzothiazole TG003. In PC3 cells the exon inclusion rate PSI (ψ) was seen to change by > 25% in 12 cancer-associated genes; MBP, APAF1, PUF60, SYNE2, CDC42BPA, FGFR10P, BTN2A2, UTRN, RAP1GDS1, PTPN13, TTC23 and CASP9 (caspase 9). The expression of the splice factors SRSF1, SRSF2, SRSF3, SAM68, HuR, hnRNPA1, and of the splice factor kinases SRPK1 and CLK1 increased significantly in hypoxia. We also observed that the splice factor kinase CLK3, but not CLK2 and CLK4, was also induced in hypoxic DU145 prostate, HT29 colon and MCF7 breast cancer cell lines. Lastly, we show that the inhibition of CLK1 in PC3 cells with the benzothiazole TG003 increased expression of the anti-apoptotic isoform caspase 9b. Significant changes in alternative splicing of cancer associated genes occur in prostate cancer cells in hypoxic conditions. The expression of several splice factors and splice factor kinases increases during hypoxia, in particular the Cdc-like splice factor kinases CLK1 and CLK3. We suggest that in hypoxia the elevated expression of these regulators of splicing helps cells adapt

Influences on the use of observational methods by practitioners when identifying risk factors in physical work.

PubMed

Diego-Mas, Jose-Antonio; Poveda-Bautista, Rocio; Garzon-Leal, Diana-Carolina

2015-01-01

Most observational methods for musculoskeletal disorder risk assessment have been developed by researchers to be applied in specific situations, and practitioners could find difficulties in their use in real-work conditions. The main objective of this study was to identify the factors which have an influence on how useful the observational techniques are perceived to be by practitioners and to what extent these factors influence their perception. A survey was conducted on practitioners regarding the problems normally encountered when implementing these methods, as well as the perceived overall utility of these techniques. The results show that practitioners place particular importance on the support the methods provide in making decisions regarding changes in work systems and how applicable they are to different types of jobs. The results of this study can serve as guide to researchers for the development of new assessment techniques that are more useful and applicable in real-work situations.

Diversity Outbred Mice Identify Population-Based Exposure Thresholds and Genetic Factors that Influence Benzene-Induced Genotoxicity

PubMed Central

Gatti, Daniel M.; Morgan, Daniel L.; Kissling, Grace E.; Shockley, Keith R.; Knudsen, Gabriel A.; Shepard, Kim G.; Price, Herman C.; King, Deborah; Witt, Kristine L.; Pedersen, Lars C.; Munger, Steven C.; Svenson, Karen L.; Churchill, Gary A.

2014-01-01

Background Inhalation of benzene at levels below the current exposure limit values leads to hematotoxicity in occupationally exposed workers. Objective We sought to evaluate Diversity Outbred (DO) mice as a tool for exposure threshold assessment and to identify genetic factors that influence benzene-induced genotoxicity. Methods We exposed male DO mice to benzene (0, 1, 10, or 100 ppm; 75 mice/exposure group) via inhalation for 28 days (6 hr/day for 5 days/week). The study was repeated using two independent cohorts of 300 animals each. We measured micronuclei frequency in reticulocytes from peripheral blood and bone marrow and applied benchmark concentration modeling to estimate exposure thresholds. We genotyped the mice and performed linkage analysis. Results We observed a dose-dependent increase in benzene-induced chromosomal damage and estimated a benchmark concentration limit of 0.205 ppm benzene using DO mice. This estimate is an order of magnitude below the value estimated using B6C3F1 mice. We identified a locus on Chr 10 (31.87 Mb) that contained a pair of overexpressed sulfotransferases that were inversely correlated with genotoxicity. Conclusions The genetically diverse DO mice provided a reproducible response to benzene exposure. The DO mice display interindividual variation in toxicity response and, as such, may more accurately reflect the range of response that is observed in human populations. Studies using DO mice can localize genetic associations with high precision. The identification of sulfotransferases as candidate genes suggests that DO mice may provide additional insight into benzene-induced genotoxicity. Citation French JE, Gatti DM, Morgan DL, Kissling GE, Shockley KR, Knudsen GA, Shepard KG, Price HC, King D, Witt KL, Pedersen LC, Munger SC, Svenson KL, Churchill GA. 2015. Diversity Outbred mice identify population-based exposure thresholds and genetic factors that influence benzene-induced genotoxicity. Environ Health Perspect 123:237�

Genome-wide association study identifies HLA 8.1 ancestral haplotype alleles as major genetic risk factors for myositis phenotypes.

PubMed

Miller, F W; Chen, W; O'Hanlon, T P; Cooper, R G; Vencovsky, J; Rider, L G; Danko, K; Wedderburn, L R; Lundberg, I E; Pachman, L M; Reed, A M; Ytterberg, S R; Padyukov, L; Selva-O'Callaghan, A; Radstake, T R; Isenberg, D A; Chinoy, H; Ollier, W E R; Scheet, P; Peng, B; Lee, A; Byun, J; Lamb, J A; Gregersen, P K; Amos, C I

2015-10-01

Autoimmune muscle diseases (myositis) comprise a group of complex phenotypes influenced by genetic and environmental factors. To identify genetic risk factors in patients of European ancestry, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the major myositis phenotypes in a total of 1710 cases, which included 705 adult dermatomyositis, 473 juvenile dermatomyositis, 532 polymyositis and 202 adult dermatomyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis or polymyositis patients with anti-histidyl-tRNA synthetase (anti-Jo-1) autoantibodies, and compared them with 4724 controls. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms showing strong associations (P<5×10(-8)) in GWAS were identified in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region for all myositis phenotypes together, as well as for the four clinical and autoantibody phenotypes studied separately. Imputation and regression analyses found that alleles comprising the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) 8.1 ancestral haplotype (AH8.1) defined essentially all the genetic risk in the phenotypes studied. Although the HLA DRB1*03:01 allele showed slightly stronger associations with adult and juvenile dermatomyositis, and HLA B*08:01 with polymyositis and anti-Jo-1 autoantibody-positive myositis, multiple alleles of AH8.1 were required for the full risk effects. Our findings establish that alleles of the AH8.1 comprise the primary genetic risk factors associated with the major myositis phenotypes in geographically diverse Caucasian populations.

Genome-wide Association Study Identifies HLA 8.1 Ancestral Haplotype Alleles as Major Genetic Risk Factors for Myositis Phenotypes

PubMed Central

Miller, Frederick W.; Chen, Wei; O’Hanlon, Terrance P.; Cooper, Robert G.; Vencovsky, Jiri; Rider, Lisa G.; Danko, Katalin; Wedderburn, Lucy R.; Lundberg, Ingrid E.; Pachman, Lauren M.; Reed, Ann M.; Ytterberg, Steven R.; Padyukov, Leonid; Selva-O’Callaghan, Albert; Radstake, Timothy R.; Isenberg, David A.; Chinoy, Hector; Ollier, William E.R.; Scheet, Paul; Peng, Bo; Lee, Annette; Byun, Jinyoung; Lamb, Janine A.; Gregersen, Peter K.; Amos, Christopher I.

2016-01-01

Autoimmune muscle diseases (myositis) comprise a group of complex phenotypes influenced by genetic and environmental factors. To identify genetic risk factors in patients of European ancestry, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the major myositis phenotypes in a total of 1710 cases, which included 705 adult dermatomyositis; 473 juvenile dermatomyositis; 532 polymyositis; and 202 adult dermatomyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis or polymyositis patients with anti-histidyl tRNA synthetase (anti-Jo-1) autoantibodies, and compared them with 4724 controls. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms showing strong associations (P < 5 × 10−8) in GWAS were identified in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region for all myositis phenotypes together, as well as for the four clinical and autoantibody phenotypes studied separately. Imputation and regression analyses found that alleles comprising the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) 8.1 ancestral haplotype (AH8.1) defined essentially all the genetic risk in the phenotypes studied. Although the HLA DRB1*03:01 allele showed slightly stronger associations with adult and juvenile dermatomyositis, and HLA B*08:01 with polymyositis and anti-Jo-1 autoantibody-positive myositis, multiple alleles of AH8.1 were required for the full risk effects. Our findings establish that alleles of the AH8.1haplotype comprise the primary genetic risk factors associated with the major myositis phenotypes in geographically diverse Caucasian populations. PMID:26291516

The Animadora Project: Identifying factors related to the promotion of physical activity among Mexican Americans with diabetes

PubMed Central

Ingram, Maia; Ruis, Maricruz; Mayorga, Maria Theresa; Rosales, Cecilia

2015-01-01

Purpose There is a dearth of information about factors related to physical activity among Mexican Americans with diabetes. Self efficacy and social support are associated with physical activity, however little is known about their role within different cultural groups. Design Focus groups were used to identify factors that motivate walking. Setting Two Mexican American communities located in Tucson, Arizona. Subjects Individuals who attended diabetes education. Intervention A community-based provider organized walking groups with people who previously attended diabetes classes. Walkers participated in focus groups exploring themes related to their experience. Measures Self efficacy, social support, and collective efficacy. Grounded theory was used to analyze focus group results using two rounds of analysis; the first identifying references to self efficacy and social support and the second adding collective efficacy as a theoretical basis for walking. Results Among 43 eligible participants, 20 participated in focus groups. Social support was expressed as commitment and companionship. Walkers demonstrated a high level of self efficacy for walking. Development of group identity/social cohesion was also a motivator to walk. Collective efficacy emerged as an applicable theoretical model encompassing these themes and their interrelationship. Conclusion Collective efficacy, or the belief that the group can improve their lives through collective effort, is a viable theoretical construct in the development of physical activity interventions targeting Mexican Americans with diabetes. PMID:19601479

Differential neuronal vulnerability identifies IGF-2 as a protective factor in ALS

PubMed Central

Allodi, Ilary; Comley, Laura; Nichterwitz, Susanne; Nizzardo, Monica; Simone, Chiara; Benitez, Julio Aguila; Cao, Ming; Corti, Stefania; Hedlund, Eva

2016-01-01

The fatal disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by the loss of somatic motor neurons leading to muscle wasting and paralysis. However, motor neurons in the oculomotor nucleus, controlling eye movement, are for unknown reasons spared. We found that insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) was maintained in oculomotor neurons in ALS and thus could play a role in oculomotor resistance in this disease. We also showed that IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), which mediates survival pathways upon IGF binding, was highly expressed in oculomotor neurons and on extraocular muscle endplate. The addition of IGF-2 induced Akt phosphorylation, glycogen synthase kinase-3β phosphorylation and β-catenin levels while protecting ALS patient motor neurons. IGF-2 also rescued motor neurons derived from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients from degeneration. Finally, AAV9::IGF-2 delivery to muscles of SOD1G93A ALS mice extended life-span by 10%, while preserving motor neurons and inducing motor axon regeneration. Thus, our studies demonstrate that oculomotor-specific expression can be utilized to identify candidates that protect vulnerable motor neurons from degeneration. PMID:27180807

Chromatographic matrix based on hydrogel-coated reticulated polyurethane foams, prepared by gamma irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez, Mirna L.; Giménez, Claudia Y.; Delgado, Juan F.; Martínez, Leandro J.; Grasselli, Mariano

2017-12-01

Novel chromatographic materials for protein purification with high adsorption capacity and fouling resistance are highly demanded to improve downstream processes. Here, we describe a novel adsorptive material based on reticulated polyurethane foam (rPUF) coated with a functional hydrogel layer. rPUF provides physical rigidity through its macroscopic structure, whereas the hydrogel layer provides capacity to adsorb proteins by specific interactions. The hydrogel coating process was performed by the dip-coating method, using a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution. The PVA hydrogel was linked to the rPUF material by using a radiation-induced crosslinking process in aqueous ethanol solution. The ethanol in the solvent mixture allowed a balance between PVA swelling and PVA dissolution during the irradiation step. The resulting material showed higher thermal stability than the non-irradiated one. In addition, a simultaneous radiation-induced grafting polymerization (SRIGP) was done by simple addition of glycidyl methacrylate monomer into the irradiation solution. In a further step, sulfonic ligands were included specifically in the hydrogel layer, which contained around 200% of PVA respect to the original rPUF. Materials were characterized by FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, SEM microscopy and EDX analysis. The cation-exchange rPUF material was functionally characterized by the Langmuir isotherm and a dynamic adsorption experiment to analyze the chromatographic properties for protein purification processes.

Investigation of gene-environment interactions between 47 newly identified breast cancer susceptibility loci and environmental risk factors.

PubMed

Rudolph, Anja; Milne, Roger L; Truong, Thérèse; Knight, Julia A; Seibold, Petra; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Behrens, Sabine; Eilber, Ursula; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; Dunning, Alison M; Shah, Mitul; Munday, Hannah R; Darabi, Hatef; Eriksson, Mikael; Brand, Judith S; Olson, Janet; Vachon, Celine M; Hallberg, Emily; Castelao, J Esteban; Carracedo, Angel; Torres, Maria; Li, Jingmei; Humphreys, Keith; Cordina-Duverger, Emilie; Menegaux, Florence; Flyger, Henrik; Nordestgaard, Børge G; Nielsen, Sune F; Yesilyurt, Betul T; Floris, Giuseppe; Leunen, Karin; Engelhardt, Ellen G; Broeks, Annegien; Rutgers, Emiel J; Glendon, Gord; Mulligan, Anna Marie; Cross, Simon; Reed, Malcolm; Gonzalez-Neira, Anna; Arias Perez, José Ignacio; Provenzano, Elena; Apicella, Carmel; Southey, Melissa C; Spurdle, Amanda; Häberle, Lothar; Beckmann, Matthias W; Ekici, Arif B; Dieffenbach, Aida Karina; Arndt, Volker; Stegmaier, Christa; McLean, Catriona; Baglietto, Laura; Chanock, Stephen J; Lissowska, Jolanta; Sherman, Mark E; Brüning, Thomas; Hamann, Ute; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Orr, Nick; Schoemaker, Minouk; Ashworth, Alan; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kataja, Vesa; Hartikainen, Jaana M; Mannermaa, Arto; Swerdlow, Anthony; Giles, Graham G; Brenner, Hermann; Fasching, Peter A; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Hopper, John; Benítez, Javier; Cox, Angela; Andrulis, Irene L; Lambrechts, Diether; Gago-Dominguez, Manuela; Couch, Fergus; Czene, Kamila; Bojesen, Stig E; Easton, Doug F; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Guénel, Pascal; Hall, Per; Pharoah, Paul D P; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat; Chang-Claude, Jenny

2015-03-15

A large genotyping project within the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) recently identified 41 associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and overall breast cancer (BC) risk. We investigated whether the effects of these 41 SNPs, as well as six SNPs associated with estrogen receptor (ER) negative BC risk are modified by 13 environmental risk factors for BC. Data from 22 studies participating in BCAC were pooled, comprising up to 26,633 cases and 30,119 controls. Interactions between SNPs and environmental factors were evaluated using an empirical Bayes-type shrinkage estimator. Six SNPs showed interactions with associated p-values (pint ) <1.1 × 10(-3) . None of the observed interactions was significant after accounting for multiple testing. The Bayesian False Discovery Probability was used to rank the findings, which indicated three interactions as being noteworthy at 1% prior probability of interaction. SNP rs6828523 was associated with increased ER-negative BC risk in women ≥170 cm (OR = 1.22, p = 0.017), but inversely associated with ER-negative BC risk in women <160 cm (OR = 0.83, p = 0.039, pint = 1.9 × 10(-4) ). The inverse association between rs4808801 and overall BC risk was stronger for women who had had four or more pregnancies (OR = 0.85, p = 2.0 × 10(-4) ), and absent in women who had had just one (OR = 0.96, p = 0.19, pint = 6.1 × 10(-4) ). SNP rs11242675 was inversely associated with overall BC risk in never/former smokers (OR = 0.93, p = 2.8 × 10(-5) ), but no association was observed in current smokers (OR = 1.07, p = 0.14, pint = 3.4 × 10(-4) ). In conclusion, recently identified BC susceptibility loci are not strongly modified by established risk factors and the observed potential interactions require confirmation in independent studies. © 2014 UICC.

Using focus groups to identify factors affecting healthy weight maintenance in college men.

PubMed

Walsh, Jennifer R; White, Adrienne A; Greaney, Mary L

2009-06-01

Healthful eating and physical activity are important for healthy weight maintenance. The hypothesis for this study was that college-aged men would perceive factors affecting eating and physical activity as both contributing to and inhibiting healthy weight maintenance. The overall objective was to explore how men view weight maintenance in the context of these aspects. Subjects (n = 47, mean age = 20.3 +/- 1.7 years) completed an online survey, including the 51-item Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, and participated in 1 of 6 focus groups. Three face-to-face and 3 online synchronous groups were conducted using a 15-question discussion guide to identify weight maintenance issues around eating, physical activity, and body perceptions. Weight satisfaction decreased with increase in both dietary restraint and disinhibition. Number of attempts to lose weight was positively associated with BMI (r [44] = .465, P = .01) and dietary restraint (r [44] = .515, P = .01). Findings from both focus group formats were similar. Motivators (sports performance/fitness, self-esteem, attractiveness, long-term health) were similar for eating healthfully and being physically active; however, more motivators to be physically active than to eat healthfully emerged. Enablers for eating healthfully included liking the taste, availability of healthful foods, using food rules to guide intake, having a habit of healthful eating, and internal drive/will. Barriers to healthful eating included fat in dairy foods, fruit and vegetable taste, and quick spoilage. Barriers to being physically active included lack of time/time management, obligations, being lazy, and girlfriends. Results may be used to inform future obesity prevention interventions.

A case-control study to identify risk factors for totally implantable central venous port-related bloodstream infection.

PubMed

Lee, Guk Jin; Hong, Sook Hee; Roh, Sang Young; Park, Sa Rah; Lee, Myung Ah; Chun, Hoo Geun; Hong, Young Seon; Kang, Jin Hyoung; Kim, Sang Il; Kim, Youn Jeong; Chun, Ho Jong; Oh, Jung Suk

2014-07-01

To date, the risk factors for central venous port-related bloodstream infection (CVPBSI) in solid cancer patients have not been fully elucidated. We conducted this study in order to determine the risk factors for CVP-BSI in patients with solid cancer. A total of 1,642 patients with solid cancer received an implantable central venous port for delivery of chemotherapy between October 2008 and December 2011 in a single center. CVP-BSI was diagnosed in 66 patients (4%). We selected a control group of 130 patients, who were individually matched with respect to age, sex, and catheter insertion time. CVP-BSI occurred most frequently between September and November (37.9%). The most common pathogen was gram-positive cocci (n=35, 53.0%), followed by fungus (n=14, 21.2%). Multivariate analysis identified monthly catheter-stay as a risk factor for CVP-BSI (p=0.000), however, its risk was lower in primary gastrointestinal cancer than in other cancer (p=0.002). Initial metastatic disease and long catheter-stay were statistically significant factors affecting catheter life span (p=0.005 and p=0.000). Results of multivariate analysis showed that recent transfusion was a risk factor for mortality in patients with CVP-BSI (p=0.047). In analysis of the results with respect to risk factors, prolonged catheter-stay should be avoided as much as possible. It is necessary to be cautious of CVP-BSI in metastatic solid cancer, especially non-gastrointestinal cancer. In addition, avoidance of unnecessary transfusion is essential in order to reduce the mortality of CVP-BSI. Finally, considering the fact that confounding factors may have affected the results, conduct of a well-designed prospective controlled study is warranted.

Physical unclonable functions: A primer

DOE PAGES

Bauer, Todd; Hamlet, Jason

2014-11-01

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) make use of the measurable intrinsic randomness of physical systems to establish signatures for those systems. Thus, PUFs provide a means to generate unique keys that don't need to be stored in nonvolatile memory, and they offer exciting opportunities for new authentication and supply chain security technologies.

An international survey to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of research studies most likely to change orthopaedic practice.

PubMed

Thornley, P; de Sa, D; Evaniew, N; Farrokhyar, F; Bhandari, M; Ghert, M

2016-04-01

Evidence -based medicine (EBM) is designed to inform clinical decision-making within all medical specialties, including orthopaedic surgery. We recently published a pilot survey of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA) membership and demonstrated that the adoption of EBM principles is variable among Canadian orthopaedic surgeons. The objective of this study was to conduct a broader international survey of orthopaedic surgeons to identify characteristics of research studies perceived as being most influential in informing clinical decision-making. A 29-question electronic survey was distributed to the readership of an established orthopaedic journal with international readership. The survey aimed to analyse the influence of both extrinsic (journal quality, investigator profiles, etc.) and intrinsic characteristics (study design, sample size, etc.) of research studies in relation to their influence on practice patterns. A total of 353 surgeons completed the survey. Surgeons achieved consensus on the 'importance' of three key designs on their practices: randomised controlled trials (94%), meta-analyses (75%) and systematic reviews (66%). The vast majority of respondents support the use of current evidence over historical clinical training; however subjective factors such as journal reputation (72%) and investigator profile (68%) continue to influence clinical decision-making strongly. Although intrinsic factors such as study design and sample size have some influence on clinical decision-making, surgeon respondents are equally influenced by extrinsic factors such as investigator reputation and perceived journal quality.Cite this article: Dr M. Ghert. An international survey to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of research studies most likely to change orthopaedic practice. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:130-136. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.54.2000578. © 2016 Ghert et al.

Pathogen effector protein screening in yeast identifies Legionella factors that interfere with membrane trafficking.

PubMed

Shohdy, Nadim; Efe, Jem A; Emr, Scott D; Shuman, Howard A

2005-03-29

Legionella pneumophila invades and replicates intracellularly in human and protozoan hosts. The bacteria use the Icm/Dot type IVB secretion system to translocate effectors that inhibit phagosome maturation and modulate host vesicle trafficking pathways. To understand how L. pneumophila modulates organelle trafficking in host cells, we carried out pathogen effector protein screening in yeast, identifying L. pneumophila genes that produced membrane trafficking [vacuole protein sorting (VPS)] defects in yeast. We identified four L. pneumophila DNA fragments that perturb sorting of vacuolar proteins. Three encode ORFs of unknown function that are translocated via the Icm/Dot transporter from Legionella into macrophages. VPS inhibitor protein (Vip) A is a coiled-coil protein, VipD is a patatin domain-containing protein, and VipF contains an acetyltransferase domain. Processing studies in yeast indicate that VipA, VipD, and VipF inhibit lysosomal protein trafficking by different mechanisms; overexpressing VipA has an effect on carboxypeptidase Y trafficking, whereas VipD interferes with multivesicular body formation at the late endosome and endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi body transport. Such differences highlight the multiple strategies L. pneumophila effectors use to subvert host trafficking processes. Using yeast as an effector gene discovery tool allows for a powerful, genetic approach to both the identification of virulence factors and the study of their function.

Proteomic analysis of polyribosomes identifies splicing factors as potential regulators of translation during mitosis.

PubMed

Aviner, Ranen; Hofmann, Sarah; Elman, Tamar; Shenoy, Anjana; Geiger, Tamar; Elkon, Ran; Ehrlich, Marcelo; Elroy-Stein, Orna

2017-06-02

Precise regulation of mRNA translation is critical for proper cell division, but little is known about the factors that mediate it. To identify mRNA-binding proteins that regulate translation during mitosis, we analyzed the composition of polysomes from interphase and mitotic cells using unbiased quantitative mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We found that mitotic polysomes are enriched with a subset of proteins involved in RNA processing, including alternative splicing and RNA export. To demonstrate that these may indeed be regulators of translation, we focused on heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (hnRNP C) as a test case and confirmed that it is recruited to elongating ribosomes during mitosis. Then, using a combination of pulsed SILAC, metabolic labeling and ribosome profiling, we showed that knockdown of hnRNP C affects both global and transcript-specific translation rates and found that hnRNP C is specifically important for translation of mRNAs that encode ribosomal proteins and translation factors. Taken together, our results demonstrate how proteomic analysis of polysomes can provide insight into translation regulation under various cellular conditions of interest and suggest that hnRNP C facilitates production of translation machinery components during mitosis to provide daughter cells with the ability to efficiently synthesize proteins as they enter G1 phase. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Proteomic analyses of signalling complexes associated with receptor tyrosine kinase identify novel members of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 interactome.

PubMed

Balek, Lukas; Nemec, Pavel; Konik, Peter; Kunova Bosakova, Michaela; Varecha, Miroslav; Gudernova, Iva; Medalova, Jirina; Krakow, Deborah; Krejci, Pavel

2018-01-01

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) form multiprotein complexes that initiate and propagate intracellular signals and determine the RTK-specific signalling patterns. Unravelling the full complexity of protein interactions within the RTK-associated complexes is essential for understanding of RTK functions, yet it remains an understudied area of cell biology. We describe a comprehensive approach to characterize RTK interactome. A single tag immunoprecipitation and phosphotyrosine protein isolation followed by mass-spectrometry was used to identify proteins interacting with fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). A total of 32 experiments were carried out in two different cell types and identified 66 proteins out of which only 20 (30.3%) proteins were already known FGFR interactors. Using co-immunoprecipitations, we validated FGFR3 interaction with adapter protein STAM1, transcriptional regulator SHOX2, translation elongation factor eEF1A1, serine/threonine kinases ICK, MAK and CCRK, and inositol phosphatase SHIP2. We show that unappreciated signalling mediators exist for well-studied RTKs, such as FGFR3, and may be identified via proteomic approaches described here. These approaches are easily adaptable to other RTKs, enabling identification of novel signalling mediators for majority of the known human RTKs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk Factors for Chronic Subdural Hematoma Recurrence Identified Using Quantitative Computed Tomography Analysis of Hematoma Volume and Density.

PubMed

Stavrinou, Pantelis; Katsigiannis, Sotirios; Lee, Jong Hun; Hamisch, Christina; Krischek, Boris; Mpotsaris, Anastasios; Timmer, Marco; Goldbrunner, Roland

2017-03-01

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH), a common condition in elderly patients, presents a therapeutic challenge with recurrence rates of 33%. We aimed to identify specific prognostic factors for recurrence using quantitative analysis of hematoma volume and density. We retrospectively reviewed radiographic and clinical data of 227 CSDHs in 195 consecutive patients who underwent evacuation of the hematoma through a single burr hole, 2 burr holes, or a mini-craniotomy. To examine the relationship between hematoma recurrence and various clinical, radiologic, and surgical factors, we used quantitative image-based analysis to measure the hematoma and trapped air volumes and the hematoma densities. Recurrence of CSDH occurred in 35 patients (17.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the percentage of hematoma drained and postoperative CSDH density were independent risk factors for recurrence. All 3 evacuation methods were equally effective in draining the hematoma (71.7% vs. 73.7% vs. 71.9%) without observable differences in postoperative air volume captured in the subdural space. Quantitative image analysis provided evidence that percentage of hematoma drained and postoperative CSDH density are independent prognostic factors for subdural hematoma recurrence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome-wide characterization and expression analysis of citrus NUCLEAR FACTOR-Y (NF-Y) transcription factors identified a novel NF-YA gene involved in drought-stress response and tolerance.

PubMed

Pereira, Suzam L S; Martins, Cristina P S; Sousa, Aurizangela O; Camillo, Luciana R; Araújo, Caroline P; Alcantara, Grazielle M; Camargo, Danielle S; Cidade, Luciana C; de Almeida, Alex-Alan F; Costa, Marcio G C

2018-01-01

Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) is a ubiquitous transcription factor found in eukaryotes. It is composed of three distinct subunits called NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC. NF-Ys have been identified as key regulators of multiple pathways in the control of development and tolerance to biotic and abiotic factors. The present study aimed to identify and characterize the complete repertoire of genes coding for NF-Y in citrus, as well as to perform the functional characterization of one of its members, namely CsNFYA5, in transgenic tobacco plants. A total of 22 genes coding for NF-Y were identified in the genomes of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and Clementine mandarin (C. clementina), including six CsNF-YAs, 11 CsNF-YBs and five CsNF-YCs. Phylogenetic analyses showed that there is a NF-Y orthologous in the Clementine genome for each sweet orange NF-Y gene; this was not observed when compared to Arabidopsis thaliana. CsNF-Y proteins shared the same conserved domains with their orthologous proteins in other organisms, including mouse. Analysis of gene expression by RNA-seq and EST data demonstrated that CsNF-Ys have a tissue-specific and stress inducible expression profile. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that CsNF-YA5 exhibits differential expression in response to water deficit in leaves and roots of citrus plants. Overexpression of CsNF-YA5 in transgenic tobacco plants contributed to the reduction of H2O2 production under dehydration conditions and increased plant growth and photosynthetic rate under normal conditions and drought stress. These biochemical and physiological responses to drought stress promoted by CsNF-YA5 may confer a productivity advantage in environments with frequent short-term soil water deficit.

The Usage of Association Rule Mining to Identify Influencing Factors on Deafness After Birth.

PubMed

Shahraki, Azimeh Danesh; Safdari, Reza; Gahfarokhi, Hamid Habibi; Tahmasebian, Shahram

2015-12-01

Providing complete and high quality health care services has very important role to enable people to understand the factors related to personal and social health and to make decision regarding choice of suitable healthy behaviors in order to achieve healthy life. For this reason, demographic and clinical data of person are collecting, this huge volume of data can be known as a valuable resource for analyzing, exploring and discovering valuable information and communication. This study using forum rules techniques in the data mining has tried to identify the affecting factors on hearing loss after birth in Iran. The survey is kind of data oriented study. The population of the study is contained questionnaires in several provinces of the country. First, all data of questionnaire was implemented in the form of information table in Software SQL Server and followed by Data Entry using written software of C # .Net, then algorithm Association in SQL Server Data Tools software and Clementine software was implemented to determine the rules and hidden patterns in the gathered data. Two factors of number of deaf brothers and the degree of consanguinity of the parents have a significant impact on severity of deafness of individuals. Also, when the severity of hearing loss is greater than or equal to moderately severe hearing loss, people use hearing aids and Men are also less interested in the use of hearing aids. In fact, it can be said that in families with consanguineous marriage of parents that are from first degree (girl/boy cousins) and 2(nd) degree relatives (girl/boy cousins) and especially from first degree, the number of people with severe hearing loss or deafness are more and in the use of hearing aids, gender of the patient is more important than the severity of the hearing loss.

Depression in Intimate Partner Violence Victims in Slovenia: A Crippling Pattern of Factors Identified in Family Practice Attendees.

PubMed

Guček, Nena Kopčavar; Selič, Polona

2018-01-26

This multi-centre cross-sectional study explored associations between prevalence of depression and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) at any time in patients' adult life in 471 participants of a previous IPV study. In 2016, 174 interviews were performed, using the Short Form Domestic Violence Exposure Questionnaire, the Zung Scale and questions about behavioural patterns of exposure to IPV. Family doctors reviewed patients' medical charts for period from 2012 to 2016, using the Domestic Violence Exposure Medical Chart Check List, for conditions which persisted for at least three years. Depression was found to be associated with any exposure to IPV in adult life and was more likely to affect women. In multivariable logistic regression modelling, factors associated with self-rated depression were identified (p < 0.05). Exposure to emotional and physical violence was identified as a risk factor in the first model, explaining 23% of the variance. The second model explained 66% of the variance; past divorce, dysfunctional family relationships and a history of incapacity to work increased the likelihood of depression in patients. Family doctors should consider IPV exposure when detecting depression, since lifetime IPV exposure was found to be 40.4% and 36.9% of depressed revealed it.

A Theoretical Analysis: Physical Unclonable Functions and The Software Protection Problem

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

Nithyanand, Rishab; Solis, John H.

2011-09-01

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) or Physical One Way Functions (P-OWFs) are physical systems whose responses to input stimuli (i.e., challenges) are easy to measure (within reasonable error bounds) but hard to clone. This property of unclonability is due to the accepted hardness of replicating the multitude of uncontrollable manufacturing characteristics and makes PUFs useful in solving problems such as device authentication, software protection, licensing, and certified execution. In this paper, we focus on the effectiveness of PUFs for software protection and show that traditional non-computational (black-box) PUFs cannot solve the problem against real world adversaries in offline settings. Our contributionsmore » are the following: We provide two real world adversary models (weak and strong variants) and present definitions for security against the adversaries. We continue by proposing schemes secure against the weak adversary and show that no scheme is secure against a strong adversary without the use of trusted hardware. Finally, we present a protection scheme secure against strong adversaries based on trusted hardware.« less

Error free physically unclonable function with programmed resistive random access memory using reliable resistance states by specific identification-generation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Po-Hao; Hsu, Kai-Chieh; Lin, Yu-Yu; Lee, Feng-Min; Lee, Ming-Hsiu; Lung, Hsiang-Lan; Hsieh, Kuang-Yeu; Chung Wang, Keh; Lu, Chih-Yuan

2018-04-01

A high performance physically unclonable function (PUF) implemented with WO3 resistive random access memory (ReRAM) is presented in this paper. This robust ReRAM-PUF can eliminated bit flipping problem at very high temperature (up to 250 °C) due to plentiful read margin by using initial resistance state and set resistance state. It is also promised 10 years retention at the temperature range of 210 °C. These two stable resistance states enable stable operation at automotive environments from -40 to 125 °C without need of temperature compensation circuit. The high uniqueness of PUF can be achieved by implementing a proposed identification (ID)-generation method. Optimized forming condition can move 50% of the cells to low resistance state and the remaining 50% remain at initial high resistance state. The inter- and intra-PUF evaluations with unlimited separation of hamming distance (HD) are successfully demonstrated even under the corner condition. The number of reproduction was measured to exceed 107 times with 0% bit error rate (BER) at read voltage from 0.4 to 0.7 V.

"In the Middle of Difficulty Lies Opportunity"--Using a Case Study to Identify Critical Success Factors Contributing to the Initiation of International Collaborative Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Ian M.

2005-01-01

This paper identifies factors that contribute to the successful initiation of international collaborative projects intended to support the development of education for librarianship and information sciences. It discusses the widespread failure to analyse the Critical Success Factors in international collaborative projects and proposes a case study…

Identification of specific and common diagnostic antibody markers for gastrointestinal cancers by SEREX screening using testis cDNA phage library

PubMed Central

Kobayashi, Sohei; Hiwasa, Takaki; Arasawa, Takahiro; Kagaya, Akiko; Ishii, Sayaka; Shimada, Hideaki; Ito, Masaaki; Suzuki, Masae; Kano, Masayuki; Rahmutulla, Bahityar; Kitamura, Kouichi; Sawabe, Yuji; Shin, Hideo; Takiguchi, Masaki; Nomura, Fumio; Matsubara, Hisahiro; Matsushita, Kazuyuki

2018-01-01

The present study was planned to identify novel serum antibody markers for digestive organ cancers. We have used screening by phage expression cloning and identified novel fourteen antigens in this experiment. The presence of auto-antibodies against these antigens in serum specimens was confirmed by western blotting. As for auto-antibodies against fourteen antigens, AlphaLISA (amplified luminescence proximity homogeneous assay) assay was performed in the sera of gastrointestinal cancers patients to confirm the results. Serum antibody levels against these fourteen recombinant proteins as antigens between healthy donors (HD) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients, gastric cancer (GC), or colon cancer (CC) were compared. The serum levels of all fourteen auto-antibodies were significantly higher in ESCC and GC than those of HD. Among those auto-antibodies, except ECSA2 and CCNL2, were also detected significantly higher levels in CC than those of HD. Receiver operating curve (ROC) revealed similar results except CCNL2 in CC. AUC values calculated by ROC were higher than 0.7 in auto-antibodies against TPI1, HOOK2, PUF60, PRDX4, HS3ST1, TUBA1B, TACSTD2, AKR1C3, BAMBI, DCAF15 in ESCC, auto-antibodies against TPI1, HOOK2, PUF60, PRDX4, TACSTD2, AKR1C3, BAMBI, DCAF15 in GC, and auto-antibodies against TPI1, HOOK2, PUF60 in CC. AUC of the combination of HOOK2 and anti-p53 antibodies in ESCC was observed to be as high as 0.8228. Higher serum antibody levels against ten antigens could be potential diagnostic tool for ESCC. Higher serum antibody levels against eight antigens could be potential diagnostic tool for GC, and serum antibody levels against three antigens could be potential diagnostic tool for CC. PMID:29719626

Changes in snoring during natural sleep identified by acoustic crest factor analysis at different times of night.

PubMed

Hill, P D; Osman, E Z; Osborne, J E; Lee, B W

2000-12-01

Sleep nasendoscopy can be used to identify the site of snoring but questions remain about how well a short assessment during drug-induced sleep reflects the natural condition. To investigate the uniformity of snoring during natural sleep we studied five patients (three men, two women) referred by their GPs for treatment of their snoring. A digital audio tape recorder captured the free-field snore sound at different times of night in hospital. Acoustic Crest Factor values were calculated on the 15 recordings made, having previously demonstrated that high crest factor values distinguish palatal from non-palatal snoring at sleep nasendoscopy. Some recordings showed reproducibility, but others showed substantial changes between recordings an hour apart. We infer that the snoring mechanism may change in some individuals during the night, with or without a change of snore site. We conclude a single recording, as in sleep nasendoscopy, may not be representative.

Use of a twin dataset to identify AMD-related visual patterns controlled by genetic factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quellec, Gwénolé; Abràmoff, Michael D.; Russell, Stephen R.

2010-03-01

The mapping of genotype to the phenotype of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is expected to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease in a near future. In this study, we focused on the first step to discover this mapping: we identified visual patterns related to AMD which seem to be controlled by genetic factors, without explicitly relating them to the genes. For this purpose, we used a dataset of eye fundus photographs from 74 twin pairs, either monozygotic twins, who have the same genotype, or dizygotic twins, whose genes responsible for AMD are less likely to be identical. If we are able to differentiate monozygotic twins from dizygotic twins, based on a given visual pattern, then this pattern is likely to be controlled by genetic factors. The main visible consequence of AMD is the apparition of drusen between the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch's membrane. We developed two automated drusen detectors based on the wavelet transform: a shape-based detector for hard drusen, and a texture- and color- based detector for soft drusen. Forty visual features were evaluated at the location of the automatically detected drusen. These features characterize the texture, the shape, the color, the spatial distribution, or the amount of drusen. A distance measure between twin pairs was defined for each visual feature; a smaller distance should be measured between monozygotic twins for visual features controlled by genetic factors. The predictions of several visual features (75.7% accuracy) are comparable or better than the predictions of human experts.

Identifying Nonprovider Factors Affecting Pediatric Emergency Medicine Provider Efficiency.

PubMed

Saleh, Fareed; Breslin, Kristen; Mullan, Paul C; Tillett, Zachary; Chamberlain, James M

2017-10-31

The aim of this study was to create a multivariable model of standardized relative value units per hour by adjusting for nonprovider factors that influence efficiency. We obtained productivity data based on billing records measured in emergency relative value units for (1) both evaluation and management of visits and (2) procedures for 16 pediatric emergency medicine providers with more than 750 hours worked per year. Eligible shifts were in an urban, academic pediatric emergency department (ED) with 2 sites: a tertiary care main campus and a satellite community site. We used multivariable linear regression to adjust for the impact of shift and pediatric ED characteristics on individual-provider efficiency and then removed variables from the model with minimal effect on productivity. There were 2998 eligible shifts for the 16 providers during a 3-year period. The resulting model included 4 variables when looking at both ED sites combined. These variables include the following: (1) number of procedures billed by provider, (2) season of the year, (3) shift start time, and (4) day of week. Results were improved when we separately modeled each ED location. A 3-variable model using procedures billed by provider, shift start time, and season explained 23% of the variation in provider efficiency at the academic ED site. A 3-variable model using procedures billed by provider, patient arrivals per hour, and shift start time explained 45% of the variation in provider efficiency at the satellite ED site. Several nonprovider factors affect provider efficiency. These factors should be considered when designing productivity-based incentives.

Genome-wide siRNA screen identifies the retromer as a cellular entry factor for human papillomavirus

PubMed Central

Lipovsky, Alex; Popa, Andreea; Pimienta, Genaro; Wyler, Michael; Bhan, Ashima; Kuruvilla, Leena; Guie, Marie-Aude; Poffenberger, Adrian C.; Nelson, Christian D. S.; Atwood, Walter J.; DiMaio, Daniel

2013-01-01

Despite major advances in our understanding of many aspects of human papillomavirus (HPV) biology, HPV entry is poorly understood. To identify cellular genes required for HPV entry, we conducted a genome-wide screen for siRNAs that inhibited infection of HeLa cells by HPV16 pseudovirus. Many retrograde transport factors were required for efficient infection, including multiple subunits of the retromer, which initiates retrograde transport from the endosome to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). The retromer has not been previously implicated in virus entry. Furthermore, HPV16 capsid proteins arrive in the TGN/Golgi in a retromer-dependent fashion during entry, and incoming HPV proteins form a stable complex with retromer subunits. We propose that HPV16 directly engages the retromer at the early or late endosome and traffics to the TGN/Golgi via the retrograde pathway during cell entry. These results provide important insights into HPV entry, identify numerous potential antiviral targets, and suggest that the role of the retromer in infection by other viruses should be assessed. PMID:23569269

Pediatric malignant hyperthermia: risk factors, morbidity, and mortality identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Kids' Inpatient Database.

PubMed

Salazar, Jose H; Yang, Jingyan; Shen, Liang; Abdullah, Fizan; Kim, Tae W

2014-12-01

Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal metabolic disorder. Due to its rarity, limited evidence exists about risk factors, morbidity, and mortality especially in children. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the Kid's Inpatient Database (KID), admissions with the ICD-9 code for MH (995.86) were extracted for patients 0-17 years of age. Demographic characteristics were analyzed. Logistic regression was performed to identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with mortality. A subset of patients with a surgical ICD-9 code in the KID was studied to calculate the prevalence of MH in the dataset. A total of 310 pediatric admissions were seen in 13 nonoverlapping years of data. Patients had a mortality of 2.9%. Male sex was predominant (64.8%), and 40.5% of the admissions were treated at centers not identified as children's hospitals. The most common associated diagnosis was rhabdomyolysis, which was present in 26 cases. Regression with the outcome of mortality did not yield significant differences between demographic factors, age, sex race, or hospital type, pediatric vs nonpediatric. Within a surgical subset of 530,449 admissions, MH was coded in 55, giving a rate of 1.04 cases per 10,000 cases. This study is the first to combine two large databases to study MH in the pediatric population. The analysis provides an insight into the risk factors, comorbidities, mortality, and prevalence of MH in the United States population. Until more methodologically rigorous, large-scale studies are done, the use of databases will continue to be the optimal method to study rare diseases. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Risk factors associated with bovine trichomoniasis in beef cattle identified by a questionnaire.

PubMed

Jin, Yinzhu; Schumaker, Brant; Logan, Jim; Yao, Chaoqun

2014-06-01

Bovine trichomoniasis is a venereal disease that causes substantial economic losses to the cattle industry worldwide. It has been endemic in the USA since its discovery in the 1930s. The reasons for this long-lasting endemism are poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to identify herd-level risk factors for trichomoniasis in Wyoming beef cattle. A questionnaire was sent to all Wyoming beef cattle producers. The overall response proportion was 23.4 %. Questionnaires were returned from producers throughout the state in different geographical regions and with various herd sizes. In total, 863 questionnaires were analysed for correlation between the disease endemism and 25 variables. Tritrichomonas foetus infections were found to be significantly (P<0.05) associated with neighbouring a positive herd(s), grazing on public allotments and commingling with other herds. In addition, a delay in fixing broken fences approached statistical significance (P = 0.078). This study provides producers with valuable information and useful suggestions on how to effectively control and reduce the risks of bovine trichomoniasis. © 2014 The Authors.

Identifying the Factors That Facilitate or Hinder Advance Planning by Persons With Dementia

PubMed Central

Hirschman, Karen B.; Kapo, Jennifer M.; Karlawish, Jason H. T.

2009-01-01

We performed semistructured interviews with 30 family members of patients with advanced dementia to identify the factors that facilitate or hinder advance planning by persons with dementia. All interviews were analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques. The majority (77%) of family members reported that their relative had some form of written advance directive, and at least half reported previous discussions about health care preferences (57%), living situation or placement issues (50%), and finances or estate planning (60%) with the patient. Family members reported some themes that prompted planning and others that were barriers to planning. Events that most often triggered planning were medical, living situation, or financial issues associated with a friend or family member of the patient (57%). Barriers to planning included both passive and active avoidance. The most common form of passive avoidance was not realizing the importance of planning until it was too late to have the discussion (63%). The most common form of active avoidance was avoiding the discussion (53%). These data suggest potentially remediable strategies to address barriers to advance planning discussions. PMID:18580595

Factors Identified with Higher Levels of Career Satisfaction of Physicians in Andalusia, Spain

PubMed Central

Peña-Sánchez, Juan Nicolás; Lepnurm, Rein; Morales-Asencio, José Miguel; Delgado, Ana; Domagała, Alicja; Górkiewicz, Maciej

2014-01-01

The satisfaction of physicians is a worldwide issue linked with the quality of health services; their satisfaction needs to be studied from a multi-dimensional perspective, considering lower- and higher-order needs. The objectives of this study were to: i) measure the career satisfaction of physicians; ii) identify differences in the dimensions of career satisfaction; and iii) test factors that affect higher- and lower-order needs of satisfaction among physicians working in Andalusian hospitals (Spain). Forty-one percent of 299 eligible physicians participated in a study conducted in six selected hospitals. Physicians reported higher professional, inherent, and performance satisfaction than personal satisfaction. Foreign physicians reported higher levels of personal and performance satisfaction than local physicians, and those who received non-monetary incentives had higher professional and performance satisfaction. In conclusion, physicians in the selected Andalusian hospitals reported low levels of personal satisfaction. Non-monetary incentives were more relevant to influence their career satisfaction. Further investigations are recommended to study differences in the career satisfaction between foreign and local physicians. PMID:26973935

Quantitative Proteomic Approach Identifies Vpr Binding Protein as Novel Host Factor Supporting Influenza A Virus Infections in Human Cells.

PubMed

Sadewasser, Anne; Paki, Katharina; Eichelbaum, Katrin; Bogdanow, Boris; Saenger, Sandra; Budt, Matthias; Lesch, Markus; Hinz, Klaus-Peter; Herrmann, Andreas; Meyer, Thomas F; Karlas, Alexander; Selbach, Matthias; Wolff, Thorsten

2017-05-01

Influenza A virus (IAV) infections are a major cause for respiratory disease in humans, which affects all age groups and contributes substantially to global morbidity and mortality. IAV have a large natural host reservoir in avian species. However, many avian IAV strains lack adaptation to other hosts and hardly propagate in humans. While seasonal or pandemic IAV strains replicate efficiently in permissive human cells, many avian IAV cause abortive nonproductive infections in these hosts despite successful cell entry. However, the precise reasons for these differential outcomes are poorly defined. We hypothesized that the distinct course of an IAV infection with a given virus strain is determined by the differential interplay between specific host and viral factors. By using Spike-in SILAC mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics we characterized sets of cellular factors whose abundance is specifically up- or downregulated in the course of permissive versus nonpermissive IAV infection, respectively. This approach allowed for the definition and quantitative comparison of about 3500 proteins in human lung epithelial cells in response to seasonal or low-pathogenic avian H3N2 IAV. Many identified proteins were similarly regulated by both virus strains, but also 16 candidates with distinct changes in permissive versus nonpermissive infection were found. RNAi-mediated knockdown of these differentially regulated host factors identified Vpr binding protein (VprBP) as proviral host factor because its downregulation inhibited efficient propagation of seasonal IAV whereas overexpression increased viral replication of both seasonal and avian IAV. These results not only show that there are similar differences in the overall changes during permissive and nonpermissive influenza virus infections, but also provide a basis to evaluate VprBP as novel anti-IAV drug target. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Quantitative Proteomic Approach Identifies Vpr Binding Protein as Novel Host Factor Supporting Influenza A Virus Infections in Human Cells*

PubMed Central

Sadewasser, Anne; Paki, Katharina; Eichelbaum, Katrin; Bogdanow, Boris; Saenger, Sandra; Budt, Matthias; Lesch, Markus; Hinz, Klaus-Peter; Herrmann, Andreas; Meyer, Thomas F.; Karlas, Alexander; Selbach, Matthias; Wolff, Thorsten

2017-01-01

Influenza A virus (IAV) infections are a major cause for respiratory disease in humans, which affects all age groups and contributes substantially to global morbidity and mortality. IAV have a large natural host reservoir in avian species. However, many avian IAV strains lack adaptation to other hosts and hardly propagate in humans. While seasonal or pandemic IAV strains replicate efficiently in permissive human cells, many avian IAV cause abortive nonproductive infections in these hosts despite successful cell entry. However, the precise reasons for these differential outcomes are poorly defined. We hypothesized that the distinct course of an IAV infection with a given virus strain is determined by the differential interplay between specific host and viral factors. By using Spike-in SILAC mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics we characterized sets of cellular factors whose abundance is specifically up- or downregulated in the course of permissive versus nonpermissive IAV infection, respectively. This approach allowed for the definition and quantitative comparison of about 3500 proteins in human lung epithelial cells in response to seasonal or low-pathogenic avian H3N2 IAV. Many identified proteins were similarly regulated by both virus strains, but also 16 candidates with distinct changes in permissive versus nonpermissive infection were found. RNAi-mediated knockdown of these differentially regulated host factors identified Vpr binding protein (VprBP) as proviral host factor because its downregulation inhibited efficient propagation of seasonal IAV whereas overexpression increased viral replication of both seasonal and avian IAV. These results not only show that there are similar differences in the overall changes during permissive and nonpermissive influenza virus infections, but also provide a basis to evaluate VprBP as novel anti-IAV drug target. PMID:28289176

The Therapeutic Alliance: Clients' Categorization of Client-Identified Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Arlene J.; Bedi, Robinder P.

2012-01-01

Clients' perspectives on the therapeutic alliance were examined using written descriptions of factors that clients believed to be helpful in developing a strong alliance. Fifty participants sorted previously collected statements into thematically similar piles and then gave each set of statements a title. Multivariate concept mapping statistical…

Identifying the predisposing factors, signs and symptoms of overreaching and overtraining in physical education professionals

PubMed Central

Viana, Ricardo B.; Gentil, Paulo; Lorenço, Vinício S.; Vieira, Carlos A.; Campos, Mário H.; Santos, Douglas A.T.; Silva, Wellington F.; Andrade, Marilia S.; Vancini, Rodrigo L.

2018-01-01

Background It is possible that physical education professionals, especially those who participate in aerobic activities, have predisposing factors, signs and symptoms of overreaching (OVR) and overtraining (OVT) due to a high load and volume of exercise followed by suboptimal recovery time. The present study aimed to identify the predisposing factors, signs and symptoms of OVR and OVT in physical education professionals. Methods A questionnaire consisting of 42 questions (10 questions group) about predisposing factors and signs/symptoms was answered by 132 physical education professionals from both sexes (83 men and 49 women) who were allocated into a resistance training group (RG, n = 74), aerobic training group (AG, n = 20) and resistance and aerobic training group (RAG, n = 38). A mean score was calculated ranging from 1 (completely absent) to 5 (severe) for each question group. A low occurrence of predisposing factors and signs and symptoms of OVR and OVT was considered to be a question group score 4 or lower. Profile of Mood State Questionnaire (POMS) was also applied. Results A mean score of 2.5 ± 0.7, 2.7 ± 0.7 and 2.7 ± 0.8 was found for all question groups for RG, AG and RAG, respectively. Of the total sample, 40.6% trained at least five times/week. The POMS revealed that 67.5% of the RG (n = 50), 80% of the AG (n = 16) and 60.5% of the RAG (n = 23) were classified as having no mood disorders and a standard graphic iceberg was presented. There were no statistical differences (p > 0.05) in the total mood disorders among RG (13.9 ± 24.5), AG (10.3 ± 25.1) and RAG (14.6 ± 27.9) groups. Conclusion Despite the volume of training/body working performed by the physical education professionals surveyed being greater than the recommended to achieve improvements on physical fitness, they did not show predisposing factors, signs or symptoms of OVR and OVT.

In Silico Analysis of Gene Expression Network Components Underlying Pigmentation Phenotypes in the Python Identified Evolutionarily Conserved Clusters of Transcription Factor Binding Sites

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Color variation provides the opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of evolution and selection. Reptiles are less studied than mammals. Comparative genomics approaches allow for knowledge gained in one species to be leveraged for use in another species. We describe a comparative vertebrate analysis of conserved regulatory modules in pythons aimed at assessing bioinformatics evidence that transcription factors important in mammalian pigmentation phenotypes may also be important in python pigmentation phenotypes. We identified 23 python orthologs of mammalian genes associated with variation in coat color phenotypes for which we assessed the extent of pairwise protein sequence identity between pythons and mouse, dog, horse, cow, chicken, anole lizard, and garter snake. We next identified a set of melanocyte/pigment associated transcription factors (CREB, FOXD3, LEF-1, MITF, POU3F2, and USF-1) that exhibit relatively conserved sequence similarity within their DNA binding regions across species based on orthologous alignments across multiple species. Finally, we identified 27 evolutionarily conserved clusters of transcription factor binding sites within ~200-nucleotide intervals of the 1500-nucleotide upstream regions of AIM1, DCT, MC1R, MITF, MLANA, OA1, PMEL, RAB27A, and TYR from Python bivittatus. Our results provide insight into pigment phenotypes in pythons. PMID:27698666

In Silico Analysis of Gene Expression Network Components Underlying Pigmentation Phenotypes in the Python Identified Evolutionarily Conserved Clusters of Transcription Factor Binding Sites.

PubMed

Irizarry, Kristopher J L; Bryden, Randall L

2016-01-01

Color variation provides the opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of evolution and selection. Reptiles are less studied than mammals. Comparative genomics approaches allow for knowledge gained in one species to be leveraged for use in another species. We describe a comparative vertebrate analysis of conserved regulatory modules in pythons aimed at assessing bioinformatics evidence that transcription factors important in mammalian pigmentation phenotypes may also be important in python pigmentation phenotypes. We identified 23 python orthologs of mammalian genes associated with variation in coat color phenotypes for which we assessed the extent of pairwise protein sequence identity between pythons and mouse, dog, horse, cow, chicken, anole lizard, and garter snake. We next identified a set of melanocyte/pigment associated transcription factors (CREB, FOXD3, LEF-1, MITF, POU3F2, and USF-1) that exhibit relatively conserved sequence similarity within their DNA binding regions across species based on orthologous alignments across multiple species. Finally, we identified 27 evolutionarily conserved clusters of transcription factor binding sites within ~200-nucleotide intervals of the 1500-nucleotide upstream regions of AIM1, DCT, MC1R, MITF, MLANA, OA1, PMEL, RAB27A, and TYR from Python bivittatus . Our results provide insight into pigment phenotypes in pythons.

Identifying the Factors Leading to Success: How an Innovative Science Curriculum Cultivates Student Motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scogin, Stephen C.

2016-06-01

PlantingScience is an award-winning program recognized for its innovation and use of computer-supported scientist mentoring. Science learners work on inquiry-based experiments in their classrooms and communicate asynchronously with practicing plant scientist-mentors about the projects. The purpose of this study was to identify specific factors contributing to the program's effectiveness in engaging students. Using multiple data sources, grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin in Basics of qualitative research. Sage, Newbury Park, 1990) was used to develop a conceptual model identifying the central phenomenon, causal conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, contexts, and student outcomes of the project. Student motivation was determined to be the central phenomenon explaining the success of the program, with student empowerment, online mentor interaction, and authenticity of the scientific experiences serving as causal conditions. Teachers contributed to student motivation by giving students more freedom, challenging students to take projects deeper, encouraging, and scaffolding. Scientists contributed to student motivation by providing explanations, asking questions, encouraging, and offering themselves as partners in the inquiry process. Several positive student outcomes of the program were uncovered and included increased positivity, greater willingness to take projects deeper, better understanding of scientific concepts, and greater commitments to collaboration. The findings of this study provide relevant information on how to develop curriculum, use technology, and train practitioners and mentors to utilize strategies and actions that improve learners' motivation to engage in authentic science in the classroom.

Quantitative and mixed analyses to identify factors that affect cervical cancer screening uptake among lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men.

PubMed

Johnson, Michael J; Mueller, Martina; Eliason, Michele J; Stuart, Gail; Nemeth, Lynne S

2016-12-01

The purposes of this study were to measure the prevalence of, and identify factors associated with, cervical cancer screening among a sample of lesbian, bisexual and queer women, and transgender men. Past research has found that lesbian, bisexual and queer women underuse cervical screening service. Because deficient screening remains the most significant risk factor for cervical cancer, it is essential to understand the differences between routine and nonroutine screeners. A convergent-parallel mixed methods design. A convenience sample of 21- to 65-year-old lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men were recruited in the USA from August-December 2014. Quantitative data were collected via a 48-item Internet questionnaire (N = 226), and qualitative data were collected through in-depth telephone interviews (N = 20) and open-ended questions on the Internet questionnaire. Seventy-three per cent of the sample was routine cervical screeners. The results showed that a constellation of factors influence the use of cervical cancer screening among lesbian, bisexual and queer women. Some of those factors overlap with the general female population, whereas others are specific to the lesbian, bisexual or queer identity. Routine screeners reported feeling more welcome in the health care setting, while nonroutine screeners reported more discrimination related to their sexual orientation and gender expression. Routine screeners were also more likely to 'out' to their provider. The quantitative and qualitative factors were also compared and contrasted. Many of the factors identified in this study to influence cervical cancer screening relate to the health care environment and to interactions between the patient and provider. Nurses should be involved with creating welcoming environments for lesbian, bisexual and queer women and their partners. Moreover, nurses play a large role in patient education and should promote self-care behaviours among lesbian women and transgender

An optical authentication system based on imaging of excitation-selected lanthanide luminescence.

PubMed

Carro-Temboury, Miguel R; Arppe, Riikka; Vosch, Tom; Sørensen, Thomas Just

2018-01-01

Secure data encryption relies heavily on one-way functions, and copy protection relies on features that are difficult to reproduce. We present an optical authentication system based on lanthanide luminescence from physical one-way functions or physical unclonable functions (PUFs). They cannot be reproduced and thus enable unbreakable encryption. Further, PUFs will prevent counterfeiting if tags with unique PUFs are grafted onto products. We have developed an authentication system that comprises a hardware reader, image analysis, and authentication software and physical keys that we demonstrate as an anticounterfeiting system. The physical keys are PUFs made from random patterns of taggants in polymer films on glass that can be imaged following selected excitation of particular lanthanide(III) ions doped into the individual taggants. This form of excitation-selected imaging ensures that by using at least two lanthanide(III) ion dopants, the random patterns cannot be copied, because the excitation selection will fail when using any other emitter. With the developed reader and software, the random patterns are read and digitized, which allows a digital pattern to be stored. This digital pattern or digital key can be used to authenticate the physical key in anticounterfeiting or to encrypt any message. The PUF key was produced with a staggering nominal encoding capacity of 7 3600 . Although the encoding capacity of the realized authentication system reduces to 6 × 10 104 , it is more than sufficient to completely preclude counterfeiting of products.

Screening for violence risk factors identifies young adults at risk for return emergency department visit for injury.

PubMed

Hankin, Abigail; Wei, Stanley; Foreman, Juron; Houry, Debra

2014-08-01

Homicide is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 15-24. Prior cross-sectional studies, in non-healthcare settings, have reported exposure to community violence, peer behavior, and delinquency as risk factors for violent injury. However, longitudinal cohort studies have not been performed to evaluate the temporal or predictive relationship between these risk factors and emergency department (ED) visits for injuries among at-risk youth. The objective was to assess whether self-reported exposure to violence risk factors in young adults can be used to predict future ED visits for injuries over a 1-year period. This prospective cohort study was performed in the ED of a Southeastern US Level I trauma center. Eligible participants were patients aged 18-24, presenting for any chief complaint. We excluded patients if they were critically ill, incarcerated, or could not read English. Initial recruitment occurred over a 6-month period, by a research assistant in the ED for 3-5 days per week, with shifts scheduled such that they included weekends and weekdays, over the hours from 8AM-8PM. At the time of initial contact in the ED, patients were asked to complete a written questionnaire, consisting of previously validated instruments measuring the following risk factors: a) aggression, b) perceived likelihood of violence, c) recent violent behavior, d) peer behavior, e) community exposure to violence, and f) positive future outlook. At 12 months following the initial ED visit, the participants' medical records were reviewed to identify any subsequent ED visits for injury-related complaints. We analyzed data with chi-square and logistic regression analyses. Three hundred thirty-two patients were approached, of whom 300 patients consented. Participants' average age was 21.1 years, with 60.1% female, 86.0% African American. After controlling for participant gender, ethnicity, or injury complaint at time of first visit, return visits for injuries were significantly

Succeeding in the MBA Marketplace: Identifying the Underlying Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivy, Jonathan; Naude, Peter

2004-01-01

There has been enormous growth globally in the number of both MBA providers and students over the past few decades. While inclusion in national and international MBA league-tables is part of the marketing arsenal of every MBA supplier that appears in them, identifying the determinants of success in this ever more crowded marketplace is a far less…

Feasibility of Deploying Inhaler Sensors to Identify the Impacts of Environmental Triggers and Built Environment Factors on Asthma Short-Acting Bronchodilator Use.

PubMed

Su, Jason G; Barrett, Meredith A; Henderson, Kelly; Humblet, Olivier; Smith, Ted; Sublett, James W; Nesbitt, LaQuandra; Hogg, Chris; Van Sickle, David; Sublett, James L

2017-02-01

Epidemiological asthma research has relied upon self-reported symptoms or healthcare utilization data, and used the residential address as the primary location for exposure. These data sources can be temporally limited, spatially aggregated, subjective, and burdensome for the patient to collect. First, we aimed to test the feasibility of collecting rescue inhaler use data in space-time using electronic sensors. Second, we aimed to evaluate whether these data have the potential to identify environmental triggers and built environment factors associated with rescue inhaler use and to determine whether these findings would be consistent with the existing literature. We utilized zero-truncated negative binomial models to identify triggers associated with inhaler use, and implemented three sensitivity analyses to validate our findings. Electronic sensors fitted on metered dose inhalers tracked 5,660 rescue inhaler use events in space and time for 140 participants from 13 June 2012 to 28 February 2014. We found that the inhaler sensors were feasible in passively collecting objective rescue inhaler use data. We identified several environmental triggers with a positive and significant association with inhaler use, including: AQI, PM10, weed pollen, and mold. Conversely, the spatial distribution of tree cover demonstrated a negative and significant association with inhaler use. Utilizing a sensor to capture the signal of rescue inhaler use in space-time offered a passive and objective signal of asthma activity. This approach enabled detailed analyses to identify environmental triggers and built environment factors that are associated with asthma symptoms beyond the residential address. The application of these new technologies has the potential to improve our surveillance and understanding of asthma. Citation: Su JG, Barrett MA, Henderson K, Humblet O, Smith T, Sublett JW, Nesbitt L, Hogg C, Van Sickle D, Sublett JL. 2017. Feasibility of deploying inhaler sensors to

How to identify the key factors that affect driver perception of accident risk. A comparison between Italian and Spanish driver behavior.

PubMed

de Oña, Juan; de Oña, Rocio; Eboli, Laura; Forciniti, Carmen; Mazzulla, Gabriella

2014-12-01

Road crashes can be caused by different factors, including infrastructure, vehicles, and human variables. Many research studies have focused solely on identifying the key factors that cause road crashes. From these studies, it emerged that human factors have the most relevant impact on accident severity. More specifically, accident severity depends on several factors related directly to the driver, i.e., driving experience, driver's socio-economic characteristics, and driving behavior and attitudes. In this paper, we investigate driver behaviors and attitudes while driving and specifically focus on different methods for identifying the factors that most affect the driver's perception of accident risk. To this end, we designed and conducted a survey in two different European contexts: the city of Cosenza, which is located in the south of Italy, and the city of Granada, which is located in the south of Spain. Samples of drivers were contacted for their opinions on certain aspects of driving rules and attitudes while driving, and different types of questions were addressed to the drivers to assess their judgments of these aspects. Consequently, different methods of data analysis were applied to determine the aspects that heavily influence driver perception of accident risk. An experiment based on the stated preferences (SP) was carried out with the drivers, and the SP data were analyzed using an ordered probit (OP) model. Interesting findings emerged from different analyses of the data and from the comparisons among the data collected in the two different territorial contexts. We found that both Italian and Spanish drivers consider driving in an altered psychophysical state and violating the overtaking rules to be the most risky behaviors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies genetic risk factors for stroke in African-Americans

PubMed Central

Carty, Cara L.; Keene, Keith L.; Cheng, Yu-Ching; Meschia, James F.; Chen, Wei-Min; Nalls, Mike; Bis, Joshua C.; Kittner, Steven J.; Rich, Stephen S.; Tajuddin, Salman; Zonderman, Alan B.; Evans, Michele K.; Langefeld, Carl D.; Gottesman, Rebecca; Mosley, Thomas H.; Shahar, Eyal; Woo, Daniel; Yaffe, Kristine; Liu, YongMei; Sale, Michèle M.; Dichgans, Martin; Malik, Rainer; Longstreth, WT; Mitchell, Braxton D.; Psaty, Bruce M.; Kooperberg, Charles; Reiner, Alexander; Worrall, Bradford B.; Fornage, Myriam

2015-01-01

Background and Purpose The majority of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of stroke have focused on European-ancestry populations; however, none has been conducted in African-Americans despite the disproportionately high burden of stroke in this population. The Consortium of Minority Population genome-wide Association Studies of Stroke (COMPASS) was established to identify stroke susceptibility loci in minority populations. Methods Using METAL, we conducted meta-analyses of GWAS in 14,746 African-Americans (1,365 ischemic and 1,592 total stroke cases) from COMPASS, and tested SNPs with P<10−6 for validation in METASTROKE, a consortium of ischemic stroke genetic studies in European-ancestry populations. We also evaluated stroke loci previously identified in European-ancestry populations. Results The 15q21.3 locus linked with lipid levels and hypertension was associated with total stroke (rs4471613, P=3.9×10−8) in African-Americans. Nominal associations (P<10−6) for total or ischemic stroke were observed for 18 variants in or near genes implicated in cell cycle/ mRNA pre-splicing (PTPRG, CDC5L), platelet function (HPS4), blood-brain barrier permeability (CLDN17), immune response (ELTD1, WDFY4, IL1F10-IL1RN), and histone modification (HDAC9). Two of these loci achieved nominal significance in METASTROKE: 5q35.2 (P=0.03), and 1p31.1 (P=0.018). Four of 7 previously reported ischemic stroke loci (PITX2, HDAC9, CDKN2A/CDKN2B and ZFHX3) were nominally associated (P<0.05) with stroke in COMPASS. Conclusions We identified a novel SNP associated with total stroke in African-Americans and found that ischemic stroke loci identified in European-ancestry populations may also be relevant for African-Americans. Our findings support investigation of diverse populations to identify and characterize genetic risk factors, and the importance of shared genetic risk across populations. PMID:26089329

Multivariate linear regression analysis to identify general factors for quantitative predictions of implant stability quotient values

PubMed Central

Huang, Hairong; Xu, Zanzan; Shao, Xianhong; Wismeijer, Daniel; Sun, Ping; Wang, Jingxiao

2017-01-01

Objectives This study identified potential general influencing factors for a mathematical prediction of implant stability quotient (ISQ) values in clinical practice. Methods We collected the ISQ values of 557 implants from 2 different brands (SICace and Osstem) placed by 2 surgeons in 336 patients. Surgeon 1 placed 329 SICace implants, and surgeon 2 placed 113 SICace implants and 115 Osstem implants. ISQ measurements were taken at T1 (immediately after implant placement) and T2 (before dental restoration). A multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the influence of the following 11 candidate factors for stability prediction: sex, age, maxillary/mandibular location, bone type, immediate/delayed implantation, bone grafting, insertion torque, I-stage or II-stage healing pattern, implant diameter, implant length and T1-T2 time interval. Results The need for bone grafting as a predictor significantly influenced ISQ values in all three groups at T1 (weight coefficients ranging from -4 to -5). In contrast, implant diameter consistently influenced the ISQ values in all three groups at T2 (weight coefficients ranging from 3.4 to 4.2). Other factors, such as sex, age, I/II-stage implantation and bone type, did not significantly influence ISQ values at T2, and implant length did not significantly influence ISQ values at T1 or T2. Conclusions These findings provide a rational basis for mathematical models to quantitatively predict the ISQ values of implants in clinical practice. PMID:29084260

Identifying factors associated with perceived success in the transition from hospital to home after brain injury.

PubMed

Nalder, Emily; Fleming, Jennifer; Foster, Michele; Cornwell, Petrea; Shields, Cassandra; Khan, Asad

2012-01-01

: To identify the factors associated with perceived success of the transition from hospital to home after traumatic brain injury (TBI). : Prospective longitudinal cohort design with data collection at discharge and 1, 3, and 6 months postdischarge. : A total of 127 individuals with TBI discharged to the community and 83 significant others. : An analog scale (0-100) of perceived success of the transition from hospital to home rated by individuals and significant others; Sentinel Events Questionnaire; EuroQol Group Quality-of-Life measure visual analog scale; Sydney Psychosocial Reintegration Scale; Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4; short form of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales; Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors; and Caregiver Strain Index. : Greater perceived success of transition for individuals with a TBI was associated with higher levels of health-related quality of life, level of community integration, and more severe injury. Among survivors, sentinel events such as returning to work and independent community access and changing living situation were associated with greater perceived success; financial strain and difficulty accessing therapy services were associated with less success. Among significant others, lower ratings of transition success were associated with higher significant other stress levels as well as lower levels of community integration and changes in the living situation of the individual with TBI. : A combination of sentinel events and personal and environmental factors influences the perceptions of individuals and their families regarding the success of the transition from hospital to home.

A methodological approach to identify external factors for indicator-based risk adjustment illustrated by a cataract surgery register

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

conformed to both criteria and were therefore relevant for risk adjustment. Conclusion In a practical application, the proposed method to identify relevant external factors for risk adjustment for comparison of outcome in healthcare proved to be feasible and comprehensive. The method can also be adapted to other quality assurance programmes. However, the cut-off score for clinical relevance needs to be individually assessed when applying the proposed method to other indications or indicators. PMID:24965949

Identifying Trajectories of Borderline Personality Features in Adolescence: Antecedent and Interactive Risk Factors.

PubMed

Haltigan, John D; Vaillancourt, Tracy

2016-03-01

To examine trajectories of adolescent borderline personality (BP) features in a normative-risk cohort (n = 566) of Canadian children assessed at ages 13, 14, 15, and 16 and childhood predictors of trajectory group membership assessed at ages 8, 10, 11, and 12. Data were drawn from the McMaster Teen Study, an on-going study examining relations among bullying, mental health, and academic achievement. Participants and their parents completed a battery of mental health and peer relations questionnaires at each wave of the study. Academic competence was assessed at age 8 (Grade 3). Latent class growth analysis, analysis of variance, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Three distinct BP features trajectory groups were identified: elevated or rising, intermediate or stable, and low or stable. Parent- and child-reported mental health symptoms, peer relations risk factors, and intra-individual risk factors were significant predictors of elevated or rising and intermediate or stable trajectory groups. Child-reported attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and somatization symptoms uniquely predicted elevated or rising trajectory group membership, whereas parent-reported anxiety and child-reported ADHD symptoms uniquely predicted intermediate or stable trajectory group membership. Child-reported somatization symptoms was the only predictor to differentiate the intermediate or stable and elevated or rising trajectory groups (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.28). Associations between child-reported reactive temperament and elevated BP features trajectory group membership were 10.23 times higher among children who were bullied, supporting a diathesis-stress pathway in the development of BP features for these youth. Findings demonstrate the heterogeneous course of BP features in early adolescence and shed light on the potential prodromal course of later borderline personality disorder. © The Author(s) 2015.

Identifying Sociological Factors for the Success of Space Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundquist, C. A.; Tarter, D.; Coleman, A.

Astrosociology factors relevant to success of future space exploration may best be identified through studies of sociological circumstances of past successful explorations, such as the Apollo-Lunar Missions. These studies benefit from access to primary records of the past programs. The Archives and Special Collections Division of the Salmon Library at the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) houses large collections of material from the early periods of the space age. The Huntsville campus of the University of Alabama System had its birth in the mid-1950s at the time when the von Braun rocket team was relocated from Texas to Huntsville. The University, the City of Huntsville and the US Government rocket organizations developed in parallel over subsequent years. As a result, the University has a significant space heritage and focus. This is true not only for the engineering and science disciplines, but also for the social sciences. The life of the University spans the period when Huntsville government and industrial organizations were responsible for producing the rocket vehicles to first take mankind to the Moon. That endeavor was surely as significant sociologically as technologically. In the 1980s, Donald E. Tarter, conducted a series of video interviews with some leading members of the original von Braun team. Although the interviews ranged over many engineering subjects, they also recorded personal features of people involved in the Apollo lunar exploration program and the interactions between these people. Such knowledge was of course an objective. These interviews are now in the collections of the UAH Library Archives, along with extensive documentation from the same period. Under sponsorship of the Archives and the NASA-Marshall Retiree Association, the interview series was restarted in 2006 to obtain comparable oral-history interviews with more than fifty US born members of the rocket team from the 1960s. Again these video interviews are rich with

Epidermal growth factor gene is a newly identified candidate gene for gout.

PubMed

Han, Lin; Cao, Chunwei; Jia, Zhaotong; Liu, Shiguo; Liu, Zhen; Xin, Ruosai; Wang, Can; Li, Xinde; Ren, Wei; Wang, Xuefeng; Li, Changgui

2016-08-10

Chromosome 4q25 has been identified as a genomic region associated with gout. However, the associations of gout with the genes in this region have not yet been confirmed. Here, we performed two-stage analysis to determine whether variations in candidate genes in the 4q25 region are associated with gout in a male Chinese Han population. We first evaluated 96 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eight inflammatory/immune pathway- or glucose/lipid metabolism-related genes in the 4q25 region in 480 male gout patients and 480 controls. The SNP rs12504538, located in the elongation of very-long-chain-fatty-acid-like family member 6 gene (Elovl6), was found to be associated with gout susceptibility (Padjusted = 0.00595). In the second stage of analysis, we performed fine mapping analysis of 93 tag SNPs in Elovl6 and in the epidermal growth factor gene (EGF) and its flanking regions in 1017 male patients gout and 1897 healthy male controls. We observed a significant association between the T allele of EGF rs2298999 and gout (odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval = 0.67-0.88, Padjusted = 6.42 × 10(-3)). These results provide the first evidence for an association between the EGF rs2298999 C/T polymorphism and gout. Our findings should be validated in additional populations.

Non-smoking youths' "perceived" addiction to tobacco is associated with their susceptibility to future smoking.

PubMed

Okoli, Chizimuzo T C; Richardson, Chris G; Ratner, Pamela A; Johnson, Joy L

2009-12-01

Smoking initiation places adolescents at risk for adult onset diseases, including heart disease, respiratory illness, and cancer. Adolescents that smoke have levels of 'perceived' tobacco addiction that are associated with several measures of nicotine dependence. Nonsmoking adolescents also report feeling addicted to tobacco even with minimal or no prior tobacco use, suggesting some vulnerability to tobacco use. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between perceived tobacco addiction and smoking susceptibility among adolescents with very minimal tobacco use. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of data obtained from 5155 nonsmokers who completed the British Columbia Youth Survey of Smoking and Health II, a school-based survey conducted during 2004. Measures included demographics, tobacco use (ever puffed a cigarette), substance use (marijuana and alcohol), exposure to family members' smoking in the home, peers' tobacco use, depressive symptoms, perceived physical and mental addiction to tobacco, and smoking susceptibility. The adolescents who were most susceptible to smoking were female, younger and in a lower school grade; had ever puffed a cigarette, had used alcohol or marijuana; had family members or peers who smoked; had higher depression scores, and higher perceived physical and mental addiction to tobacco. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, perceived mental addiction but not perceived physical addiction to tobacco was significantly associated with smoking susceptibility. Understanding factors associated with smoking initiation, and ways to identify "at- risk" adolescents can enhance early intervention and prevention programs. Perceived mental addiction to tobacco appears to be an important indicator of smoking susceptibility.

A Case-Control Study to Identify Risk Factors Associated with Avian Influenza Subtype H9N2 on Commercial Poultry Farms in Pakistan

PubMed Central

Chaudhry, Mamoona; Rashid, Hamad B.; Thrusfield, Michael; Welburn, Sue; Bronsvoort, Barend MdeC.

2015-01-01

A 1:1 matched case-control study was conducted to identify risk factors for avian influenza subtype H9N2 infection on commercial poultry farms in 16 districts of Punjab, and 1 administrative unit of Pakistan. One hundred and thirty-three laboratory confirmed positive case farms were matched on the date of sample submission with 133 negative control farms. The association between a series of farm-level characteristics and the presence or absence of H9N2 was assessed by univariable analysis. Characteristics associated with H9N2 risk that passed the initial screening were included in a multivariable conditional logistic regression model. Manual and automated approaches were used, which produced similar models. Key risk factors from all approaches included selling of eggs/birds directly to live bird retail stalls, being near case/infected farms, a previous history of infectious bursal disease (IBD) on the farm and having cover on the water storage tanks. The findings of current study are in line with results of many other studies conducted in various countries to identify similar risk factors for AI subtype H9N2 infection. Enhancing protective measures and controlling risks identified in this study could reduce spread of AI subtype H9N2 and other AI viruses between poultry farms in Pakistan. PMID:25774768

Keeping Our Students: Identifying Factors that Influence Student Withdrawal and Strategies to Enhance the Experience and Retention of First-Year Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parmar, Deeba; Trotter, Eileen

2004-01-01

This article derives from local research at two UK universities as part of their institutional strategies to address retention and progression and enhance their students' experiences of higher education. In both Middlesex University and the University of Salford, research has been undertaken to identify factors which influence the retention and…

Filamentation in the pinched column of the dense plasma focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubes, P.; Paduch, M.; Cikhardt, J.; Cikhardtova, B.; Klir, D.; Kravarik, J.; Rezac, K.; Zielinska, E.; Sadowski, M. J.; Szymaszek, A.; Tomaszewski, K.; Zaloga, D.

2017-03-01

The paper describes the filamentary structure observed in the high-energy ultraviolet radiation for discharges performed at the hydrogen- or deuterium-filling and at the puffing of hydrogen, deuterium or helium, in a mega-ampere dense plasma-focus facility. The lifetime of this structure overcomes 50 ns. These filaments connect the surface of a pinched column with internal plasmoids formed at different combinations of filling and puffing gases and they should transport some current and plasma. During all the investigated deuterium shots, the fusion-produced neutrons were recorded. Therefore, deuterons should be present in the region of their acceleration, independent of the applied puffing of the gas. Simultaneously with the observed filaments, inside the dense plasma column small plasma-balls of mm-dimensions were observed, which had a similar lifetime (longer than the relaxation time) and quasi-stationary positions in the discharge volume. The observed filaments and balls might be a manifestation of the (i) discrete spatial structure of the current flowing through and around the dense plasma column and (ii) transport of the plasma from external layers to the central region. Their formation and visualization were easier due to the application of air admixtures in the puffed gas.

Biodegradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1

PubMed Central

Tallur, Preeti N.; Mulla, Sikandar I.; Megadi, Veena B.; Talwar, Manjunatha P.; Ninnekar, Harichandra Z.

2015-01-01

Pyrethroid pesticide cypermethrin is a environmental pollutant because of its widespread use, toxicity and persistence. Biodegradation of such chemicals by microorganisms may provide an cost-effective method for their detoxification. We have investigated the degradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1 in various matrices such as, polyurethane foam (PUF), polyacrylamide, sodium alginate and agar. The optimum temperature and pH for the degradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. were found to be 30 °C and 7.0, respectively. The rate of degradation of 10 and 20 mM of cypermethrin by freely suspended cells were compared with that of immobilized cells in batches and semi-continuous with shaken cultures. PUF-immobilized cells showed higher degradation of cypermethrin (10 mM and 20 mM) than freely suspended cells and cells immobilized in other matrices. The PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1 were retain their degradation capacity. Thus, they can be reused for more than 32 cycles, without losing their degradation capacity. Hence, the PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. could potentially be used in the bioremediation of cypermethrin contaminated water. PMID:26413046

Enhanced degradation of 2-nitrotoluene by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain SMN-1.

PubMed

Mulla, Sikandar I; Talwar, Manjunatha P; Bagewadi, Zabin K; Hoskeri, Robertcyril S; Ninnekar, Harichandra Z

2013-02-01

Nitrotoluenes are the toxic pollutants of the environment because of their large scale use in the production of explosives. Biodegradation of such chemicals by microorganisms may provide an effective method for their detoxification. We have studied the degradation of 2-nitrotoluene by cells of Micrococcus sp. strain SMN-1 immobilized in various matrices such as polyurethane foam (PUF), sodium alginate (SA), sodium alginate-polyvinyl alcohol (SA-PVA), agar and polyacrylamide. The rate of degradation of 15 and 30 mM 2-nitrotoluene by freely suspended cells and immobilized cells in batches and fed-batch with shaken cultures were compared. The PUF-immobilized cells achieved higher degradation of 15 and 30 mM 2-nitrotoluene than freely suspended cells and the cells immobilized in SA-PVA, polyacrylamide, SA and agar. The PUF-immobilized cells could be reused more than 24 cycles without loosing their degradation capacity and showed more tolerance to pH and temperature changes than freely suspended cells. These results revealed the enhanced rate of degradation of 2-nitrotoluene by PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain SMN-1. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodegradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1.

PubMed

Tallur, Preeti N; Mulla, Sikandar I; Megadi, Veena B; Talwar, Manjunatha P; Ninnekar, Harichandra Z

2015-01-01

Pyrethroid pesticide cypermethrin is a environmental pollutant because of its widespread use, toxicity and persistence. Biodegradation of such chemicals by microorganisms may provide an cost-effective method for their detoxification. We have investigated the degradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1 in various matrices such as, polyurethane foam (PUF), polyacrylamide, sodium alginate and agar. The optimum temperature and pH for the degradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. were found to be 30 °C and 7.0, respectively. The rate of degradation of 10 and 20 mM of cypermethrin by freely suspended cells were compared with that of immobilized cells in batches and semi-continuous with shaken cultures. PUF-immobilized cells showed higher degradation of cypermethrin (10 mM and 20 mM) than freely suspended cells and cells immobilized in other matrices. The PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1 were retain their degradation capacity. Thus, they can be reused for more than 32 cycles, without losing their degradation capacity. Hence, the PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. could potentially be used in the bioremediation of cypermethrin contaminated water.

Using fault tree analysis to identify contributing factors to engulfment in flowing grain in on-farm grain bins.

PubMed

Kingman, D M; Field, W E

2005-11-01

Findings reported by researchers at Illinois State University and Purdue University indicated that since 1980, an average of eight individuals per year have become engulfed and died in farm grain bins in the U.S. and Canada and that all these deaths are significant because they are believed to be preventable. During a recent effort to develop intervention strategies and recommendations for an ASAE farm grain bin safety standard, fault tree analysis (FTA) was utilized to identify contributing factors to engulfments in grain stored in on-farm grain bins. FTA diagrams provided a spatial perspective of the circumstances that occurred prior to engulfment incidents, a perspective never before presented in other hazard analyses. The FTA also demonstrated relationships and interrelationships of the contributing factors. FTA is a useful tool that should be applied more often in agricultural incident investigations to assist in the more complete understanding of the problem studied.

Identifying protective and risk factors for injurious falls in patients hospitalized for acute care: a retrospective case-control study.

PubMed

Aryee, Emmanuel; James, Spencer L; Hunt, Guenola M; Ryder, Hilary F

2017-11-07

Admitted patients who fall and injure themselves during an acute hospitalization incur increased costs, morbidity, and mortality, but little research has been conducted on identifying inpatients at high risk to injure themselves in a fall. Falls risk assessment tools have been unsuccessful due to their low positive predictive value when applied broadly to entire hospital populations. We aimed to identify variables associated with the risk of or protection against injurious fall in the inpatient setting. We also aimed to test the variables in the ABCs mnemonic (Age > 85, Bones-orthopedic conditions, anti-Coagulation and recent surgery) for correlation with injurious fall. We performed a retrospective case-control study at an academic tertiary care center comparing admitted patients with injurious fall to admitted patients without fall. We collected data on the demographics, medical and fall history, outcomes, and discharge disposition of injured fallers and control patients. We performed multivariate analysis of potential risk factors for injurious fall with logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios. We identified 117 injured fallers and 320 controls. There were no differences in age, anti-coagulation use or fragility fractures between cases and controls. In multivariate analysis, recent surgery (OR 0.46, p = 0.003) was protective; joint replacement (OR 5.58, P = 0.002), psychotropic agents (OR 2.23, p = 0.001), the male sex (OR 2.08, p = 0.003) and history of fall (OR 2.08, p = 0.02) were significantly associated with injurious fall. In this study, the variables in the ABCs parameters were among the variables not useful for identifying inpatients at risk of injuring themselves in a fall, while other non-ABCs variables demonstrated a significant association with injurious fall. Recent surgery was a protective factor, and practices around the care of surgical patients could be extrapolated to reduce the in-hospital fall rates.

Risk Factors of Children Who Exited from an Early Intervention Program without an Identified Disability and Returned with a Developmental Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giannoni, Peggy P.; Kass, Philip H.

2010-01-01

A retrospective cohort study was undertaken to identify risk factors for children at greatest risk of delayed diagnosis of developmental disability. Two thousand four hundred and thirty-nine children were selected for this study due to their participation in the California Early Start (ES) Program in 1998. Comparisons were made among children that…

Transcriptome analysis of Neisseria meningitidis in human whole blood and mutagenesis studies identify virulence factors involved in blood survival.

PubMed

Echenique-Rivera, Hebert; Muzzi, Alessandro; Del Tordello, Elena; Seib, Kate L; Francois, Patrice; Rappuoli, Rino; Pizza, Mariagrazia; Serruto, Davide

2011-05-01

During infection Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) encounters multiple environments within the host, which makes rapid adaptation a crucial factor for meningococcal survival. Despite the importance of invasion into the bloodstream in the meningococcal disease process, little is known about how Nm adapts to permit survival and growth in blood. To address this, we performed a time-course transcriptome analysis using an ex vivo model of human whole blood infection. We observed that Nm alters the expression of ≈30% of ORFs of the genome and major dynamic changes were observed in the expression of transcriptional regulators, transport and binding proteins, energy metabolism, and surface-exposed virulence factors. In particular, we found that the gene encoding the regulator Fur, as well as all genes encoding iron uptake systems, were significantly up-regulated. Analysis of regulated genes encoding for surface-exposed proteins involved in Nm pathogenesis allowed us to better understand mechanisms used to circumvent host defenses. During blood infection, Nm activates genes encoding for the factor H binding proteins, fHbp and NspA, genes encoding for detoxifying enzymes such as SodC, Kat and AniA, as well as several less characterized surface-exposed proteins that might have a role in blood survival. Through mutagenesis studies of a subset of up-regulated genes we were able to identify new proteins important for survival in human blood and also to identify additional roles of previously known virulence factors in aiding survival in blood. Nm mutant strains lacking the genes encoding the hypothetical protein NMB1483 and the surface-exposed proteins NalP, Mip and NspA, the Fur regulator, the transferrin binding protein TbpB, and the L-lactate permease LctP were sensitive to killing by human blood. This increased knowledge of how Nm responds to adaptation in blood could also be helpful to develop diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to control the devastating disease cause by

Transcriptome Analysis of Neisseria meningitidis in Human Whole Blood and Mutagenesis Studies Identify Virulence Factors Involved in Blood Survival

PubMed Central

Del Tordello, Elena; Seib, Kate L.; Francois, Patrice; Rappuoli, Rino; Pizza, Mariagrazia; Serruto, Davide

2011-01-01

During infection Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) encounters multiple environments within the host, which makes rapid adaptation a crucial factor for meningococcal survival. Despite the importance of invasion into the bloodstream in the meningococcal disease process, little is known about how Nm adapts to permit survival and growth in blood. To address this, we performed a time-course transcriptome analysis using an ex vivo model of human whole blood infection. We observed that Nm alters the expression of ≈30% of ORFs of the genome and major dynamic changes were observed in the expression of transcriptional regulators, transport and binding proteins, energy metabolism, and surface-exposed virulence factors. In particular, we found that the gene encoding the regulator Fur, as well as all genes encoding iron uptake systems, were significantly up-regulated. Analysis of regulated genes encoding for surface-exposed proteins involved in Nm pathogenesis allowed us to better understand mechanisms used to circumvent host defenses. During blood infection, Nm activates genes encoding for the factor H binding proteins, fHbp and NspA, genes encoding for detoxifying enzymes such as SodC, Kat and AniA, as well as several less characterized surface-exposed proteins that might have a role in blood survival. Through mutagenesis studies of a subset of up-regulated genes we were able to identify new proteins important for survival in human blood and also to identify additional roles of previously known virulence factors in aiding survival in blood. Nm mutant strains lacking the genes encoding the hypothetical protein NMB1483 and the surface-exposed proteins NalP, Mip and NspA, the Fur regulator, the transferrin binding protein TbpB, and the L-lactate permease LctP were sensitive to killing by human blood. This increased knowledge of how Nm responds to adaptation in blood could also be helpful to develop diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to control the devastating disease cause by

Enhancing oil removal from water by immobilizing multi-wall carbon nanotubes on the surface of polyurethane foam.

PubMed

Keshavarz, Alireza; Zilouei, Hamid; Abdolmaleki, Amir; Asadinezhad, Ahmad

2015-07-01

A surface modification method was carried out to enhance the light crude oil sorption capacity of polyurethane foam (PUF) through immobilization of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on the foam surface at various concentrations. The developed sorbent was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile elongation test. The results obtained from thermogravimetric and tensile elongation tests showed the improvement of thermal and mechanical resistance of surface-modified foam. The experimental data also revealed that the immobilization of MWCNT on PUF surface enhanced the sorption capacity of light crude oil and reduced water sorption. The highest oil removal capacity was obtained for 1 wt% MWCNT on PUF surface which was 21.44% enhancement in light crude oil sorption compared to the blank PUF. The reusability of surface modified PUF was determined through four cycles of chemical regeneration using petroleum ether. The adsorption of light crude oil with 30 g initial mass showed that 85.45% of the initial oil sorption capacity of this modified sorbent was remained after four regeneration cycles. Equilibrium isotherms for adsorption of oil were analyzed by the Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, and Redlich-Peterson models through linear and non-linear regression methods. Results of equilibrium revealed that Langmuir isotherm is the best fitting model and non-linear method is a more accurate way to predict the parameters involved in the isotherms. The overall findings suggested the promising potentials of the developed sorbent in order to be efficiently used in large-scale oil spill cleanup. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Repressor- and Activator-Type Ethylene Response Factors Functioning in Jasmonate Signaling and Disease Resistance Identified via a Genome-Wide Screen of Arabidopsis Transcription Factor Gene Expression[w

PubMed Central

McGrath, Ken C.; Dombrecht, Bruno; Manners, John M.; Schenk, Peer M.; Edgar, Cameron I.; Maclean, Donald J.; Scheible, Wolf-Rüdiger; Udvardi, Michael K.; Kazan, Kemal

2005-01-01

To identify transcription factors (TFs) involved in jasmonate (JA) signaling and plant defense, we screened 1,534 Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) TFs by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR for their altered transcript at 6 h following either methyl JA treatment or inoculation with the incompatible pathogen Alternaria brassicicola. We identified 134 TFs that showed a significant change in expression, including many APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF), MYB, WRKY, and NAC TF genes with unknown functions. Twenty TF genes were induced by both the pathogen and methyl JA and these included 10 members of the AP2/ERF TF family, primarily from the B1a and B3 subclusters. Functional analysis of the B1a TF AtERF4 revealed that AtERF4 acts as a novel negative regulator of JA-responsive defense gene expression and resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum and antagonizes JA inhibition of root elongation. In contrast, functional analysis of the B3 TF AtERF2 showed that AtERF2 is a positive regulator of JA-responsive defense genes and resistance to F. oxysporum and enhances JA inhibition of root elongation. Our results suggest that plants coordinately express multiple repressor- and activator-type AP2/ERFs during pathogen challenge to modulate defense gene expression and disease resistance. PMID:16183832

Chromosome 17 alterations identify good-risk and poor-risk tumors independently of clinical factors in medulloblastoma

PubMed Central

McCabe, Martin G.; Bäcklund, L. Magnus; Leong, Hui Sun; Ichimura, Koichi; Collins, V. Peter

2011-01-01

Current risk stratification schemas for medulloblastoma, based on combinations of clinical variables and histotype, fail to accurately identify particularly good- and poor-risk tumors. Attempts have been made to improve discriminatory power by combining clinical variables with cytogenetic data. We report here a pooled analysis of all previous reports of chromosomal copy number related to survival data in medulloblastoma. We collated data from previous reports that explicitly quoted survival data and chromosomal copy number in medulloblastoma. We analyzed the relative prognostic significance of currently used clinical risk stratifiers and the chromosomal aberrations previously reported to correlate with survival. In the pooled dataset metastatic disease, incomplete tumor resection and severe anaplasia were associated with poor outcome, while young age at presentation was not prognostically significant. Of the chromosomal variables studied, isolated 17p loss and gain of 1q correlated with poor survival. Gain of 17q without associated loss of 17p showed a trend to improved outcome. The most commonly reported alteration, isodicentric chromosome 17, was not prognostically significant. Sequential multivariate models identified isolated 17p loss, isolated 17q gain, and 1q gain as independent prognostic factors. In a historical dataset, we have identified isolated 17p loss as a marker of poor outcome and 17q gain as a novel putative marker of good prognosis. Biological markers of poor-risk and good-risk tumors will be critical in stratifying treatment in future trials. Our findings should be prospectively validated independently in future clinical studies. PMID:21292688

Identifying Factors that Most Strongly Predict Aircraft Reliability Behavior

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

time to perform a specific airlift mission or category of missions based on all pertinent operational and logistical factors.” ( Randall , 2004, p. 64...resources are contingent upon the demand and airfield environment. ( Randall , 2004) The challenge with researching and predicting MC rates is its...Departmental Publishing Office. http://www.e- publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFDD3-17.pdf McClave JT, Benson PG, Sincich TS, (2011). Statistics for

Application of Factor Analysis to Identify Dietary Patterns and Use of Factor Scores to Study Their Relationship with Nutritional Status of Adult Rural Populations

PubMed Central

Brahmam, G.N.V.; Vijayaraghavan, K.

2011-01-01

The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) among one-third of the Indian population is attributed to inadequacy of consumption of nutrients. However, considering the complexity of diets among Indians, the relationship between a particular dietary pattern and the nutritional status of the population has not been established so far. A community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess estimates, at district level, of diet and nutritional status in Orissa State, India. Factor analysis was used for exploring the existence of consumption pattern of food and nutrients and their relationship with the nutritional status of rural adult population. Data on 2,864 adult men and 3,525 adult women in Orissa state revealed that there exists six patterns among food-groups explaining 59% of the total variation and three patterns among nutrients that explain 73% of the total variation among both adult men and women. The discriminant function analysis revealed that, overall, 53% of the men were correctly classified as either with chronic energy deficiency (CED) or without CED. Similarly, overall, 54% of the women were correctly classified as either with CED or without CED. The sensitivity of the model was 65% for both men and women, and the specificity was 46% and 41% respectively for men and women. In the case of classification of overweight/obesity, the prediction of the model was about 75% among both men and women, along with high sensitivity. Using factor analysis, the dietary patterns were identified from the food and nutrient intake data. There exists a strong relationship between the dietary patterns and the nutritional status of rural adults. These results will help identify the community people with CED and help planners formulate nutritional interventions accordingly. PMID:21957671

Clinical Factors and Postoperative Impact of Bile Leak After Liver Resection.

PubMed

Martin, Allison N; Narayanan, Sowmya; Turrentine, Florence E; Bauer, Todd W; Adams, Reid B; Stukenborg, George J; Zaydfudim, Victor M

2018-04-01

Despite technical advances, bile leak remains a significant complication after hepatectomy. The current study uses a targeted multi-institutional dataset to characterize perioperative factors that are associated with bile leakage after hepatectomy to better understand the impact of bile leak on morbidity and mortality. Adult patients in the 2014-2015 ACS NSQIP targeted hepatectomy dataset were linked to the ACS NSQIP PUF dataset. Bivariable and multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the associations between clinical factors and post-hepatectomy bile leak. Of 6859 patients, 530 (7.7%) had a postoperative bile leak. Proportion of bile leaks was significantly greater in patients after major compared to minor hepatectomy (12.6 vs. 5.1%, p < 0.001). The proportion of patients with bile leak was significantly greater in patients after major hepatectomy who had concomitant enterohepatic reconstruction (31.8 vs. 10.1%, p < 0.001). Postoperative mortality was significantly greater in patients with bile leaks (6.0 vs. 1.7%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for significant covariates, bile leak was independently associated with increased risk of postoperative morbidity (OR = 4.55; 95% CI 3.72-5.56; p < 0.001). After adjusting for significant effects of postoperative complications, liver failure, and reoperation (all p<0.001), bile leak was not independently associated with increased risk of postoperative mortality (p = 0.262). Major hepatectomy and enterohepatic biliary reconstruction are associated with significantly greater rates of bile leak after liver resection. Bile leak is independently associated with significant postoperative morbidity. Mitigation of bile leak is critical in reducing morbidity and mortality after liver resection.

Identifying Factors That Influence Persistence of Hawai'i Students Studying at Mainland Colleges: A Phenomenological Multi-Case Study of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lima, Kevin M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of mainland college students, graduates of a unique Hawai'i high school, to identify factors that influenced higher education persistence. Students not persisting at college, a problem for students and higher education institutions is defined for this study as a student that did not return…

Potential Psychosocial Risk Factors for Chronic TMD: Descriptive Data and Empirically Identified Domains from the OPPERA Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

Fillingim, Roger B.; Ohrbach, Richard; Greenspan, Joel D.; Knott, Charles; Dubner, Ronald; Bair, Eric; Baraian, Cristina; Slade, Gary D.; Maixner, William

2011-01-01

Case-control studies have consistently associated psychosocial factors with chronic pain in general, and with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) specifically. Moreover, a handful of prospective studies suggest that pre-existing psychosocial characteristics represent risk factors for new onset TMD. The current study presents psychosocial findings from the baseline case-control study of the Orofacial Pain Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) cooperative agreement. For this study, 1,633 TMD-free controls and 185 TMD cases completed a battery of psychosocial instruments assessing general psychosocial adjustment and personality, affective distress, psychosocial stress, somatic awareness, and pain coping and catastrophizing. In bivariate and demographically-adjusted analyses, odds of TMD were associated with higher levels of psychosocial symptoms, affective distress, somatic awareness, and pain catastrophizing. Among controls, significant gender and ethnic group differences in psychosocial measures were observed, consistent with previous findings. Principal component analysis was undertaken to identify latent constructs revealing four components: stress and negative affectivity, global psychosocial symptoms, passive pain coping, and active pain coping. These findings provide further evidence of associations between psychosocial factors and TMD. Future prospective analyses in the OPPERA cohort will determine if the premorbid presence of these psychosocial factors predicts increased risk for developing new-onset TMD. PMID:22074752

Global genomics and proteomics approaches to identify host factors as targets to induce resistance against Tomato bushy stunt virus.

PubMed

Nagy, Peter D; Pogany, Judit

2010-01-01

The success of RNA viruses as pathogens of plants, animals, and humans depends on their ability to reprogram the host cell metabolism to support the viral infection cycle and to suppress host defense mechanisms. Plus-strand (+)RNA viruses have limited coding potential necessitating that they co-opt an unknown number of host factors to facilitate their replication in host cells. Global genomics and proteomics approaches performed with Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a model host have led to the identification of 250 host factors affecting TBSV RNA replication and recombination or bound to the viral replicase, replication proteins, or the viral RNA. The roles of a dozen host factors involved in various steps of the replication process have been validated in yeast as well as a plant host. Altogether, the large number of host factors identified and the great variety of cellular functions performed by these factors indicate the existence of a truly complex interaction between TBSV and the host cell. This review summarizes the advantages of using a simple plant virus and yeast as a model host to advance our understanding of virus-host interactions at the molecular and cellular levels. The knowledge of host factors gained can potentially be used to inhibit virus replication via gene silencing, expression of dominant negative mutants, or design of specific chemical inhibitors leading to novel specific or broad-range resistance and antiviral tools against (+)RNA plant viruses. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Epidermal growth factor gene is a newly identified candidate gene for gout

PubMed Central

Han, Lin; Cao, Chunwei; Jia, Zhaotong; Liu, Shiguo; Liu, Zhen; Xin, Ruosai; Wang, Can; Li, Xinde; Ren, Wei; Wang, Xuefeng; Li, Changgui

2016-01-01

Chromosome 4q25 has been identified as a genomic region associated with gout. However, the associations of gout with the genes in this region have not yet been confirmed. Here, we performed two-stage analysis to determine whether variations in candidate genes in the 4q25 region are associated with gout in a male Chinese Han population. We first evaluated 96 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eight inflammatory/immune pathway- or glucose/lipid metabolism-related genes in the 4q25 region in 480 male gout patients and 480 controls. The SNP rs12504538, located in the elongation of very-long-chain-fatty-acid-like family member 6 gene (Elovl6), was found to be associated with gout susceptibility (Padjusted = 0.00595). In the second stage of analysis, we performed fine mapping analysis of 93 tag SNPs in Elovl6 and in the epidermal growth factor gene (EGF) and its flanking regions in 1017 male patients gout and 1897 healthy male controls. We observed a significant association between the T allele of EGF rs2298999 and gout (odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval = 0.67–0.88, Padjusted = 6.42 × 10−3). These results provide the first evidence for an association between the EGF rs2298999 C/T polymorphism and gout. Our findings should be validated in additional populations. PMID:27506295

Experimental Infections with Mycoplasma agalactiae Identify Key Factors Involved in Host-Colonization

PubMed Central

Baranowski, Eric; Bergonier, Dominique; Sagné, Eveline; Hygonenq, Marie-Claude; Ronsin, Patricia; Berthelot, Xavier; Citti, Christine

2014-01-01

Mechanisms underlying pathogenic processes in mycoplasma infections are poorly understood, mainly because of limited sequence similarities with classical, bacterial virulence factors. Recently, large-scale transposon mutagenesis in the ruminant pathogen Mycoplasma agalactiae identified the NIF locus, including nifS and nifU, as essential for mycoplasma growth in cell culture, while dispensable in axenic media. To evaluate the importance of this locus in vivo, the infectivity of two knock-out mutants was tested upon experimental infection in the natural host. In this model, the parental PG2 strain was able to establish a systemic infection in lactating ewes, colonizing various body sites such as lymph nodes and the mammary gland, even when inoculated at low doses. In these PG2-infected ewes, we observed over the course of infection (i) the development of a specific antibody response and (ii) dynamic changes in expression of M. agalactiae surface variable proteins (Vpma), with multiple Vpma profiles co-existing in the same animal. In contrast and despite a sensitive model, none of the knock-out mutants were able to survive and colonize the host. The extreme avirulent phenotype of the two mutants was further supported by the absence of an IgG response in inoculated animals. The exact role of the NIF locus remains to be elucidated but these data demonstrate that it plays a key role in the infectious process of M. agalactiae and most likely of other pathogenic mycoplasma species as many carry closely related homologs. PMID:24699671

Modelling categorical data to identify factors influencing concern for the natural environment in Iran.

PubMed

Parizanganeh, Abdolhossein; Lakhan, V Chris; Yazdani, Mahmoud; Ahmad, Sajid R

2011-10-01

Loglinear modelling techniques were used to identify the interactions and interrelationships underlying categorical environmental concern data collected from 9062 respondents in Iran. After fitting various loglinear models to the data, the most parsimonious model highlighted that a combination of interacting factors, namely educational attainment, age, gender, and residential location were responsible for influencing personal concern for the environment. Although high educational attainment had a close correspondence with high concern for the environment the loglinear results, when visualized with a geographical information system, demonstrated wide spatial variations in educational attainment and concern for the environment. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents were not highly educated, and were therefore not highly concerned for the environment. The finding that both rural and urban male and female respondents in the 15-24 years age category, with 10-12 years of education, had the strongest interaction with personal concern for the environment could be beneficial for policy planners to utilize education as the primary instrument to enhance environmental governance and prospects for sustainable development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying critical success factors for designing selection processes into postgraduate specialty training: the case of UK general practice.

PubMed

Plint, Simon; Patterson, Fiona

2010-06-01

The UK national recruitment process into general practice training has been developed over several years, with incremental introduction of stages which have been piloted and validated. Previously independent processes, which encouraged multiple applications and produced inconsistent outcomes, have been replaced by a robust national process which has high reliability and predictive validity, and is perceived to be fair by candidates and allocates applicants equitably across the country. Best selection practice involves a job analysis which identifies required competencies, then designs reliable assessment methods to measure them, and over the long term ensures that the process has predictive validity against future performance. The general practitioner recruitment process introduced machine markable short listing assessments for the first time in the UK postgraduate recruitment context, and also adopted selection centre workplace simulations. The key success factors have been identified as corporate commitment to the goal of a national process, with gradual convergence maintaining locus of control rather than the imposition of change without perceived legitimate authority.

A graph regularized non-negative matrix factorization method for identifying microRNA-disease associations.

PubMed

Xiao, Qiu; Luo, Jiawei; Liang, Cheng; Cai, Jie; Ding, Pingjian

2017-09-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in post-transcriptional regulations and various cellular processes. The identification of disease-related miRNAs provides great insights into the underlying pathogenesis of diseases at a system level. However, most existing computational approaches are biased towards known miRNA-disease associations, which is inappropriate for those new diseases or miRNAs without any known association information. In this study, we propose a new method with graph regularized non-negative matrix factorization in heterogeneous omics data, called GRNMF, to discover potential associations between miRNAs and diseases, especially for new diseases and miRNAs or those diseases and miRNAs with sparse known associations. First, we integrate the disease semantic information and miRNA functional information to estimate disease similarity and miRNA similarity, respectively. Considering that there is no available interaction observed for new diseases or miRNAs, a preprocessing step is developed to construct the interaction score profiles that will assist in prediction. Next, a graph regularized non-negative matrix factorization framework is utilized to simultaneously identify potential associations for all diseases. The results indicated that our proposed method can effectively prioritize disease-associated miRNAs with higher accuracy compared with other recent approaches. Moreover, case studies also demonstrated the effectiveness of GRNMF to infer unknown miRNA-disease associations for those novel diseases and miRNAs. The code of GRNMF is freely available at https://github.com/XIAO-HN/GRNMF/. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Analysis of horse race videos to identify intra-race risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture.

PubMed

Parkin, T D H; Clegg, P D; French, N P; Proudman, C J; Riggs, C M; Singer, E R; Webbon, P M; Morgan, K L

2006-04-17

The objective of this study was to identify risk factors, during racing, associated with imminent fatal distal limb fracture in Thoroughbreds. One hundred and nine cases of fatal distal limb fracture were identified from all 59 UK racecourses over a 2-year period (February 1999-January 2001). Three uninjured control horses were randomly selected from the same race as the case horse. Videos of races in which fractures occurred were viewed using a defined protocol. Fractures in flat races occurred at any time during the race, whereas 74% (45/61) of cases in national hunt type races occurred in the second half of races. More than 75% (79/103) of cases were spontaneous, i.e. there was no obvious external influence such as a fall at a fence or collision with another horse. Sixty-six percent (44/67) of horses, sustaining a forelimb fracture, fractured the forelimb they were using as lead leg at the time of fracture. When case and control horses were compared, horses that were: (a) making good progress through the race, (b) reluctant to start and (c) received encouragement in the final 10s before the time of fracture, were more likely to sustain a fracture.

Development of a cell-based high throughput luciferase enzyme fragment complementation assay to identify nuclear-factor-e2-related transcription factor 2 activators.

PubMed

Xie, Wensheng; Pao, Christina; Graham, Taylor; Dul, Ed; Lu, Quinn; Sweitzer, Thomas D; Ames, Robert S; Li, Hu

2012-12-01

Nuclear-factor-E2-related transcription factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates a large panel of Phase II genes and plays an important role in cell survival. Nrf2 activation has been shown as preventing cigarette smoke-induced alveolar enlargement in mice. Therefore, activation of the Nrf2 protein by small-molecule activators represents an attractive therapeutic strategy that is used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this article, we describe a cell-based luciferase enzyme fragment complementation assay that identifies Nrf2 activators. This assay is based on the interaction of Nrf2 with its nuclear partner MafK or runt-related transcription factor 2 (RunX2) and is dependent on the reconstitution of a "split" luciferase. Firefly luciferase is split into two fragments, which are genetically fused to Nrf2 and MafK or RunX2, respectively. BacMam technology was used to deliver the fusion constructs into cells for expression of the tagged proteins. When the BacMam-transduced cells were treated with Nrf2 activators, the Nrf2 protein was stabilized and translocated into the nucleus where it interacted with MafK or RunX2. The interaction of Nrf2 and MafK or RunX2 brought together the two luciferase fragments that form an active luciferase. The assay was developed in a 384-well format and was optimized by titrating the BacMam concentration, transduction time, cell density, and fetal bovine serum concentration. It was further validated with known Nrf2 activators. Our data show that this assay is robust, sensitive, and amenable to high throughput screening of a large compound collection for the identification of novel Nrf2 activators.

A model for genetic and epigenetic regulatory networks identifies rare pathways for transcription factor induced pluripotency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artyomov, Maxim; Meissner, Alex; Chakraborty, Arup

2010-03-01

Most cells in an organism have the same DNA. Yet, different cell types express different proteins and carry out different functions. This is because of epigenetic differences; i.e., DNA in different cell types is packaged distinctly, making it hard to express certain genes while facilitating the expression of others. During development, upon receipt of appropriate cues, pluripotent embryonic stem cells differentiate into diverse cell types that make up the organism (e.g., a human). There has long been an effort to make this process go backward -- i.e., reprogram a differentiated cell (e.g., a skin cell) to pluripotent status. Recently, this has been achieved by transfecting certain transcription factors into differentiated cells. This method does not use embryonic material and promises the development of patient-specific regenerative medicine, but it is inefficient. The mechanisms that make reprogramming rare, or even possible, are poorly understood. We have developed the first computational model of transcription factor-induced reprogramming. Results obtained from the model are consistent with diverse observations, and identify the rare pathways that allow reprogramming to occur. If validated, our model could be further developed to design optimal strategies for reprogramming and shed light on basic questions in biology.

Systematic MicroRNA Analysis Identifies ATP6V0C as an Essential Host Factor for Human Cytomegalovirus Replication

PubMed Central

Pavelin, Jon; Reynolds, Natalie; Chiweshe, Stephen; Wu, Guanming; Tiribassi, Rebecca; Grey, Finn

2013-01-01

Recent advances in microRNA target identification have greatly increased the number of putative targets of viral microRNAs. However, it is still unclear whether all targets identified are biologically relevant. Here, we use a combined approach of RISC immunoprecipitation and focused siRNA screening to identify targets of HCMV encoded human cytomegalovirus that play an important role in the biology of the virus. Using both a laboratory and clinical strain of human cytomegalovirus, we identify over 200 putative targets of human cytomegalovirus microRNAs following infection of fibroblast cells. By comparing RISC-IP profiles of miRNA knockout viruses, we have resolved specific interactions between human cytomegalovirus miRNAs and the top candidate target transcripts and validated regulation by western blot analysis and luciferase assay. Crucially we demonstrate that miRNA target genes play important roles in the biology of human cytomegalovirus as siRNA knockdown results in marked effects on virus replication. The most striking phenotype followed knockdown of the top target ATP6V0C, which is required for endosomal acidification. siRNA knockdown of ATP6V0C resulted in almost complete loss of infectious virus production, suggesting that an HCMV microRNA targets a crucial cellular factor required for virus replication. This study greatly increases the number of identified targets of human cytomegalovirus microRNAs and demonstrates the effective use of combined miRNA target identification and focused siRNA screening for identifying novel host virus interactions. PMID:24385903

An investigation of gene-environment interactions between 47 newly identified breast cancer susceptibility loci and environmental risk factors

PubMed Central

Rudolph, Anja; Milne, Roger L.; Truong, Thérèse; Knight, Julia A.; Seibold, Petra; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Behrens, Sabine; Eilber, Ursula; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; Dunning, Alison M.; Shah, Mitul; Munday, Hannah R.; Darabi, Hatef; Eriksson, Mikael; Brand, Judith S.; Olson, Janet; Vachon, Celine M.; Hallberg, Emily; Castelao, J. Esteban; Carracedo, Angel; Torres, Maria; Li, Jingmei; Humphreys, Keith; Cordina-Duverger, Emilie; Menegaux, Florence; Flyger, Henrik; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Nielsen, Sune F.; Yesilyurt, Betul T.; Floris, Giuseppe; Leunen, Karin; Engelhardt, Ellen G.; Broeks, Annegien; Rutgers, Emiel J.; Glendon, Gord; Mulligan, Anna Marie; Cross, Simon; Reed, Malcolm; Gonzalez-Neira, Anna; Perez, José Ignacio Arias; Provenzano, Elena; Apicella, Carmel; Southey, Melissa C.; Spurdle, Amanda; Investigators, kConFab; Group, AOCS; Häberle, Lothar; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Ekici, Arif B.; Dieffenbach, Aida Karina; Arndt, Volker; Stegmaier, Christa; McLean, Catriona; Baglietto, Laura; Chanock, Stephen J.; Lissowska, Jolanta; Sherman, Mark E.; Brüning, Thomas; Hamann, Ute; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Orr, Nick; Schoemaker, Minouk; Ashworth, Alan; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kataja, Vesa; Hartikainen, Jaana M.; Mannermaa, Arto; Swerdlow, Anthony; Giles, Graham G.; Brenner, Hermann; Fasching, Peter A.; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Hopper, John; Benítez, Javier; Cox, Angela; Andrulis, Irene L.; Lambrechts, Diether; Gago-Dominguez, Manuela; Couch, Fergus; Czene, Kamila; Bojesen, Stig E.; Easton, Doug F.; Schmidt, Marjanka K.; Guénel, Pascal; Hall, Per; Pharoah, Paul D. P.; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat; Chang-Claude, Jenny

2014-01-01

A large genotyping project within the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) recently identified 41 associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and overall breast cancer (BC) risk. We investigated whether the effects of these 41 SNPs, as well as six SNPs associated with estrogen receptor (ER) negative BC risk are modified by 13 environmental risk factors for BC. Data from 22 studies participating in BCAC were pooled, comprising up to 26,633 cases and 30,119 controls. Interactions between SNPs and environmental factors were evaluated using an empirical Bayes-type shrinkage estimator. Six SNPs showed interactions with associated p-values (pint) <1.1×10−3. None of the observed interactions was significant after accounting for multiple testing. The Bayesian False Discovery Probability was used to rank the findings, which indicated three interactions as being noteworthy at 1% prior probability of interaction. SNP rs6828523 was associated with increased ER-negative BC risk in women ≥170cm (OR=1.22, p=0.017), but inversely associated with ER-negative BC risk in women <160cm (OR=0.83, p=0.039, pint=1.9×10−4). The inverse association between rs4808801 and overall BC risk was stronger for women who had had four or more pregnancies (OR=0.85, p=2.0×10−4), and absent in women who had had just one (OR=0.96, p=0.19, pint = 6.1×10−4). SNP rs11242675 was inversely associated with overall BC risk in never/former smokers (OR=0.93, p=2.8×10−5), but no association was observed in current smokers (OR=1.07, p=0.14, pint = 3.4×10−4). In conclusion, recently identified breast cancer susceptibility loci are not strongly modified by established risk factors and the observed potential interactions require confirmation in independent studies. PMID:25227710

Identifying and prioritizing industry-level competitiveness factors: evidence from pharmaceutical market

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Pharmaceutical industry is knowledge-intensive and highly globalized, in both developed and developing countries. On the other hand, if companies want to survive, they should be able to compete well in both domestic and international markets. The main purpose of this paper is therefore to develop and prioritize key factors affecting companies’ competitiveness in pharmaceutical industry. Based on an extensive literature review, a valid and reliable questionnaire was designed, which was later filled up by participants from the industry. To prioritize the key factors, we used the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Results The results revealed that human capital and macro-level policies were two key factors placed at the highest rank in respect of their effects on the competitiveness considering the industry-level in pharmaceutical area. Conclusion This study provides fundamental evidence for policymakers and managers in pharma context to enable them formulating better polices to be proactively competitive and responsive to the markets’ needs. PMID:24708770

Identifying and prioritizing industry-level competitiveness factors: evidence from pharmaceutical market.

PubMed

Shabaninejad, Hosein; Mehralian, Gholamhossein; Rashidian, Arash; Baratimarnani, Ahmad; Rasekh, Hamid Reza

2014-04-03

Pharmaceutical industry is knowledge-intensive and highly globalized, in both developed and developing countries. On the other hand, if companies want to survive, they should be able to compete well in both domestic and international markets. The main purpose of this paper is therefore to develop and prioritize key factors affecting companies' competitiveness in pharmaceutical industry. Based on an extensive literature review, a valid and reliable questionnaire was designed, which was later filled up by participants from the industry. To prioritize the key factors, we used the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The results revealed that human capital and macro-level policies were two key factors placed at the highest rank in respect of their effects on the competitiveness considering the industry-level in pharmaceutical area. This study provides fundamental evidence for policymakers and managers in pharma context to enable them formulating better polices to be proactively competitive and responsive to the markets' needs.

Application of wide selected-ion monitoring data-independent acquisition to identify tomato fruit proteins regulated by the CUTIN DEFICIENT2 transcription factor

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We describe here the use of label-free wide selected-ion monitoring data-independent acquisition (WiSIM-DIA) to identify proteins that are involved in the formation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit cuticles and that are regulated by the transcription factor CUTIN DEFICIENT2 (CD2). A spectral l...

A regression tree for identifying combinations of fall risk factors associated to recurrent falling: a cross-sectional elderly population-based study.

PubMed

Kabeshova, A; Annweiler, C; Fantino, B; Philip, T; Gromov, V A; Launay, C P; Beauchet, O

2014-06-01

Regression tree (RT) analyses are particularly adapted to explore the risk of recurrent falling according to various combinations of fall risk factors compared to logistic regression models. The aims of this study were (1) to determine which combinations of fall risk factors were associated with the occurrence of recurrent falls in older community-dwellers, and (2) to compare the efficacy of RT and multiple logistic regression model for the identification of recurrent falls. A total of 1,760 community-dwelling volunteers (mean age ± standard deviation, 71.0 ± 5.1 years; 49.4 % female) were recruited prospectively in this cross-sectional study. Age, gender, polypharmacy, use of psychoactive drugs, fear of falling (FOF), cognitive disorders and sad mood were recorded. In addition, the history of falls within the past year was recorded using a standardized questionnaire. Among 1,760 participants, 19.7 % (n = 346) were recurrent fallers. The RT identified 14 nodes groups and 8 end nodes with FOF as the first major split. Among participants with FOF, those who had sad mood and polypharmacy formed the end node with the greatest OR for recurrent falls (OR = 6.06 with p < 0.001). Among participants without FOF, those who were male and not sad had the lowest OR for recurrent falls (OR = 0.25 with p < 0.001). The RT correctly classified 1,356 from 1,414 non-recurrent fallers (specificity = 95.6 %), and 65 from 346 recurrent fallers (sensitivity = 18.8 %). The overall classification accuracy was 81.0 %. The multiple logistic regression correctly classified 1,372 from 1,414 non-recurrent fallers (specificity = 97.0 %), and 61 from 346 recurrent fallers (sensitivity = 17.6 %). The overall classification accuracy was 81.4 %. Our results show that RT may identify specific combinations of risk factors for recurrent falls, the combination most associated with recurrent falls involving FOF, sad mood and polypharmacy. The FOF emerged as the risk factor strongly associated with

Genome-wide association studies identify genetic loci for low von Willebrand factor levels

PubMed Central

van Loon, Janine; Dehghan, Abbas; Weihong, Tang; Trompet, Stella; McArdle, Wendy L; Asselbergs, Folkert F W; Chen, Ming-Huei; Lopez, Lorna M; Huffman, Jennifer E; Leebeek, Frank W G; Basu, Saonli; Stott, David J; Rumley, Ann; Gansevoort, Ron T; Davies, Gail; Wilson, James J F; Witteman, Jacqueline C M; Cao, Xiting; de Craen, Anton J M; Bakker, Stephan J L; Psaty, Bruce M; Starr, John M; Hofman, Albert; Wouter Jukema, J; Deary, Ian J; Hayward, Caroline; van der Harst, Pim; Lowe, Gordon D O; Folsom, Aaron R; Strachan, David P; Smith, Nicolas; de Maat, Moniek P M; O'Donnell, Christopher

2016-01-01

Low von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels are associated with bleeding symptoms and are a diagnostic criterion for von Willebrand disease, the most common inherited bleeding disorder. To date, it is unclear which genetic loci are associated with reduced VWF levels. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies to identify genetic loci associated with low VWF levels. For this meta-analysis, we included 31 149 participants of European ancestry from 11 community-based studies. From all participants, VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) measurements and genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scans were available. Each study conducted analyses using logistic regression of SNPs on dichotomized VWF:Ag measures (lowest 5% for blood group O and non-O) with an additive genetic model adjusted for age and sex. An inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis was performed for VWF:Ag levels. A total of 97 SNPs exceeded the genome-wide significance threshold of 5 × 10−8 and comprised five loci on four different chromosomes: 6q24 (smallest P-value 5.8 × 10−10), 9q34 (2.4 × 10−64), 12p13 (5.3 × 10−22), 12q23 (1.2 × 10−8) and 13q13 (2.6 × 10−8). All loci were within or close to genes, including STXBP5 (Syntaxin Binding Protein 5) (6q24), STAB5 (stabilin-5) (12q23), ABO (9q34), VWF (12p13) and UFM1 (ubiquitin-fold modifier 1) (13q13). Of these, UFM1 has not been previously associated with VWF:Ag levels. Four genes that were previously associated with VWF levels (VWF, ABO, STXBP5 and STAB2) were also associated with low VWF levels, and, in addition, we identified a new gene, UFM1, that is associated with low VWF levels. These findings point to novel mechanisms for the occurrence of low VWF levels. PMID:26486471

Latinos in science: Identifying factors that influence the low percentage of Latino representation in the sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miranda, Susan Jennifer

A mixed methods approach was used to identify factors that influence the underrepresentation of Latinos in the domain of science. The researcher investigated the role of family influences, academic preparation, and personal motivations to determine science-related career choices by Latinos. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted using information from Latinos gathered from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88) administered by the National Center for Education Statistics. For the present study, data were analyzed using participants' responses as high school seniors, college students, and post-baccalaureates. Students responded to questions on school, work, parental academic influences, personal aspirations, and self-perception. To provide more insight into the experiences of Latinos in science and support the statistical analyses, nine students majoring in science in a private, urban university located in the northeastern part of the country were interviewed. Eleven variables related to parents' academic support and students' perceptions of parental support were taken together as predictors for two separate criteria from the survey. These results identified parents' level of education and the importance of academics to parents in their teen's college choice as significant predictors in determining college major in science. When the criterion was degree in science, the significant predictor was the frequency parents contacted high school as volunteers. Student interviews supported this information, demonstrating the importance of parental support in attaining a degree in science. Academic preparation was also analyzed. Students' reasons for taking science classes in high school was a significant predictor for science major; significant predictors for science degree were the emphasis placed on objectives in math and science classes and number of courses in biology and physics. Student interviews supported this information and

Identifying risk factors for Plasmodium infection and anaemia in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

PubMed

Ferrari, Giovanfrancesco; Ntuku, Henry M T; Ross, Amanda; Schmidlin, Sandro; Kalemwa, Didier M; Tshefu, Antoinette K; Lengeler, Christian

2016-07-15

There is little data on the risk factors for malaria infection in large cities in central Africa and in all age groups. There may be different associations with the risk factors for areas with different malaria transmission intensities such as the effect of fever or age. This study aimed at identifying risk factors associated with Plasmodium infection and anaemia among children 6-59 months and individuals aged older than 5 years in Kinshasa, a large city with heterogeneity in malaria prevalence. This study analysed data from 3342 children aged 6-59 months from 25 non-rural health zones (HZs) and for 816 individuals aged older than 5 years from two HZs in Kinshasa (non-rural), collected during a cross sectional malaria survey in 2011. Logistic regression with random effects was used to investigate predictors for malaria and anaemia. Differences in risk factors in areas with a prevalence of less than 10 and 10 % or greater were investigated. There was evidence of a different age-pattern in the two transmission settings. For children under 5 years, the highest prevalence of malaria was observed in the 48-59 months group in both transmission settings, but it increased more gently for the lower transmission HZs (p = 0.009). In a separate analysis in children over 5 years in two selected HZs, the peak prevalence was in 5-9 years old in the higher transmission setting and in 15-19 years old in the lower transmission setting. Reported fever was associated with malaria in both transmission strata, with no evidence of a difference in these associations (p = 0.71); however in children older than 5 years there was a significant interaction with a stronger association in the low transmission HZ. Insecticide-treated net (ITN) use was associated with a lower risk of malaria infection in children 6-59 months in the high transmission HZs. Similar estimates were found in children over 5 years and the lower transmission HZ but the associations there were not

Experimental Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Roofing: Field Test Results.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-02-01

construction. These were the single-ply membranes of the ethylene-propylene-diene monomer ( EPDM ) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) types, and the sprayed-in-place...polyurethane foam (PUF) with an elastomeric coating. EPDM and PUF roofs were constructed in 19802 and the PVC roofs were completed during summer 1983...faced isocyanu- rate foam board in two layers . Roofing systems were installed loose-laid and ballasted. Specific membrane materials were Plymouth

In Vivo Functional Selection Identifies Cardiotrophin-1 as a Cardiac Engraftment Factor for Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

PubMed

Bortolotti, Francesca; Ruozi, Giulia; Falcione, Antonella; Doimo, Sara; Dal Ferro, Matteo; Lesizza, Pierluigi; Zentilin, Lorena; Banks, Lawrence; Zacchigna, Serena; Giacca, Mauro

2017-10-17

Transplantation of cells into the infarcted heart has significant potential to improve myocardial recovery; however, low efficacy of cell engraftment still limits therapeutic benefit. Here, we describe a method for the unbiased, in vivo selection of cytokines that improve mesenchymal stromal cell engraftment into the heart both in normal conditions and after myocardial infarction. An arrayed library of 80 secreted factors, including most of the currently known interleukins and chemokines, were individually cloned into adeno-associated viral vectors. Pools from this library were then used for the batch transduction of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells ex vivo, followed by intramyocardial cell administration in normal and infarcted mice. Three weeks after injection, vector genomes were recovered from the few persisting cells and identified by sequencing DNA barcodes uniquely labeling each of the tested cytokines. The most effective molecule identified by this competitive engraftment screening was cardiotrophin-1, a member of the interleukin-6 family. Intracardiac injection of mesenchymal stromal cells transiently preconditioned with cardiotrophin-1 preserved cardiac function and reduced infarct size, parallel to the persistence of the transplanted cells in the healing hearts for at least 2 months after injection. Engraftment of cardiotrophin-1-treated mesenchymal stromal cells was consequent to signal transducer and activator of transcription 3-mediated activation of the focal adhesion kinase and its associated focal adhesion complex and the consequent acquisition of adhesive properties by the cells. These results support the feasibility of selecting molecules in vivo for their functional properties with adeno-associated viral vector libraries and identify cardiotrophin-1 as a powerful cytokine promoting cell engraftment and thus improving cell therapy of the infarcted myocardium. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Identifying factors for optimal development of health-related websites: a delphi study among experts and potential future users.

PubMed

Schneider, Francine; van Osch, Liesbeth; de Vries, Hein

2012-02-14

The Internet has become a popular medium for offering tailored and targeted health promotion programs to the general public. However, suboptimal levels of program use in the target population limit the public health impact of these programs. Optimizing program development is considered as one of the main processes to increase usage rates. To distinguish factors potentially related to optimal development of health-related websites by involving both experts and potential users. By considering and incorporating the opinions of experts and potential users in the development process, involvement in the program is expected to increase, consequently resulting in increased appreciation, lower levels of attrition, and higher levels of sustained use. We conducted a systematic three-round Delphi study through the Internet. Both national and international experts (from the fields of health promotion, health psychology, e-communication, and technical Web design) and potential users were invited via email to participate. During this study an extensive list of factors potentially related to optimal development of health-related websites was identified, by focusing on factors related to layout, general and risk information provision, questionnaire use, additional services, and ease of use. Furthermore, we assessed the extent to which experts and potential users agreed on the importance of these factors. Differences as well as similarities among experts and potentials users were deduced. In total, 20 of 62 contacted experts participated in the first round (32% response rate); 60 of 200 contacted experts (30% response rate) and 210 potential users (95% response rate) completed the second-round questionnaire, and 32 of 60 contacted experts completed the third round (53% response rate). Results revealed important factors consented upon by experts and potential users (eg, ease of use, clear structure, and detailed health information provision), as well as differences regarding

Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α (HNF4α) Is a Transcription Factor of Vertebrate Fatty Acyl Desaturase Gene as Identified in Marine Teleost Siganus canaliculatus

PubMed Central

Dong, Yewei; Wang, Shuqi; Chen, Junliang; Zhang, Qinghao; Liu, Yang; You, Cuihong; Monroig, Óscar; Tocher, Douglas R.; Li, Yuanyou

2016-01-01

Rabbitfish Siganus canaliculatus was the first marine teleost demonstrated to have the capability of biosynthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) from C18 precursors, and to possess a Δ4 fatty acyl desaturase (Δ4 Fad) which was the first report in vertebrates, and is a good model for studying the regulatory mechanisms of LC-PUFA biosynthesis in teleosts. In order to understand regulatory mechanisms of transcription of Δ4 Fad, the gene promoter was cloned and characterized in the present study. An upstream sequence of 1859 bp from the initiation codon ATG was cloned as the promoter candidate. On the basis of bioinformatic analysis, several binding sites of transcription factors (TF) including GATA binding protein 2 (GATA-2), CCAAT enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), nuclear factor 1 (NF-1), nuclear factor Y (NF-Y), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) and sterol regulatory element (SRE), were identified in the promoter by site-directed mutation and functional assays. HNF4α and NF-1 were confirmed to interact with the core promoter of Δ4 Fad by gel shift assay and mass spectrometry. Moreover, over-expression of HNF4α increased promoter activity in HEK 293T cells and mRNA level of Δ4 Fad in rabbitfish primary hepatocytes, respectively. The results indicated that HNF4α is a TF of rabbitfish Δ4 Fad. To our knowledge, this is the first report on promoter structure of a Δ4 Fad, and also the first demonstration of HNF4α as a TF of vertebrate Fad gene involved in transcription regulation of LC-PUFA biosynthesis. PMID:27472219

A Pilot Project to Identify Sex Role Factors Affecting the Employment of Vocational Students in Selected Occupational Areas. Final Report, February 1, 1980-June 30, 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wichowski, Chester P.; DuMond, Doreen C.

A pilot study was conducted to identify sex role factors which could affect the search for employment and the adjustment to employment for vocational graduates in selected occupational areas. Target employment areas were identified through a review of occupations with a disproportionate composition by one sex or the other. These included…

Identifying novel genetic determinants of hemostatic balance.

PubMed

Ginsburg, D

2005-08-01

Incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity confound the diagnosis and therapy of most inherited thrombotic and hemorrhagic disorders. For many of these diseases, some or most of this variability is determined by genetic modifiers distinct from the primary disease gene itself. Clues toward identifying such modifier genes may come from studying rare Mendelian disorders of hemostasis. Examples include identification of the cause of combined factor V and VIII deficiency as mutations in the ER Golgi intermediate compartment proteins LMAN1 and MCFD2. These proteins form a cargo receptor that facilitates the transport of factors V and VIII, and presumably other proteins, from the ER to the Golgi. A similar positional cloning approach identified ADAMTS-13 as the gene responsible for familial TTP. Along with the work of many other groups, these findings identified VWF proteolysis by ADAMTS-13 as a key regulatory pathway for hemostasis. Recent advances in mouse genetics also provide powerful tools for the identification of novel genes contributing to hemostatic balance. Genetic studies of inbred mouse lines with unusually high and unusually low plasma VWF levels identified polymorphic variation in the expression of a glycosyltransferase gene, Galgt2, as an important determinant of plasma VWF levels in the mouse. Ongoing studies in mice genetically engineered to carry the factor V Leiden mutation may similarly identify novel genes contributing to thrombosis risk in humans.

Identifying and responding to factors that can affect egg quality and appearance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many factors can influence egg quality and appearance. These factors will vary depending upon the housing environment, genetics, drugs, feed ingredients, or chemicals used in agriculture. As egg production methods become more varied—for example, changing from cage to free range—and as layer strains ...

Dynamic motif occupancy (DynaMO) analysis identifies transcription factors and their binding sites driving dynamic biological processes

PubMed Central

Kuang, Zheng; Ji, Zhicheng

2018-01-01

Abstract Biological processes are usually associated with genome-wide remodeling of transcription driven by transcription factors (TFs). Identifying key TFs and their spatiotemporal binding patterns are indispensable to understanding how dynamic processes are programmed. However, most methods are designed to predict TF binding sites only. We present a computational method, dynamic motif occupancy analysis (DynaMO), to infer important TFs and their spatiotemporal binding activities in dynamic biological processes using chromatin profiling data from multiple biological conditions such as time-course histone modification ChIP-seq data. In the first step, DynaMO predicts TF binding sites with a random forests approach. Next and uniquely, DynaMO infers dynamic TF binding activities at predicted binding sites using their local chromatin profiles from multiple biological conditions. Another landmark of DynaMO is to identify key TFs in a dynamic process using a clustering and enrichment analysis of dynamic TF binding patterns. Application of DynaMO to the yeast ultradian cycle, mouse circadian clock and human neural differentiation exhibits its accuracy and versatility. We anticipate DynaMO will be generally useful for elucidating transcriptional programs in dynamic processes. PMID:29325176

Capture of microRNA-bound mRNAs identifies the tumor suppressor miR-34a as a regulator of growth factor signaling.

PubMed

Lal, Ashish; Thomas, Marshall P; Altschuler, Gabriel; Navarro, Francisco; O'Day, Elizabeth; Li, Xiao Ling; Concepcion, Carla; Han, Yoon-Chi; Thiery, Jerome; Rajani, Danielle K; Deutsch, Aaron; Hofmann, Oliver; Ventura, Andrea; Hide, Winston; Lieberman, Judy

2011-11-01

A simple biochemical method to isolate mRNAs pulled down with a transfected, biotinylated microRNA was used to identify direct target genes of miR-34a, a tumor suppressor gene. The method reidentified most of the known miR-34a regulated genes expressed in K562 and HCT116 cancer cell lines. Transcripts for 982 genes were enriched in the pull-down with miR-34a in both cell lines. Despite this large number, validation experiments suggested that ~90% of the genes identified in both cell lines can be directly regulated by miR-34a. Thus miR-34a is capable of regulating hundreds of genes. The transcripts pulled down with miR-34a were highly enriched for their roles in growth factor signaling and cell cycle progression. These genes form a dense network of interacting gene products that regulate multiple signal transduction pathways that orchestrate the proliferative response to external growth stimuli. Multiple candidate miR-34a-regulated genes participate in RAS-RAF-MAPK signaling. Ectopic miR-34a expression reduced basal ERK and AKT phosphorylation and enhanced sensitivity to serum growth factor withdrawal, while cells genetically deficient in miR-34a were less sensitive. Fourteen new direct targets of miR-34a were experimentally validated, including genes that participate in growth factor signaling (ARAF and PIK3R2) as well as genes that regulate cell cycle progression at various phases of the cell cycle (cyclins D3 and G2, MCM2 and MCM5, PLK1 and SMAD4). Thus miR-34a tempers the proliferative and pro-survival effect of growth factor stimulation by interfering with growth factor signal transduction and downstream pathways required for cell division.

Using association rule mining to identify risk factors for early childhood caries.

PubMed

Ivančević, Vladimir; Tušek, Ivan; Tušek, Jasmina; Knežević, Marko; Elheshk, Salaheddin; Luković, Ivan

2015-11-01

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a potentially severe disease affecting children all over the world. The available findings are mostly based on a logistic regression model, but data mining, in particular association rule mining, could be used to extract more information from the same data set. ECC data was collected in a cross-sectional analytical study of the 10% sample of preschool children in the South Bačka area (Vojvodina, Serbia). Association rules were extracted from the data by association rule mining. Risk factors were extracted from the highly ranked association rules. Discovered dominant risk factors include male gender, frequent breastfeeding (with other risk factors), high birth order, language, and low body weight at birth. Low health awareness of parents was significantly associated to ECC only in male children. The discovered risk factors are mostly confirmed by the literature, which corroborates the value of the methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mineralization and Detoxification of the Carcinogenic Azo Dye Congo Red and Real Textile Effluent by a Polyurethane Foam Immobilized Microbial Consortium in an Upflow Column Bioreactor.

PubMed