Visual-perceptual impairment in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review.

PubMed

Ego, Anne; Lidzba, Karen; Brovedani, Paola; Belmonti, Vittorio; Gonzalez-Monge, Sibylle; Boudia, Baya; Ritz, Annie; Cans, Christine

2015-04-01

Visual perception is one of the cognitive functions often impaired in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this systematic literature review was to assess the frequency of visual-perceptual impairment (VPI) and its relationship with patient characteristics. Eligible studies were relevant papers assessing visual perception with five common standardized assessment instruments in children with CP published from January 1990 to August 2011. Of the 84 studies selected, 15 were retained. In children with CP, the proportion of VPI ranged from 40% to 50% and the mean visual perception quotient from 70 to 90. None of the studies reported a significant influence of CP subtype, IQ level, side of motor impairment, neuro-ophthalmological outcomes, or seizures. The severity of neuroradiological lesions seemed associated with VPI. The influence of prematurity was controversial, but a lower gestational age was more often associated with lower visual motor skills than with decreased visual-perceptual abilities. The impairment of visual perception in children with CP should be considered a core disorder within the CP syndrome. Further research, including a more systematic approach to neuropsychological testing, is needed to explore the specific impact of CP subgroups and of neuroradiological features on visual-perceptual development. © 2015 The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2015 Mac Keith Press.

A genomic island in Vibrio cholerae with VPI-1 site-specific recombination characteristics contains CRISPR-Cas and type VI secretion modules

PubMed Central

Labbate, Maurizio; Orata, Fabini D.; Petty, Nicola K.; Jayatilleke, Nathasha D.; King, William L.; Kirchberger, Paul C.; Allen, Chris; Mann, Gulay; Mutreja, Ankur; Thomson, Nicholas R.; Boucher, Yan; Charles, Ian G.

2016-01-01

Cholera is a devastating diarrhoeal disease caused by certain strains of serogroup O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae. Mobile genetic elements such as genomic islands (GIs) have been pivotal in the evolution of O1/O139 V. cholerae. Perhaps the most important GI involved in cholera disease is the V. cholerae pathogenicity island 1 (VPI-1). This GI contains the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) gene cluster that is necessary for colonization of the human intestine as well as being the receptor for infection by the cholera-toxin bearing CTX phage. In this study, we report a GI (designated GIVchS12) from a non-O1/O139 strain of V. cholerae that is present in the same chromosomal location as VPI-1, contains an integrase gene with 94% nucleotide and 100% protein identity to the VPI-1 integrase, and attachment (att) sites 100% identical to those found in VPI-1. However, instead of TCP and the other accessory genes present in VPI-1, GIVchS12 contains a CRISPR-Cas element and a type VI secretion system (T6SS). GIs similar to GIVchS12 were identified in other V. cholerae genomes, also containing CRISPR-Cas elements and/or T6SS’s. This study highlights the diversity of GIs circulating in natural V. cholerae populations and identifies GIs with VPI-1 recombination characteristics as a propagator of CRISPR-Cas and T6SS modules. PMID:27845364

The Lateral Port Control Pharyngeal Flap: A Thirty-Year Evolution and Followup

PubMed Central

Boutros, Sean; Cutting, Court

2013-01-01

In 1971, Micheal Hogan introduced the Lateral Port Control Pharyngeal Flap (LPCPF) which obtained good results with elimination of VPI. However, there was a high incidence of hyponasality and OSA. We hypothesized that preoperative assessment with videofluoroscopy and nasal endoscopy would enable modification and customization of the LPCPF and result in improvement in the result in both hyponasality and obstructive apnea while still maintaining results in VPI. Thirty consecutive patients underwent customized LPCPF. All patients had preoperative diagnosis of VPI resulting from cleft palate. Patient underwent either videofluoroscopy or nasal endoscopy prior to the planning of surgery. Based on preoperative velar and pharyngeal movement, patients were assigned to wide, medium, or narrow port designs. Patients with significant lateral motion were given wide ports while patients with minimal movement were given narrow ports. There was a 96.66% success rate in the treatment of VPI with one patient with persistent VPI (3.33%). Six patients had mild hyponasality (20 %). Two patients had initial OSA (6.67%), one of which had OSA which lasted longer than six months (3.33%). The modifications of the original flap description have allowed for success in treatment of VPI along with an acceptably low rate of hyponasality and OSA. PMID:23365734

Prognostic significance of visceral pleural invasion in the forthcoming (seventh) edition of TNM classification for lung cancer.

PubMed

Shim, Hyo Sup; Park, In Kyu; Lee, Chang Young; Chung, Kyung Young

2009-08-01

The next revision to the TNM classification for lung cancer (the seventh edition) is scheduled to be released in 2009. However, the definition of visceral pleural invasion (VPI), which is a non-size-based T2 descriptor, still lacks in detail, and its validation is not included. We analyzed 1046 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with T1, T2, or T3 diseases from 1990 to 2005, and subclassified into p0-p3 according to the degrees of pleural invasion. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier method. Then, all patients were subdivided into nine groups according to tumor size and pleural invasion, and we compared survival differences, primarily focusing on T2a and T2b diseases according to the seventh edition. There was no survival difference between patients with p1 and p2, thus we regarded p1 or p2 as VPI. There was survival difference between two groups, which are expected to be classified as T2b. The behavior of tumors larger than 5cm but 7cm or less with VPI was similar to T3 tumors. VPI is a poor prognostic factor of NSCLC, and the penetration through the elastic layer of the visceral pleura regardless of its exposure on the pleural surface (pl and p2) should be defined as VPI. This study also indicates that VPI influences T stage dependent on tumor size, and it can be suggested that tumors of larger than 5cm but 7cm or less with VPI should be upgraded to T3 stage.

Using fiberglass volumes for VPI of superconductive magnetic systems’ insulation

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

Andreev, I. S.; Bezrukov, A. A.; Pischugin, A. B.

2014-01-29

The paper describes the method of manufacturing fiberglass molds for vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) of high-voltage insulation of superconductive magnetic systems (SMS) with epoxidian hot-setting compounds. The basic advantages of using such vacuum volumes are improved quality of insulation impregnation in complex-shaped areas, and considerable cost-saving of preparing VPI of large-sized components due to dispensing with the stage of fabricating a metal impregnating volume. Such fiberglass vacuum molds were used for VPI of high-voltage insulation samples of an ITER reactor’s PF1 poloidal coil. Electric insulation of these samples has successfully undergone a wide range of high-voltage and mechanical tests atmore » room and cryogenic temperatures. Some results of the tests are also given in this paper.« less

Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron VPI-5482 glycoside hydrolase family 66 homolog catalyzes dextranolytic and cyclization reactions.

PubMed

Kim, Young-Min; Yamamoto, Eiji; Kang, Min-Sun; Nakai, Hiroyuki; Saburi, Wataru; Okuyama, Masayuki; Mori, Haruhide; Funane, Kazumi; Momma, Mitsuru; Fujimoto, Zui; Kobayashi, Mikihiko; Kim, Doman; Kimura, Atsuo

2012-09-01

Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron VPI-5482 harbors a gene encoding a putative cycloisomaltooligosaccharide glucanotransferase (BT3087) belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 66. The goal of the present study was to characterize the catalytic properties of this enzyme. Therefore, we expressed BT3087 (recombinant endo-dextranase from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron VPI-5482) in Escherichia coli and determined that recombinant endo-dextranase from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron VPI-5482 preferentially synthesized isomaltotetraose and isomaltooligosaccharides (degree of polymerization > 4) from dextran. The enzyme also generated large cyclic isomaltooligosaccharides early in the reaction. We conclude that members of the glycoside hydrolase 66 family may be classified into three types: (a) endo-dextranases, (b) dextranases possessing weak cycloisomaltooligosaccharide glucanotransferase activity, and (c) cycloisomaltooligosaccharide glucanotransferases. © 2012 The Authors Journal compilation © 2012 FEBS.

piRNA Profiling of Dengue Virus Type 2-Infected Asian Tiger Mosquito and Midgut Tissues

PubMed Central

Wang, Yanhai; Jin, Binbin; Liu, Peiwen; Li, Jing; Chen, Xiaoguang; Gu, Jinbao

2018-01-01

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a competent vector for the majority of arboviruses. The mosquito innate immune response is a primary determinant for arthropod-borne virus transmission, and the midgut is the first barrier to pathogen transmission. Mosquito antiviral immunity is primarily mediated by the small interfering RNA pathway. However, the roles that the P-element induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway play in antiviral immunity in Ae. albopictus and its midgut still need further exploration. This study aimed to explore the profiles of both viral-derived and host-originated piRNAs in the whole body and midgut infected with Dengue virus 2 (DENV-2) in Ae. albopictus, and to elucidate gene expression profile differences of the PIWI protein family between adult females and their midguts. A deep sequencing-based method was used to identify and analyze small non-coding RNAs, especially the piRNA profiles in DENV-2-infected Ae. albopictus and its midgut. The top-ranked, differentially-expressed piRNAs were further validated using Stem-loop qRT-PCR. Bioinformatics analyses and reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) methods were used to detect PIWI protein family members, and their expression profiles. DENV-2 derived piRNAs (vpiRNA, 24–30 nts) were observed in both infected Ae. albopictus and its midgut; however, only vpiRNA in the whole-body library had a weak preference for adenine at position 10 (10A) in the sense molecules as a feature of secondary piRNA. These vpiRNAs were not equally distributed, instead they were derived from a few specific regions of the genome, especially several hot spots, and displayed an obvious positive strand bias. We refer to the differentially expressed host piRNAs after DENV infection as virus-induced host endogenous piRNAs (vepiRNAs). However, we found that vepiRNAs were abundant in mosquito whole-body tissue, but deficient in the midgut. A total of eleven PIWI family genes were identified in Ae. albopictus; however, only AalPiwi5–7 and AalAgo3(1–2) were readily detected in the midgut. The characteristics of piRNAs in DENV-2-infected Ae. albopictus adult females were similar to those previously described for flavivirus infections but were not observed in the midgut. The reduced levels of vepiRNAs and incomplete expression of PIWI pathway genes in midgut samples from DENV-2-infected Ae. albopictus suggests that viral regulation of host piRNAs may not be an important factor in the midgut. PMID:29690553

Three-body interactions and the elastic constants of hcp solid 4He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Ashleigh L.; Hinde, Robert J.

2017-09-01

The effect of three-body interactions on the elastic properties of hexagonal close packed solid 4He is investigated using variational path integral (VPI) Monte Carlo simulations. The solid's nonzero elastic constants are calculated, at T = 0 K and for a range of molar volumes from 7.88 cm3/mol to 20.78 cm3/mol, from the bulk modulus and the three pure shear constants C0, C66, and C44. Three-body interactions are accounted for using our recently reported perturbative treatment based on the nonadditive three-body potential of Cencek et al. Previous studies have attempted to account for the effect of three-body interactions on the elastic properties of solid 4He; however, these calculations have treated zero point motions using either the Einstein or Debye approximations, which are insufficient in the molar volume range where solid 4He is characterized as a quantum solid. Our VPI calculations allow for a more accurate treatment of the zero point motions which include atomic correlation. From these calculations, we find that agreement with the experimental bulk modulus is significantly improved when three-body interactions are considered. In addition, three-body interactions result in non-negligible differences in the calculated pure shear constants and nonzero elastic constants, particularly at higher densities, where differences of up to 26.5% are observed when three-body interactions are included. We compare to the available experimental data and find that our results are generally in as good or better agreement with experiment as previous theoretical investigations.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Children with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome after Operative Intervention for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

PubMed Central

Crockett, David Jeffrey; Goudy, Steven L.; Chinnadurai, Sivakumar; Wootten, Christopher Todd

2014-01-01

Introduction: Surgical treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is often warranted. In this patient population, VPI is characterized by poor palatal elevation and muscular hypotonia with an intact palate. We hypothesize that 22q11.2 deletion patients are at greater risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after surgical correction of VPI, due, in part, to their functional hypotonia, large velopharyngeal gap size, and the need to surgically obstruct the velopharynx. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome treated at a tertiary pediatric hospital between the years of 2002 and 2012. The incidence of VPI, need for surgery, post-operative polysomnogram, post-operative VPI assessment, and OSA treatments were evaluated. Results: Forty-three patients (18 males, 25 females, ages 1–14 years) fitting the inclusion criteria were identified. Twenty-eight patients were evaluated by speech pathology due to hypernasality. Twenty-one patients had insufficient velopharyngeal function and required surgery. Fifteen underwent pharyngeal flap surgery, three underwent sphincter pharyngoplasty, two underwent Furlow palatoplasty, and one underwent combined sphincter pharyngoplasty with Furlow palatoplasty. Of these, eight had post-operative snoring. Six of these underwent polysomnography (five underwent pharyngeal flap surgeries and one underwent sphincter pharyngoplasty). Four patients were found to have OSA based on the results of the polysomnography (average apnea/hypopnea index of 4.9 events/h, median = 5.1, SD = 2.1). Two required continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) due to moderate OSA. Conclusion: Surgery is often necessary to correct VPI in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Monitoring for OSA should be considered after surgical correction of VPI due to a high occurrence in this population. Furthermore, families should be counseled of the risk of OSA after surgery and the potential need for treatment with CPAP. PMID:25157342

Using Model-Based Reasoning for Autonomous Instrument Operation - Lessons Learned From IMAGE/LENA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Michael A.; Rilee, Michael L.; Truszkowski, Walt; Bailin, Sidney C.

2001-01-01

Model-based reasoning has been applied as an autonomous control strategy on the Low Energy Neutral Atom (LENA) instrument currently flying on board the Imager for Magnetosphere-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) spacecraft. Explicit models of instrument subsystem responses have been constructed and are used to dynamically adapt the instrument to the spacecraft's environment. These functions are cast as part of a Virtual Principal Investigator (VPI) that autonomously monitors and controls the instrument. In the VPI's current implementation, LENA's command uplink volume has been decreased significantly from its previous volume; typically, no uplinks are required for operations. This work demonstrates that a model-based approach can be used to enhance science instrument effectiveness. The components of LENA are common in space science instrumentation, and lessons learned by modeling this system may be applied to other instruments. Future work involves the extension of these methods to cover more aspects of LENA operation and the generalization to other space science instrumentation.

31P magnetization transfer measurements of Pi→ATP flux in exercising human muscle

PubMed Central

Savage, David B.; Williams, Guy B.; Porter, David; Carpenter, T. Adrian; Brindle, Kevin M.; Kemp, Graham J.

2016-01-01

Fundamental criticisms have been made over the use of 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) magnetization transfer estimates of inorganic phosphate (Pi)→ATP flux (VPi-ATP) in human resting skeletal muscle for assessing mitochondrial function. Although the discrepancy in the magnitude of VPi-ATP is now acknowledged, little is known about its metabolic determinants. Here we use a novel protocol to measure VPi-ATP in human exercising muscle for the first time. Steady-state VPi-ATP was measured at rest and over a range of exercise intensities and compared with suprabasal oxidative ATP synthesis rates estimated from the initial rates of postexercise phosphocreatine resynthesis (VATP). We define a surplus Pi→ATP flux as the difference between VPi-ATP and VATP. The coupled reactions catalyzed by the glycolytic enzymes GAPDH and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) have been shown to catalyze measurable exchange between ATP and Pi in some systems and have been suggested to be responsible for this surplus flux. Surplus VPi-ATP did not change between rest and exercise, even though the concentrations of Pi and ADP, which are substrates for GAPDH and PGK, respectively, increased as expected. However, involvement of these enzymes is suggested by correlations between absolute and surplus Pi→ATP flux, both at rest and during exercise, and the intensity of the phosphomonoester peak in the 31P NMR spectrum. This peak includes contributions from sugar phosphates in the glycolytic pathway, and changes in its intensity may indicate changes in downstream glycolytic intermediates, including 3-phosphoglycerate, which has been shown to influence the exchange between ATP and Pi catalyzed by GAPDH and PGK. PMID:26744504

31P magnetization transfer measurements of Pi→ATP flux in exercising human muscle.

PubMed

Sleigh, Alison; Savage, David B; Williams, Guy B; Porter, David; Carpenter, T Adrian; Brindle, Kevin M; Kemp, Graham J

2016-03-15

Fundamental criticisms have been made over the use of (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) magnetization transfer estimates of inorganic phosphate (Pi)→ATP flux (VPi-ATP) in human resting skeletal muscle for assessing mitochondrial function. Although the discrepancy in the magnitude of VPi-ATP is now acknowledged, little is known about its metabolic determinants. Here we use a novel protocol to measure VPi-ATP in human exercising muscle for the first time. Steady-state VPi-ATP was measured at rest and over a range of exercise intensities and compared with suprabasal oxidative ATP synthesis rates estimated from the initial rates of postexercise phosphocreatine resynthesis (VATP). We define a surplus Pi→ATP flux as the difference between VPi-ATP and VATP. The coupled reactions catalyzed by the glycolytic enzymes GAPDH and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) have been shown to catalyze measurable exchange between ATP and Pi in some systems and have been suggested to be responsible for this surplus flux. Surplus VPi-ATP did not change between rest and exercise, even though the concentrations of Pi and ADP, which are substrates for GAPDH and PGK, respectively, increased as expected. However, involvement of these enzymes is suggested by correlations between absolute and surplus Pi→ATP flux, both at rest and during exercise, and the intensity of the phosphomonoester peak in the (31)P NMR spectrum. This peak includes contributions from sugar phosphates in the glycolytic pathway, and changes in its intensity may indicate changes in downstream glycolytic intermediates, including 3-phosphoglycerate, which has been shown to influence the exchange between ATP and Pi catalyzed by GAPDH and PGK. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Guidewire exchange vs new site placement for temporary dialysis catheter insertion in ICU patients: is there a greater risk of colonization or dysfunction?

PubMed

Coupez, Elisabeth; Timsit, Jean-François; Ruckly, Stéphane; Schwebel, Carole; Gruson, Didier; Canet, Emmanuel; Klouche, Kada; Argaud, Laurent; Bohe, Julien; Garrouste-Orgeas, Maïté; Mariat, Christophe; Vincent, François; Cayot, Sophie; Cointault, Olivier; Lepape, Alain; Darmon, Michael; Boyer, Alexandre; Azoulay, Elie; Bouadma, Lila; Lautrette, Alexandre; Souweine, Bertrand

2016-07-30

Intensive care unit (ICU) patients require dialysis catheters (DCs) for renal replacement therapy (RRT). They carry a high risk of developing end-stage renal disease, and therefore their vascular access must be preserved. Guidewire exchange (GWE) is often used to avoid venipuncture insertion (VPI) at a new site. However, the impact of GWE on infection and dysfunction of DCs in the ICU is unknown. Our aim was to compare the effect of GWE and VPI on DC colonization and dysfunction in ICU patients. Using data from the ELVIS randomized controlled trial (RCT) (1496 ICU adults requiring DC for RRT or plasma exchange) we performed a matched-cohort analysis. Cases were DCs inserted by GWE (n = 178). They were matched with DCs inserted by VPI. Matching criteria were participating centre, simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II +/-10, insertion site (jugular or femoral), side for jugular site, and length of ICU stay before DC placement. We used a marginal Cox model to estimate the effect of DC insertion (GWE vs. VPI) on DC colonization and dysfunction. DC colonization rate was not different between GWE-DCs and VPI-DCs (10 (5.6 %) for both groups) but DC dysfunction was more frequent with GWE-DCs (67 (37.6 %) vs. 28 (15.7 %); hazard ratio (HR), 3.67 (2.07-6.49); p < 0.01). Results were similar if analysis was restricted to DCs changed for dysfunction. GWE for DCs in ICU patients, compared with VPI did not contribute to DC colonization or infection but was associated with more than twofold increase in DC dysfunction. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00563342 . Registered 2 April 2009.

Readability of online patient education materials for velopharyngeal insufficiency.

PubMed

Xie, Deborah X; Wang, Ray Y; Chinnadurai, Sivakumar

2018-01-01

Evaluate the readability of online and mobile application health information about velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Top website and mobile application results for search terms "velopharyngeal insufficiency", "velopharyngeal dysfunction", "VPI", and "VPD" were analyzed. Readability was determined using 10 algorithms with Readability Studio Professional Edition (Oleander Software Ltd; Vandalia, OH). Subgroup analysis was performed based on search term and article source - academic hospital, general online resource, peer-reviewed journal, or professional organization. 18 unique articles were identified. Overall mean reading grade level was a 12.89 ± 2.9. The highest reading level among these articles was 15.47-approximately the level of a college senior. Articles from "velopharyngeal dysfunction" had the highest mean reading level (13.73 ± 2.11), above "velopharyngeal insufficiency" (12.30 ± 1.56) and "VPI" (11.66 ± 1.70). Articles from peer-reviewed journals had the highest mean reading level (15.35 ± 2.79), while articles from academic hospitals had the lowest (12.81 ± 1.66). There were statistically significant differences in reading levels between the different search terms (P < 0.01) and article source types (P < 0.05). Only one mobile application was identified with VPI information, with a readability of 10.68. Despite published reading level guidelines, online patient education materials for VPI are disseminated with language too complex for most readers. There is also a lack of VPI-related mobile application data available for patients. Patients will benefit if future updates to websites and disseminated patient information are undertaken with health literacy in mind. Future studies will investigate patient comprehension of these materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Styles and Educational-Vocational Preferences and Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osipow, Samuel H.

1969-01-01

Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and other instruments administered to 365 students, both undecided and in various interest fields, revealed several differences in cognitive style. No differences regarding cognitive style variations and VPI high-point codes or ease of vocational selection were observed. (Author/CJ)

Personality Characteristics of Black Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Nina W.

1977-01-01

This research attempted to determine 1) the personality profiles of disadvantaged Black adolescents on Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and Gough's Adjective Checklist (ACL), 2) if this group differed significantly on the VPI from Blacks attending college, and 3) what implications for programming and planning could be determined…

Black-White Differences on the Vocational Preference Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doughtie, Eugene B.; And Others

1976-01-01

The Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) was administered to black and white undergraduates. The overall VPI profiles of the two groups were significantly different. The black students scored higher on the Social, Conventional, Enterprising, Self-Control, Status, and Infrequency scales. The white students scored higher on the Masculinity scale.…

Studies on the Pathogenesis of Hepatitis A and Feasibility Studies on a Hepatitis A Vaccine

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-14

side. Previous studies with FMDV peptides had shown that smaller fragments of FMDV VPI sometimes were more effective as protective immunogens than was...the entire FMDV VPI protein, presumably because the protein fragment presented the appropriate epitope to the immune system in a fashion more similar

We can predict postpalatoplasty velopharyngeal insufficiency in cleft palate patients.

PubMed

Leclerc, Jacques E; Godbout, Audrey; Arteau-Gauthier, Isabelle; Lacour, Sophie; Abel, Kati; McConnell, Elisa-Maude

2014-02-01

To find an anatomical measurement of the cleft palate (or a calculated parameter) that predicts the occurrence of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) after palatal cleft repair. Retrospective cohort study. Charts were reviewed from cleft palate patients who underwent palatoplasty by the Von Langenbeck technique for isolated cleft palate or Bardach two-flap palatoplasty for cleft lip-palate. Seven anatomical cleft parameters were prospectively measured during the palatoplasty procedure. Three blinded speech-language pathologists retrospectively scored the clinically assessed VPI at 4 years of age. The recommendation of pharyngoplasty was also used as an indicator of VPI. From 1993 to 2008, 67 patients were enrolled in the study. The best predicting parameter was the ratio a/(30 - b1), in which a is defined as the posterior gap between the soft palate and the posterior pharyngeal wall and b1 is the width of the cleft at the hard palate level. An a/(30 - b1) ratio >0.7 to 0.8 is associated with a higher risk of developing VPI (relative risk = 2.2-5.1, sensitivity = 72%-81%, P < .03). The width of the cleft at the hard palate level and the posterior gap between the soft palate and the posterior pharyngeal wall were found to be the most significant parameters in predicting VPI. The best correlation was obtained with the ratio a/(30 - b1). 4. Copyright © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Incidence of Speech-Correcting Surgery in Children With Isolated Cleft Palate.

PubMed

Gustafsson, Charlotta; Heliövaara, Arja; Leikola, Junnu; Rautio, Jorma

2018-01-01

Speech-correcting surgeries (pharyngoplasty) are performed to correct velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). This study aimed to analyze the need for speech-correcting surgery in children with isolated cleft palate (ICP) and to determine differences among cleft extent, gender, and primary technique used. In addition, we assessed the timing and number of secondary procedures performed and the incidence of operated fistulas. Retrospective medical chart review study from hospital archives and electronic records. These comprised the 423 consecutive nonsyndromic children (157 males and 266 females) with ICP treated at the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center of Helsinki University Hospital during 1990 to 2016. The total incidence of VPI surgery was 33.3% and the fistula repair rate, 7.8%. Children with cleft of both the hard and soft palate (n = 300) had a VPI secondary surgery rate of 37.3% (fistula repair rate 10.7%), whereas children with only cleft of the soft palate (n = 123) had a corresponding rate of 23.6% (fistula repair rate 0.8%). Gender and primary palatoplasty technique were not considered significant factors in need for VPI surgery. The majority of VPI surgeries were performed before school age. One fifth of patients receiving speech-correcting surgery had more than one subsequent procedure. The need for speech-correcting surgery and fistula repair was related to the severity of the cleft. Although the majority of the corrective surgeries were done before the age of 7 years, a considerable number were performed at a later stage, necessitating long-term observation.

Toxin-positive Clostridium difficile latently infect mouse colonies and protect against highly pathogenic C. difficile.

PubMed

Etienne-Mesmin, Lucie; Chassaing, Benoit; Adekunle, Oluwaseyi; Mattei, Lisa M; Bushman, Frederic D; Gewirtz, Andrew T

2018-05-01

Clostridium difficile is a toxin-producing bacterium and a leading cause of antibiotic-associated disease. The ability of C. difficile to form spores and infect antibiotic-treated persons at low multiplicity of infection (MOI) underlies its large disease burden. However, C. difficile -induced disease might also result from long-harboured C. difficile that blooms in individuals administered antibiotics. Mice purchased from multiple vendors and repeatedly testing negative for this pathogen by quantitative PCR bloomed C. difficile following antibiotic treatment. This endogenous C. difficile strain, herein termed LEM1, which formed spores and produced toxin, was compared with highly pathogenic C. difficile strain VPI10463. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that LEM1 and VPI10463 shared 95% of their genes, including all known virulence genes. In contrast to VPI10463, LEM1 did not induce overt disease when administered to antibiotic-treated or germ-free mice, even at high doses. Rather, blooms of LEM1 correlated with survival following VPI10463 inoculation, and exogenous administration of LEM1 before or shortly following VPI10463 inoculation prevented C. difficile -induced death. Accordingly, despite similar growth properties in vitro, LEM1 strongly outcompeted VPI10463 in mice even at 100-fold lower inocula. These results highlight the difficulty of determining whether individual cases of C. difficile infection resulted from a bloom of endogenous C. difficile or a new exposure to this pathogen. In addition to impacting the design of studies using mouse models of C. difficile -induced disease, this study identified, isolated and characterised an endogenous murine spore-forming C. difficile strain able to decrease colonisation, associated disease and death induced by a pathogenic C. difficile strain. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Correspondence of Constructs in Holland's Theory for Male and Female College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alston, Herbert L.; And Others

1976-01-01

The constructs in Holland's theory were compared for male and female college students using the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and an adjective checklist (ACL). The correspondence between the VPI for male and female college students' was high. The correspondence between the variables as measured by the ACL for male and female students was…

The relationship between temporal aspects of oral-nasal balance and classification of velopharyngeal status in speakers with cleft palate.

PubMed

Jones, D L

2000-07-01

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether temporal patterns of oral-nasal balance differentiate speakers with cleft palate who exhibit adequate and inadequate velopharyngeal function. The Nasal Accelerometric Vibrational Index (NAVI) was used to measure the time course and amplitude of oral-nasal balance during the productions of syllables, words, and sentences. The measures obtained include mean amplitude, time integral (area under the curve), absolute duration, relative duration, rise time, and fall time. The subjects for this study were 20 children with repaired cleft palates with or without cleft lip. Ten children (aged 5 through 18 years) were assigned to the velopharyngeal competence (VPC) group (normal oral-nasal resonance, no nasal emission of air). Ten children (aged 3 through 19) were assigned to the velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) group (hypernasal speech, velopharyngeal gap observed via nasal endoscopy). Both mean amplitude and time integral of NAVI were greater in the VPI group than in the VPC group (p < .01). Absolute duration and relative duration of the NAVI signal were greater in the VPI group (p < .01). NAVI rise time was shorter in the VPI group (p < .01), and NAVI fall time was longer in the VPI group (p < .01). The amplitude measures contributed the most to discrimination of speaker group, but the durational measures become increasingly influential as a function of a speech task. Although amplitude of nasalization may have the strongest perceptual salience in classification of velopharyngeal status, the temporal component may exert greater influence during more complex speech tasks.

Radiolabelled leucocyte scintigraphy versus conventional radiological imaging for the management of late, low-grade vascular prosthesis infections.

PubMed

Erba, P A; Leo, G; Sollini, M; Tascini, C; Boni, R; Berchiolli, R N; Menichetti, F; Ferrari, M; Lazzeri, E; Mariani, G

2014-02-01

In this study we evaluated the diagnostic performance of (99m)Tc-HMPAO-leucocyte ((99m)Tc-HMPAO-WBC) scintigraphy in a consecutive series of 55 patients (46 men and 9 women, mean age 71 ± 9 years, range 50 - 88 years) with a suspected late or a low-grade late vascular prosthesis infection (VPI), also comparing the diagnostic accuracy of WBC with that of other radiological imaging methods. All patients suspected of having VPI underwent clinical examination, blood tests, microbiology, US and CT, and were classified according to the Fitzgerald criteria. A final diagnosis of VPI was established in 47 of the 55 patients, with microbiological confirmation after surgical removal of the prosthesis in 36 of the 47. In the 11 patients with major contraindications to surgery, the final diagnosis was based on microbiology and clinical follow-up of at least 18 months. (99m)Tc-HMPAO-WBC planar, SPECT and SPECT/CT imaging identified VPI in 43 of 47 patients (20 of these also showed infection at extra-prosthetic sites). In the remaining eight patients without VPI, different sites of infections were found. The use of SPECT/CT images led to a significant reduction in the number of false-positive findings in 37% of patients (sensitivity and specificity 100 %, versus 85.1% and 62.5% for stand-alone SPECT). Sensitivity and specificity were 34% and 75% for US, 48.9% and 83.3% for CT, and 68.1% and 62.5% for the FitzGerald classification. Perioperative mortality was 5.5%, mid-term mortality 12%, and long-term mortality 27%. Survival rates were similar in patients treated with surgery and antimicrobial therapy compared to patients treated with antimicrobial therapy alone (61% versus 63%, respectively), while infection eradication at 12 months was significantly higher following surgery (83.3% versus 45.5%). (99m)Tc-HMPAO-WBC SPECT/CT is useful for detecting, localizing and defining the extent of graft infection in patients with late and low-grade late VPI with inconclusive radiological findings. (99m)Tc-HMPAO-WBC SPECT/CT might be used to optimize patient management.

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the gene coding for bile acid 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708.

PubMed Central

Baron, S F; Franklund, C V; Hylemon, P B

1991-01-01

Southern blot analysis indicated that the gene encoding the constitutive, NADP-linked bile acid 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 was located on a 6.5-kb EcoRI fragment of the chromosomal DNA. This fragment was cloned into bacteriophage lambda gt11, and a 2.9-kb piece of this insert was subcloned into pUC19, yielding the recombinant plasmid pBH51. DNA sequence analysis of the 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene in pBH51 revealed a 798-bp open reading frame, coding for a protein with a calculated molecular weight of 28,500. A putative promoter sequence and ribosome binding site were identified. The 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA transcript in Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 was about 0.94 kb in length, suggesting that it is monocistronic. An Escherichia coli DH5 alpha transformant harboring pBH51 had approximately 30-fold greater levels of 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA, immunoreactive protein, and specific activity than Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708. The 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase purified from the pBH51 transformant was similar in subunit molecular weight, specific activity, and kinetic properties to that from Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708, and it reached with antiserum raised against the authentic enzyme on Western immunoblots. Alignment of the amino acid sequence of the 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase with those of 10 other pyridine nucleotide-linked alcohol/polyol dehydrogenases revealed six conserved amino acid residues in the N-terminal regions thought to function in coenzyme binding. Images PMID:1856160

Genome Sequence of Vibrio cholerae Strain O1 Ogawa El Tor, Isolated in Mexico, 2013

PubMed Central

Hernández-Monroy, Irma; López-Martínez, Irma; Ortiz-Alcántara, Joanna; González-Durán, Elizabeth; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto

2014-01-01

We present the draft genome sequence of Vibrio cholerae InDRE 3140 recovered in 2013 during a cholera outbreak in Mexico. The genome showed the Vibrio 7th pandemic islands VSP1 and VSP2, the pathogenic islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, the integrative and conjugative element SXT/R391 (ICE-SXT), and both prophages CTXφ and RS1φ. PMID:25359919

Current Controversies in Diagnosis and Management of Cleft Palate and Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

PubMed Central

Ysunza, Pablo Antonio; Repetto, Gabriela M.; Pamplona, Maria Carmen; Calderon, Juan F.; Shaheen, Kenneth; Chaiyasate, Konkgrit; Rontal, Matthew

2015-01-01

Background. One of the most controversial topics concerning cleft palate is the diagnosis and treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Objective. This paper reviews current genetic aspects of cleft palate, imaging diagnosis of VPI, the planning of operations for restoring velopharyngeal function during speech, and strategies for speech pathology treatment of articulation disorders in patients with cleft palate. Materials and Methods. An updated review of the scientific literature concerning genetic aspects of cleft palate was carried out. Current strategies for assessing and treating articulation disorders associated with cleft palate were analyzed. Imaging procedures for assessing velopharyngeal closure during speech were reviewed, including a recent method for performing intraoperative videonasopharyngoscopy. Results. Conclusions from the analysis of genetic aspects of syndromic and nonsyndromic cleft palate and their use in its diagnosis and management are presented. Strategies for classifying and treating articulation disorders in patients with cleft palate are presented. Preliminary results of the use of multiplanar videofluoroscopy as an outpatient procedure and intraoperative endoscopy for the planning of operations which aimed to correct VPI are presented. Conclusion. This paper presents current aspects of the diagnosis and management of patients with cleft palate and VPI including 3 main aspects: genetics and genomics, speech pathology and imaging diagnosis, and surgical management. PMID:26273595

A 35-year experience with syndromic cleft palate repair: operative outcomes and long-term speech function.

PubMed

Basta, Marten N; Silvestre, Jason; Stransky, Carrie; Solot, Cynthia; Cohen, Marilyn; McDonald-McGinn, Donna; Zackai, Elaine; Kirschner, Richard; Low, David W; Randall, Peter; LaRossa, Don; Jackson, Oksana A

2014-12-01

Associated comorbidities can put syndromic patients with cleft palate at risk for poor speech outcomes. Reported rates of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) vary from 8% to 64%, and need for secondary VPI surgery from 23% to 64%, with few studies providing long-term follow-up. The purpose of this study was to describe our institutional long-term experience with syndromic patients undergoing cleft palatoplasty. A retrospective review was conducted of all patients with syndromic diagnoses undergoing primary Furlow palatoplasty from 1975 to 2011. Outcomes included postoperative oronasal fistula (ONF) and need for secondary VPI surgery. Speech scores for verbal patients 5 years or older were collected via the Pittsburgh scale for speech assessment. Aggregate scores categorized the velopharyngeal mechanism as competent, borderline, or incompetent. Outcomes were analyzed by patient and operative factors. One hundred thirty-two patients were included with average age at repair of 20.7 months. Cleft type was 9% submucosal, 16% Veau class I, 50% class II, 12% class III, and 13% class IV. Forty-five syndromes were recorded, most commonly Stickler syndrome (n = 32) and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome [22q11.2DS (n = 19)]. Forty-four patients also had associated Pierre Robin sequence (PRS). The overall ONF rate was 4.5% and was highest in Veau class IV clefts (P = 0.048). Seventy-six patients were included in speech analysis, with an average age at last assessment of 10.4 years. Overall, 60.5% of patients had a competent velopharyngeal mechanism, 23.7% borderline, and 15.8% incompetent mechanism. Fifty percent of 22q11.2DS patients had borderline speech and none had competent speech, compared to 73.3% with Stickler syndrome (P = 0.01) and 71.4% of patients with associated PRS (P = 0.02). Secondary VPI surgery was performed in 11.4% of patients overall. Patients with PRS (13.6%) and with Stickler syndrome (15.6%) had secondary VPI surgery, compared to 31.6% of patients with 22q11.2DS (P = 0.01). This study demonstrates low rates of postoperative ONF after modified Furlow palatoplasty in syndromic patients. Speech outcomes were comparable to nonsyndromic patients at our institution, but patients with 22q11.2DS consistently had borderline-incompetent speech and a 3-fold higher incidence of secondary VPI surgery.

Genome Sequence of Vibrio cholerae Strain O1 Ogawa El Tor, Isolated in Mexico, 2013.

PubMed

Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto; Hernández-Monroy, Irma; López-Martínez, Irma; Ortiz-Alcántara, Joanna; González-Durán, Elizabeth; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto

2014-10-30

We present the draft genome sequence of Vibrio cholerae InDRE 3140 recovered in 2013 during a cholera outbreak in Mexico. The genome showed the Vibrio 7th pandemic islands VSP1 and VSP2, the pathogenic islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, the integrative and conjugative element SXT/R391 (ICE-SXT), and both prophages CTXφ and RS1φ. Copyright © 2014 Díaz-Quiñonez et al.

Results of speech improvement following simultaneous push-back together with velopharyngeal flap surgery in cleft palate patients.

PubMed

Wermker, Kai; Lünenbürger, Henning; Joos, Ulrich; Kleinheinz, Johannes; Jung, Susanne

2014-07-01

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) can be caused by a variety of disorders. The most common cause of VPI is the association with cleft palate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different surgical techniques for cleft palate patients with VPI: (1) velopharyngoplasty with an inferiorly based posterior pharyngeal flap (VPP posterior, Schönborn-Rosenthal), and (2) combination of VPP posterior and push-back operation (Dorrance). 41 subjects (26 females, 15 males) with VPI were analysed. Hypernasality was judged subjectively and nasalance data were assessed objectively using the NasalView system preoperative and 6 months postoperative. Subjective analysis showed improved speech results regarding hypernasality for all OP-techniques with good results for VPP posterior and VPP posterior combined with push-back with success rates of 94.4% and 87.7%, respectively. Objective analysis showed a statistically significant reduction of nasalance for both VPP posterior and VPP posterior combined with push-back (p < 0.01). However, there were no statistically significant differences concerning measured nasalance values postoperatively between the VPP posterior and VPP posterior combined with push-back. Based on our findings, both VPP posterior and VPP posterior combined with push-back showed good results in correction of hypernasality in cleft patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency. Copyright © 2013 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of Stress Velopharyngeal Incompetence With Injection of Hyaluronic Acid.

PubMed

Koprowski, Steven; VanLue, Michael J; McCormick, Michael E

2018-04-01

Stress velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) is a challenging clinical entity that can be managed by a variety of surgical and nonsurgical approaches. We describe the case of a clarinetist who presented with nasal air escape while playing. She had successful improvement in her symptoms after targeted injection of a hyaluronic acid compound to her posterior pharyngeal wall. Our objective is to describe the safety and efficacy of this technique, to emphasize the multidisciplinary management of patients with stress VPI, and to review the importance of both nasopharyngoscopy and videofluoroscopy in their evaluation.

Assessment of Portal Venous and Hepatic Artery Haemodynamic Variation in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Patients.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Padhmini; Boopathy, Vinoth; Govindasamy, Ezhumalai; Venkatesh, Basavaiya Prabhu

2016-08-01

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has various spectrums of liver diseases like isolated fatty liver, steatohepatitis and cirrhosis usually progressing in a linear fashion. In this process they are known to cause certain haemodynamic changes in the portal flow and hepatic artery flow. The aim of the study was to study these haemodynamic changes in patients with NAFLD and to correlate it with the disease severity. Ninety patients diagnosed to have NAFLD based on ultrasound abdomen (30 each in grade1, grade2 and grade3 NAFLD) and 30 controls (Normal liver on ultrasound abdomen) were subjected to portal vein and hepatic artery Doppler study. Peak maximum velocity (Vmax), Peak minimum velocity (Vmin), Mean flow velocity (MFV), and Vein pulsality index (VPI) of the portal vein and hepatic artery resistivity index (HARI) of the hepatic artery were the doppler parameters which were assessed. Liver span was also assessed both for the fatty liver and controls. The mean Vmax, Vmin, MFV and VPI of the portal vein in patients with NAFLD was 12.23±1.74cm/sec, 9.31±1.45cm/sec, 10.76±1.48cm/sec, and 0.24±0.04 as compared to 14.05±2.43cm/sec, 10.01±2.27cm/sec, 12.23±2.47cm/sec, 0.3±0.08 in controls respectively. All these differences were statistically significant except for Vmin. The Mean HARI in patients with fatty liver was 0.65±0.06 when compared to controls of 0.75±0.06 (p=0.001). HARI (r-value of -0.517) had a better negative correlation followed by VPI (r-value of -0.44) and Vmax (r-value of -0.293) with the severity of NAFLD. MFV had a very weak negative correlation (r-value of -0.182) with the severity of NAFLD. The Vmax, MFV, VPI and HARI were significantly less when compared to controls suggesting a reduced portal flow and an increased hepatic arterial flow in patients with NAFLD. Among the parameters, HARI correlated better with the severity of NAFLD followed by VPI.

Allergic diseases among very preterm infants according to nutrition after hospital discharge.

PubMed

Zachariassen, Gitte; Faerk, Jan; Esberg, Birgitte H; Fenger-Gron, Jesper; Mortensen, Sven; Christesen, Henrik T; Halken, Susanne

2011-08-01

To determine whether a cow's milk-based human milk fortifier (HMF) added to mother's milk while breastfeeding or a cow's milk-based preterm formula compared to exclusively mother's milk after hospital discharge, increases the incidence of developing allergic diseases among very preterm infants (VPI) during the first year of life. Of a cohort of 324 VPI (gestational age 24-32 wk), the exclusively breastfed VPI were shortly before discharge randomized to breastfeeding without fortification or supplementing with a fortifier. Those not breastfed were fed a preterm formula. The intervention period was from discharge until 4 months corrected age (CA). Follow-up was performed at 4 and 12 months CA including specific IgE to a panel of allergens at 4 months CA. The incidence during and prevalence at 12 months CA of recurrent wheezing (RW) was 39.2% and 32.7%, while atopic dermatitis (AD) was 18.0% and 12.1%, respectively. Predisposition to allergic disease increased the risk of developing AD (p=0.04) [OR 2.6 (95% CI 1.0-6.4)] and the risk of developing RW (p=0.02) [OR 2.7 (95% CI 1.2-6.3)]. Boys had an increased risk of developing RW (p=0.003) [OR 3.1 (95% CI 1.5-6.5)]. No difference was found between nutrition groups. None developed food allergy. Compared to exclusively breastfed, VPI supplemented with HMF or fed exclusively a preterm formula for 4 months did not have an increased risk of developing allergic diseases during the first year of life. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Vector Flow Visualization of Urinary Flow Dynamics in a Bladder Outlet Obstruction Model.

PubMed

Ishii, Takuro; Yiu, Billy Y S; Yu, Alfred C H

2017-11-01

Voiding dysfunction that results from bladder outlet (BO) obstruction is known to alter significantly the dynamics of urine passage through the urinary tract. To non-invasively image this phenomenon on a time-resolved basis, we pursued the first application of a recently developed flow visualization technique called vector projectile imaging (VPI) that can track the spatiotemporal dynamics of flow vector fields at a frame rate of 10,000 fps (based on plane wave excitation and least-squares Doppler vector estimation principles). For this investigation, we designed a new anthropomorphic urethral tract phantom to reconstruct urinary flow dynamics under controlled conditions (300 mm H 2 O inlet pressure and atmospheric outlet pressure). Both a normal model and a diseased model with BO obstruction were developed for experimentation. VPI cine loops were derived from these urinary flow phantoms. Results show that VPI is capable of depicting differences in the flow dynamics of normal and diseased urinary tracts. In the case with BO obstruction, VPI depicted the presence of BO flow jet and vortices in the prostatic urethra. The corresponding spatial-maximum flow velocity magnitude was estimated to be 2.43 m/s, and it is significantly faster than that for the normal model (1.52 m/s) and is in line with values derived from computational fluid dynamics simulations. Overall, this investigation demonstrates the feasibility of using vector flow visualization techniques to non-invasively examine internal flow characteristics related to voiding dysfunction in the urethral tract. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Winding Pack Height Management During Fabrication of the ITER CS Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martovetsky, Nicolai N.; Irick, David K.; Reed, Richard P.; Haefelfinger, Rolf; Salazar, Erica

The Central Solenoid (CS) stack consists of six modules, 2.1 m tall each [1]. In order to verify good impregnation, we performed a vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) test of a full cross section of the CS module (CSM), 40 conductors tall and 14 conductors wide [2]. It was discovered that after preparation of the full cross section stack until completion of the VPI, the stack shrunk in height by 20-25 mm. Our study of the literature and discussions with the leading experts in VPI did not reveal obvious reasons for this change of height, so we launched a study to address this issue. We assembled two 12x1 (tall by wide) arrays and several 7x1 arrays in order to study characteristics of the dry winding pack under compressive force and effects of different fabrication steps. Then we impregnated these arrays in different conditions under compressive force and studied change of height as a result of compression, impregnation, gelling and curing of the stack of insulated conductors. We showed that by controlling the application of the compressive force, before closing the mold and during impregnation, one can reduce the height uncertainty. Most of the height reduction takes place while the glass is dry under the dead weight and the applied compressive force. Reduction of height during injection of the resin and during gelling, curing and cooling of the coil is noticeable, reproducible and relatively small. The paper presents results of our studies and recommendations for assembly and VPI of tall windings.

Longitudinal Improvement in Periodontal Parameters between RPD Abutment Teeth with Direct and Indirect Retainers, after Periodontal Therapy.

PubMed

Almeida, Mariana Linhares; Tôrres, Ana Clara Soares de Paiva; de Oliveira, Kleiton Clécio; Calderon, Patrícia Dos Santos; Carreiro, Adriana da Fonte Porto; Gurgel, Bruno César de Vasconcelos

2018-03-06

To evaluate the effect of basic periodontal treatment on clinical periodontal parameters associated with abutment teeth of patients with mandibular Kennedy class I removable partial dentures (RPD) 18 months after treatment. Thirty patients with periodontal disease were treated and evaluated according to the following periodontal parameters: visible plaque index (VPI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), gingival recession (GR), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and keratinized mucosa (KM). These parameters were compared between abutment teeth with direct and indirect retainers at baseline, and after 6 and 18 months. Data were analyzed by Friedman Test and Wilcoxon Test for all variables. Most patients (n = 26; 86.7%) included in the study were female and had a mean age of 61 years (±7.54). Results showed that VPI and BOP decreased over time, and that VPI values were higher in abutment teeth with direct retainers (p = 0.001). There was a reduction in PD after 6 months, which was maintained up to 18 months. In general, abutment teeth with direct retainers had significantly higher values for PD, GR, and CAL (p = 0.029). Data also indicated that the parameters for VPI, BOP, and PD improved; however, abutment teeth with direct retainers presented smaller improvements, compared with abutment teeth with indirect retainers, which presented significant improvements for almost all variables. Periodontal treatment and oral hygiene care of patients were adequate for maintenance of adequate periodontal conditions, regardless of the use of prostheses. © 2018 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Glycans coated silver nanoparticles induces autophagy and necrosis in HeLa cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panzarini, Elisa; Mariano, Stefania; Dini, Luciana

2015-06-01

This study reports the induction of autophagy by two concentrations (2×103 or 2×104 NPs/cell) of 30 nm sized β-D-Glucose- and β-D-Glucose/Sucrose-coated silver NanoParticles (AgNPs-G and AgNPs-GS respectively) in HeLa cells treated for 6, 12, 24 and 48 hrs. Cell viability was assessed by Neutral Red (NR) test and morphological evaluation. In addition ROS generation (NBT test) and induction of apoptosis/necrosis (Annexin V/Propidium Iodide-Annexin V/PI staining) and autophagy (Monodansylcadaverine-MDC staining) were evaluated. Cytotoxicity, ROS generation and morphology changes depend on NPs type and amount, and incubation time. As a general result, AgNPs-G are more toxic than AgNPs-GS. Moreover, the lowest AgNPs-GS concentration is ineffective on cell viability and ROS generation. Only 10% and 25% of viable HeLa cells were found at the end of incubation time in the presence of higher amount of AgNPs - G and AgNPs-GS respectively and in parallel ROS generation is induced. To elucidate the type of cell death, Annexin V/PI and MDC staining was performed. Interestingly, irrespective of coating type and NPs amount the percentage of apoptotic cells (Annexin V+/PI-) is similar to viable HeLa cells. At contrary, we observed a NPs amount dependent autophagy and necrosis induction. In fact, the lower amount of NPs induces autophagy (MDC+/PI- cells) whereas the higher one induces necrosis (Annexin V+/PI+ cells). Our findings suggest that AgNPs-induced cytotoxicity depends on AgNPs amount and type and provide preliminary evidence of induction of autophagy in HeLa cells cultured in the presence of AgNPs.

Improved control strategy for wind-powered refrigerated storage of apples

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

Baldwin, J.D.C.; Vaughan, D.H.

1981-01-01

A refrigerated apple storage facility was constructed at the VPI and SU Horticultural Research Farm in Blacksburg, Virginia and began operation in March 1978. The system included a 10-kW electric wind generator, electrical battery storage, thermal (ice) storage, and auxiliary power. The need for an improved control system for the VPI and SU system was determined from tests on the individual components and in situ performance tests. The results of these tests formed the basis for an improved control strategy to improve the utilization of available wind energy and reduce the need for auxiliary power while maintaining an adequate applemore » storage environment.« less

Taste, umami-enhance effect and amino acid sequence of peptides separated from silkworm pupa hydrolysate.

PubMed

Yu, Zilin; Jiang, Hongrui; Guo, Rongcan; Yang, Bo; You, Gang; Zhao, Mouming; Liu, Xiaoling

2018-06-01

Four umami peptides were separated and purified by ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography and identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), the amino acid sequences of four peptides are Val-Pro-Tyr (VPY), Thr-Ala-Tyr (TAY), Ala-Ala-Pro-Tyr (AAPY) and Gly-Phe-Pro (GFP). The result illustrates that the umami amino acids are not the content of umami peptides, but bitter amino acids are included. The threshold of VPY, TAY, AAPY and GFP were 1.65 mmol/L, 1.76 mmol/L, 2.97 mmol/L and 6.26 mmol/L, respectively. The peptide TAY, VPY and AAPY had an umami-enhancement effect on the monosodium glutamate (MSG) + sodium chloride (NaCl) solution, their concentrations were 2.5 g/L, 5 g/L and 5 g/L, respectively, while GFP has no significant umami-enhancement effect in solution. In addition, the peptides have better taste than its composing amino acids, which indicates that the taste of peptide does not depend on its composing amino acids. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PIV Flow Field Measurements of Hovering Rotors with Leading Edge Protuberances

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-22

CP P/ R CP P / R CPi CP CP C / / CT T / R CP / CT / F M P /P M Nb P...c c c c c CT / ± . × CP / ± . × μ dt M b R Nb /Nb dt dt dt μ μ f c c c c c c c c T P CT CP T CT A R P CP A R A R R V r...ps x y Vp · dps × Vp · dps n n n Vpi · ps × Vpi · ps u u u/ u u u/ i i i CT / CP / CT / . CT / . F M CP / CP CT /

Clinical efficacy of a 1% Matricaria chamomile L. mouthwash and 0.12% chlorhexidine for gingivitis control in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances.

PubMed

Goes, Paula; Dutra, Caio S; Lisboa, Mário R P; Gondim, Delane V; Leitão, Renata; Brito, Gerly A C; Rego, Rodrigo O

2016-01-01

This pilot study evaluated the clinical efficacy of a mouthwash containing 1% Matricaria chamomilla L. (MTC) extract in reducing gingival inflammation and plaque formation in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled a total of 30 males and females (age, 10-40 years) with fixed orthodontic appliances and a minimum of 20 natural teeth. The participants were allocated to three groups (n = 10 each) and asked to rinse with 15 mL of a placebo, 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX), or 1% MTC mouthwash, immediately after brushing for 1 min, in the morning and evening, for 15 days. Data (mean ± SD) on visible plaque index (VPI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI) were recorded on days 1 and 15. The placebo group exhibited increases in VPI and GBI (10.2% and 23.1%, respectively) from day 1 to day 15. As compared with placebo, VPI and GBI significantly decreased in the MTC group (-25.6% and -29.9%, respectively) and the CHX group (-39.9% and -32.0%, respectively). In summary, MTC reduced biofilm accumulation and gingival bleeding in patients with gingivitis, probably because of its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities.(J Oral Sci 58, 569-574, 2016).

The nature of articulation errors in Egyptian Arabic-speaking children with velopharyngeal insufficiency due to cleft palate.

PubMed

Abou-Elsaad, Tamer; Baz, Hemmat; Afsah, Omayma; Mansy, Alzahraa

2015-09-01

Even with early surgical repair, the majority of cleft palate children demonstrate articulation errors and have typical cleft palate speech. Was to determine the nature of articulation errors of Arabic consonants in Egyptian Arabic-speaking children with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Thirty Egyptian Arabic-speaking children with VPI due to cleft palate (whether primary repaired or secondary repaired) were studied. Auditory perceptual assessment (APA) of children speech was conducted. Nasopharyngoscopy was done to assess the velopharyngeal port (VPP) movements while the child was repeating speech tasks. Mansoura Arabic Articulation test (MAAT) was performed to analyze the consonants articulation of these children. The most frequent type of articulatory errors observed was substitution, more specifically, backing. Pharyngealization of anterior fricatives was the most frequent substitution, especially for the /s/ sound. The most frequent substituting sounds for other sounds were /ʔ/ followed by /k/ and /n/ sounds. Significant correlations were found between the degrees of the open nasality and VPP closure and the articulation errors. On the other hand, the sounds (/ʔ/,/ħ/,/ʕ/,/n/,/w/,/j/) were normally articulated in all studied group. The determination of articulation errors in VPI children could guide the therapists for designing appropriate speech therapy programs for these cases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Results and Complications of 1104 Surgeries for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

PubMed Central

Hirschberg, Jenő

2012-01-01

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) means that the velopharyngeal closure is inadequate or disturbed. VPI may be organic or functional, congenital or acquired and is caused by structural alterations or paresis. The symptoms are primarily to be found in speech (hypernasality), more rarely in swallowing and hearing. The management types are as follows: speech therapy, surgery, speech bulb, and others. Surgery is indicated if the symptoms of VPI cannot be improved by speech therapy. Among the operative methods, velopharyngoplasty constitutes the basis of the surgery. The pharyngeal flap was incorporated and survived in 98.1% of the cases, hyperrhinophony disappeared or became minimal in 90% after surgery in our material (1104 cases). The speech results seemed to be the same with superiorly or inferiorly based pharyngeal flap. The Furlow technique, push-back procedure, the sphincteroplasty, and the augmentation were indicated by us if the VP gap was less than 7 mm; these methods may also be used as secondary operation. We observed among 1104 various surgeries severe hemorrhage in 5 cases, aspiration in 2 cases, significant nasal obstruction in 68 patients, OSAS in 5 cases; tracheotomy was necessary in 2 cases. Although the complication rate is rare, it must always be considered that this is not a life-saving but a speech-correcting operation. A tailor-made superiorly based pharyngeal flap is suggested today, possibly in the age of 5 years. PMID:23724266

Moderate acoustic changes can disrupt the sleep of very preterm infants in their incubators.

PubMed

Kuhn, Pierre; Zores, Claire; Langlet, Claire; Escande, Benoît; Astruc, Dominique; Dufour, André

2013-10-01

To evaluate the impact of moderate noise on the sleep of very early preterm infants (VPI). Observational study of 26 VPI of 26-31 weeks' gestation, with prospective measurements of sound pressure level and concomitant video records. Sound peaks were identified and classified according to their signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) above background noise. Prechtl's arousal states during sound peaks were assessed by two observers blinded to the purpose of the study. Changes in sleep/arousal states following sound peaks were compared with spontaneous changes during randomly selected periods without sound peaks. We identified 598 isolated sound peaks (5 ≤ SNR < 10 decibel slow response A (dBA), n = 518; 10 ≤ SNR < 15 dBA, n = 80) during sleep. Awakenings were observed during 33.8% (95% CI, 24-43.7%) of exposures to sound peaks of 5-10 dBA SNR and 39.7% (95% CI, 26-53.3%) of exposures to sound peaks of SNR 10-15 dBA, but only 11.7% (95% CI, 6.2-17.1%) of control periods. The proportions of awakenings following sound peaks were higher than the proportions of arousals during control periods (p < 0.005). Moderate acoustic changes can disrupt the sleep of VPI, and efficient sound abatement measures are needed. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Preliminary study of acoustic analysis for evaluating speech-aid oral prostheses: Characteristic dips in octave spectrum for comparison of nasality.

PubMed

Chang, Yen-Liang; Hung, Chao-Ho; Chen, Po-Yueh; Chen, Wei-Chang; Hung, Shih-Han

2015-10-01

Acoustic analysis is often used in speech evaluation but seldom for the evaluation of oral prostheses designed for reconstruction of surgical defect. This study aimed to introduce the application of acoustic analysis for patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) due to oral surgery and rehabilitated with oral speech-aid prostheses. The pre- and postprosthetic rehabilitation acoustic features of sustained vowel sounds from two patients with VPI were analyzed and compared with the acoustic analysis software Praat. There were significant differences in the octave spectrum of sustained vowel speech sound between the pre- and postprosthetic rehabilitation. Acoustic measurements of sustained vowels for patients before and after prosthetic treatment showed no significant differences for all parameters of fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonics ratio, formant frequency, F1 bandwidth, and band energy difference. The decrease in objective nasality perceptions correlated very well with the decrease in dips of the spectra for the male patient with a higher speech bulb height. Acoustic analysis may be a potential technique for evaluating the functions of oral speech-aid prostheses, which eliminates dysfunctions due to the surgical defect and contributes to a high percentage of intelligible speech. Octave spectrum analysis may also be a valuable tool for detecting changes in nasality characteristics of the voice during prosthetic treatment of VPI. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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

Raminosoa, Tsarafidy; Alexander, James Pellegrino; EL-Refaie, Ayman Mohamed Fawzi

A permanent magnet electrical machine includes a stator having conductive windings wound thereon and one or more permanent magnets embedded in the stator. A magnetic keeper element is positioned on the stator so as to form a magnetic flux path with the permanent magnets, with the magnetic keeper element closing the magnetic flux path of the permanent magnets by providing a low reluctance flux path to magnetic flux generated by the permanent magnets. A vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) process is performed on the stator to increase a thermal conductivity of the windings, with the VPI process including a curing stepmore » that is performed at a selected temperature. The magnetic keeper element sets an operating point of the permanent magnets to an internal flux density level above a demagnetization threshold associated with the selected temperature at which the curing step is performed.« less

The Statistical Assessment of Latent Trait Dimensionality in Psychological Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

Thus, aY 2 - c -I E[P1(01)Pil(01)| B1 ] n+Kl^i^n+M M 9 1 frn+M 1 ,1 rn+M ^2 ■TLi<iwWEi"iɠi)pi’<ei’iBii - vr’ • M Thus, it...suffices to show that, uniformly in n + l^i^i’ _<n + M, .1/2 (JK)X^ cov(P1(ei),ril(01)| B1 ) -O .Hence, it suffices to show (JK)1/2V(P.i(01)| B1 ...0 as n->■ « , uniformly in n + 1 £ i £ n + M. Now, letting x1 = 2x/c 1.10 (1.34) I 2f(n)(Ö)dO V(Pi(01)| B1 ) = J[Pi(0) - jpi(9 ,)f(n)(0,)d8

An outcome study of a 2-flap pushback palatoplasty used in the treatment of wide cleft palates.

PubMed

Lin, Kant Y; Black, Jonathan S; Wang, Jessica S; Kerpelman, Jocelyn; Ho, Thuy-Van Tina; Borowitz, Kathleen

2015-05-01

Cleft palate remains a common congenital deformity. The wide cleft palate in particular presents a unique challenge when attempting to restore a competent velopharyngeal mechanism. We present an outcome study of a single surgeon's experience using a modified surgical technique designed to specifically address the wide cleft palate. The surgical technique consisted of a 2-flap pushback palatoplasty without nasal mucosa closure combined with an end-to-end intravelar veloplasty and was used in cleft palates greater than or equal to 10 mm in width. A retrospective, longitudinal outcome study from chart review was then performed where age at surgery, sex, Veau classification of the cleft type, and follow-up length were recorded for each patient. Postsurgery speech outcomes were assessed by standardized speech evaluation performed by a speech language pathologist, and the presence and location of unplanned oronasal fistulas were recorded. Our study revealed an overall incidence of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) of 10.8% and an unplanned symptomatic fistula rate of 16.8%. There was a significant correlation between the Veau classification of the cleft type with the incidence of both VPI and the occurrence of an unplanned oronasal fistula. Application of this surgical technique, specifically to wider cleft palates, resulted in VPI and fistula rates comparable to rates reported with other techniques used in clefts of all widths. Additional information regarding subsequent growth disturbances of the craniofacial skeleton in these patients is currently being collected.

Apatinib promotes apoptosis of the SMMC-7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

PubMed

Zhang, Hua; Cao, Yumei; Chen, Yuru; Li, Guangxi; Yu, Hanshu

2018-04-01

The present study investigated the inhibitory effects of apatinib on the proliferation of the SMMC-7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line to explore the possible mechanism. The MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory effects of the different concentrations of apatinib on the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells. Annexin V/PI double staining was performed to investigate the effects of apatinib on the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells. Expression of the apoptosis-related genes Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-9 after apatinib treatment was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis. Expression of the PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt and p-Akt proteins after apatinib treatment was detected using western blot analysis. The MTT results showed that apatinib inhibited the in vitro proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells. Annexin V/PI double staining showed that apatinib induced the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Results of RT-qPCR and western blot analysis showed that apatinib was able to induce the expression of pro-apoptotic genes Bax and caspase-9 and inhibited the expression of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 . In addition, the western blot analysis revealed that p-PI3K and p-Akt was significantly decreased following apatinib treatment, while no significant differences were found in the total protein levels of PI3K and Akt. The results of the present show that apatinib is capable of promoting the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signal transduction pathway, upregulating the expression of pro-apoptotic genes Bax and caspase-9 , and downregulating the expression level of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 .

Vocational Interest of Minority Disadvantaged Students: Are They Different?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, James H.; Whitney, Douglas

1978-01-01

Results of a study of how minority students respond to an interest inventory indicated that they generally achieved lower means on all Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) scales than did the college freshmen population. (Author/AM)

75 FR 6061 - Importer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-05

... to import the listed controlled substance for distribution to its customers. One comment was received... national quota for Nabilone established by DEA will be affected by Kenco VPI's application. DEA's response... application. The [[Page 6062

Olympus receiver evaluation and phase noise measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Richard L.; Wang, Huailiang; Sweeney, Dennis

1990-01-01

A set of measurements performed by the Michigan Tech Sensing and Signal Processing Group on the analog receiver built by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for propagation measurements using the Olympus Satellite is described. Measurements of local oscillator (LO) phase noise were performed for all of the LOs supplied by JPL. In order to obtain the most useful set of measurements, LO phase noise measurements were made using the complete VPI receiver front end. This set of measurements demonstrates the performance of the receiver from the Radio Frequency (RF) input through the high Intermediate Frequency (IF) output. Three different measurements were made: LO phase noise with DC on the voltage controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO) port; LO phase noise with the 11.381 GHz LO locked to the reference signal generator; and a reference measurement with the JPL LOs out of the system.

Nasalance and nasality at experimental velopharyngeal openings in palatal prosthesis: a case study

PubMed Central

LIMA-GREGIO, Aveliny Mantovan; MARINO, Viviane Cristina de Castro; PEGORARO-KROOK, Maria Inês; BARBOSA, Plinio Almeida; AFERRI, Homero Carneiro; DUTKA, Jeniffer de Cassia Rillo

2011-01-01

The use of prosthetic devices for correction of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is an alternative treatment for patients with conditions that preclude surgery and for those individuals with a hypofunctional velopharynx (HV) with a poor prognosis for the surgical repair of VPI. Understanding the role and measuring the outcome of prosthetic treatment of velopharyngeal dysfunction requires the use of tools that allow for documenting pre- and post-treatment outcomes. Experimental openings in speech bulbs have been used for simulating VPI in studies documenting changes in aerodynamic, acoustic and kinematics aspects of speech associated with the use of palatal prosthetic devices. The use of nasometry to document changes in speech associated with experimental openings in speech bulbs, however, has not been described in the literature. Objective This single-subject study investigated nasalance and nasality at the presence of experimental openings drilled through the speech bulb of a patient with HV. Material and Methods Nasometric recordings of the word "pato" were obtained under 4 velopharyngeal conditions: no-opening (control condition), no speech bulb, speech bulb with a 20 mm2 opening, and speech bulb with 30 mm2 opening. Five speech-language pathologists performed auditory-perceptual ratings while the subject read an oral passage under all conditions. Results Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant difference among conditions (p=0.0002), with Scheffé post hoc test indicating difference from the no-opening condition. Conclusion The changes in nasalance observed after drilling holes of known sizes in a speech bulb suggest that nasometry reflect changes in transfer of sound energy related to different sizes of velopharyngeal opening. PMID:22230996

The groESL Chaperone Operon of Lactobacillus johnsonii†

PubMed Central

Walker, D. Carey; Girgis, Hany S.; Klaenhammer, Todd R.

1999-01-01

The Lactobacillus johnsonii VPI 11088 groESL operon was localized on the chromosome near the insertion element IS1223. The operon was initially cloned as a series of three overlapping PCR fragments, which were sequenced and used to design primers to amplify the entire operon. The amplified fragment was used as a probe to recover the chromosomal copy of the groESL operon from a partial library of L. johnsonii VPI 11088 (NCK88) DNA, cloned in the shuttle vector pTRKH2. The 2,253-bp groESL fragment contained three putative open reading frames, two of which encoded the ubiquitous GroES and GroEL chaperone proteins. Analysis of the groESL promoter region revealed three transcription initiation sites, as well as three sets of inverted repeats (IR) positioned between the transcription and translation start sites. Two of the three IR sets bore significant homology to the CIRCE elements, implicated in negative regulation of the heat shock response in many bacteria. Northern analysis and primer extension revealed that multiple temperature-sensitive promoters preceded the groESL chaperone operon, suggesting that stress protein production in L. johnsonii is strongly regulated. Maximum groESL transcription activity was observed following a shift to 55°C, and a 15 to 30-min exposure of log-phase cells to this temperature increased the recovery of freeze-thawed L. johnsonii VPI 11088. These results suggest that a brief, preconditioning heat shock can be used to trigger increased chaperone production and provide significant cross-protection from the stresses imposed during the production of frozen culture concentrates. PMID:10388700

The Vocational Preference Inventory Scores and Environmental Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunce, Joseph T.; Kappes, Bruno Maurice

1976-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between vocational interest measured by the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and preferences of 175 undergraduates for structured or unstructured environments. Males having clear-cut preferences for structured situations had significantly higher Realistic-Conventional scores than those without…

Enhancing fire safety at Hydro plants with dry transformers

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

Clemen, D.M.

Hydroelectric plant owners and engineers can use dry-type transformers to reduce fire hazards in auxiliary power systems. The decision to replace a liquid-immersed transformer with a dry-type product has a price: higher unit cost and a need to be more vigilant in detailing transformer specifications. But, whether the change affects only one failed transformer or is part of a plant rehabilitation project, the benefits in safety can be worth it. Voltages on hydroelectric plant auxiliary power systems can range from a 20 kV medium-voltage system to the normal 480-208/120 V low-voltage system. Dry transformers typically are used in such systemsmore » to reduce the fire hazard present with liquid-filled transformers. For a hydro plant owner or engineer seeking alternatives to liquid-filled transformers, there are two main kinds of dry-type transformers to consider: vacuum pressure impregnated (VPI) and cast coil epoxy resin. VPI transformers normally are manufactured in sizes up to 6,000 kVA with primary voltage ratings up to 20 kV. Cast coil transformers can be made in sizes from 75 to 10,000 kVA, with primary voltage ratings up to 34,500 V. Although the same transformer theory applies to dry transformers as to liquid-filled units, the cooling medium, air, required different temperature rise ratings, dielectric tests, and construction techniques to ensure reliability. Consequently, the factory and field tests for dry units are established by a separate set of American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards. Cast coil transformers have several important advantages over VPI units.« less

Velopharyngeal incompetence diagnosed in a series of cardiac patients prompted by the finding of a 22q11.2 deletion

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

Driscoll, D.A.; Emanuel, B.S.; Goldmuntz, E.

Congenital heart disease is very common and may occur as an isolated malformation or as part of a well-defined syndrome. In some syndromes, specific types are overrepresented as compared to their incidence in the general population. Conotruncal anomalies are one such example where they are seen as part of DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) and Velo-Cardio-Facial syndrome (VCFS). Often, the diagnosis of VCFS is not suspected because mild facial dysmorphia is frequently not appreciated in the newborn period. While overt cleft palate, a characteristic finding in VCFS, would be detected early, a submucousal cleft palate or velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) may go unrecognizedmore » in the pre-verbal child and may remain undiagnosed in the older patient who is not referred for a palatal evaluation. In patients with either DGS or VCFS, microdeletions of chromosome 22q11.2 have been demonstrated in almost 90% of patients. As part of our ongoing study, twenty patients with a conotruncal cardiac anomaly, without an overt cleft palate, were referred for 22q11.2 deletion analysis. 13/20 patients were found to have a deletion. All 13 deleted patients underwent palatal evaluations by a plastic surgeon and speech pathologist. 7 patients were noted to have VPI. Intervention including speech therapy and/or posterior pharyngeal flap surgery for these previously undiagnosed abnormalities is underway. These results suggest that palatal abnormalities are underdiagnosed in a significant proportion of patients with conotruncal cardiac defects. We therefore propose deletion studies in these patients followed by prompt palatal evaluations when the deletion is present. Early diagnosis of VPI and submucousal cleft palate should lead to early intervention and appropriate management of the speech difficulties encountered by these individuals.« less

Self-Monitoring Processes and Holland Vocational Preferences among College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Michael T.; And Others

1989-01-01

Used Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and a self-monitoring scale to examine 237 undergraduates' association between self-monitoring and occupational preferences. Regression analyses revealed correlations between gender, self-monitoring propensity, and preferred occupational types (i.e., social, enterprising, or artistic). (TE)

The effect of cleft palate repair on contractile properties of single permeabilized muscle fibers from congenitally cleft goat palates.

PubMed

Hanes, Michael C; Weinzweig, Jeffrey; Panter, Kip E; McClellan, W Thomas; Caterson, Stefanie A; Buchman, Steven R; Faulkner, John A; Yu, Deborah; Cederna, Paul S; Larkin, Lisa M

2008-02-01

Inherent differences in the levator veli palatini (LVP) muscle of cleft palates before palatoplasty may play a role in persistent postrepair velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Contractile properties of LVP muscle fibers were analyzed from young (2-month) normal (YNP), young congenitally cleft (YCP) and again on the same YCP subjects 6 months after palatoplasty, mature repaired palate (MRP). The cross-sectional area and rate of force development (ktr) were measured. Specific force (sF(0)) and normalized power (nP(max)) were calculated. Using k(tr) to determine fiber type composition, YNP was 44% type 1 and 56% type 2, while YCP was 100% type 2. Two MRP subjects shifted to 100% type 1; 1 demonstrated increased resistance to fatigue. No differences in sF(0) were observed. nP(max) increased with presence of type 2 fibers. The persistent state of type 2 fibers following palatoplasty leads to increased fatigue in the LVP of MRP subjects and may cause VPI symptoms.

Velopharyngeal insufficiency: diagnosis and management

PubMed Central

Shprintzen, Robert J.; Marrinan, Eileen

2009-01-01

Purpose of Review Journal articles relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) were reviewed. All articles ascertained by PubMed search were included. Recent Findings Articles reported on the application of magnetic resonance scanning, reliability tests of the International Working Group diagnostic protocol, the use of nasometry, and techniques designed to assess the function of the velopharyngeal mechanism. Treatment papers focused on outcomes in small samples of cases and complication rates from pharyngeal flap. One paper discussed ineffective speech therapy procedures. Summary There were relatively few papers this past year. Those that were published were hindered by small and heterogeneous sample sizes, and occasionally by inappropriate methods for assessing outcomes. None of the findings will have a major impact on the current state-of-the-art for diagnosis of VPI. The speech therapy paper has a very important message that should be taken to heart by all clinicians involved in the management of children with clefts and craniofacial disorders. PMID:19448542

Evaluation of Vehicle-Based Crash Severity Metrics.

PubMed

Tsoi, Ada H; Gabler, Hampton C

2015-01-01

Vehicle change in velocity (delta-v) is a widely used crash severity metric used to estimate occupant injury risk. Despite its widespread use, delta-v has several limitations. Of most concern, delta-v is a vehicle-based metric which does not consider the crash pulse or the performance of occupant restraints, e.g. seatbelts and airbags. Such criticisms have prompted the search for alternative impact severity metrics based upon vehicle kinematics. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of the occupant impact velocity (OIV), acceleration severity index (ASI), vehicle pulse index (VPI), and maximum delta-v (delta-v) to predict serious injury in real world crashes. The study was based on the analysis of event data recorders (EDRs) downloaded from the National Automotive Sampling System / Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) 2000-2013 cases. All vehicles in the sample were GM passenger cars and light trucks involved in a frontal collision. Rollover crashes were excluded. Vehicles were restricted to single-event crashes that caused an airbag deployment. All EDR data were checked for a successful, completed recording of the event and that the crash pulse was complete. The maximum abbreviated injury scale (MAIS) was used to describe occupant injury outcome. Drivers were categorized into either non-seriously injured group (MAIS2-) or seriously injured group (MAIS3+), based on the severity of any injuries to the thorax, abdomen, and spine. ASI and OIV were calculated according to the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware. VPI was calculated according to ISO/TR 12353-3, with vehicle-specific parameters determined from U.S. New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Using binary logistic regression, the cumulative probability of injury risk was determined for each metric and assessed for statistical significance, goodness-of-fit, and prediction accuracy. The dataset included 102,744 vehicles. A Wald chi-square test showed each vehicle-based crash severity metric estimate to be a significant predictor in the model (p < 0.05). For the belted drivers, both OIV and VPI were significantly better predictors of serious injury than delta-v (p < 0.05). For the unbelted drivers, there was no statistically significant difference between delta-v, OIV, VPI, and ASI. The broad findings of this study suggest it is feasible to improve injury prediction if we consider adding restraint performance to classic measures, e.g. delta-v. Applications, such as advanced automatic crash notification, should consider the use of different metrics for belted versus unbelted occupants.

Astragalus polysaccharide suppresses palmitate-induced apoptosis in human cardiac myocytes: the role of Nrf1 and antioxidant response

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ji; Gu, Jian-Yun; Chen, Zhi-Song; Xing, Kai-Chen; Sun, Bing

2015-01-01

Objective: Previous studies have shown that Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) can be used to ameliorate cardiotoxicity due to chemotherapy and improve the cardiac function. However, the mechanism by which APS mediate this effect is unclear. In the present study, the effects of APS, which suppressed ROS-mediated apoptosis through Nrf1 accumulation in human cardiac myocytes (HCMs), was investigated. Methods: The cell viability was detected by the CCK8 assay. The cell apoptosis was assessed by annexin V-PI double-labeling staining. Expression of genes and proteins were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blotting respectively. Nrf1 gene was overexpressed using a lentiviral expression vector in HCMs in vitro, in order to explore the mechanism by which the Nrf1 promoted cell growth. Results: CCK8 and Annexin V-PI double-labeling showed that PAL induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner, and suppressed HCMs proliferation. The combination PAL with APS was significantly decreased the percentage of the early phase of apoptosis cells. ROS levels were increased in HCMs by exposure to PAL. APS treatment significantly inhibited generation of ROS in response to palmitate. Moreover, PAL administration significantly decreased the mRNA and proteins expression of Bcl-2 as well as increased the mRNA expression of BAX and the protein expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 as compare to those of control group, but APS treatment could reverse PA-induced HCMs apoptosis. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which was an oxidative stress marker, was significantly increased in cardiomyocytes by exposure to PAL, but overexpressing Nrf1 could ameliorate ROS-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity and increase the expression of SOD1 and SOD2 in HCMs by overexpressing Nrf1. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the PAL could induce HCMs apoptosis. However, APS could reverse PAL-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity, at least partially, through suppression ROS and Nrf1 accumulation in HCMs. PMID:26045757

Astragalus polysaccharide suppresses palmitate-induced apoptosis in human cardiac myocytes: the role of Nrf1 and antioxidant response.

PubMed

Zhang, Ji; Gu, Jian-Yun; Chen, Zhi-Song; Xing, Kai-Chen; Sun, Bing

2015-01-01

Previous studies have shown that Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) can be used to ameliorate cardiotoxicity due to chemotherapy and improve the cardiac function. However, the mechanism by which APS mediate this effect is unclear. In the present study, the effects of APS, which suppressed ROS-mediated apoptosis through Nrf1 accumulation in human cardiac myocytes (HCMs), was investigated. The cell viability was detected by the CCK8 assay. The cell apoptosis was assessed by annexin V-PI double-labeling staining. Expression of genes and proteins were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blotting respectively. Nrf1 gene was overexpressed using a lentiviral expression vector in HCMs in vitro, in order to explore the mechanism by which the Nrf1 promoted cell growth. CCK8 and Annexin V-PI double-labeling showed that PAL induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner, and suppressed HCMs proliferation. The combination PAL with APS was significantly decreased the percentage of the early phase of apoptosis cells. ROS levels were increased in HCMs by exposure to PAL. APS treatment significantly inhibited generation of ROS in response to palmitate. Moreover, PAL administration significantly decreased the mRNA and proteins expression of Bcl-2 as well as increased the mRNA expression of BAX and the protein expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 as compare to those of control group, but APS treatment could reverse PA-induced HCMs apoptosis. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which was an oxidative stress marker, was significantly increased in cardiomyocytes by exposure to PAL, but overexpressing Nrf1 could ameliorate ROS-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity and increase the expression of SOD1 and SOD2 in HCMs by overexpressing Nrf1. This study demonstrated that the PAL could induce HCMs apoptosis. However, APS could reverse PAL-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity, at least partially, through suppression ROS and Nrf1 accumulation in HCMs.

Vocational Preparatory Instruction: Staff Self-Training Program. Workplace Readiness Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palladino, Dolores

Designed for learning managers in a vocational preparatory instruction (VPI) lab, this three-part Workplace Readiness module provides teaching strategies they can use with students to: identify vocational interest and aptitude in making career choices; demonstrate job acquisition and job retention skills; and apply Secretary's Commission on…

Relationship of COP System Interest Inventory Scales to Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) Scales in a College Sample: Construct Validity of Scales Based on Progressed Occupational Interest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omizo, Michael M.; And Others

1983-01-01

Construct validity data found some support for the California Occupational Preference System constructs when its results were evaluated on a sample of 213 female undergraduates relative to the Vocational Preference Inventory results. (PN)

Intrasubject Predictions of Vocational Preference: Convergent Validation via the Decision Theoretic Paradigm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monahan, Carlyn J.; Muchinsky, Paul M.

1985-01-01

The degree of convergent validity among four methods of identifying vocational preferences is assessed via the decision theoretic paradigm. Vocational preferences identified by Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), a rating procedure, and ranking were compared with preferences identified from a policy-capturing model developed from an…

Closed Loop Vibrational Control: Theory and Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-01

the open loop system dynamics will be close to that of Bit. However, in general, in a closed loop system with a specified feedback co-’ - oller , for...Juang, and G. Rodriguez , "Formulations and Applications of Large Structure Actuator and Sensor Placements," Second VPI & SU/AIAA Symposium on Dynamics

NON-INTELLECTIVE PREDICTORS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN COLLEGE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NICHOLS, ROBERT C.

SCALES FOR PREDICTING 1ST-YEAR COLLEGE GRADES AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACHIEVEMENT WERE DEVELOPED BY ITEM ANALYSIS FROM EACH OF FOUR ITEM POOLS--THE CALIFORNIA PSYCHOLOGICAL INVENTORY (CPI), THE VOCATIONAL PREFERENCE INVENTORY (VPI), AN ADJECTIVE CHECK LIST (ACL), AND AN EXPERIMENTAL OBJECTIVE BEHAVIOR INVENTORY (OBI)--USING A SAMPLE OF 1,013 NATIONAL…

Personality Characteristics of Black Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Nina W.

Four hundred and forty-six poor black urban and rural adolescents ages 15-18 enrolled in a summer poverty-work program are administered Gough's Adjective Checklist (ACL) and Holland's Vocatonal Preference Inventory (VPI) to determine their personality profile, to ascertain differences between this gorup and blacks attending colleges, and to study…

The Differential Effects of Preschool: Evidence from Virginia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Francis L.; Invernizzi, Marcia A.; Drake, E. Allison

2012-01-01

This study investigated the differential and persistent effects of a state-funded pre-K program, the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI). We analyzed data from a cohort of over 60,000 students nested in approximately 1000 schools from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of first grade using two-level hierarchical logistic regression models.…

ANTIPLAQUE AND ANTIGINGIVITIS EFFECTS OF A GEL CONTAINING PUNICA GRANATUM LINN EXTRACT. A DOUBLE-BLIND CLINICAL STUDY IN HUMANS

PubMed Central

Salgado, Alexandre Daher Yunes; Maia, Juliana Lemos; Pereira, Sérgio Luís da Silva; de Lemos, Telma Leda Gomes; Mota, Olívia Morais de Lima

2006-01-01

Objectives: The antiplaque and antigingivitis effects of a gel containing 10% Punica granatum Linn extract were evaluated using a 21-day partial-mouth experimental model of gingivitis. Methods: 23 volunteers participated in this cross-over, doubleblind study, carried out in 2 phases of 21 days each. For each period of the experiment, an acrylic toothshield was made for each volunteer to carry the test or placebo gel as well as to avoid brushing of the 4 experimental teeth (posterior teeth in the lower left quadrant). The subjects were randomly assigned to use either the placebo gel (control group) or the test gel (experimental group) and were instructed to brush the remaining teeth normally 3 times a day. On days 0 and 21, the visible plaque index (VPI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI) were recorded. Results: The results did not show statistically significant difference between control and experimental groups for either of the indices (VPI and GBI). Conclusion: The gel containing 10% Punica granatum Linn extract was not efficient in preventing supragingival dental plaque formation and gingivitis. PMID:19089066

[Morphological classification and velopharyngeal function analysis of submucous cleft palate patients].

PubMed

Heng, Yin; Chunli, Guo; Bing, Shi; Yang, Li; Jingtao, Li

2016-10-01

To enhance the accuracy in diagnosis and management of submucous cleft palate via a thorough analysis of its anatomical and functional details. Two hundred seventy-six submucous cleft palate cases from 2008 to 2014 were retrospectively investigated. Subgroup analysis were performed on the basis of preoperative velopharyngeal function, palatal morphology, cleft lip concurrence, and patient motives for treatment. Among the included cases, 96 (34.78%) were presented as velopharyngeal competence (VPC), 151 (54.71%) as velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), and 29 (10.51%) as marginal VPI (MVPI). Eighty cases (28.99%) also demonstrated cleft lip deformity, and 196 cases (71.01%) were merely submucous cleft palate. Compared with patients with submucous cleft palate only, those with cleft lips exhibited higher rates of complete velopharyngeal closure. The pathological spectrum of submucous cleft palate varied significantly. Only 103 (37.32%) cases met all the three diagnostic criteria proposed by Calnan. Given that the velopharyngeal closure rate varies among the subgroups, the factors analyzed in this study should be considered in the personalized manage-ment of submucous cleft palate.

Speech characteristics after articulation therapy in children with cleft palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction - A single case experimental design.

PubMed

Derakhshandeh, Fatemeh; Nikmaram, Mohammadreza; Hosseinabad, Hedieh Hashemi; Memarzadeh, Mehrdad; Taheri, Masoud; Omrani, Mohammadreza; Jalaie, Shohreh; Bijankhan, Mahmood; Sell, Debbie

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of an intensive 10-week course of articulation therapy on articulation errors in cleft lip and palate patients who have Velopharyngeal Insufficiency (VPI), non-oral and passive cleft speech characteristics. Five children with cleft palate (+/-cleft lip) with VPI and non-oral and passive cleft speech characteristics underwent 40 intensive articulation therapies over 10 weeks in a single case experimental design. The percentage of non-oral CSCs (NCSCs), passive CSCs (PCSCs), stimulable consonants (SC), correct consonants in word imitation (CCI), and correct consonants in picture naming (CCN) were captured at baseline, during intervention and in follow up phases. Visual analysis and two effect size indexes of Percentage of Nonoverlapping Data and Percentage of Improvement Rate Difference were analyzed. Articulation therapy resulted in visible decrease in NCSCs for all 5 participants across the intervention phases. Intervention was effective in changing percentage of passive CSCs in two different ways; it reduced the PCSCs in three cases and resulted in an increase in PCSCs in the other two cases. This was interpreted as intervention having changed the non-oral CSCs to consonants produced within the oral cavity but with passive characteristics affecting manner of production including weakness, nasalized plosives and nasal realizations of plosives and fricatives. Percent SC increased throughout the intervention period in all five patients. All participants demonstrated an increase in percentage of CCI and CCN suggesting an increase in the consonant inventory. Follow-up data showed that all the subjects were able to maintain their ability to articulate learned phonemes correctly even after a 4-week break from intervention. This single case experimental study supports the hypothesis that speech intervention in patients with VPI can result in an improvement in oral placements and passive CSCs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polysaccharopeptides derived from Coriolus versicolor potentiate the S-phase specific cytotoxicity of Camptothecin (CPT) on human leukemia HL-60 cells

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Polysaccharopeptide (PSP) from Coriolus versicolor (Yunzhi) is used as a supplementary cancer treatment in Asia. The present study aims to investigate whether PSP pre-treatment can increase the response of the human leukemia HL-60 cells to apoptosis induction by Camptothecin (CPT). Methods We used bivariate bromodeoxyuridine/propidium iodide (BrdUrd/PI) flow cytometry analysis to measure the relative movement (RM) of the BrdUrd positively labeled cells and DNA synthesis time (Ts) on the HL-60 cell line. We used annexin V/PI flow cytometry analysis to quantify the viable, necrotic and apoptotic cells. The expression of cyclin E and cyclin B1 was determined with annexin V/PI flow cytometry and western blotting. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used to test the cytotoxicity of PSP and CPT. Results PSP reduced cellular proliferation; inhibited cells progression through both S and G2 phase, reduced 3H-thymidine uptake and prolonged DNA synthesis time (Ts) in HL-60 cells. PSP-pretreated cells enhanced the cytotoxicity of CPT. The sensitivity of cells to the cytotoxic effects of CPT was seen to be the highest in the S-phase and to a small extent of the G2 phase of the cell cycle. On the other hand, no cell death (measured by annexin V/PI) was evident with the normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with treatment of either PSP or CPT. Conclusion The present study shows that PSP increases the sensitization of the HL-60 cells to undergo effective apoptotic cell death induced by CPT. The pattern of sensitivity of cancer cells is similar to that of HL-60 cells. PSP rapidly arrests and/or kills cells in S-phase and did not interfere with the anticancer action of CPT. PSP is a potential adjuvant to treat human leukemia as rapidly proliferating tumors is characterized by a high proportion of S-phase cells. PMID:20423495

Polysaccharopeptides derived from Coriolus versicolor potentiate the S-phase specific cytotoxicity of Camptothecin (CPT) on human leukemia HL-60 cells.

PubMed

Wan, Jennifer Man-Fan; Sit, Wai-Hung; Yang, Xiaotong; Jiang, Pingping; Wong, Leo Lap-Yan

2010-04-27

Polysaccharopeptide (PSP) from Coriolus versicolor (Yunzhi) is used as a supplementary cancer treatment in Asia. The present study aims to investigate whether PSP pre-treatment can increase the response of the human leukemia HL-60 cells to apoptosis induction by Camptothecin (CPT). We used bivariate bromodeoxyuridine/propidium iodide (BrdUrd/PI) flow cytometry analysis to measure the relative movement (RM) of the BrdUrd positively labeled cells and DNA synthesis time (Ts) on the HL-60 cell line. We used annexin V/PI flow cytometry analysis to quantify the viable, necrotic and apoptotic cells. The expression of cyclin E and cyclin B1 was determined with annexin V/PI flow cytometry and western blotting. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used to test the cytotoxicity of PSP and CPT. PSP reduced cellular proliferation; inhibited cells progression through both S and G2 phase, reduced 3H-thymidine uptake and prolonged DNA synthesis time (Ts) in HL-60 cells. PSP-pretreated cells enhanced the cytotoxicity of CPT. The sensitivity of cells to the cytotoxic effects of CPT was seen to be the highest in the S-phase and to a small extent of the G2 phase of the cell cycle. On the other hand, no cell death (measured by annexin V/PI) was evident with the normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with treatment of either PSP or CPT. The present study shows that PSP increases the sensitization of the HL-60 cells to undergo effective apoptotic cell death induced by CPT. The pattern of sensitivity of cancer cells is similar to that of HL-60 cells. PSP rapidly arrests and/or kills cells in S-phase and did not interfere with the anticancer action of CPT. PSP is a potential adjuvant to treat human leukemia as rapidly proliferating tumors is characterized by a high proportion of S-phase cells.

Evaluation of Different Methods for Removing Oral Biofilm in Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

PubMed Central

Oliveira, Maria Sonia; Borges, Alvaro Henrique; Mattos, Fernanda Zanol; Semenoff, Tereza Aparecida Della Vedove; Segundo, Alex Semenoff; Tonetto, Mateus Rodrigues; Bandeca, Matheus Coêlho; Porto, Alessandra Nogueira

2014-01-01

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the different methods for removing oral biofilm in combination with 0.12% chlorhexidine, in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the General University Hospital. Materials and Methods: Initially, the patients were included in the study and underwent periodontal evaluation by means of the visible plaque index (VPI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI). The removal of visible biofilm, by a professional, was carried out using a toothbrush and dental floss, followed by the application of a 0.12% chlorhexidine solution. The patients were included in this randomized and controlled study into four groups (total n = 48), as follows: Chlorhexidine and gauze 12/12 h; chlorhexidine and gauze 24/24 h; chlorhexidine and brushing 12/12 h; chlorhexidine and brushing 24/24 h. The patients underwent the biofilm removal protocol for 7 days and then were subjected to a new clinical evaluation as to VPI and GBI. Data analysis was performed through stratification and arrangement of the records, in order to carry out the associations with health indicators used in the study, and the statistical tests used were Kappa and t-test for independent and paired samples. Results: A decrease in the VPI and GBI values when comparing baseline to the final evaluation for all groups was observed. Conclusion: Based on the methodology, it was possible to concluded that chlorhexidine associated with the mechanical action of the toothbrush or gauze in the times 12 h and 24 h in the ICU environment presented the same results as regards amount of visible biofilm. How to cite the article: Oliveira MS, Borges AH, Mattos FZ, Semenoff TA, Segundo AS, Tonetto MR, Bandeca MC, Porto AN. Evaluation of different methods for removing oral biofilm in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. J Int Oral Health 2014;6(3):61-4. PMID:25083034

Genome Sequence Analysis of Vibrio cholerae clinical isolates from 2013 in Mexico reveals the presence of the strain responsible for the 2010 Haiti outbreak.

PubMed

Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto

2017-01-01

La primera semana de septiembre de 2013, el Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica identificó dos casos de cólera en Ciudad de México. Los cultivos de ambas muestras se confirmaron como Vibrio cholerae serogrupo O1, serotipo Ogawa, biotipo El Tor. Los análisis iniciales por electroforesis por campos pulsados y por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa indicaron que ambas cepas eran similares, pero diferentes de las previamente reportadas en México. La semana siguiente se identificaron cuatro casos más en una comunidad del Estado de Hidalgo, ubicada a 121 kilómetros al noreste de Ciudad de México. Posteriormente se inició un brote de cólera en la región de La Huasteca. Los análisis genómicos de cuatro cepas obtenidas en este estudio confirmaron la presencia de las islas de patogenicidad VPI -1 y VPI-2, VSP-1 y VSP-2, y del elemento integrador SXT. La estructura genómica de los cuatro aislamientos fue similar a la de V. cholerae cepa 2010 EL-1786, identificada durante la epidemia en Haití en 2010. Este estudio pone de manifiesto que la epidemiología molecular es una herramienta muy poderosa para vigilar, prevenir y controlar enfermedades de importancia en salud pública en México. The first week of September 2013, the National Epidemiological Surveillance System identified two cases of cholera in Mexico City. The cultures of both samples were confirmed as Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor. Initial analyses by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and by polymerase chain reaction-amplification of the virulence genes, suggested that both strains were similar, but different from those previously reported in Mexico. The following week, four more cases were identified in a community in the state of Hidalgo, located 121 km northeast of Mexico City. Thereafter a cholera outbreak started in the region of La Huasteca. Genomic analyses of the strains obtained in this study confirmed the presence of pathogenicity islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, VSP-1 and VSP-2, and of the integrative element SXT. The genomic structure of the 4 isolates was similar to that of V. cholerae strain 2010 EL-1786, identified during the epidemic in Haiti in 2010. This study shows that molecular epidemiology is a very powerful tool to monitor, prevent and control diseases of public health importance in Mexico. Copyright: © 2017 SecretarÍa de Salud.

Geothermal Energy Resources of Navy/Marine Corps Installations on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

Geological Survey ( AAPG -USGS) thermal gradient map of North America, at a scale of 1:5,000,000, gives the hypothesized average depth (by contours) in...file reports; USGS topographic and geologic maps; AAPG -USGS special geologic maps; APL/JHU reports; VPI-SU progress re- ports to DOE/DGE; technical

You Do What You Are: The Relationship between the Scale of Creative Attributes and Behavior and Vocational Interests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Kathryn E.; Kneipp, Lee B.

2009-01-01

Previous research has found relationships between measures of creativity and Vocational Interests, especially the artistic type. To partially examine the validity of a new self-report measure of creativity, 115 college students were administered the Vocational Preference Inventory (Form C) (VPI-C; Holland, 1985; Lowman & Schurman, 1982) and…

The Effect of Cleft Palate Repair on Contractile Properties of Single Permeabilized Muscle Fibers From Congenitally Cleft Goats Palates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A cleft palate goat model was used to study the contractile properties of the levator veli palatini (LVP) muscle which is responsible for the movement of the soft palate. In 15-25% of patients that undergo palatoplasty, residual velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) remains a problem and often require...

Effect of central inset pharyngeal flap for velopharyngeal insufficiency on eustachian tube function.

PubMed

El-Anwar, Mohammad Waheed; Amer, Hazem Saeed; Elnashar, Ismail; Khazbak, Alaa Omar; Khater, Ahmed

2015-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the central inset pharyngeal flap, used for correcting persistent velopharyngeal incompetence after cleft palate repair, on Eustachian tube (ET) function. This study included 28 patients who were diagnosed with persistent velopharyngeal insufficiency following primary cleft palate repair, together with otitis media with effusion (OME) and/or ET dysfunction that failed to improve after the primary palatoplasty and extensive medical treatment. Diagnosis of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in these cases was performed by video nasoendoscopy and speech assessment. Prior to and after surgery, patients were assessed through otoscopic, tympanometric, and audiometric evaluation. All postoperative otoscopic findings were significantly better than preoperative (P < 0.05) finding, except for tympanic membrane (TM) calcification (P > 0.05). Postoperative tympanometry revealed type A curve (normal) in 30 ears (53.6%), with significant improvement in ET function after this type of flap (P < 0.001). ET can be improved after performing the superiorly based flap with new central inset in patients with persistent VPI following palatoplasty. Thus, there is no need for surgical interference to manage OME in these cases, except after trying this technique. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Anti-proliferative and apoptosis inducing potential of hydroalcoholic Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch extract on human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-Mb-468.

PubMed

Galavi, Hamid Reza; Saravani, Ramin; Shahraki, Ali; Ashtiani, Mojtaba

2016-11-01

Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch contains a variety of components such as flavonoid. The previous studies showed that flavonoid has anti-cancer properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing potential of hydroalcoholic Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch extract (HAWE) on MCF-7 and MDA-Mb-468 human breast carcinoma cell lines. The anti-proliferative activity of HAWE was evaluated using MTT, flowcytometry by annexin V/PI double staining, and caspase-3 activity. The results of MTT showed that the ED50 of MCF-7 and MDA-Mb-468 was 25μg/ml of HAWE, 48h after treatment. Flowcytometry by annexin V/PI showed that HAWE induced late apoptosis in MCF-7 and early apoptosis in MDA-Mb-468. In addition, the caspase-3 colorimetric method showed that caspase-3 increased in the MDA-Mb-468 after treatment with HAWE. This study found that the hydroalcoholic extract of Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch induced apoptosis in both the MCF-7 and MDA-Mb-468 human breast carcinoma cell lines.

Testing of machine wound second generation HTS tape Vacuum Pressure Impregnated coils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swaffield, D.; Lewis, C.; Eugene, J.; Ingles, M.; Peach, D.

2014-05-01

Delamination of second generation (2G) High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) tapes has previously been reported when using resin based insulation systems for wound coils. One proposed root cause is the differential thermal contraction between the coil former and the resin encapsulated coil turns resulting in the tape c-axis tensile stress being exceeded. Importantly, delamination results in unacceptable degradation of the superconductor critical current level. To mitigate the delamination risk and prove winding, jointing and Vacuum Pressure Impregnation (VPI) processes in the production of coils for superconducting rotating machines at GE Power Conversion two scaled trial coils have been wound and extensively tested. The coils are wound from 12mm wide 2G HTS tape supplied by AMSC onto stainless steel 'racetrack' coil formers. The coils are wound in two layers which include both in-line and layer-layer joints subject to in-process test. The resin insulation system chosen is VPI and oven cured. Tests included; insulation resistance, repeat quench and recovery of the superconductor, heat runs and measurement of n-value, before and after multiple thermal cycling between ambient and 35 Kelvin. No degradation of coil performance is evidenced.

Piper betle leaf extract enhances the cytotoxicity effect of 5-fluorouracil in inhibiting the growth of HT29 and HCT116 colon cancer cells.

PubMed

Ng, Pek Leng; Rajab, Nor Fadilah; Then, Sue Mian; Mohd Yusof, Yasmin Anum; Wan Ngah, Wan Zurinah; Pin, Kar Yong; Looi, Mee Lee

2014-08-01

The combination effect of Piper betle (PB) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in enhancing the cytotoxic potential of 5-FU in inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells was investigated. HT29 and HCT116 cells were subjected to 5-FU or PB treatment. 5-FU and PB were then combined and their effects on both cell lines were observed after 24 h of treatment. PB-5-FU interaction was elucidated by isobologram analysis. Apoptosis features of the treated cells were revealed by annexin V/PI stain. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to exclude any possible chemical interaction between the compounds. In the presence of PB extract, the cytotoxicity of 5-FU was observed at a lower dose (IC50 12.5 µmol/L) and a shorter time (24 h) in both cell lines. Both cell lines treated with 5-FU or PB alone induced a greater apoptosis effect compared with the combination treatment. Isobologram analysis indicated that PB and 5-FU interacted synergistically and antagonistically in inhibiting the growth of HT29 and HCT116 cells, respectively. In the presence of PB, a lower dosage of 5-FU is required to achieve the maximum drug effect in inhibiting the growth of HT29 cells. However, PB did not significantly reduce 5-FU dosage in HCT116 cells. Our result showed that this interaction may not solely contribute to the apoptosis pathway.

A combination of the probiotic and prebiotic product can prevent the germination of Clostridium difficile spores and infection.

PubMed

Rätsep, M; Kõljalg, S; Sepp, E; Smidt, I; Truusalu, K; Songisepp, E; Stsepetova, J; Naaber, P; Mikelsaar, R H; Mikelsaar, M

2017-10-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most prevalent healthcare associated infections in hospitals and nursing homes. Different approaches are used for prevention of CDI. Absence of intestinal lactobacilli and bifidobacteria has been associated with C. difficile colonization in hospitalized patients. Our aim was to test a) the susceptibility of C. difficile strains of different origin and the intestinal probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum Inducia (DSM 21379) to various antimicrobial preparations incl. metronidazole, vancomycin; b) the susceptibility of C. difficile strains to antagonistic effects of the probiotic L. plantarum Inducia, prebiotic xylitol (Xyl) and their combination as a synbiotic (Syn) product; c) the suppression of germination of C. difficile spores in vitro and in vivo in animal model of C. difficile infection with Inducia, Xyl and Syn treatment. The VPI strain 10463 (ATCC 43255), epidemic strain (M 13042) and clinical isolates (n = 12) of C. difficile from Norway and Estonia were susceptible and contrarily L. plantarum Inducia resistant to vancomycin, metronidazole and ciprofloxacin. The intact cells of Inducia, natural and neutralized cell free supernatant inhibited in vitro the growth of tested C. difficile reference strain VPI and Estonian and Norwegian clinical isolates of C. difficile after co-cultivation. This effect against C. difficile sustained in liquid media under ampicillin (0.75 μg/ml) and Xyl (5%) application. Further, incubation of Inducia in the media with 5% Xyl fully stopped germination of spores of C. difficile VPI strain after 48 h. In infection model the 48 hamsters were administered ampicillin (30 mg/kg) and 10-30 spores of C. difficile VPI strain. They also received five days before and after the challenge a pretreatment with a synbiotic (single daily dose of L. plantarum Inducia 1 ml of 10 10  CFU/ml and 20% xylitol in 1 ml by orogastric gavage). The survival rate of hamsters was increased to 78% compared to 13% (p = 0.003) survival rate of hamsters who received no treatment. When administered Xyl the survival rate of hamsters reached 56% vs.13% (p = 0.06). In both Syn (6/9, p = 0.003) and Xyl (3/9, p = 0.042) groups the number of animals not colonized with C. difficile significantly increased. In conclusion, the combination of xylitol with L. plantarum Inducia suppresses the germination of spores and outgrowth into vegetative toxin producing cells of C. difficile and reduces the colonization of gut with the pathogen. Putative therapeutical approach includes usage of the synbiotic during antimicrobial therapy for prevention of CDI and its potential to reduce recurrences of CDI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Piper betle leaf extract enhances the cytotoxicity effect of 5-fluorouracil in inhibiting the growth of HT29 and HCT116 colon cancer cells*

PubMed Central

Ng, Pek Leng; Rajab, Nor Fadilah; Then, Sue Mian; Mohd Yusof, Yasmin Anum; Wan Ngah, Wan Zurinah; Pin, Kar Yong; Looi, Mee Lee

2014-01-01

Objective: The combination effect of Piper betle (PB) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in enhancing the cytotoxic potential of 5-FU in inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells was investigated. Methods: HT29 and HCT116 cells were subjected to 5-FU or PB treatment. 5-FU and PB were then combined and their effects on both cell lines were observed after 24 h of treatment. PB-5-FU interaction was elucidated by isobologram analysis. Apoptosis features of the treated cells were revealed by annexin V/PI stain. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to exclude any possible chemical interaction between the compounds. Results: In the presence of PB extract, the cytotoxicity of 5-FU was observed at a lower dose (IC50 12.5 μmol/L) and a shorter time (24 h) in both cell lines. Both cell lines treated with 5-FU or PB alone induced a greater apoptosis effect compared with the combination treatment. Isobologram analysis indicated that PB and 5-FU interacted synergistically and antagonistically in inhibiting the growth of HT29 and HCT116 cells, respectively. Conclusions: In the presence of PB, a lower dosage of 5-FU is required to achieve the maximum drug effect in inhibiting the growth of HT29 cells. However, PB did not significantly reduce 5-FU dosage in HCT116 cells. Our result showed that this interaction may not solely contribute to the apoptosis pathway. PMID:25091987

New Approaches to Hepatitis A Vaccine Development

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

Francis et al., 1989), as well as the more unique foot-and-mouth virus ( FMDV ) (Bittle et al., 1982). Peptide immunogens are highly stable reagents...typic poliovirus chimeras and FMDV /poliovirus chimeras), and is reminiscent of the neutralization of FMDV with anti-peptide antisera (Bittle et al...1982). Crystallographic studies have suggested that the FMDV VPI G- H loop, the target loop for neutralization of F4DV with anti- peptide sera, is a

Heterolytic Activation of Hydrogen Promoted by Ruthenium Nanoparticles immobilized on Basic Supports and Hydrogenation of Aromatic Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Minfeng

Despite the aggressive development and deployment of new renewable and nuclear technologies, petroleum-derived transportation fuels---gasoline, diesel and jet fuels---will continue to dominate the markets for decades. Environmental legislation imposes severe limits on the tolerable proportion of aromatics, sulfur and nitrogen contents in transportation fuels, which is difficult to achieve with current refining technologies. Catalytic hydrogenation plays an important role in the production of cleaner fuels, both as a direct means to reduce the aromatics and as a key step in the hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) processes. However, conventional catalysts require drastic conditions and/or are easily poisoned by S or N aromatics. Therefore, there is still a need for new efficient catalysts for hydrogenation reactions relevant to the production of cleaner fossil fuels. Our catalyst design involves metallic nanoparticles intimately associated with a basic support, with the aim of creating a nanostructure capable of promoting the heterolytic activation of hydrogen and ionic hydrogenation mechanisms, as a strategy to avoid catalyst poisoning and enhance catalytic activity. We have designed and prepared a new nanostructured catalytic material composed of RuNPs immobilized on the basic polymer P4VPy. We have demonstrated that the Ru/P4VPy catalyst can promote heterolytic hydrogen activation and a unique surface ionic hydrogenation mechanism for the efficient hydrogenation of N-aromatics. This is the first time these ionic hydrogenation pathways have been demonstrated on solid surfaces. For the RuNPs surfaces without basic sites in close proximity, the conventional homolytic H2 splitting is otherwise involved. Using the mechanistic concepts from Ru/P4VPy, we have designed and prepared the Ru/MgO catalyst, with the aim to improve the catalytic efficiency for the hydrogenation of heteroatom aromatics operating by the ionic hydrogenation mechanism. The Ru/MgO catalyst significantly improves the catalytic efficiency for hydrogenation of a variety of N-/S-heteroaromatics and mono-/polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons representative of components of petroleum-derived fuels. The catalyst is superior to the few other known supported noble metal catalysts for these reactions. Mechanistic studies also point to the ionic hydrogenation mechanism on the Ru/MgO surfaces. In addition, the Ru/MgO catalyst is highly recyclable and long-lived.

A comparison of speech outcomes using radical intravelar veloplasty or furlow palatoplasty for the treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency associated with occult submucous cleft palate.

PubMed

Afrooz, Paul Nader; MacIsaac, Zoe; Rottgers, Stephen Alex; Ford, Matthew; Grunwaldt, Lorelei J; Kumar, Anand R

2015-02-01

The safety, efficacy, and direct comparison of various surgical treatments for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) associated with occult submucous cleft palate (OSMCP) are poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to report and analyze the safety and efficacy of Furlow palatoplasty (FP) versus radical intravelar veloplasty (IVV) for treatment of VPI associated with OSMCP. A retrospective review of one institution's experience treating VPI associated with OSMCP using IVV (group 1) or FP (group 2) during 24 months was performed. Statistical significance was determined by Wilcoxon matched-pair, Independent-Samples Mann-Whitney U, and analysis of variance (SPSS 20.0.0). In group 1 (IVV), 18 patients were identified from August 2010 to 2011 (12 male and 6 female patients; average age, 5.39 years). Seven patients were syndromic and 11 were nonsyndromic. In group 2 (FP), 17 patients were identified from August 2009 to 2011 (8 male and 9 female patients; average age, 8.37 years). Three patients were syndromic and 14 patients were nonsyndromic. There was statistical significance between the average pretreatment Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Score (PWSS) of the 2 groups (group 1 and 2 averages 19.06 and 11.05, respectively, P=0.002), but there was no statistical significance postoperatively (group 1 and 2 averages 4.50 and 4.69, respectively, P=0.405). One patient from each group required secondary speech surgery. Average operative time was greater for FP (140 minutes; range, 93-177 minutes) compared to IVV (95 minutes; range, 58-135 minutes), P<0.001. Average hospital stay was 3.9 days for IVV (range, 2-9 days) and 3.2 days for FP (range, 2-6 days), with no significant difference (P=0.116). There were no postsurgical wound infections, oral-nasal fistulas, postoperative bleeding complications, or mortalities. Nonsyndromic patients with hypernasal speech are treated effectively and safely with either IVV or FP. Intravelar veloplasty trended toward lower speech scores than FP (76% IVV, 58% FP PWSS absolute reduction). Syndromic patients with OSMCP may be more effectively treated with FP (72% IVV vs 79% FP PWSS absolute reduction). Intravelar veloplasty is associated with shorter operative times. Both techniques are associated with low morbidity, improved speech scores, and low reoperative rates.

An Application of Holland’s Occupational Codes to Air Force Officer Career Fields.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

allows men to intelligently counteract the arbitrary decisions of their corporations, to address themselves as private persons, and to restore the balance...57) (23:114). Gottfredson , an associate of Holland, in a study of newly hired bank tellers, found that congruence of VPI score and occupation type...Campbell, David P. and Jo-Ida C. Hansen. Manual for the SVIB-SCII. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1981. 4. Gottfredson , Gary D. and others. Dictionary

Automatic Control and Data Acquisition System for Combustion Laboratory Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

O VPI Access~.ion FCr- 1473 2 UNCLASSIFIED Approved for public release; distribution unlimited JAutomatic Control and Data Acquisition System for...unit. The CPU/ROK board includes a 16 bit microprocessor chip which decodes and executes all in- structions, and controls all data transfers. The 12K...in the limited memory space of 32K of the HP-85 33 ACQDTA’ 1) Controls DevicesCRAIN ,2) Acquires Photodiods Output$ 3) Stores Data o Disc 1

Biodynamic Assessment of Pilot Knee-Board Configurations During Simulated T-38 Catapult Acceleration

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

Apple iPad Mini with a shock case. The T-38C ejection pulse was simulated using the Vertical Deceleration Tower (VDT) set-up with a Martin Baker Mk...Figure 6. Free-body Diagram to Illustrate Loading and Bending Moment at Mid-Point of Femur (Schematic from Kennedy, VPI Thesis , 2004...kneeboard configuration compared to the paper kneeboard configuration. The proposed kneeboard configuration consisted of an Apple iPad Mini with a

Superconducting electromechanical rotating device having a liquid-cooled, potted, one layer stator winding

DOEpatents

Dombrovski, Viatcheslav V.; Driscoll, David I.; Shovkhet, Boris A.

2001-01-01

A superconducting electromechanical rotating (SER) device, such as a synchronous AC motor, includes a superconducting field winding and a one-layer stator winding that may be water-cooled. The stator winding is potted to a support such as the inner radial surface of a support structure and, accordingly, lacks hangers or other mechanical fasteners that otherwise would complicate stator assembly and require the provision of an unnecessarily large gap between adjacent stator coil sections. The one-layer winding topology, resulting in the number of coils being equal to half the number of slots or other mounting locations on the support structure, allows one to minimize or eliminate the gap between the inner radial ends of adjacent straight sections of the stator coilswhile maintaining the gap between the coil knuckles equal to at least the coil width, providing sufficient room for electrical and cooling element configurations and connections. The stator winding may be potted to the support structure or other support, for example, by a one-step VPI process relying on saturation of an absorbent material to fill large gaps in the stator winding or by a two-step process in which small gaps are first filled via a VPI or similar operation and larger gaps are then filled via an operation that utilizes the stator as a portion of an on-site mold.

Vaccination in adult patients with auto-immune inflammatory rheumatic diseases: a systematic literature review for the European League Against Rheumatism evidence-based recommendations for vaccination in adult patients with auto-immune inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

PubMed

van Assen, S; Elkayam, O; Agmon-Levin, N; Cervera, R; Doran, M F; Dougados, M; Emery, P; Geborek, P; Ioannidis, J P A; Jayne, D R W; Kallenberg, C G M; Müller-Ladner, U; Shoenfeld, Y; Stojanovich, L; Valesini, G; Wulffraat, N M; Bijl, M

2011-04-01

To present the systematic literature review (SLR), which formed the basis for the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) evidence-based recommendations for vaccination in adult patients with auto-immune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD). AIIRD, vaccines and immunomodulating drugs, as well as eight key questions were defined by the multidisciplinary expert committee commissioned by EULAR for developing the recommendations. A SLR was performed using MedLine through October 2009 and including data from meta-analyses, systematic reviews, randomized trials, and observational studies, excluding case series with ≤ 5 participants. Articles in English and regarding patients ≥ 16 years of age, were eligible. Several vaccine-preventable infections (VPI) occur more often in AIIRD-patients and most vaccines are efficacious in AIIRD-patients, even when treated with immunomodulating agents, except rituximab. There does not appear to be an increase in vaccination-related harms in vaccinated patients with AIIRD in comparison with unvaccinated patients with AIIRD. However, these studies are underpowered and therefore not conclusive. Based on the current evidence from the literature, recommendations for vaccination in patients with AIIRD were made. However, more research is needed in particular regarding incidence of VPI, harms of vaccination and the influence of (new and established) immunomodulating agents on vaccination efficacy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alterations in plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation promoted by treatment with self-ligating and conventional orthodontic brackets

PubMed Central

Cardoso, Mauricio de Almeida; Saraiva, Patrícia Pinto; Maltagliati, Liliana Ávila; Rhoden, Fernando Kleinübing; Costa, Carla Cristina Alvarenga; Normando, David; Capelozza, Leopoldino

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate, comparatively, the periodontal response during orthodontic treatment performed with self-ligating and conventional brackets. METHODS: Sixteen Caucasian individuals of both sexes, aged between 12 and 16 years old and in permanent dentition were selected. Eight individuals were treated with conventional brackets installed on the lower dental arch and self-ligating brackets on the upper arch. Another eight individuals received self-ligating brackets in the lower arch and conventional brackets in the upper arch. The subjects received material and instructions for oral hygiene. Visible plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were evaluated just after installation of orthodontic appliances, and 30, 60 and 180 days later. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare differences between groups (self-ligating and conventional), two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test was used to assess CAL at each site of each tooth. Significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: No significant changes were found with regard to the assessed parameters (VPI, GBI and CAL) in either one of the systems. CONCLUSION: No significant changes were found with regard to the periodontal response to orthodontic treatment for the variables assessed and between subjects receiving passive self-ligating and conventional brackets. All individuals had received oral hygiene instructions and had their periodontal conditions monitored. PMID:25992985

Edaravone ameliorates compression-induced damage in rat nucleus pulposus cells.

PubMed

Lin, Hui; Ma, Xuan; Wang, Bai-Chuan; Zhao, Lei; Liu, Jian-Xiang; Pu, Fei-Fei; Hu, Yi-Qiang; Hu, Hong-Zhi; Shao, Zeng-Wu

2017-11-15

Edaravone is a strong free radical scavenger most used for treating acute ischemic stroke. In this study we investigated the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of edaravone on compression-induced damage in rat nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Cell viability was determined using MTT assay methods. NP cell apoptosis was measured by Hoechst 33,258 staining and Annexin V/PI double staining. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and intracellular calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) were determined by fluorescent probes DCFH-DA, JC-1 and Fluo-3/AM, respectively. Apoptosis-related proteins (cleaved caspase-3, cytosolic cytochrome c, Bax and Bcl-2) and extracellular matrix proteins (aggrecan and collagen II) were analyzed by western blot. Edaravone attenuated the compression-induced decrease in viability of NP cells in a dose-dependent manner. 33,258 and Annexin V/PI double staining showed that edaravone protected NP cells from compression-induced apoptosis. Further studies confirmed that edaravone protected NP cells against compression-induced mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis by inhibiting overproduction of ROS, collapse of MMP and overload of [Ca 2+ ] i . In addition, edaravone promoted the expression of aggrecan and collagen II in compression-treated NP cells. These results strongly indicate that edaravone ameliorates compression-induced damage in rat nucleus pulposus cells. Edaravone could be a potential new drug for treatment of IDD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alterations in plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation promoted by treatment with self-ligating and conventional orthodontic brackets.

PubMed

Cardoso, Mauricio de Almeida; Saraiva, Patrícia Pinto; Maltagliati, Liliana Ávila; Rhoden, Fernando Kleinübing; Costa, Carla Cristina Alvarenga; Normando, David; Capelozza Filho, Leopoldino

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate, comparatively, the periodontal response during orthodontic treatment performed with self-ligating and conventional brackets. Sixteen Caucasian individuals of both sexes, aged between 12 and 16 years old and in permanent dentition were selected. Eight individuals were treated with conventional brackets installed on the lower dental arch and self-ligating brackets on the upper arch. Another eight individuals received self-ligating brackets in the lower arch and conventional brackets in the upper arch. The subjects received material and instructions for oral hygiene. Visible plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were evaluated just after installation of orthodontic appliances, and 30, 60 and 180 days later. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare differences between groups (self-ligating and conventional), two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test was used to assess CAL at each site of each tooth. Significance level was set at 5%. No significant changes were found with regard to the assessed parameters (VPI, GBI and CAL) in either one of the systems. No significant changes were found with regard to the periodontal response to orthodontic treatment for the variables assessed and between subjects receiving passive self-ligating and conventional brackets. All individuals had received oral hygiene instructions and had their periodontal conditions monitored.

Non-toxigenic environmental Vibrio cholerae O1 strain from Haiti provides evidence of pre-pandemic cholera in Hispaniola.

PubMed

Azarian, Taj; Ali, Afsar; Johnson, Judith A; Jubair, Mohammad; Cella, Eleonora; Ciccozzi, Massimo; Nolan, David J; Farmerie, William; Rashid, Mohammad H; Sinha-Ray, Shrestha; Alam, Meer T; Morris, J Glenn; Salemi, Marco

2016-10-27

Vibrio cholerae is ubiquitous in aquatic environments, with environmental toxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains serving as a source for recurrent cholera epidemics and pandemic disease. However, a number of questions remain about long-term survival and evolution of V. cholerae strains within these aquatic environmental reservoirs. Through monitoring of the Haitian aquatic environment following the 2010 cholera epidemic, we isolated two novel non-toxigenic (ctxA/B-negative) Vibrio cholerae O1. These two isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing and were investigated through comparative genomics and Bayesian coalescent analysis. These isolates cluster in the evolutionary tree with strains responsible for clinical cholera, possessing genomic components of 6 th and 7 th pandemic lineages, and diverge from "modern" cholera strains around 1548 C.E. [95% HPD: 1532-1555]. Vibrio Pathogenicity Island (VPI)-1 was present; however, SXT/R391-family ICE and VPI-2 were absent. Rugose phenotype conversion and vibriophage resistance evidenced adaption for persistence in aquatic environments. The identification of V. cholerae O1 strains in the Haitian environment, which predate the first reported cholera pandemic in 1817, broadens our understanding of the history of pandemics. It also raises the possibility that these and similar environmental strains could acquire virulence genes from the 2010 Haitian epidemic clone, including the cholera toxin producing CTXϕ.

Injection Pharyngoplasty With Autologous Fat as Treatment for Stress Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in Brass and Woodwind Musicians.

PubMed

Syamal, Mausumi N; Bryson, Paul C

2017-02-01

Stress velopharyngeal insufficiency (SVPI) is an uncommon but often career-threatening condition affecting professional brass and woodwind musicians. To review the evaluation of and treatment for SVPI in professional musicians with lipoinjection to the posterior pharyngeal wall. A retrospective medical record and literature review. Two professional musicians with SVPI treated with autologous lipoinjection to the posterior pharyngeal wall were included. Nasopharyngoscopy was performed while patients played their instrument both before and after injection. To assess the effectiveness of autologous fat injection to the posterior pharyngeal wall to treat stress velopharyngeal insufficiency in 2 professional instrumentalists. Successful treatment was the absence of VPI during playing as visualized by flexible nasopharyngoscopy. After autologous lipoinjection of the posterior pharyngeal wall, 1 patient resumed full play with complete resolution, now 3 years after lipoinjection pharyngoplasty. The other patient received temporary resolution. Both had no surgical complications. Stress VPI is often a career-threatening condition for professional brass and woodwind musicians, with a cited incidence of 34%. Various treatment options in the literature include observation, speech and language pathology referral for pharyngeal strengthening, lipoinjection of the soft palate, and more invasive options, such as sphincter pharyngoplasty, pharyngeal flaps and V-Y pushback. Autologous fat injection pharyngoplasty of the posterior pharyngeal wall may be a less invasive treatment option for musicians with SVPI.

1981 AFOSR Contractors Meeting on Air Breathing Combustion Dynamics and Explosion Research, 16-20 November 1981, Clearwater Beach, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-01

Atomi:Mation, Ignition and Combustion of Liquid and Multiphase Fuels in High -Speed Air StreamsIi J. Schetz VPI and State University 9:00 Turbulent Mixing and...Aeronautical Laboratories (AFWAL) 8:35 Injection, Atomt:ation, Ignition and Combustion of Liquid and Multiphase Fuels in High -Speed Air Streams J...State University Transverse injection of liquid and/or liquid -slurry jets into high speed airstreams finds application in several propulsion-related

Depolarization measurements on the ATS-6 20 GHz downlink A description of the VPI&SU experiment and some initial results. [meteorological precipitation effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bostian, C. W.; Stutzman, W. L.; Manus, E. A.; Wiley, P. H.; Marshall, R. E.

1975-01-01

The experiment considered is mainly concerned with the depolarizing effects of precipitation at millimeter wavelengths. Excessive depolarization introduces cross talk into communication systems which employ orthogonal polarization for frequency reuse. An understanding of atmospheric depolarization phenomena is, therefore, required for the design of future earth-satellite communications systems. Attenuation and cross polarization ratio data obtained under various meteorological conditions, including rain and a snowstorm, are presented.

Results of the VPI&SU Comstar experiment. [depolarization and attenuation due to rain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrews, J. H.; Ozbay, C.; Pratt, T.; Bostian, C. W.; Manus, E. A.; Gaines, J. M.; Marshall, R. E.; Stutzman, W. L.; Wiley, P. H.

1982-01-01

This paper summarizes annual and cumulative attenuation data, depolarization data, and associated local rain rate distributions obtained with the Comstar family of 19.04- and 28.56-GHz satellite beacons during the years 1977-1981. It discusses the relationships between attenuation and rain rate and between attenuation and depolarization, compares measured data on the joint distribution of attenuation and depolarization, and examines the limitations that propagation effects will impose on future 20/30-GHz satellite communications systems.

Paris Saponin I Sensitizes Gastric Cancer Cell Lines to Cisplatin via Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis.

PubMed

Song, Shuichuan; Du, Leiwen; Jiang, Hao; Zhu, Xinhai; Li, Jinhui; Xu, Ji

2016-10-18

BACKGROUND Dose-related toxicity is the major restriction of cisplatin and cisplatin-combination chemotherapy, and is a challenge for advanced gastric cancer treatment. We explored the possibility of using Paris saponin I as an agent to sensitize gastric cancer cells to cisplatin, and examined the underlying mechanism. MATERIAL AND METHODS Growth inhibition was detected by MTT assay. The cell cycle and apoptosis were detected using flow cytometry and Annexin V/PI staining. The P21waf1/cip1, Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 protein expression were detected using Western blot analysis. RESULTS The results revealed that PSI sensitized gastric cancer cells to cisplatin, with low toxicity. The IC50 value of cisplatin in SGC-7901 cell lines was decreased when combined with PSI. PSI promoted cisplatin-induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in a cisplatin concentration-dependent manner. Bcl-2 protein expression decreased, but Bax, caspase-3, and P21waf1/cip1 protein expression increased with PSI treatment. CONCLUSIONS The underlying mechanism of Paris saponin I may be related to targeting the apoptosis pathway and cell cycle blocking, which suggests that PSI is a potential therapeutic sensitizer for cisplatin in treating gastric cancer.

The Paradox of Prematurity: The Behavioral Vulnerability of Late Preterm Infants and the Cognitive Susceptibility of Very Preterm Infants at 36 months Post-term

PubMed Central

Shah, Prachi E.; Robbins, Natashia; Coelho, Renuka B.; Poehlmann, Julie

2013-01-01

We explored associations among preterm status (very preterm infant (VPI: <30 weeks), moderate preterm (MPI: 30–336/7 weeks), late preterm (LPI: 34–366/7 weeks), parenting, and 3-year cognitive and behavioral outcomes. We hypothesized that LPIs would demonstrate better health and neurobehavioral outcomes compared with more premature infants, and that preterm status would moderate the association between parenting quality and 3-year outcomes. Sample included 123 preterm infants (gestation < 37 weeks) and their mothers from a larger study of high-risk infants with measures of neonatal and socioeconomic risks at hospital discharge; maternal vocabulary at 9-months, child IQ and behavior at 36-months, and maternal depressive symptoms and parenting at all timepoints. Group differences were explored using MANOVAs while predictors of child outcomes were explored using hierarchical regression analyses. MANOVAs indicated that LPIs had more optimal neonatal health during the hospital stay, yet more externalizing (p= .043), aggressive (p= .006) and oppositional behaviors (p= .008) at 3-years compared with VPIs. There were no IQ differences between VPIs, MPIs and LPIs. However, preterm infants who experienced less negative parenting had higher IQs at 36 months (β = −3.245, p= .017), with the greatest effects seen in VPIs (β = 0.406, p = .01) compared with LPIs (β= 0.148, p= .381). LPIs manifested similar IQ, but more externalizing, oppositional and aggressive behavior symptoms compared to VPIs. VPIs appeared to be differentially susceptible to parenting effects, with VPIs demonstrating the highest cognitive scores in the context of more positive parenting. PMID:23261789

Association Among Periodontitis and the Use of Crack Cocaine and Other Illicit Drugs.

PubMed

Antoniazzi, Raquel P; Zanatta, Fabricio B; Rösing, Cassiano K; Feldens, Carlos Alberto

2016-12-01

Crack cocaine can alter functions related to the immune system and exert a negative influence on progression and severity of periodontitis. The aim of this study is to compare periodontal status between crack cocaine users and crack cocaine non-users and investigate the association between crack cocaine and periodontitis after adjustments for confounding variables. This cross-sectional study evaluated 106 individuals exposed to crack cocaine and 106 never exposed, matched for age, sex, and tobacco use. An examiner determined visible plaque index (VPI), marginal bleeding index, supragingival dental calculus, probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP). Logistic regression was used to model associations between crack cocaine and periodontitis (at least three sites with CAL >4 mm and at least two sites with PD >3 mm, not in the same site or tooth). Prevalence of periodontitis among crack non-users and crack users was 20.8% and 43.4%, respectively. Crack users had greater VPI, BOP, PD ≥3 mm, and CAL ≥4 mm than crack non-users. Periodontitis was associated with age >24 years, schooling ≤8 years, smoking, moderate/heavy alcohol use, and plaque rate ≥41%. Crack users had an approximately three-fold greater chance (odds ratio: 3.44; 95% confidence interval: 1.51 to 7.86) of periodontitis than non-users. Occurrence of periodontitis, visible plaque, and gingival bleeding was significantly higher among crack users, and crack use was associated with occurrence of periodontitis.

Perceptual Speech Assessment After Anterior Maxillary Distraction in Patients With Cleft Maxillary Hypoplasia.

PubMed

Richardson, Sunil; Seelan, Nikkie S; Selvaraj, Dhivakar; Khandeparker, Rakshit V; Gnanamony, Sangeetha

2016-06-01

To assess speech outcomes after anterior maxillary distraction (AMD) in patients with cleft-related maxillary hypoplasia. Fifty-eight patients at least 10 years old with cleft-related maxillary hypoplasia were included in this study irrespective of gender, type of cleft lip and palate, and amount of required advancement. AMD was carried out in all patients using a tooth-borne palatal distractor by a single oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Perceptual speech assessment was performed by 2 speech language pathologists preoperatively, before placement of the distractor device, and 6 months postoperatively using the scoring system of Perkins et al (Plast Reconstr Surg 116:72, 2005); the system evaluates velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), resonance, nasal air emission, articulation errors, and intelligibility. The data obtained were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis using Wilcoxon signed rank test. A P value less than .05 was considered significant. Eight patients were lost to follow-up. At 6-month follow-up, improvements of 62% (n = 31), 64% (n = 32), 50% (n = 25), 68% (n = 34), and 70% (n = 35) in VPI, resonance, nasal air emission, articulation, and intelligibility, respectively, were observed, with worsening of all parameters in 1 patient (2%). The results for all tested parameters were highly significant (P ≤ .001). AMD offers a substantial improvement in speech for all 5 parameters of perceptual speech assessment. Copyright © 2016 The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

URI promotes gastric cancer cell motility, survival, and resistance to adriamycin in vitro.

PubMed

Hu, Xiaoxia; Zhang, Fei; Luo, Dongwei; Li, Na; Wang, Qian; Xu, Zhonghai; Bian, Huiqin; Liang, Yuting; Lu, Yaojuan; Zheng, Qiping; Gu, Junxia

2016-01-01

Unconventional prefoldin RPB5 interactor (URI), a RNA polymerase II Subunit 5-Interacting protein, is known to participate in the regulation of nutrient-sensitive mTOR-dependent transcription programs. Multiple studies have recently demonstrated that URI functions as an oncoprotein, possibly through the mTOR pathway, and regulates tumor cell motility, invasion, and metastasis. However, whether and how URI plays a role in gastric oncogenesis has not been elucidated. Due to drug resistance, recurrence and metastasis, the prognosis of gastric cancer remains poor. This study aims to explore the effects of URI on gastric cancer cells by focusing on their migratory ability and resistance to adriamycin. URI was over-expressed or knocked-down in MGC-803 and HGC-27 gastric cancer cells using URI plasmid or siRNA transfection approach. The cell viability, apoptosis, and migration ability were then examined by the CCK-8 assay, flow cytometer Annexin V/PI staining, and the Transwell cell migration assay respectively. The protein levels of apoptosis and EMT related genes were detected by western blot. The results showed that overexpression of URI promoted while knock-down of URI inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation. URI overexpression resulted in increased Bcl-2 expression but decreased levels of Bax, cleaved PARP-1 and cleaved caspase-3. Conversely, cells treated with URI siRNA showed increased adriamycin induced apoptosis, along with reduced Bcl-2, but increased Bax, cleaved PARP-1 and cleaved caspase-3 expression. We have also shown that overexpression of URI enhanced cancer cell proliferation and migration with higher levels of Snail and Vimentin, whereas knockdown of URI in MGC-803 and HGC-27 cells inhibited proliferation and migration with decreased Snail and Vimentin expression. Together, our results support that URI promotes cell survival and mobility and acts as a chemotherapeutics resistant protein in MGC-803 and HGC-27 cells. URI might be a potential biomarker for gastric cancer diagnostics and prognostics.

Small RNA Profiling in Dengue Virus 2-Infected Aedes Mosquito Cells Reveals Viral piRNAs and Novel Host miRNAs.

PubMed

Miesen, Pascal; Ivens, Alasdair; Buck, Amy H; van Rij, Ronald P

2016-02-01

In Aedes mosquitoes, infections with arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) trigger or modulate the expression of various classes of viral and host-derived small RNAs, including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), PIWI interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs). Viral siRNAs are at the core of the antiviral RNA interference machinery, one of the key pathways that limit virus replication in invertebrates. Besides siRNAs, Aedes mosquitoes and cells derived from these insects produce arbovirus-derived piRNAs, the best studied examples being viruses from the Togaviridae or Bunyaviridae families. Host miRNAs modulate the expression of a large number of genes and their levels may change in response to viral infections. In addition, some viruses, mostly with a DNA genome, express their own miRNAs to regulate host and viral gene expression. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of both viral and host-derived small RNAs in Aedes aegypti Aag2 cells infected with dengue virus 2 (DENV), a member of the Flaviviridae family. Aag2 cells are competent in producing all three types of small RNAs and provide a powerful tool to explore the crosstalk between arboviral infection and the distinct RNA silencing pathways. Interestingly, besides the well-characterized DENV-derived siRNAs, a specific population of viral piRNAs was identified in infected Aag2 cells. Knockdown of Piwi5, Ago3 and, to a lesser extent, Piwi6 results in reduction of vpiRNA levels, providing the first genetic evidence that Aedes PIWI proteins produce DENV-derived small RNAs. In contrast, we do not find convincing evidence for the production of virus-derived miRNAs. Neither do we find that host miRNA expression is strongly changed upon DENV2 infection. Finally, our deep-sequencing analyses detect 30 novel Aedes miRNAs, complementing the repertoire of regulatory small RNAs in this important vector species.

Small RNA Profiling in Dengue Virus 2-Infected Aedes Mosquito Cells Reveals Viral piRNAs and Novel Host miRNAs

PubMed Central

Miesen, Pascal; Ivens, Alasdair; Buck, Amy H.; van Rij, Ronald P.

2016-01-01

In Aedes mosquitoes, infections with arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) trigger or modulate the expression of various classes of viral and host-derived small RNAs, including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), PIWI interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs). Viral siRNAs are at the core of the antiviral RNA interference machinery, one of the key pathways that limit virus replication in invertebrates. Besides siRNAs, Aedes mosquitoes and cells derived from these insects produce arbovirus-derived piRNAs, the best studied examples being viruses from the Togaviridae or Bunyaviridae families. Host miRNAs modulate the expression of a large number of genes and their levels may change in response to viral infections. In addition, some viruses, mostly with a DNA genome, express their own miRNAs to regulate host and viral gene expression. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of both viral and host-derived small RNAs in Aedes aegypti Aag2 cells infected with dengue virus 2 (DENV), a member of the Flaviviridae family. Aag2 cells are competent in producing all three types of small RNAs and provide a powerful tool to explore the crosstalk between arboviral infection and the distinct RNA silencing pathways. Interestingly, besides the well-characterized DENV-derived siRNAs, a specific population of viral piRNAs was identified in infected Aag2 cells. Knockdown of Piwi5, Ago3 and, to a lesser extent, Piwi6 results in reduction of vpiRNA levels, providing the first genetic evidence that Aedes PIWI proteins produce DENV-derived small RNAs. In contrast, we do not find convincing evidence for the production of virus-derived miRNAs. Neither do we find that host miRNA expression is strongly changed upon DENV2 infection. Finally, our deep-sequencing analyses detect 30 novel Aedes miRNAs, complementing the repertoire of regulatory small RNAs in this important vector species. PMID:26914027

Polarization Mechanisms in Phase II Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride) Films.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-11-12

34 OdRO a mnk W) Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride), x-rays, piezelectricity, polarization, poling FAWWRmCT ffls~ -ew nam 9 Uf"Oo me..Mv £*mM NOWsA Unoriented...phase II films were poled with fields up to 3.2 MV/cm at room o) temperature. A determination of the piezoelectric strain coefficient provided a measure...sT. VW OtU.4LF-41U.4" ". . -. I u CIImVP CLAI IaICATIOM OV- VPI PU.I (Ul... O111 111..41 the poling field and different polarization mechanisms appear

Advanced Transformer Demonstration And Validation Project Summary Report Based On Experiences At Nas, North Island, San Diego. California

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

MAXIMIUI• 0 P 8. ALL LIGHTS ARE LED"’ TORMAD TEM"ERATUE TO RESET 9. DIGITAL METER IS LE[in EMORY IETER WILL AUTOMATICALLY MAD PHASE WiTH HIGHEST...in place. 4.4 Building 379 The Building 379 installation consisted of removing three existing 167 kVA PCB-filled, single phase , polemount transformers...that were connected in a three phase bank and replacing them with a single 300 kVA Square D Company VPI dry-type transformer. This task also involved

Bibliography of Soviet Laser Developments. Number 70, March - April 1984.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-12

Nagayev, A.l.; Pika-In, V . P Frt1 ze, A.V. (). Spatial light m,-dul-0, , wtb ii- e’rctrostatically controlled e -beam. "lit’. Moskva, 29 Nov - 2 Dec...in a turbulent atmosphere. OPSPA, v . 57, no. 4, 1984, 732-734. 49 e ’Ile 450. Anikeyenko, G.N.; Pavlichenko, 1.0. (VPI). Study on the polarization...B.N.; Shil’nikov, Ye.V. (IPM). Mathematical modeling of e -beam [compared with laser] vaporization of metal. DANKA, v . 272, no. 4, 1983, 835-838. 871

[Mortality in early-stage, surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer less than 3 cm of size: Competing risk analysis].

PubMed

Jordá Aragón, Carlos; Peñalver Cuesta, Juan Carlos; Mancheño Franch, Nuria; de Aguiar Quevedo, Karol; Vera Sempere, Francisco; Padilla Alarcón, José

2015-09-07

Survival studies of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are usually based on the Kaplan-Meier method. However, other factors not covered by this method may modify the observation of the event of interest. There are models of cumulative incidence (CI), that take into account these competing risks, enabling more accurate survival estimates and evaluation of the risk of death from other causes. We aimed to evaluate these models in resected early-stage NSCLC patients. This study included 263 patients with resected NSCLC whose diameter was ≤ 3 cm without node involvement (N0). Demographic, clinical, morphopathological and surgical variables, TNM classification and long-term evolution were analysed. To analyse CI, death by another cause was considered to be competitive event. For the univariate analysis, Gray's method was used, while Fine and Gray's method was employed for the multivariate analysis. Mortality by NSCLC was 19.4% at 5 years and 14.3% by another cause. Both curves crossed at 6.3 years, and probability of death by another cause became greater from this point. In multivariate analysis, cancer mortality was conditioned by visceral pleural invasion (VPI) (P=.001) and vascular invasion (P=.020), with age>50 years (P=.034), smoking (P=.009) and the Charlson index ≥ 2 (P=.000) being by no cancer. By the method of CI, VPI and vascular invasion conditioned cancer death in NSCLC >3 cm, while non-tumor causes of long-term death were determined. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Unfavorable effect of levetiracetam on cultured hippocampal neurons after hyperthermic injury.

PubMed

Sendrowski, Krzysztof; Sobaniec, Piotr; Poskrobko, Elżbieta; Rusak, Małgorzata; Sobaniec, Wojciech

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to examine the viability of neurons and the putative neuroprotective effects of second-generation antiepileptic drug, levetiracetam (LEV), on cultured hippocampal neurons injured by hyperthermia. Primary cultures of rat's hippocampal neurons at 7day in vitro (DIV) were incubated in the presence or absence of LEV in varied concentrations under hyperthermic conditions. Cultures were heated in a temperature of 40°C for 24h or in a temperature of 41°C for 6h. Flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining as well as fluorescent microscopy assay were used for counting and establishing neurons as viable, necrotic or apoptotic. Additionally, the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to the culture medium, as a marker of cell death, was evaluated. Assessment was performed after 9DIV and 10 DIV. Incubation of hippocampal cultures in hyperthermic conditions resulted in statistically significant increase in the number of injured neurons when compared with non-heated control cultures. Intensity of neuronal destruction was dependent on temperature-value. When incubation temperature 40°C was used, over 80% of the population of neurons remained viable after 10 DIV. Under higher temperature 41°C, only less than 60% of neurons were viable after 10 DIV. Both apoptotic and necrotic pathways of neuronal death induced by hyperthermia were confirmed by Annexin V/PI staining. LEV showed no neuroprotective effects in the current model of hyperthermia in vitro. Moreover, drug, especially when used in higher concentrations, exerted unfavorable intensification of aponecrosis of cultured hippocampal neurons. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o.

Stress velopharyngeal incompetence: Two case reports and options for diagnosis and management.

PubMed

Raol, Nikhila; Diercks, Gillian; Hersh, Cheryl; Hartnick, Christopher J

2015-12-01

Stress velopharyngeal incompetence (SVPI) commonly affects brass and wind musicians. We present a series of two patients who presented with nasal air emission following prolonged woodwind instrument practice. Neither patient demonstrated audible nasal air emission during speech, but endoscopy revealed localized air escape/bubbling from different sites for each patient with instrument playing only. Both underwent tailored surgical treatment with resolution of symptoms during performance. Diagnosis of SVPI requires examination during the action that induces VPI to allow for directed management. Treatment should be targeted based on nasopharyngoscopy findings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Suspended few-layer graphene beam electromechanical switch with abrupt on-off characteristics and minimal leakage current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sung Min; Song, Emil B.; Lee, Sejoon; Seo, Sunae; Seo, David H.; Hwang, Yongha; Candler, R.; Wang, Kang L.

2011-07-01

Suspended few-layer graphene beam electro-mechanical switches (SGSs) with 0.15 μm air-gap are fabricated and electrically characterized. The SGS shows an abrupt on/off current characteristics with minimal off current. In conjunction with the narrow air-gap, the outstanding mechanical properties of graphene enable the mechanical switch to operate at a very low pull-in voltage (VPI) of 1.85 V, which is compatible with conventional complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit requirements. In addition, we show that the pull-in voltage exhibits an inverse dependence on the beam length.

Calpain: a molecule to induce AIF-mediated necroptosis in RGC-5 following elevated hydrostatic pressure

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background RIP3 (Receptor-interacting protein 3) pathway was mainly described as the molecular mechanism of necroptosis (programmed necrosis). But recently, non-RIP3 pathways were found to mediate necroptosis. We deliberate to investigate the effect of calpain, a molecule to induce necroptosis as reported (Cell Death Differ 19:245–256, 2012), in RGC-5 following elevated hydrostatic pressure. Results First, we identified the existence of necroptosis of RGC-5 after insult by using necrostatin-1 (Nec-1, necroptosis inhibitor) detected by flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence staining and western blot were used to detect the expression of calpain. Western blot analysis was carried out to describe the truncated AIF (tAIF) expression with or without pretreatment of ALLN (calpain activity inhibitor). Following elevated hydrostatic pressure, necroptotic cells pretreated with or without ALLN was stained by Annexin V/PI, The activity of calpain was also examined to confirm the inhibition effect of ALLN. The results showed that after cell injury there was an upregulation of calpain expression. Upon adding ALLN, the calpain activity was inhibited, and tAIF production was reduced upon injury along with the decreased number of necroptosis cells. Conclusion Our study found that calpain may induce necroptosis via tAIF-modulation in RGC-5 following elevated hydrostatic pressure. PMID:24884644

Long non-coding RNA AK093407 promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of human osteosarcoma cells via STAT3 activation

PubMed Central

Wang, Yongkun; Liang, Tingting; Wang, Yao; Huang, Yan; Li, Ye

2017-01-01

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor of the skeletal system. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play significant role in osteosarcoma. The present study evaluated the effects and mechanism of lncRNA AK093407 in osteosarcoma. The study included human osteosarcoma cell line, U-2OS. Cell proliferation, viability, and apoptosis were measured using Ki-67 proliferation assay, MTT assay, and Annexin V/PI staining assay, respectively. Relative mRNA and protein expressions were measured using qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Interaction between AK093407 and STAT3 was identified using mass spectrometry and RNA pull-down assay. Results revealed that AK093407 was highly expressed in osteosarcoma cells and tissues. Then we demonstrated that overexpression of AK093407 promoted cell proliferation and viability and inhibited apoptosis, whereas suppression of AK093407 showed opposite effects. In addition, AK093407 regulated the expression of genes and proteins (Bcl-2, TGF-β, NF-κB, and PCNA) involved in the cell proliferation, viability, and apoptosis. Furthermore, we showed that AK093407 interacted with STAT3, and promoted its phosphorylation. Lastly, we showed that STAT3 activation was essential for the effects of AK093407 on cell proliferation and apoptosis as the overexpression of AK093407 in the presence of STAT3 inhibitor did not promote cell proliferation and inhibit cell apoptosis. AK093407 is highly expressed in osteosarcoma cells and tissues, and promotes cell proliferation and viability and inhibits apoptosis of osteosarcoma cell line U-2OS via STAT3 activation. PMID:28469961

Cleft characteristics and treatment outcomes in hemifacial microsomia compared to non-syndromic cleft lip/palate.

PubMed

Dentino, K M; Valstar, A; Padwa, B L

2016-06-01

The goal of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with hemifacial microsomia (HFM) and cleft lip/palate (CL/P), and to compare them to a historic cohort of patients with non-syndromic CL/P treated at the same centre. A retrospective review of patients with HFM and CL/P was performed; the main outcome measures assessed were cleft type/side, surgical outcome, midfacial retrusion, and speech. Twenty-six patients (13 male, 13 female; mean age 22.7±14.9, range 1-52 years) with cleft lip with/without cleft palate (CL±P) were identified: three with cleft lip (12%), two with cleft lip and alveolus and an intact secondary palate (8%), and 21 with cleft lip and palate (CLP) (81%; 15 unilateral and six bilateral). Four patients (19%) had a palatal fistula after palatoplasty. Twelve of 22 patients aged >5 years (55%) had midfacial retrusion and two (9%) required a pharyngeal flap for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Fisher's exact test demonstrated a higher frequency of complete labial clefting (P=0.004), CLP (P=0.009), midfacial retrusion (P=0.0009), and postoperative palatal fistula (P=0.03) in HFM compared to non-syndromic CL±P. There was no difference in VPI prevalence. This study revealed that patients with HFM and CL±P have more severe forms of orofacial clefting than patients with non-syndromic CL±P. Patients with HFM and CL±P have more severe midfacial retrusion and a higher palatal fistula rate compared to patients with non-syndromic CL±P. Copyright © 2015 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sialic Acid Catabolism Confers a Competitive Advantage to Pathogenic Vibrio cholerae in the Mouse Intestine▿

PubMed Central

Almagro-Moreno, Salvador; Boyd, E. Fidelma

2009-01-01

Sialic acids comprise a family of nine-carbon ketosugars that are ubiquitous on mammalian mucous membranes. However, sialic acids have a limited distribution among Bacteria and are confined mainly to pathogenic and commensal species. Vibrio pathogenicity island 2 (VPI-2), a 57-kb region found exclusively among pathogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae, contains a cluster of genes (nan-nag) putatively involved in the scavenging (nanH), transport (dctPQM), and catabolism (nanA, nanE, nanK, and nagA) of sialic acid. The capacity to utilize sialic acid as a carbon and energy source might confer an advantage to V. cholerae in the mucus-rich environment of the gut, where sialic acid availability is extensive. In this study, we show that V. cholerae can utilize sialic acid as a sole carbon source. We demonstrate that the genes involved in the utilization of sialic acid are located within the nan-nag region of VPI-2 by complementation of Escherichia coli mutants and gene knockouts in V. cholerae N16961. We show that nanH, dctP, nanA, and nanK are highly expressed in V. cholerae grown on sialic acid. By using the infant mouse model of infection, we show that V. cholerae ΔnanA strain SAM1776 is defective in early intestinal colonization stages. In addition, SAM1776 shows a decrease in the competitive index in colonization-competition assays comparing the mutant strain with both O1 El Tor and classical strains. Our data indicate an important relationship between the catabolism of sialic acid and bacterial pathogenesis, stressing the relevance of the utilization of the resources found in the host's environment. PMID:19564383

Genetic diversity of environmental Vibrio cholerae O1 strains isolated in Northern Vietnam.

PubMed

Takemura, Taichiro; Murase, Kazunori; Maruyama, Fumito; Tran, Thi Luong; Ota, Atsushi; Nakagawa, Ichiro; Nguyen, Dong Tu; Ngo, Tu Cuong; Nguyen, Thi Hang; Tokizawa, Asako; Morita, Masatomo; Ohnishi, Makoto; Nguyen, Binh Minh; Yamashiro, Tetsu

2017-10-01

Cholera epidemics have been recorded periodically in Vietnam during the seventh cholera pandemic. Since cholera is a water-borne disease, systematic monitoring of environmental waters for Vibrio cholerae presence is important for predicting and preventing cholera epidemics. We conducted monitoring, isolation, and genetic characterization of V. cholerae strains in Nam Dinh province of Northern Vietnam from Jul 2013 to Feb 2015. In this study, four V. cholerae O1 strains were detected and isolated from 110 analyzed water samples (3.6%); however, none of them carried the cholera toxin gene, ctxA, in their genomes. Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the four O1 isolates were separated into two independent clusters, and one of them diverged from a common ancestor with pandemic strains. The analysis of pathogenicity islands (CTX prophage, VPI-I, VPI-II, VSP-I, and VSP-II) indicated that one strain (VNND_2014Jun_6SS) harbored an unknown prophage-like sequence with high homology to vibriophage KSF-1 phi and VCY phi, identified from Bangladesh and the USA, respectively, while the other three strains carried tcpA gene with a distinct sequence demonstrating a separate clonal lineage. These results suggest that the aquatic environment can harbor highly divergent V. cholera strains and serve as a reservoir for multiple V. cholerae virulence-associated genes which may be exchanged via mobile genetic elements. Therefore, continuous monitoring and genetic characterization of V. cholerae strains in the environment should contribute to the early detection of the sources of infection and prevention of cholera outbreaks as well as to understanding the natural ecology and evolution of V. cholerae. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sialic acid catabolism confers a competitive advantage to pathogenic vibrio cholerae in the mouse intestine.

PubMed

Almagro-Moreno, Salvador; Boyd, E Fidelma

2009-09-01

Sialic acids comprise a family of nine-carbon ketosugars that are ubiquitous on mammalian mucous membranes. However, sialic acids have a limited distribution among Bacteria and are confined mainly to pathogenic and commensal species. Vibrio pathogenicity island 2 (VPI-2), a 57-kb region found exclusively among pathogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae, contains a cluster of genes (nan-nag) putatively involved in the scavenging (nanH), transport (dctPQM), and catabolism (nanA, nanE, nanK, and nagA) of sialic acid. The capacity to utilize sialic acid as a carbon and energy source might confer an advantage to V. cholerae in the mucus-rich environment of the gut, where sialic acid availability is extensive. In this study, we show that V. cholerae can utilize sialic acid as a sole carbon source. We demonstrate that the genes involved in the utilization of sialic acid are located within the nan-nag region of VPI-2 by complementation of Escherichia coli mutants and gene knockouts in V. cholerae N16961. We show that nanH, dctP, nanA, and nanK are highly expressed in V. cholerae grown on sialic acid. By using the infant mouse model of infection, we show that V. cholerae DeltananA strain SAM1776 is defective in early intestinal colonization stages. In addition, SAM1776 shows a decrease in the competitive index in colonization-competition assays comparing the mutant strain with both O1 El Tor and classical strains. Our data indicate an important relationship between the catabolism of sialic acid and bacterial pathogenesis, stressing the relevance of the utilization of the resources found in the host's environment.

Prevalence of microdeletion 22q11 in patients with hypernasal speech due to velopharyngeal insufficiency: Expanded phenotype and clinical comparison to nondeletion

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

Siegel-Bartelt, J.; Cytrynbaum, C.; Witzel, M.A.

1994-09-01

Microdeletion 22q11.2 has been reported as a frequent ethiology of both velocardiofacial (VCF) and DiGeorge syndromes. We have studied the prevalence of microdeletion 22q11 in a group of patients ascertained through a Speech and Language clinic presenting with (1) velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) and (2) difficultly in school. Growth parameters were measured, and facies were scored for features of VCF. Microdeletions were detected at locus D22S75 by FISH with probe N25 (Oncor), and at 22q11.2 with high resolution banding analysis (HRB). One child with typical VCF facies was considered to have a deletion at 22q11 with HRB, but is not deletedmore » with N25, indicating that N25 may not detect all deletion patients. An additional 8/30 children tested to date were deleted with the N25 probe. Heart defects were present in only 2/8 deletion patients: VSD/ASD and PS/AS. One N25 deletion patient was atypica; he has a tall, lanky habitus (height = 90%), and facies not characteristic of CVF. As expected, there is a trend to lower head size, smaller ear size, and more typical facies in deletion patients; however, four of the nondeletion patients also had a clinical diagnosis of VCF. Medially displaced carotid arteries were present in both groups, which is therefore not a diagnostic feature of microdeletion 22q11. Our findings indicate that the microdeletion 22q11 is frequent (26% in this series) in a population with VPI, even when not selected for typical facies. We believe this series supports the view that microdeletion 22q11 has a broader clinical phenotype than previously recognized.« less

Dental caries status of Dai preschool children in Yunnan Province, China

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The Dai people, one of the ethnic minorities in China, have a population of 1,260,000. They have the same origin as one of the main ethnic groups of Laos and Thailand. Most of the Dai live in Yunnan province, which is located in the less-developed southwestern part of China. This study aimed to describe the oral health status of Dai preschool children in China and the factors that influence their oral health status. Methods An oral health survey was performed between 2011 and 2012 to select Dai five-year-old children using multi-stage stratified sampling in Yunnan. Their dental caries experience was measured using the “dmft” index, and severe caries was assessed using the “pa” index, which is modified from the “pufa” index. Oral hygiene status was assessed using the visual plaque index (VPI). A questionnaire to study the children’s socio-demographic background and oral health-related behaviours was completed by the children’s parents. Results A total of 833 children were examined. Their caries prevalence was 89% and 49% of the children had carious tooth with pulp involvement. The mean (SD) dmft score was 7.0 (5.3). Higher dmft scores were found among children who were girls, were currently bottle-fed, took daily sweet snacks, had higher VPI scores, and had visited a dentist within the last year. Conclusions The caries prevalence and experience of the five-year-old Dai children in Yunnan, China was high, and almost half had severe caries. The caries experience was associated with gender, snack habits, dental visit habits, and oral hygiene status. PMID:24279504

Initial results from the VPI&SU SIRIO diversity experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Towner, G. C.; Marshall, R. E.; Stutzman, W. L.; Bostian, C. W.; Pratt, T.; Manus, E. A.; Wiley, P. H.

1982-01-01

The first year of observations of the precipitation effects on the 11.6-GHz beacon signal from the SIRIO satellite are reported. This experiment is unique in that it uses dual-polarized receivers in a diversity configuration and a low path elevation angle. Rain rate, attenuation, and isolation statistics are presented for both sites. In addition, attenuation diversity gain is plotted and compared to current models. Isolation diversity gain is also discussed. It was found that little improvement in dual-channel isolation is obtained with site diversity at this low elevation angle. The influence of ice clouds was noted in the months of October and November.

Training program developed for senior undergraduates majoring in optical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Sheng; Zhang, Xinliang; Ke, Changjian

2017-08-01

Based on the well-known simulation software VPI TransmissionMaker, a comprehensive training program for senior undergraduates majoring in optical communication and optical network technology was developed by the author after detailed study of the teaching difficult and key points in the discipline. Aiming at solving practical scientific and engineering problems, the program helped our students to develop the ability of acquiring and applying knowledge by designing optical devices, optical signal processing algorithms and optical fiber communication systems. Furthermore, innovation is inspired by introducing competition mechanism among project teams. The program was validated through four years of use and achieved good results.

[Mechanism of apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells induced by polysaccharides extracts from Hedyotic diffusa].

PubMed

Jing Yan; Kang Min; Liu Jin; Li Jingyu; Tang Anzhou

2015-04-01

To explore the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis of polysaccharides extracts from polysaccharides extracts from Hedyotic diffusa (PEHD) on Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)cell line CNE2 cells in vitro. CNE2 cells treated with various concentrations of PEHD were detected by MTT assay at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. The apoptotic cells were analyzed by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. The expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 protein were examined by Western blotting method. The growth of CNE2 cells were suppressed after treatment with PEHD (P < 0.05), MTT assay showed that the highest cell inhibition rate reached to 76.5%, the inhibition in the doses from 2 to 6 mg/ml showed dose-and-time-dependent. The percent of apoptosis in 4 and 6 mg/ml PEHD treatment groups for 48 h were 31.32%, 46.28%, respectively, and significantly higher than that in control groups, 4.86% (P < 0.01). After the cells being treated with PEHD for 48 h, the expression of Bax and caspase-3 protein increased, and the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased gradually. PEHD could inhibited the growth of CNE2 cells and was dose-and-time-dependent, the mechanism may involve induction of cell apoptosis, which was associated with the activation of Bax and caspase-3 protein and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein expression.

The relation between doses or post-plasma time points and apoptosis of leukemia cells induced by dielectric barrier discharge plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chao; Zhang, Haixia; Xue, Zhixiao; Yin, Huijuan; Niu, Qing; Chen, Hongli

2015-12-01

The dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma was applied to induce apoptosis of LT-12 leukemia cells. Plasma effects on cell death was evaluated by MTT assay and FCM apoptosis assay with Annexin V/PI double staining, suggesting that plasma killing cells rate and inducing cell apoptosis rate both positively were related to the plasma doses or the post-plasma time points. The cell death rates increased from 15.2% to 33.1% and the apoptosis rate raise from 23.8% to 28% when the dose raise from 60s to 120 s at 8 h post-plasma, while they increased from 15.4% to 34.9% and from 48% to 55.3% respectively at the same doses at 12 h post-plasma. Furthermore, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), gene and protein expression for Caspases and Bcl-2 family members were measured for exploring the related apoptotic mechanisms phenomenon. We found ROS immediately increased to 1.24 times of the original amount, then increasing to 5.39-fold at 20 h after treatment. The gene and protein expression for Caspases and Bcl-2 family members are very active at 8-12 h post-plasma. Our results demonstrate that DBD plasma can effectively induce tumor cell death through primarily related apoptotic mechanisms.

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

Ozeki, H.; Isono, T.; Uno, Y.

JAEA successfully completed the manufacture of the toroidal field (TF) insert coil (TFIC) for a performance test of the ITER TF conductor in the final design in cooperation with Hitachi, Ltd. The TFIC is a single-layer 8.875-turn solenoid coil with 1.44-m diameter. This will be tested for 68-kA current application in a 13-T external magnetic field. TFIC was manufactured in the following order: winding of the TF conductor, lead bending, fabrication of the electrical termination, heat treatment, turn insulation, installation of the coil into the support mandrel structure, vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI), structure assembly, and instrumentation. Here in this presentation,more » manufacture process and quality control status for the TFIC manufacturing are reported.« less

Stromal-epithelial dynamics in response to fractionated radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, Panying

The speech of individuals with velopharyngeal incompetency (VPI) is characterized by hypernasality, a speech quality related to excessive emission of acoustic energy through the nose, as caused by failure of velopharyngeal closure. As an attempt to reduce hypernasality and, in turn, improve the quality of VPI-related hypernasal speech, this study is dedicated to developing an approach that uses speech-dependent articulatory adjustments to reduce hypernasality caused by excessive velopharyngeal opening. A preliminary study has been done to derive such articulatory adjustments for hypernasal /i/ vowels based on the simulation of an articulatorymodel (Speech Processing and Synthesis Toolboxes, Childers (2000)). Both nasal /i/ vowels with and without articulatory adjustments were synthesized by the model. Spectral analysis found that nasal acoustic features were attenuated and oral formant structures were restored after articulatory adjustments. In addition, comparisons of perceptual ratings of nasality between the two types of nasal vowels showed the articulatory adjustments generated by the model significantly reduced the perception of nasality for nasal /i/ vowels. Such articulatory adjustments for nasal /i/ have two patterns: 1) a consistent adjustment pattern, which corresponds an expansion at the velopharynx, and 2) some speech-dependent fine-tuning adjustment patterns, including adjustments in the lip area and the upper pharynx. The long-term goal of this study is to apply this approach of articulatory adjustment as a therapeutic tool in clinical speech treatment to detect and correct the maladaptive articulatory behaviors developed spontaneously by speakers with VPI on individual bases. This study constructed a speaker-adaptive articulatory model on the basis of the framework of Childers's vocal tract model to simulate articulatory adjustments aiming at compensating for the acoustic outcome caused by velopharyngeal opening and reducing nasality. To construct such a speaker-adaptive articulatory model, (1) an articulatory-acoustic-aerodynamic database was recorded using the articulography and aerodynamic instruments to provide point-wise articulatory data to be fitted into the framework of Childers's standard vocal tract model; (2) the length and transverse dimension of the vocal tract were adjusted to fit individual speaker by minimizing the acoustic discrepancy between the model simulation and the target derived from acoustic signal in the database using the simulated annealing algorithm; (3) the articulatory space of the model was adjusted to fit individual articulatory features by adapting the movement ranges of all articulators. With the speaker-adaptive articulatory model, the articulatory configurations of the oral and nasal vowels in the database were simulated and synthesized. Given the acoustic targets derived from the oral vowels in the database, speech-dependent articulatory adjustments were simulated to compensate for the acoustic outcome caused by VPO. The resultant articulatory configurations corresponds to nasal vowels with articulatory adjustment, which were synthesized to serve as the perceptual stimuli for a listening task of nasality rating. The oral and nasal vowels synthesized based on the oral and nasal vowel targets in the database also served as the perceptual stimuli. The results suggest both acoustic and perceptual effects of the mode-generated articulatory adjustment on the nasal vowels /a/, /i/ and /u/. In terms of acoustics, the articulatory adjustment (1) restores the altered formant structures due to nasal coupling, including shifted formant frequency, attenuated formant intensity and expanded formant bandwidth and (2) attenuates the peaks and zeros caused by nasal resonances. Perceptually, the articulatory adjustment generated by the speaker-adaptive model significantly reduces the perceived nasality for all three vowels (/a/, /i/, /u/). The acoustic and perceptual effects of articulatory adjustment suggest achievement of the acoustic goal of compensating for the acoustic discrepancy caused by VPO and the auditory goal of reducing the perception of nasality. Such a finding is consistent with motor equivalence (Hughes and Abbs, 1976; Maeda, 1990), which enables inter-articulator coordination to compensate for the deviation from the acoustic/auditory goal caused by the shifted position of an articulator. The articulatory adjustment responsible for the acoustic and perceptual effects as described above was decomposed into a set of empirical orthogonal modes (Story and Titze, 1998). Both gross articulatory patterns and fine-tuning adjustments were found in the principal orthogonal modes, which lead to the acoustic compensation and reduction of nasality. For /a/ and /i/, a direct relationship was found among the acoustic features, nasality, and articulatory adjustment patterns. Specifically, the articulatory adjustments indicated by the principal orthogonal modes of the adjusted nasal /a/ and /i/ were directly correlated with the attenuation of the acoustic cues of nasality (i.e., shifting of F1 and F2 frequencies) and the reduction of nasality rating. For /u/, such a direct relationship among the acoustic features, nasality and articulatory adjustment was not as prominent, suggesting the possibility of additional acoustic correlates of nasality other than F1 and F2. The findings of this study demonstrate the possibility of using articulatory adjustment to reduce the perception of nasality through model simulation. A speaker-adaptive articulatory model is able to simulate individual-based articulatory adjustment strategies that can be applied in clinical settings to serve as the articulatory targets for correction of the maladaptive articulatory behaviors developed spontaneously by speakers with hypernasal speech. Such a speaker-adaptive articulatory model provides an intuitive way of articulatory learning and self-training for speakers with VPI to learn appropriate articulatory strategies through model-speaker interaction.

Andrographolide potentiates the antitumor effect of topotecan in acute myeloid leukemia cells through an intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

PubMed

Hodroj, Mohammad Hassan; Jardaly, Achraf; Abi Raad, Sarah; Zouein, Annalise; Rizk, Sandra

2018-01-01

Topotecan (TP) is an anticancer drug acting as topoisomerase I inhibitor that is used in the treatment of many types of cancers including leukemia, but it has significant side effects. Andrographolide, a compound extracted from Andrographis paniculata , was recently proven to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and can induce apoptosis. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible synergism between TP and andrographolide in acute myeloid cells in vitro. U937 acute myeloid leukemic cells were cultured using Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium and then treated for 24 h with TP and andrographolide prepared through the dilution of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) stocks with RPMI on the day of treatment. Cell proliferation was assessed using cell proliferation assay upon treatment with both compounds separately and in combination. Cell-cycle study and apoptosis detection were performed by staining the cells with propidium iodide (PI) stain and Annexin V/PI stain, respectively, followed by flow cytometry analysis. Western blotting was used to assess the expression of various proteins involved in apoptotic pathways. Both TP and andrographolide showed an antiproliferative effect in a dose-dependent manner when applied on U937 cells separately; however, pretreating the cells with andrographolide before applying TP exhibited a synergistic effect with lower inhibitory concentrations (half-maximal inhibitory concentration). Treating the cells with TP alone led to specific cell-cycle arrest at S phase that was more prominent upon pretreatment combination with andrographolide. Using Annexin V/PI staining to assess the proapoptotic effect following the pretreatment combination showed an increase in the number of apoptotic cells, which was supported by the Western blot results that manifested an upregulation of several proapoptotic proteins expression. The pretreatment of U937 with andrographolide followed by low doses of TP showed an enhancement in inducing apoptosis when compared to the application of each compound separately.

Andrographolide potentiates the antitumor effect of topotecan in acute myeloid leukemia cells through an intrinsic apoptotic pathway

PubMed Central

Hodroj, Mohammad Hassan; Jardaly, Achraf; Abi Raad, Sarah; Zouein, Annalise; Rizk, Sandra

2018-01-01

Background Topotecan (TP) is an anticancer drug acting as topoisomerase I inhibitor that is used in the treatment of many types of cancers including leukemia, but it has significant side effects. Andrographolide, a compound extracted from Andrographis paniculata, was recently proven to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and can induce apoptosis. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible synergism between TP and andrographolide in acute myeloid cells in vitro. Materials and methods U937 acute myeloid leukemic cells were cultured using Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium and then treated for 24 h with TP and andrographolide prepared through the dilution of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) stocks with RPMI on the day of treatment. Cell proliferation was assessed using cell proliferation assay upon treatment with both compounds separately and in combination. Cell-cycle study and apoptosis detection were performed by staining the cells with propidium iodide (PI) stain and Annexin V/PI stain, respectively, followed by flow cytometry analysis. Western blotting was used to assess the expression of various proteins involved in apoptotic pathways. Results Both TP and andrographolide showed an antiproliferative effect in a dose-dependent manner when applied on U937 cells separately; however, pretreating the cells with andrographolide before applying TP exhibited a synergistic effect with lower inhibitory concentrations (half-maximal inhibitory concentration). Treating the cells with TP alone led to specific cell-cycle arrest at S phase that was more prominent upon pretreatment combination with andrographolide. Using Annexin V/PI staining to assess the proapoptotic effect following the pretreatment combination showed an increase in the number of apoptotic cells, which was supported by the Western blot results that manifested an upregulation of several proapoptotic proteins expression. Conclusion The pretreatment of U937 with andrographolide followed by low doses of TP showed an enhancement in inducing apoptosis when compared to the application of each compound separately. PMID:29785137

Understanding the geographic distribution of tropical cyclone formation for applications in climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tory, Kevin J.; Ye, H.; Dare, R. A.

2018-04-01

Projections of Tropical cyclone (TC) formation under future climate scenarios are dependent on climate model simulations. However, many models produce unrealistic geographical distributions of TC formation, especially in the north and south Atlantic and eastern south Pacific TC basins. In order to improve confidence in projections it is important to understand the reasons behind these model errors. However, considerable effort is required to analyse the many models used in projection studies. To address this problem, a novel diagnostic is developed that provides compelling insight into why TCs form where they do, using a few summary diagrams. The diagnostic is developed after identifying a relationship between seasonal climatologies of atmospheric variables in 34 years of ECMWF reanalysis data, and TC detection distributions in the same data. Geographic boundaries of TC formation are constructed from four threshold quantities. TCs form where Emanuel's Maximum Potential Intensity, V_{{PI}}, exceeds 40 {ms}^{{ - 1}}, 700 hPa relative humidity, RH_{{700}}, exceeds 40%, and the magnitude of the difference in vector winds between 850 and 200 hPa, V_{{sh}}, is less than 20 {ms}^{{ - 1}}. The equatorial boundary is best defined by a composite quantity containing the ratio of absolute vorticity (η ) to the meridional gradient of absolute vorticity (β ^{*}), rather than η alone. {β ^*} is also identified as a potentially important ingredient for TC genesis indices. A comparison of detected Tropical Depression (TD) and Tropical Storm (TS) climatologies revealed TDs more readily intensify further to TS where {V_{PI}} is elevated and {V_{sh}} is relatively weak. The distributions of each threshold quantity identify the factors that favour and suppress TC formation throughout the tropics in the real world. This information can be used to understand why TC formation is poorly represented in some climate models, and shows potential for understanding anomalous TC formation behaviour in the real world.

Molecular Characterization of Severin from Clonorchis sinensis Excretory/Secretory Products and Its Potential Anti-apoptotic Role in Hepatocarcinoma PLC Cells

PubMed Central

He, Lei; Wang, Xiaoyun; Liang, Pei; Chen, Wenjun; Bian, Meng; Ren, Mengyu; Lin, Jinsi; Liang, Chi; Xu, Jin; Wu, Zhongdao; Li, Xuerong; Huang, Yan; Yu, Xinbing

2013-01-01

Background Clonorchiasis, caused by the infection of Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), is a kind of neglected tropical disease, but it is highly related to cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has been well known that the excretory/secretory products of C. sinensis (CsESPs) play key roles in clonorchiasis associated carcinoma. From genome and transcriptome of C. sinensis, we identified one component of CsESPs, severin (Csseverin), which had three putative gelsolin domains. Its homologues are supposed to play a vital role in apoptosis resistance of tumour cell. Methodology/Principal Findings There was significant similarity in tertiary structures between human gelsolin and Csseverin by bioinformatics analysis. We identified that Csseverin expressed at life stage of adult worm, metacercaria and egg by the method of quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Csseverin distributed in vitellarium and intrauterine eggs of adult worm and tegument of metacercaria by immunofluorence assay. We obtained recombinant Csseverin (rCsseverin) and confirmed that rCsseverin could bind with calciumion in circular dichroism spectrum analysis. It was demonstrated that rCsseverin was of the capability of actin binding by gel overlay assay and immunocytochemistry. Both Annexin V/PI assay and mitochondrial membrane potential assay of human hepatocarcinoma cell line PLC showed apoptosis resistance after incubation with different concentrations of rCsseverin. Morphological analysis, apoptosis-associated changes of mitochondrial membrane potential and Annexin V/PI apoptosis assay showed that co-incubation of PLC cells with rCsseverin in vitro led to an inhibition of apoptosis induced by serum-starved for 24 h. Conclusions/Significance Collectively, the molecular properties of Csseverin, a molecule of CsESPs, were characterized in our study. rCsseverin could cause obvious apoptotic inhibition in human HCC cell line. Csseverin might exacerbate the process of HCC patients combined with C. sinensis infection. PMID:24367717

Factors Influencing Parent Reports of Facilitators and Barriers to Human Milk Supply in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

PubMed

Alves, Elisabete; Magano, Raquel; Amorim, Mariana; Nogueira, Conceição; Silva, Susana

2016-11-01

Successful human milk supply in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) requires the development of family-centered services. This study aimed to assess parent perceptions of factors that help or hinder providing human milk to very preterm infants (VPI) in the NICU according to sociodemographic, reproductive, and obstetric characteristics. This cross-sectional quantitative study included 120 mothers and 91 fathers of VPI hospitalized in a level 3 NICU located in the Northern Health Region of Portugal (July 2013-June 2014). Interviewers administered structured questionnaires regarding parent characteristics and the provision and perception of factors that help or hinder human milk supply in the NICU, 15 to 22 days after birth. The main facilitators of human milk supply were its contribution to infant growth and well-being (51.4%) and parents' knowledge of breastfeeding benefits (27.6%). The main barriers were worries related to inadequate milk supply (35.7%), difficulties with expressing breast milk (24.8%), and physical separation from infants (24.3%). Fathers referred less frequently to the contribution of human milk to infant growth and well-being (odds ratio [OR] = 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-1.00) but more frequently to knowledge of breastfeeding benefits as facilitators (OR = 2.31; 95% CI, 1.23-4.32). Participants with > 12 years of education (OR = 1.91; 95% CI, 1.05-3.47) and those with an extremely low birth weight infant (OR = 1.90; 95% CI, 1.02-3.54) highlighted worries related to inadequate milk supply. Fathers (OR = 2.16; 95% CI, 1.11-4.19) and participants with ≤ 12 years of education (OR = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.11-0.57) more frequently reported difficulties with expressing as the main barrier. The parent's gender and education and the infant's birth weight are crucial considerations for establishing optimal practices for supporting breastfeeding.

DADLE enhances viability and anti-inflammatory effect of human MSCs subjected to 'serum free' apoptotic condition in part via the DOR/PI3K/AKT pathway.

PubMed

Reddy, L Vinod Kumar; Sen, Dwaipayan

2017-12-15

Nutritional deprivation and inflammation-rich zones are the major causative reasons for poor survivability of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Therefore in the present study, we demonstrated the cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of activated delta (δ)-opioid receptor (DOR) with synthetic peptide [D-Ala 2 , D-Leu 5 ]-enkephalin (DADLE) treatment on human MSCs cultured in serum-starved condition. Cell viability was measured using MTT and Annexin V/PI assays. Expressions of pro-apoptotic (Bcl2) and anti-apoptotic genes (Bax/Bad), levels of activated p44/42 MAPK, Akt, PI3-kinase-p110γ and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by qPCR and western blot. Levels of secreted cytokines were measured by ELISA. In comparison to the control, DADLE significantly increased cell survivability under serum deprived condition as confirmed by MTT (71% vs 45%) and Annexin V/PI assays (25.9% vs 3.7%). Significant up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bcl2 (~2.1 folds), down-regulations of anti-apoptotic Bax/Bad (~2.6/2.7 folds) as well as of cleaved caspase-3, increased expression of PI3kinase subunit p110γ and activation of Akt (Ser473) were observed following DADLE treatment in cells under 'serum deprivation' stress. In addition, DADLE treated hMSCs secreted increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL10/IL4/TGF-β) under serum deprived condition. LPS stimulated macrophages showed abated release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1/TNFα/IL6) when grown in hMSC conditioned 'serum deprived' media treated with DADLE. Both the cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of DADLE were inhibited by the DOR specific antagonist naltrindole. The DOR signaling pathway improved cell viability and enhanced anti-inflammatory effect of hMSCs subjected to 'serum deprivation' stress that could have potential therapeutic benefits in reparative medicine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Salivary flow and dental caries in Brazilian youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Alves, Cresio; Menezes, Rafaela; Brandão, Marcia

2012-01-01

Although type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has a significant impact on oral health, its association with dental caries is yet not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the salivary flow rate and caries in Brazilian youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus. A Cross-sectional study was performed in a tertiary university hospital. Fifty-one age matched subjects suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus were selected for the study and evaluated for the following: salivary flow rate, number of decayed, missing and filled tooth in permanent dentition (DMF-T) and decayed, extracted, filled tooth index in the deciduous dentition (def-t); visible plaque index (VPI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI). STATISTICS AND ANALYSIS: The t test was utilized when the variables showed normal distribution. The Mann-Whitney test was utilized for comparing non-normal variables. Kolmorgorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the normality assumption. The differences were considered significant when P < 0.05. The age and gender distribution of patients and controls was 11.3 ± 3.4 years (56% males) and 11.9 ± 3.4 years (37% males). The mean glycated hemoglobin value in the diabetics was 9.7 ± 1.9%. Salivary flow rate was lower in the diabetic patients as compared to controls (P = 0.02). No differences were found in the DMF-T/def-t indices of diabetic and non-diabetic patients (P = 0.43/0.14). VPI was similar in both the groups (P = 0.15). GBI was higher in the diabetics (8.1 vs. 5.18; P = 0.11). There were no differences in the dental caries experience and dental plaque in the two groups. The lower salivary flow rate in diabetics could have been related to their higher GBI. The higher GBI in the diabetics is a matter of concern in the diabetics and is a sign for higher chances of developing periodontal problems.

Effectiveness and safety of autologous fat grafting to the soft palate alone.

PubMed

Boneti, Cristiano; Ray, Peter D; Macklem, Elizabeth B; Kohanzadeh, Som; de la Torre, Jorge; Grant, John H

2015-06-01

Posterior pharyngeal augmentation is an accepted method of treating velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Techniques using autologous fat harvest, preparation, and grafting are well described. Based on the complications from retropharyngeal injection, we performed augmentation of the nasal surface of the palate to reduce hypernasality with decreased risks. After Institutional Review Board approval, a chart review from 2010 to 2013 identified 46 patients with cleft palate, subjective and nasoendoscopic evidence of VPI treated with autologous fat grafting to the soft palate. Speech evaluation of velopharyngeal function was compared before and after autologous fat grafting. A total of 61 autologous fat grafting procedures were performed in 46 patients. The average age of the study population is 5.59 ± 2.05 years. The majority underwent a single procedure (32/46 or 69.6%), 13 of 46 patients (28.2%) had 2 fat grafting procedures and only 1 patient (2.2%) had 3 fat grafting procedures. The fat was injected primarily in the soft palate. The recorded volume of fat grafted averaged 2.4 ± 1.1 mL. Average operative time was 39 ± 12.55 minutes. There were no local or donor site complications. Four patients were lost to follow-up. Of 34 patients with adequate speech follow-up, including Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Scale (PWSS) assessment, the average preoperative score of 8.17 ± 3.59 was reduced to 5.17 ± 3.14 postoperatively. Although 26 of 34 patients (76.5%) had an improvement in their PWSS score, only 13 of 34 patients (38.23%) saw an improvement in their PWSS category. Autologous fat grafting to the soft palate is a safe operation with minimal risks. Speech outcomes are subjectively enhanced in the majority of patients, with a full PWSS category improvement seen in 40% of the cases. Patient selection criteria to optimize results are provided.

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

KoraMagazi, Arouna; Wang, Dandan; Yousef, Bashir

Rhein is an active component of rhubarb; a traditional Chinese medicine reported to induce apoptosis and cause liver toxicity. However, rhein's apoptotic-inducing effects, as well as its molecular mechanisms of action on hepatic cells need to be further explored. In the present study, rhein was found to trigger apoptosis in primary human hepatic HL-7702 cells as showed by annexin V/PI double staining assay and nuclear morphological changes demonstrated by Hoechst 33258 staining. Moreover, it was observed that the mechanism implicated in rhein-induced apoptosis was caspase-dependent, presumably via ER-stress associated pathways, as illustrated by up-regulation of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP 78), PKR-likemore » ER kinase (PERK), C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP). Meanwhile, caspase-4 as a hallmark of ER-stress, was also showed to be activated following by caspase-3 activation. Furthermore, rhein also promoted intracellular elevation of calcium that contributed in apoptosis induction. Interestingly, pre-treatment with calpain inhibitor I reduced the effects of rhein on apoptosis induction and JNK activation. These data suggested that rhein-induced apoptosis through ER-stress and elevated intracellular calcium level in HL-7702 cells. - Highlights: • Rhein triggers apoptotic cell death on primary human hepatic HL-7702 cells. • Rhein leads to caspase-4 activation in HL-7702 cells. • Rhein induces endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways in HL-7702 cells. • Rhein causes elevation of intracellular calcium concentrations in HL-7702 cells.« less

Glycyrrhetinic acid protects H9c2 cells from oxygen glucose deprivation-induced injury through the PI3K/AKt signaling pathway.

PubMed

Wang, Liqin; Zhang, Yuyan; Wan, Haitong; Jin, Weifeng; Yu, Li; Zhou, Huifen; Yang, Jiehong

2017-01-01

Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is an ingredient of triterpene saponins found in Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae). Here, we investigated the protective effects of GA in H9c2 cells, and explored its possible mechanism of action. Different concentrations of GA were used to treat H9c2 cells under oxygen glucose deprivation. We analyzed cell necrosis and apoptosis using optical microscopy, Hoechst 33342 staining, FITC-annexin V/PI double-staining and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and interleukin (IL)-1β assays. Changes in related pro-apoptosis and anti-apoptosis proteins were detected by Western blot. Optical microscopy showed that GA improved cell morphology, including cell shrinkage, cauliflower-like membrane blebbing, and even some cell debris. Meanwhile, GA also ameliorated cell nuclei characteristics such as nucleus size, chromatin condensation and bright staining from Hoechst 33342 staining. GA also lowered the apoptotic rate and the levels of LDH, CK-MB and IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, GA treatment increased Bcl-2 protein expression and decreased caspase-8 and Bax protein expression, while elevating the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. GA preconditioning increased p-AKt protein expression; however, after adding LY 294002, the p-AKt expression decreased obviously. Our results demonstrated that GA could protect H9c2 cells from apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, and the potential mechanism might be related to the PI3K/AKt signaling pathway.

Bauhinia championii Flavone Attenuates Hypoxia-Reoxygenation Induced Apoptosis in H9c2 Cardiomyocytes by Improving Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

PubMed

Liao, Ping; Sun, Guibo; Zhang, Chan; Wang, Min; Sun, Yao; Zhou, Yuehan; Sun, Xiaobo; Jian, Jie

2016-11-04

This study aimed to determine the effects of Bauhinia championii flavone (BCF) on hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) induced apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes and to explore potential mechanisms. The H/R model in H9c2 cardiomyocytes was established by 6 h of hypoxia and 12 h of reoxygenation. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. Apoptotic rate was measured by Annexin V/PI staining. Levels of mitochondria-associated ROS, mitochondrial transmembrane potential (∆Ψm) and mitochondrial permeability transition pores (MPTP) opening were assessed by fluorescent probes. ATP production was measured by ATP assay kit. The release of cytochrome c, translocation of Bax, and related proteins were measured by western blotting. Our results showed that pretreatment with BCF significantly improved cell viability and attenuated the cardiomyocyte apoptosis caused by H/R. Furthermore, BCF increased ATP production and inhibited ROS-generating mitochondria, depolarization of ΔΨm, and MPTP opening. Moreover, BCF pretreatment decreased Bax mitochondrial translocation, cytochrome c release, and activation of caspase-3, as well as increased the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax. Interestingly, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, LY294002, partly reversed the anti-apoptotic effect of BCF. These observations indicated that BCF pretreatment attenuates H/R-induced myocardial apoptosis strength by improving mitochondrial dysfunction via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Adaptation of nasometry to Hungarian language and experiences with its clinical application.

PubMed

Hirschberg, Jeno; Bók, Szilvia; Juhász, Márta; Trenovszki, Zsuzsa; Votisky, Péter; Hirschberg, Andor

2006-05-01

(1) To adopt the nasometry for the Hungarian language and to obtain normative nasalance scores. (2) To compare our results with the data of other languages and to evaluate the correlation between nasalance scores and perceptual ratings of nasality. (3) To use the nasometry in various fields of the otolaryngological, phoniatric, and logopedic diagnostics, therapy and documentation. (1) To determine the normative nasalance scores regarding the Hungarian language, we included 30 children aged 5-7 years and 45 adults in the 20-25 years age group. In the latter group 15 subjects were speech therapists and 30 phonetically untrained people-15 males and 15 females. phonation of isolated vowels, articulation of spirants, cyclical repetition of affricates, pronunciation of various (oral, nasal, mixed type) sentences and evaluation of the nasalance score in continuous speech. (2) Thirty-six persons (12 speech pathologists, 12 logopedic students, 12 phonetically uneducated individuals) evaluated the children's physiological and nasal speech recordings with a 3-point scale. (3) Two hundred and forty-eight children of kindergarten age were examined, 20 infants and 6 adult singers in the following fields: evaluation of hypernasality due to cleft palate or velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), and of the success of the therapy; examination of hyponasality in cases of enlarged adenoid and allergic rhinitis; evaluation of the speech of hard-of-hearing people; differentiation between nasal sigmatism and hyperrhinophony; testing of the resonance in professional singers; examination of infant cry; application of nasometry in the therapy. The mean value of the nasalance score using the oral sentence: "Zsuzsi kutyája ugat" is 11-13%, in the nasal sentence ("A majom banánt enne") 56%, while that of the mixed sentence representing the Hungarian language ("Jó napot kívánok!") falls in the 30-40% range. The resonance grows with aging and there is no significant difference between genders. The nasalance score is greater with phonetically trained people. Our data correlate with the values of other languages. The correlation is significant between the nasalance scores and perceived nasality (r=0.901). Practical results: Values above 40% in cases of VPI using mixed sentences may support the indication of velopharyngoplasty, together with the subjective evaluation of nasality and other tests. In cases with rhinitis and adenoid vegetation the nasalance score remains below 20%. The nasality value is increased in sensorineural hearing loss, and is decreased in cases with conducting hearing impairment. In nasal sigmatism not the vowels' but the nasality of consonants grow. The difference between the nasalance score of the cry in clefted and non-cleft infants is significant (26% versus 36%): this observation could give possibility in the future to screen babies with congenital hearing problems or hidden VPI. Alterations in nasalance can be documented with nasometry in professional singers when they increase the nasal resonance to grow the power capacity of their voice. The nasometry procedure is a significant help also in speech therapy through the real time visual and auditive control. The otolaryngological, phoniatric and logopedic diagnostics and therapy is significantly widened with nasometry which is a quick, non-invasive and objective procedure, measuring the nasal resonance of the speech.

Effect modification by apoptosis-related gene polymorphisms on the associations of phthalate exposure with spermatozoa apoptosis and semen quality.

PubMed

Yang, Pan; Gong, Ya-Jie; Wang, Yi-Xin; Liang, Xin-Xiu; Liu, Qing; Liu, Chong; Chen, Ying-Jun; Sun, Li; Lu, Wen-Qing; Zeng, Qiang

2017-12-01

Human studies indicate that phthalate exposure is associated with adverse male reproductive health, and this association may be modified by genetic polymorphisms. We investigated whether apoptosis-related gene polymorphisms modified the associations of phthalate exposure with spermatozoa apoptosis and semen quality. In this Chinese population who sought for semen examination in an infertility clinic, we measured 8 phthalate metabolites in two urine samples to assess the individual's exposure levels. Apoptosis-related gene (Fas, FasL, and caspase3) polymorphisms were performed by real-time PCR. Spermatozoa apoptosis and semen quality parameters were evaluated by Annexin V/PI assay and computer-aided semen analysis, respectively. We found that Fas rs2234767, FasL rs763110, and caspase3 rs12108497 gene polymorphisms significantly modified the associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and spermatozoa apoptosis. For example, urinary monobutyl phthalate (MBP) associated with an increased percentage of Annexin V + /PI - spermatozoa of 25.11% (95% CI: 4.08%, 50.53%) were only observed among men with CT/TT genotype of FasL rs763110. In addition, we found that caspase3 rs12108497 gene polymorphisms significantly modified the associations of urinary mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) with decreased sperm concentration and sperm count (both p-values for interactions = 0.02). Our results provided the first evidence that apoptosis-related gene polymorphisms might contribute to the effects of phthalate exposure on male reproductive health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation and characterization of anti c-met single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies.

PubMed

Qamsari, Elmira Safaie; Sharifzadeh, Zahra; Bagheri, Salman; Riazi-Rad, Farhad; Younesi, Vahid; Abolhassani, Mohsen; Ghaderi, Sepideh Safaei; Baradaran, Behzad; Somi, Mohammad Hossein; Yousefi, Mehdi

2017-12-01

The receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) Met is the cell surface receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) involved in invasive growth programs during embryogenesis and tumorgenesis. There is compelling evidence suggesting important roles for c-Met in colorectal cancer proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and survival. Hence, a molecular inhibitor of an extracellular domain of c-Met receptor that blocks c-Met-cell surface interactions could be of great thera-peutic importance. In an attempt to develop molecular inhibitors of c-Met, single chain variable fragment (scFv) phage display libraries Tomlinson I + J against a specific synthetic oligopeptide from the extracellular domain of c-Met receptor were screened; selected scFv were then characterized using various immune techniques. Three c-Met specific scFv (ES1, ES2, and ES3) were selected following five rounds of panning procedures. The scFv showed specific binding to c-Met receptor, and significantly inhibited proliferation responses of a human colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT-116). Moreover, anti- apoptotic effects of selected scFv antibodies on the HCT-116 cell line were also evaluated using Annexin V/PI assays. The results demonstrated rates of apoptotic cell death of 46.0, 25.5, and 37.8% among these cells were induced by use of ES1, ES2, and ES3, respectively. The results demonstrated ability to successfully isolate/char-acterize specific c-Met scFv that could ultimately have a great therapeutic potential in immuno-therapies against (colorectal) cancers.

User’s Guide for an Optical Contrast Seeker Monte Carlo Terminal Homing Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-05-14

AG sin X ) Eq. 2.16 33 Acceleration Normal to Plane .. X (Boresignt) G. Plane containing mass unbalance centrotd ~YG FIGURE 3.28. Inner Gimbal View...ill# .L01 0.090 jNi FORM -1.000 1. CJ2 .315 C.0 3 0.000 UNICORN -1.0100 1. U000 2,4kp1 .12J C.GG0 JN.’FORM -1.000100 14L2 -. 4.8 0.00a .JKIFORM -1.000...fu 1. rj m N. I At1 -- c2 0 0* 4- 0 W uI-WL UL w I~ f :.VPI *4 *.* .. 4 C, : IV 1A ag oo ,- * I4 1, %An Q. cc Go coc oC cVCa: .ato to o 1 o I a

Manufacture and Quality Control of Insert Coil with Real ITER TF Conductor

DOE PAGES

Ozeki, H.; Isono, T.; Uno, Y.; ...

2016-03-02

JAEA successfully completed the manufacture of the toroidal field (TF) insert coil (TFIC) for a performance test of the ITER TF conductor in the final design in cooperation with Hitachi, Ltd. The TFIC is a single-layer 8.875-turn solenoid coil with 1.44-m diameter. This will be tested for 68-kA current application in a 13-T external magnetic field. TFIC was manufactured in the following order: winding of the TF conductor, lead bending, fabrication of the electrical termination, heat treatment, turn insulation, installation of the coil into the support mandrel structure, vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI), structure assembly, and instrumentation. Here in this presentation,more » manufacture process and quality control status for the TFIC manufacturing are reported.« less

Tanshinone IIA ameliorates apoptosis of myocardiocytes by up-regulation of miR-133 and suppression of Caspase-9.

PubMed

Song, Tao; Yao, Yuan; Wang, Teng; Huang, He; Xia, Hao

2017-11-15

To explore the potential protective effect of Tanshinone ⅡA on myocardial cell apoptosis and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The rat heart cell H9c2 was treated by either H 2 O 2 or doxorubicin (DOX) to mimic oxidative stress and DNA damage conditions in vivo. Cell growth was monitored by optical microscope observation or CCK-8 counting kit. The relative expression of miR-133 and U6 snoRNA was semi-quantitated by RT-PCR or real-time PCR. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI double staining. The microRNA binding sites were predicted by online bioinformatics tools. The regulatory effect of miR-133 on caspase-9 was measured by luciferase reporter assay. Apoptosis pathway factors were analyzed by immunoblotting. Our data demonstrated that Tanshinone ⅡA significantly ameliorated myocardial apoptosis induced by either H 2 O 2 or DOX. The protective effect was likely mediated by up-regulation of miR-133. We further identified Caspase-9 as the target of miR-133. Tanshinone ⅡA treatment significantly reversed down-regulation of miR-133 under harsh conditions and in turn suppressed evoking of Caspase-9 and related apoptotic effectors, which consequently contributed to the improvement of myocardial injury. In conclusion, Tanshinone ⅡA ameliorated myocardial apoptosis via restoration of miR-133 and suppression Caspase-9 signaling cascade, which underlies its well-proven clinical benefit and warrants larger scale clinical applications. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cucurbitacin E Induces G2/M Phase Arrest through STAT3/p53/p21 Signaling and Provokes Apoptosis via Fas/CD95 and Mitochondria-Dependent Pathways in Human Bladder Cancer T24 Cells

PubMed Central

Huang, Wen-Wen; Yang, Jai-Sing; Lin, Meng-Wei; Chen, Po-Yuan; Chiou, Shang-Ming; Chueh, Fu-Shin; Lan, Yu-Hsuan; Pai, Shu-Jen; Tsuzuki, Minoru; Ho, Wai-Jane; Chung, Jing-Gung

2012-01-01

Cucurbitacin E, a tetracyclic triterpenes compound extracted from cucurbitaceous plants, has been shown to exhibit anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. The purpose of this study was to elucidate whether cucurbitacin E promotes cell cycle arrest and induces apoptosis in T24 cells and further to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. The effects of cucurbitacin E on T24 cell's growth and accompanied morphological changes were examined by MTT assay and a phase-contrast microscope. DNA content, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and annexin V/PI staining were determined by flow cytometry. The protein levels were measured by Western blotting. Our results demonstrated that cucurbitacin E-induced G2/M arrest was associated with a marked increase in the levels of p53, p21 and a decrease in phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and cyclin B. Cucurbitacin E-triggered apoptosis was accompanied with up-regulation of Fas/CD95, truncated BID (t-BID) and a loss of ΔΨm, resulting in the releases of cytochrome c, apoptotic protease activating factor 1 (Apaf-1) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), and sequential activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3. Our findings provided the first evidence that STAT3/p53/p21 signaling, Fas/CD95 and mitochondria-dependent pathways play critical roles in cucurbitacin E-induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis of T24 cells. PMID:22272214

Evaluation of the relationship between obesity, dental caries and periodontal disease in adolescents.

PubMed

Vallogini, G; Nobili, V; Rongo, R; De Rosa, S; Magliarditi, F; D'Antò, V; Galeotti, A

2017-12-01

To assess the prevalence of caries, oral hygiene quality and periodontal disease in a cohort of obese adolescents compared to a control group. Study Design: cross-sectional study conducted on 204 subjects (age range 10-16 years). Ninety obese subjects (BMI >90) and 114 normal-weight subjects (BMI <75) were visited at the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital and in a junior high school in Rome, respectively. An ad hoc questionnaire (investigating demographic and oral health behaviour data) was filled in by patients and their caregivers. Accurate oral examinations were conducted. The Decayed-Missing-Filled Teeth/Surfaces Index in both permanent (DMFT/DMFS) and primary dentition (dmft/dmfs), Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), Visible Plaque Index (VPI), and Probing Depth (PD) were recorded. data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 21.0; SPSS IBM, New York, NY). The data of the two groups were compared by means of Student's t Test or the Mann-Whitney test for numerical data and the Chi-square test for categorical data. Patients affected by obesity, compared with controls, presented less compromised teeth in the primary dentition (dmft obese: 0.30 ±± 1.12; normal-weight: 1.00 ± 1.90; P<0.001) and less compromised dental surfaces (dmfs obese: 0.51 ± 2.14; normal-weight: 1.61 ± 3.10; P<0.001). Furthermore obese patients showed minor gingival inflammation with less bleeding on probing (GBI) (obese: 23.95 ± 21.43; normal-weight: 38.17± 24.37; P<0.001), and less probing depth in a greater number of sites (PPD ≤ 3) (obese: 101.92 ± 9.27; normal-weight: 97.28 ± 12.13; P<0.001). Moreover, the obese group showed a better oral hygiene (VPI) (obese: 25.69 ±25.83; normal-weight: 37.72 ±24.34; P<0.001). In our study, obese adolescents showed a better oral hygiene, fewer compromised teeth and better periodontal health when compared with normal-weight patients.

Multiple copies of a bile acid-inducible gene in Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708.

PubMed Central

Gopal-Srivastava, R; Mallonee, D H; White, W B; Hylemon, P B

1990-01-01

Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 is an anaerobic intestinal bacterium which possesses inducible bile acid 7-dehydroxylation activity. Several new polypeptides are produced in this strain following induction with cholic acid. Genes coding for two copies of a bile acid-inducible 27,000-dalton polypeptide (baiA1 and baiA2) have been previously cloned and sequenced. We now report on a gene coding for a third copy of this 27,000-dalton polypeptide (baiA3). The baiA3 gene has been cloned in lambda DASH on an 11.2-kilobase DNA fragment from a partial Sau3A digest of the Eubacterium DNA. DNA sequence analysis of the baiA3 gene revealed 100% homology with the baiA1 gene within the coding region of the 27,000-dalton polypeptides. The baiA2 gene shares 81% sequence identity with the other two genes at the nucleotide level. The flanking nucleotide sequences associated with the baiA1 and baiA3 genes are identical for 930 bases in the 5' direction from the initiation codon and for at least 325 bases in the 3' direction from the stop codon, including the putative promoter regions for the genes. An additional open reading frame (occupying from 621 to 648 bases, depending on the correct start codon) was found in the identical 5' regions associated with the baiA1 and baiA3 clones. The 5' sequence 930 bases upstream from the baiA1 and baiA3 genes was totally divergent. The baiA2 gene, which is part of a large bile acid-inducible operon, showed no homology with the other two genes either in the 5' or 3' direction from the polypeptide coding region, except for a 15-base-pair presumed ribosome-binding site in the 5' region. These studies strongly suggest that a gene duplication (baiA1 and baiA3) has occurred and is stably maintained in this bacterium. Images PMID:2376563

Exploring Intercultural Interactions in Multicultural Contexts: Proposal and Research Suggestions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Jung-huel Becky

A discussion examines the importance of communication between non-native speakers (NNS/NNS), reviews relevant theories and issues in intercultural interactions and NNS/NNS interactions, and explores methodological issues in interpreting linguistic and interactional data. The intent is to explore features of communication between NNSs from…

Optimal placement and sizing of wind / solar based DG sources in distribution system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Wanlin; Guo, Niao; Yu, Chunlai; Chen, Xiaoguang; Yu, Haiyang; Liu, Zhipeng; Cui, Jiapeng

2017-06-01

Proper placement and sizing of Distributed Generation (DG) in distribution system can obtain maximum potential benefits. This paper proposes quantum particle swarm algorithm (QPSO) based wind turbine generation unit (WTGU) and photovoltaic (PV) array placement and sizing approach for real power loss reduction and voltage stability improvement of distribution system. Performance modeling of wind and solar generation system are described and classified into PQ\\PQ (V)\\PI type models in power flow. Considering the WTGU and PV based DGs in distribution system is geographical restrictive, the optimal area and DG capacity limits of each bus in the setting area need to be set before optimization, the area optimization method is proposed . The method has been tested on IEEE 33-bus radial distribution systems to demonstrate the performance and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Novel Quinazolinone MJ-29 Triggers Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Intrinsic Apoptosis in Murine Leukemia WEHI-3 Cells and Inhibits Leukemic Mice

PubMed Central

Lu, Chi-Cheng; Yang, Jai-Sing; Chiang, Jo-Hua; Hour, Mann-Jen; Lin, Kuei-Li; Lin, Jen-Jyh; Huang, Wen-Wen; Tsuzuki, Minoru

2012-01-01

The present study was to explore the biological responses of the newly compound, MJ-29 in murine myelomonocytic leukemia WEHI-3 cells in vitro and in vivo fates. We focused on the in vitro effects of MJ-29 on ER stress and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic death in WEHI-3 cells, and to hypothesize that MJ-29 might fully impair the orthotopic leukemic mice. Our results indicated that a concentration-dependent decrease of cell viability was shown in MJ-29-treated cells. DNA content was examined utilizing flow cytometry, whereas apoptotic populations were determined using annexin V/PI, DAPI staining and TUNEL assay. Increasing vital factors of mitochondrial dysfunction by MJ-29 were further investigated. Thus, MJ-29-provaked apoptosis of WEHI-3 cells is mediated through the intrinsic pathway. Importantly, intracellular Ca2+ release and ER stress-associated signaling also contributed to MJ-29-triggered cell apoptosis. We found that MJ-29 stimulated the protein levels of calpain 1, CHOP and p-eIF2α pathways in WEHI-3 cells. In in vivo experiments, intraperitoneal administration of MJ-29 significantly improved the total survival rate, enhanced body weight and attenuated enlarged spleen and liver tissues in leukemic mice. The infiltration of immature myeloblastic cells into splenic red pulp was reduced in MJ-29-treated leukemic mice. Moreover, MJ-29 increased the differentiations of T and B cells but decreased that of macrophages and monocytes. Additionally, MJ-29-stimulated immune responses might be involved in anti-leukemic activity in vivo. Based on these observations, MJ-29 suppresses WEHI-3 cells in vitro and in vivo, and it is proposed that this potent and selective agent could be a new chemotherapeutic candidate for anti-leukemia in the future. PMID:22662126

Rheological behavior and cryogenic properties of cyanate ester/epoxy insulation material for fusion superconducting magnet

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

Wu, Z. X.; Huang, C. J.; Li, L. F.

2014-01-27

In a Tokamak fusion reactor device like ITER, insulation materials for superconducting magnets are usually fabricated by a vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) process. Thus these insulation materials must exhibit low viscosity, long working life as well as good radiation resistance. Previous studies have indicated that cyanate ester (CE) blended with epoxy has an excellent resistance against neutron irradiation which is expected to be a candidate insulation material for a fusion magnet. In this work, the rheological behavior of a CE/epoxy (CE/EP) blend containing 40% CE was investigated with non-isothermal and isothermal viscosity experiments. Furthermore, the cryogenic mechanical and electrical propertiesmore » of the composite were evaluated in terms of interlaminar shear strength and electrical breakdown strength. The results showed that CE/epoxy blend had a very low viscosity and an exceptionally long processing life of about 4 days at 60 °C.« less

An Anisotropic Model for Magnetostriction and Magnetization Computing for Noise Generation in Electric Devices.

PubMed

Mbengue, Serigne Saliou; Buiron, Nicolas; Lanfranchi, Vincent

2016-04-16

During the manufacturing process and use of ferromagnetic sheets, operations such as rolling, cutting, and tightening induce anisotropy that changes the material's behavior. Consequently for more accuracy in magnetization and magnetostriction calculations in electric devices such as transformers, anisotropic effects should be considered. In the following sections, we give an overview of a macroscopic model which takes into account the magnetic and magnetoelastic anisotropy of the material for both magnetization and magnetostriction computing. Firstly, a comparison between the model results and measurements from a Single Sheet Tester (SST) and values will be shown. Secondly, the model is integrated in a finite elements code to predict magnetostrictive deformation of an in-house test bench which is a stack of 40 sheets glued together by the Vacuum-Pressure Impregnation (VPI) method. Measurements on the test bench and Finite Elements results are presented.

The influence of polarization on millimeter wave propagation through rain. Ph.D Thesis. Interim Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiley, P. H.; Bostian, C. W.; Stutzman, W. L.

1973-01-01

The influence of polarization on millimeter wave propagation is investigated from both an experimental and a theoretical viewpoint. First, previous theoretical and experimental work relating to the attenuation and depolarization of millimeter waves by rainfall is discussed. Considerable detail is included in the literature review. Next, a theoretical model is developed to predict the cross polarization level during rainfall from the path average rain rate and the scattered field from a single raindrop. Finally, data from the VPI and SU depolarization experiment are presented as verification of the new model, and a comparison is made with other theories and experiments. Aspects of the new model are: (1) spherical rather than plane waves are assumed, (2) the average drop diameter is used rather than a drop size distribution, and (3) it is simple enough so that the effect which changing one or more parameters has on the crosspolarization level is easily seen.

Image Representation and Interactivity: An Exploration of Utility Values, Information-Needs and Image Interactivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Elise C.

2011-01-01

This study was designed to explore the relationships between users and interactive images. Three factors were identified and provided different perspectives on how users interact with images: image utility, information-need, and images with varying levels of interactivity. The study used a mixed methodology to gain a more comprehensive…

A Standardized Chemically Modified Curcuma longa Extract Modulates IRAK-MAPK Signaling in Inflammation and Potentiates Cytotoxicity

PubMed Central

Rana, Minakshi; Maurya, Preeti; Reddy, Sukka S.; Singh, Vishal; Ahmad, Hafsa; Dwivedi, Anil K.; Dikshit, Madhu; Barthwal, Manoj K.

2016-01-01

The TLR/IL-1R pathway is a critical signaling module that is misregulated in pathologies like inflammation and cancer. Extracts from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) enriched in curcumin and carbonyls like turmerones have been shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory effects. The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity, cytotoxic effect and the underlying mechanism of a novel chemically modified, non-carbonyl compound enriched Curcuma longa L. (C. longa) extract (CMCE). CMCE (1 or 10 μg/mL; 14 h) significantly decreased LPS (50-100 ng/mL) induced TNF-α and IL-1β production in THP-1 cells, human, and mouse whole blood as measured by ELISA. LPS-induced IRAK1, MAPK activation, TLR4 expression, TLR4-MyD88 interaction, and IκBα degradation were significantly reduced in CMCE pre-treated THP-1 cells as assessed by Western blotting. CMCE (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg; 10 days p.o.) pre-treated and LPS (10 mg/kg) challenged Swiss mice exhibited attenuated plasma TNF-α, IL-1β, nitrite, aortic iNOS expression, and vascular dysfunction. In a PI permeability assay, cell lines derived from acute myeloid leukemia were most sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of CMCE. Analysis of Sub-G1 phase, Annexin V-PI positivity, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, increased caspase-3, and PARP-1 activation confirmed CMCE induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. IRAK inhibition also sensitized HL-60 cells to CMCE induced cytotoxicity. The present study defines the mechanism underlying the action of CMCE and suggests a therapeutic potential for its use in sepsis and leukemia. PMID:27504095

The Spinel Explorer--Interactive Visual Analysis of Spinel Group Minerals.

PubMed

Luján Ganuza, María; Ferracutti, Gabriela; Gargiulo, María Florencia; Castro, Silvia Mabel; Bjerg, Ernesto; Gröller, Eduard; Matković, Krešimir

2014-12-01

Geologists usually deal with rocks that are up to several thousand million years old. They try to reconstruct the tectonic settings where these rocks were formed and the history of events that affected them through the geological time. The spinel group minerals provide useful information regarding the geological environment in which the host rocks were formed. They constitute excellent indicators of geological environments (tectonic settings) and are of invaluable help in the search for mineral deposits of economic interest. The current workflow requires the scientists to work with different applications to analyze spine data. They do use specific diagrams, but these are usually not interactive. The current workflow hinders domain experts to fully exploit the potentials of tediously and expensively collected data. In this paper, we introduce the Spinel Explorer-an interactive visual analysis application for spinel group minerals. The design of the Spinel Explorer and of the newly introduced interactions is a result of a careful study of geologists' tasks. The Spinel Explorer includes most of the diagrams commonly used for analyzing spinel group minerals, including 2D binary plots, ternary plots, and 3D Spinel prism plots. Besides specific plots, conventional information visualization views are also integrated in the Spinel Explorer. All views are interactive and linked. The Spinel Explorer supports conventional statistics commonly used in spinel minerals exploration. The statistics views and different data derivation techniques are fully integrated in the system. Besides the Spinel Explorer as newly proposed interactive exploration system, we also describe the identified analysis tasks, and propose a new workflow. We evaluate the Spinel Explorer using real-life data from two locations in Argentina: the Frontal Cordillera in Central Andes and Patagonia. We describe the new findings of the geologists which would have been much more difficult to achieve using the current workflow only. Very positive feedback from geologists confirms the usefulness of the Spinel Explorer.

Streptomyces Exploration: Competition, Volatile Communication and New Bacterial Behaviours.

PubMed

Jones, Stephanie E; Elliot, Marie A

2017-07-01

Streptomyces bacteria are prolific producers of specialized metabolites, and have a well studied, complex life cycle. Recent work has revealed a new type of Streptomyces growth termed 'exploration' - so named for the ability of explorer cells to rapidly traverse solid surfaces. Streptomyces exploration is stimulated by fungal interactions, and is associated with the production of an alkaline volatile organic compound (VOC) capable of inducing exploration by other streptomycetes. Here, we examine Streptomyces exploration from the perspectives of interkingdom interactions, pH-induced morphological switches, and VOC-mediated communication. The phenotypic diversity that can be revealed through microbial interactions and VOC exposure is providing us with insight into novel modes of microbial development, and an opportunity to exploit VOCs to stimulate desired microbial behaviours. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Many-body physics using cold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundar, Bhuvanesh

Advances in experiments on dilute ultracold atomic gases have given us access to highly tunable quantum systems. In particular, there have been substantial improvements in achieving different kinds of interaction between atoms. As a result, utracold atomic gases oer an ideal platform to simulate many-body phenomena in condensed matter physics, and engineer other novel phenomena that are a result of the exotic interactions produced between atoms. In this dissertation, I present a series of studies that explore the physics of dilute ultracold atomic gases in different settings. In each setting, I explore a different form of the inter-particle interaction. Motivated by experiments which induce artificial spin-orbit coupling for cold fermions, I explore this system in my first project. In this project, I propose a method to perform universal quantum computation using the excitations of interacting spin-orbit coupled fermions, in which effective p-wave interactions lead to the formation of a topological superfluid. Motivated by experiments which explore the physics of exotic interactions between atoms trapped inside optical cavities, I explore this system in a second project. I calculate the phase diagram of lattice bosons trapped in an optical cavity, where the cavity modes mediates effective global range checkerboard interactions between the atoms. I compare this phase diagram with one that was recently measured experimentally. In two other projects, I explore quantum simulation of condensed matter phenomena due to spin-dependent interactions between particles. I propose a method to produce tunable spin-dependent interactions between atoms, using an optical Feshbach resonance. In one project, I use these spin-dependent interactions in an ultracold Bose-Fermi system, and propose a method to produce the Kondo model. I propose an experiment to directly observe the Kondo effect in this system. In another project, I propose using lattice bosons with a large hyperfine spin, which have Feshbach-induced spin-dependent interactions, to produce a quantum dimer model. I propose an experiment to detect the ground state in this system. In a final project, I develop tools to simulate the dynamics of fermionic superfluids in which fermions interact via a short-range interaction.

Dynamics Explorer twin spacecraft under evaluation tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redmond, C.

1981-01-01

The Dynamics Explorer A and B satellites designed to explore the interactive processes occuring between the magnetosphere and Earth's ionosphere, upper atmosphere, and plasmasphere are described. Effects of these interactions, satellite orbits, data collecting antennas, solar power systems, axes, configurations, and Earth based command, control and data display systems are mentioned.

Exploration of Textual Interactions in CALL Learning Communities: Emerging Research and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Jonathan R.

2017-01-01

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has greatly enhanced the realm of online social interaction and behavior. In language classrooms, it allows the opportunity for students to enhance their learning experiences. "Exploration of Textual Interactions in CALL Learning Communities: Emerging Research and Opportunities" is an ideal…

Learning and Language: Educarer-Child Interactions in Singapore Infant-Care Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Cynthia; Lim, Sirene May-Yin

2013-01-01

While there has been extensive research exploring the quality of caregiver-child interactions in programmes for preschool children, comparatively less international research has explored the nature of caregiver-child interactions in centre-based infant-care programmes. Nine caregivers in six Singapore infant-care settings were observed and…

Crystal structures of two novel dye-decolorizing peroxidases reveal a beta-barrel fold with a conserved heme-binding motif.

PubMed

Zubieta, Chloe; Krishna, S Sri; Kapoor, Mili; Kozbial, Piotr; McMullan, Daniel; Axelrod, Herbert L; Miller, Mitchell D; Abdubek, Polat; Ambing, Eileen; Astakhova, Tamara; Carlton, Dennis; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc C; Duan, Lian; Elsliger, Marc-André; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grzechnik, Slawomir K; Hale, Joanna; Hampton, Eric; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K; Klock, Heath E; Knuth, Mark W; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; Morse, Andrew T; Nigoghossian, Edward; Okach, Linda; Oommachen, Silvya; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L; Schimmel, Paul; van den Bedem, Henry; Weekes, Dana; White, Aprilfawn; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O; Wooley, John; Deacon, Ashley M; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A; Wilson, Ian A

2007-11-01

BtDyP from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (strain VPI-5482) and TyrA from Shewanella oneidensis are dye-decolorizing peroxidases (DyPs), members of a new family of heme-dependent peroxidases recently identified in fungi and bacteria. Here, we report the crystal structures of BtDyP and TyrA at 1.6 and 2.7 A, respectively. BtDyP assembles into a hexamer, while TyrA assembles into a dimer; the dimerization interface is conserved between the two proteins. Each monomer exhibits a two-domain, alpha+beta ferredoxin-like fold. A site for heme binding was identified computationally, and modeling of a heme into the proposed active site allowed for identification of residues likely to be functionally important. Structural and sequence comparisons with other DyPs demonstrate a conservation of putative heme-binding residues, including an absolutely conserved histidine. Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments confirm heme binding, but with a stoichiometry of 0.3:1 (heme:protein). (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

SerpinE2, a poor biomarker of endometrial cancer, promotes the proliferation and mobility of EC cells.

PubMed

Shen, Yuan; Wang, Xiaoyu; Xu, Jianping; Lu, Lin

2017-07-04

The SerpinE2 pathway is evolutionarily conserved and plays an important role in tumorigenesis. SerpinE2 (a small ubiquitin-related modifier), like ubiquitin, conjugates SerpinE2 proteins onto lysine residues of target proteins. SerpinE2 over-expression has been found in several tumors. Here, we detected the level of SerpinE2 in 72 samples of EC tissue using immunohistochemistry to assess the role of SerpinE2 in EC prognosis. Meanwhile, we knocked down SerpinE2 by siRNA in the HTB-111 and Ishikawa EC cell lines and analyzed the viability and mobility change using an MTT assay, an annexin V/PI apoptosis assay, a wound scratch test and a transwell assay. A Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a negative correlation between the level of SerpinE2 and the EC prognosis. Silencing SerpinE2 induced cell apoptosis and reduced the migration ability. Our data suggest SerpinE2 works as an oncogene in EC.

Even-order harmonic cancellation for off-quadrature biased Mach-Zehnder modulator with improved RF metrics using dual wavelength inputs and dual outputs.

PubMed

Devgan, Preetpaul S; Diehl, John F; Urick, Vincent J; Sunderman, Christopher E; Williams, Keith J

2009-05-25

We present a technique using a dual-output Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) with two wavelength inputs, one operating at low-bias and the other operating at high-bias, in order to cancel unwanted even-order harmonics in analog optical links. By using a dual-output MZM, this technique allows for two suppressed optical carriers to be transmitted to the receiver. Combined with optical amplification and balanced differential detection, the RF power of the fundamental is increased by 2 dB while the even-order harmonic is reduced by 47 dB, simultaneously. The RF noise figure and third-order spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR(3)) are improved by 5.4 dB and 3.6 dB, respectively. Using a wavelength sensitive, low V(pi) MZM allows the two wavelengths to be within 5.5 nm of each other for a frequency band from 10 MHz to 100 MHz and 10 nm for 1 GHz.

Sleep and Speech Outcomes After Superior Adenoidectomy in Children with Cleft Palate.

PubMed

Waselchuk, Emily; Sidman, James D; Lander, Timothy; Tibesar, Robert; Roby, Brianne B

2018-01-21

Objective To describe the sleep and speech outcomes in patients with cleft palate who underwent superior adenoidectomy. Subjectives and methods This is a case series with chart review of patients with diagnoses of cleft palate and sleep disordered breathing (SDB), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or nasal obstruction treated with superior adenoidectomy from 1991-2015 at the Children's Hospital of Minnesota. Postoperative clinic notes documented the changes in symptoms following surgery. All speech outcomes were recorded. Results Fifty patients (23 females, 27 males) aged 11 months to 17 years were included. Forty-six patients (92%) had improvement of sleep symptoms including snoring, nighttime restlessness, and witnessed apnea events, following superior adenoidectomy. Forty-two of the 46 patients (91%) had stable speech postoperatively with either no development or no worsening of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Conclusion Superior adenoidectomy is an effective procedure to alleviate symptoms of sleep disordered breathing in patients with cleft palate without significantly affecting speech.

The role of MAPK in CD4{sup +} T cells toll-like receptor 9-mediated signaling following HHV-6 infection

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

Chi, Jing; Wang, Fang; Li, Lingyun

2012-01-05

Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is an important immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory virus that primarily infects immune cells (mainly CD4{sup +} T cells) and strongly suppresses the proliferation of infected cells. Toll-like receptors are pattern-recognition receptors essential for the development of an appropriate innate immune defense against infection. To understand the role of CD4{sup +} T cells in the innate response to HHV-6 infection and the involvement of TLRs, we used an in vitro infection model and observed that the infection of CD4{sup +} T cells resulted in the activation of JNK/SAPK via up-regulation of toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). Associated with JNK activation,more » annexin V-PI staining indicated that HHV-6A was a strong inducer of apoptosis. Apoptotic response associated cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-{alpha} also induced by HHV-6A infection.« less

Early cellular responses against tributyltin chloride exposure in primary cultures derived from various brain regions.

PubMed

Mitra, Sumonto; Siddiqui, Waseem A; Khandelwal, Shashi

2014-05-01

Tributyltin (TBT) is a potent biocide and commonly used in various industrial sectors. Humans are mainly exposed through the food chain. We have previously demonstrated tin accumulation in brain following TBT-chloride (TBTC) exposure. In this study, effect of TBTC on dissociated cells from different brain regions was evaluated. Cytotoxicity assay (MTT), mode of cell death (Annexin V/PI assay), oxidative stress parameters (ROS and lipid peroxidation), reducing power of the cell (GSH), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and intracellular Ca(2+) were evaluated to ascertain the effect of TBTC. Expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was measured to understand the effect on astroglial cells. TBTC as low as 30 nM was found to reduce GSH levels, whereas higher doses of 300 and 3000 nM induced ROS generation and marked loss in cell viability mainly through apoptosis. Striatum showed higher susceptibility than other regions, which may have further implications on various neurological aspects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Young Pianists Exploring Improvisation Using Interactive Music Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, Victoria; Triantafyllaki, Angeliki; Anagnostopoulou, Xristina

2015-01-01

The use of music technology in the enhancement of young pianists' musical improvisations has been scarcely explored in instrumental music teaching and learning research. In the present study, 19 piano pupils aged 6-10 from the UK and Greece used an interactive improvisation system called Musical Interaction Relying On Reflexion (MIROR)-Impro for…

Mood as Embodied Action: A Phenomenological Study of Interaction between Self and the Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manley, Dolores R.

2009-01-01

This phenomenological study explored the interaction between the affective phenomenon of mood (Davidson, et al., 2003) and embodied action (Varela, et al., 1993) experienced during interaction between self and the environment. Exploring the complementarity of mood and embodied action for organizations, teams, or individuals provided insightful…

Interactions among Future Study Abroad Students: Exploring Potential Intercultural Learning Sequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borghetti, C.; Beaven, A.; Pugliese, R.

2015-01-01

The study presented in this article aims to explore if and how intercultural learning may take place in students' class interaction. It is grounded in the assumption that interculturality is not a clear-cut feature inherent to interactions occurring when individuals with presumed different linguistic and cultural/national backgrounds talk to each…

Using Dialogic Talk to Teach Mathematics: The Case of Interactive Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Díez-Palomar, Javier; Olivé, Joan Cabré

2015-01-01

This article explores the types of interactions that take place within "Interactive Groups" when individuals come to a meaningful understanding of mathematics. We discuss the possibility for dialogic talk to unveil the process of learning, and we explore the role that tutors may play in making this process happen. We postulate that…

Interaction Junk: User Interaction-Based Evaluation of Visual Analytic Systems

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

Endert, Alexander; North, Chris

2012-10-14

With the growing need for visualization to aid users in understanding large, complex datasets, the ability for users to interact and explore these datasets is critical. As visual analytic systems have advanced to leverage powerful computational models and data analytics capabilities, the modes by which users engage and interact with the information are limited. Often, users are taxed with directly manipulating parameters of these models through traditional GUIs (e.g., using sliders to directly manipulate the value of a parameter). However, the purpose of user interaction in visual analytic systems is to enable visual data exploration – where users can focusmore » on their task, as opposed to the tool or system. As a result, users can engage freely in data exploration and decision-making, for the purpose of gaining insight. In this position paper, we discuss how evaluating visual analytic systems can be approached through user interaction analysis, where the goal is to minimize the cognitive translation between the visual metaphor and the mode of interaction (i.e., reducing the “Interactionjunk”). We motivate this concept through a discussion of traditional GUIs used in visual analytics for direct manipulation of model parameters, and the importance of designing interactions the support visual data exploration.« less

Exploring the Use of Interactive Digital Storytelling Video: Promoting Student Engagement and Learning in a University Hybrid Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelton, Catharyn C.; Warren, Annie E.; Archambault, Leanna M.

2016-01-01

This study explores interactive digital storytelling in a university hybrid course. Digital stories leverage imagery and narrative-based content to explore concepts, while appealing to millennials. When digital storytelling is used as the main source of course content, tensions arise regarding how to engage and support student learning while…

Environmental interactions in space exploration: Environmental interactions working group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolecki, Joseph C.; Hillard, G. Barry

1992-01-01

With the advent of the Space Exploration Initiative, the possibility of designing and using systems on scales heretofore unattempted presents exciting new challenges in systems design and space science. The environments addressed by the Space Exploration Initiative include the surfaces of the Moon and Mars, as well as the varied plasma and field environments which will be encountered by humans and cargo enroute to these destinations. Systems designers will need to understand environmental interactions and be able to model these mechanisms from the earliest conceptual design stages through design completion. To the end of understanding environmental interactions and establishing robotic precursor mission requirements, an Environmental Interactions Working Group was established as part of the Robotic Missions Working Group. The working group is described, and its current activities are updated.

Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments: An Exploration of Learner Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhode, Jason F.

2009-01-01

This mixed methods study explored the dynamics of interaction within a self-paced online learning environment. It used rich media and a mix of traditional and emerging asynchronous computer-mediated communication tools to determine what forms of interaction learners in a self-paced online course value most and what impact they perceive interaction…

Exploring How Children Use Their Hands to Think: An Embodied Interactional Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antle, Alissa N.

2013-01-01

In order to better understand how to design hands-on child-computer interaction, we explore how different styles of interaction facilitate children's thinking while they use their hands to manipulate objects. We present an exploratory study of children solving a spatial puzzle task. We investigate how the affordances of physical, graphical…

Emotions Matter: Teachers' Feelings about Their Interactions with Teacher Trainers during Curriculum Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yin, Hong-biao; Lee, John Chi-Kin

2011-01-01

Compared with the rich exploration of teachers' emotional geographies in the West, there have been only a small number of studies conducted in Chinese societies that have adopted Hargreaves's emotional geographies to analyze human interactions in education. This study explores the nature of emotions felt by teachers during their interactions with…

Building a Learning Experience: What Do Learners' Online Interaction Data Imply?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kokoç, Mehmet; Altun, Arif

2016-01-01

It is still under debate whether learners' interaction data within e-learning and/or open learning environments could be considered as reflections of their learning experiences to be effective or not. Therefore, it is meaningful to explore the nature of these interactions and to make meaningful conclusions. This study aims to explore what the…

CRISPR-Cas and Contact-Dependent Secretion Systems Present on Excisable Pathogenicity Islands with Conserved Recombination Modules.

PubMed

Carpenter, Megan R; Kalburge, Sai S; Borowski, Joseph D; Peters, Molly C; Colwell, Rita R; Boyd, E Fidelma

2017-05-15

Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are mobile integrated genetic elements that contain a diverse range of virulence factors. PAIs integrate into the host chromosome at a tRNA locus that contains their specific bacterial attachment site, attB , via integrase-mediated site-specific recombination generating attL and attR sites. We identified conserved recombination modules (integrases and att sites) previously described in choleragenic Vibrio cholerae PAIs but with novel cargo genes. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated proteins (Cas proteins) and a type VI secretion system (T6SS) gene cluster were identified at the Vibrio pathogenicity island 1 (VPI-1) insertion site in 19 V. cholerae strains and contained the same recombination module. Two divergent type I-F CRISPR-Cas systems were identified, which differed in Cas protein homology and content. The CRISPR repeat sequence was identical among all V. cholerae strains, but the CRISPR spacer sequences and the number of spacers varied. In silico analysis suggests that the CRISPR-Cas systems were active against phages and plasmids. A type III secretion system (T3SS) was present in 12 V. cholerae strains on a 68-kb island inserted at the same tRNA-serine insertion site as VPI-2 and contained the same recombination module. Bioinformatics analysis showed that two divergent T3SSs exist among the strains examined. Both the CRISPR and T3SS islands excised site specifically from the bacterial chromosome as complete units, and the cognate integrases were essential for this excision. These data demonstrated that identical recombination modules that catalyze integration and excision from the chromosome can acquire diverse cargo genes, signifying a novel method of acquisition for both CRISPR-Cas systems and T3SSs. IMPORTANCE This work demonstrated the presence of CRISPR-Cas systems and T3SSs on PAIs. Our work showed that similar recombination modules can associate with different cargo genes and catalyze their incorporation into bacterial chromosomes, which could convert a strain into a pathogen with very different disease pathologies. Each island had the ability to excise from the chromosome as distinct, complete units for possible transfer. Evolutionary analysis of these regions indicates that they were acquired by horizontal transfer and that PAIs are the units of transfer. Similar to the case for phage evolution, PAIs have a modular structure where different functional regions are acquired by identical recombination modules. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Guided exploration in virtual environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckhaus, Steffi; Eckel, Gerhard; Strothotte, Thomas

2001-06-01

We describe an application supporting alternating interaction and animation for the purpose of exploration in a surround- screen projection-based virtual reality system. The exploration of an environment is a highly interactive and dynamic process in which the presentation of objects of interest can give the user guidance while exploring the scene. Previous systems for automatic presentation of models or scenes need either cinematographic rules, direct human interaction, framesets or precalculation (e.g. precalculation of paths to a predefined goal). We report on the development of a system that can deal with rapidly changing user interest in objects of a scene or model as well as with dynamic models and changes of the camera position introduced interactively by the user. It is implemented as a potential-field based camera data generating system. In this paper we describe the implementation of our approach in a virtual art museum on the CyberStage, our surround-screen projection-based stereoscopic display. The paradigm of guided exploration is introduced describing the freedom of the user to explore the museum autonomously. At the same time, if requested by the user, guided exploration provides just-in-time navigational support. The user controls this support by specifying the current field of interest in high-level search criteria. We also present an informal user study evaluating this approach.

Exploring the Peer Interaction Effects on Learning Achievement in a Social Learning Platform Based on Social Network Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yu-Tzu; Chen, Ming-Puu; Chang, Chia-Hu; Chang, Pu-Chen

2017-01-01

The benefits of social learning have been recognized by existing research. To explore knowledge distribution in social learning and its effects on learning achievement, we developed a social learning platform and explored students' behaviors of peer interactions by the proposed algorithms based on social network analysis. An empirical study was…

Interactive Exploration of Cosmological Dark-Matter Simulation Data.

PubMed

Scherzinger, Aaron; Brix, Tobias; Drees, Dominik; Volker, Andreas; Radkov, Kiril; Santalidis, Niko; Fieguth, Alexander; Hinrichs, Klaus H

2017-01-01

The winning entry of the 2015 IEEE Scientific Visualization Contest, this article describes a visualization tool for cosmological data resulting from dark-matter simulations. The proposed system helps users explore all aspects of the data at once and receive more detailed information about structures of interest at any time. Moreover, novel methods for visualizing and interactively exploring dark-matter halo substructures are proposed.

Subchronic toxicity, immunoregulation and anti-breast tumor effect of Nordamnacantal, an anthraquinone extracted from the stems of Morinda citrifolia L.

PubMed

Abu, Nadiah; Zamberi, Nur Rizi; Yeap, Swee Keong; Nordin, Noraini; Mohamad, Nurul Elyani; Romli, Muhammad Firdaus; Rasol, Nurulfazlina Edayah; Subramani, Tamilselvan; Ismail, Nor Hadiani; Alitheen, Noorjahan Banu

2018-01-27

Morinda citrifolia L. that was reported with immunomodulating and cytotoxic effects has been traditionally used to treat multiple illnesses including cancer. An anthraquinone derived from fruits of Morinda citrifolia L., nordamnacanthal, is a promising agent possessing several in vitro biological activities. However, the in vivo anti-tumor effects and the safety profile of nordamnacanthal are yet to be evaluated. In vitro cytotoxicity of nordamnacanthal was tested using MTT, cell cycle and Annexin V/PI assays on human MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells. Mice were orally fed with nordamnacanthal daily for 28 days for oral subchronic toxicity study. Then, the in vivo anti-tumor effect was evaluated on 4T1 murine cancer cells-challenged mice. Changes of tumor size and immune parameters were evaluated on the untreated and nordamnacanthal treated mice. Nordamnacanthal was found to possess cytotoxic effects on MDA-MB231, MCF-7 and 4T1 cells in vitro. Moreover, based on the cell cycle and Annexin V results, nordamnacanthal managed to induce cell death in both MDA-MB231 and MCF-7 cells. Additionally, no mortality, signs of toxicity and changes of serum liver profile were observed in nordamnacanthal treated mice in the subchronic toxicity study. Furthermore, 50 mg/kg body weight of nordamncanthal successfully delayed the progression of 4T1 tumors in Balb/C mice after 28 days of treatment. Treatment with nordamnacanthal was also able to increase tumor immunity as evidenced by the immunophenotyping of the spleen and YAC-1 cytotoxicity assays. Nordamnacanthal managed to inhibit the growth and induce cell death in MDA-MB231 and MCF-7 cell lines in vitro and cease the tumor progression of 4T1 cells in vivo. Overall, nordamnacanthal holds interesting anti-cancer properties that can be further explored.

[RITA combined with temozolomide inhibits the proliferation of human glioblastoma U87 cells].

PubMed

He, Xiao-Yan; Feng, Xiao-Li; Song, Xin-Pei; Zeng, Huan-Chao; Cao, Zhong-Xu; Xiao, Wei-Wei; Zhang, Bao; Wu, Qing-Hua

2016-10-20

To observe the effect of RITA, a small molecule that targets p53, combined with temozolomide (TMZ) on proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis of human glioblastoma U87 cells and explore the underlying mechanism. Cultured U87 cells were treated with RITA (1, 5, 10, 20 µmol/L), TMZ, or RITA+TMZ (half dose) for 24, 48 or 72 h. MTS assay were used to detect the cell proliferation, and the cell proliferation rate and inhibitory rate were calculated. The effect of combined treatments was evaluated by the q value. The expressions of p53, p21 and other apoptosis-associated genes were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting; cell apoptosis was assayed using flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI double staining; colony formation of the cells was detected with crystal violet staining. MTS assay showed that RITA at the 4 doses more potently inhibited U87 cell viability than TMZ at 72 h (P=0.000) with inhibitory rates of 25.94%-41.38% and 3.84%-8.20%, respectively. RITA combined with TMZ caused a more significant inhibition of U87 cells (29.21%-52.11%) than RITA (P<0.01) and TMZ (P=0.000) alone. At the doses above 5 µmol/L, the combined treatments with RITA+TMZ for 48 h resulted in q values exceeding 1.2 and showed an obvious synergistic effect of the drugs. Both RITA and TMZ, especially the latter, significantly increased the expressions of p53, p21, puma, and other apoptosis-associated genes to accelerate apoptosis and inhibit the growth and colony formation of U87 cells, and the effect was more obvious with a combined treatment. RITA inhibits the growth of human glioblastoma cells and enhance their sensitivity to TMZ by up-regulating p53 expression, and when combined, RITA and TMZ show a synergistic effect to cause a stronger cell inhibition.

The Use of a Liposomal Formulation Incorporating an Antimicrobial Peptide from Tilapia as a New Adjuvant to Epirubicin in Human Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Pluripotent Testicular Embryonic Carcinoma Cells

PubMed Central

Lo, Yu-Li; Lee, Hsin-Pin; Tu, Wei-Chen

2015-01-01

This study aims to explore the effects and mechanisms of hepcidin, a potential antimicrobial peptide from Tilapia, and epirubicin (Epi), an antineoplastic agent, on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and link the ROS levels to the reversal mechanisms of multidrug resistance (MDR) by epirubicin and hepcidin in human squamous cell carcinoma SCC15 and human embryonal carcinoma NT2D1 cells. The cells, pretreated with hepcidin, epirubicin, or a combination of these compounds in PEGylated liposomes, were used to validate the molecular mechanisms involved in inhibiting efflux transporters and inducing apoptosis as evaluated by cytotoxicity, intracellular accumulation, mRNA levels, cell cycle distribution, and caspase activity of this combination. We found that hepcidin significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of epirubicin in liposomes. The co-incubation of epirubicin with hepcidin in liposomes intensified the ROS production, including hydrogen peroxide and superoxide free radicals. Hepcidin significantly increased epirubicin intracellular uptake into NT2D1 and SCC15 cells, as supported by the diminished mRNA expressions of MDR1, MDR-associated protein (MRP) 1, and MRP2. Hepcidin and/or epirubicin in liposomes triggered apoptosis, as verified by the reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, increased sub-G1 phase of cell cycle, incremental populations of apoptosis using annexin V/PI assay, and chromatin condensation. As far as we know, this is the first example showing that PEGylated liposomal TH1-5 and epirubicin gives rise to cell death in human squamous carcinoma and testicular embryonic carcinoma cells through the reduced epirubicin efflux via ROS-mediated suppression of P-gp and MRPs and concomitant initiation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Hence, hepcidin in PEGylated liposomes may function as an adjuvant to anticancer drugs, thus demonstrating a novel strategy for reversing MDR. PMID:26393585

EINVis: a visualization tool for analyzing and exploring genetic interactions in large-scale association studies.

PubMed

Wu, Yubao; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Chen, Jian; Zhang, Xiang

2013-11-01

Epistasis (gene-gene interaction) detection in large-scale genetic association studies has recently drawn extensive research interests as many complex traits are likely caused by the joint effect of multiple genetic factors. The large number of possible interactions poses both statistical and computational challenges. A variety of approaches have been developed to address the analytical challenges in epistatic interaction detection. These methods usually output the identified genetic interactions and store them in flat file formats. It is highly desirable to develop an effective visualization tool to further investigate the detected interactions and unravel hidden interaction patterns. We have developed EINVis, a novel visualization tool that is specifically designed to analyze and explore genetic interactions. EINVis displays interactions among genetic markers as a network. It utilizes a circular layout (specially, a tree ring view) to simultaneously visualize the hierarchical interactions between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genes, and chromosomes, and the network structure formed by these interactions. Using EINVis, the user can distinguish marginal effects from interactions, track interactions involving more than two markers, visualize interactions at different levels, and detect proxy SNPs based on linkage disequilibrium. EINVis is an effective and user-friendly free visualization tool for analyzing and exploring genetic interactions. It is publicly available with detailed documentation and online tutorial on the web at http://filer.case.edu/yxw407/einvis/. © 2013 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Why Some Walk and Others Don't: Exploring Interactions of Perceived Safety and Social Neighborhood Factors with Psychosocial Cognitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beenackers, Marielle A.; Kamphuis, Carlijn B. M.; Mackenbach, Johan P.; Burdorf, Alex; van Lenthe, Frank J.

2013-01-01

Although physical activity is often believed to be influenced by both environmental and individual factors, little is known about their interaction. This study explores interactions of perceived safety and social neighborhood factors with psychosocial cognitions for leisure-time walking. Cross-sectional data were obtained from residents (age 25-75…

Chronodes: Interactive Multifocus Exploration of Event Sequences

PubMed Central

POLACK, PETER J.; CHEN, SHANG-TSE; KAHNG, MINSUK; DE BARBARO, KAYA; BASOLE, RAHUL; SHARMIN, MOUSHUMI; CHAU, DUEN HORNG

2018-01-01

The advent of mobile health (mHealth) technologies challenges the capabilities of current visualizations, interactive tools, and algorithms. We present Chronodes, an interactive system that unifies data mining and human-centric visualization techniques to support explorative analysis of longitudinal mHealth data. Chronodes extracts and visualizes frequent event sequences that reveal chronological patterns across multiple participant timelines of mHealth data. It then combines novel interaction and visualization techniques to enable multifocus event sequence analysis, which allows health researchers to interactively define, explore, and compare groups of participant behaviors using event sequence combinations. Through summarizing insights gained from a pilot study with 20 behavioral and biomedical health experts, we discuss Chronodes’s efficacy and potential impact in the mHealth domain. Ultimately, we outline important open challenges in mHealth, and offer recommendations and design guidelines for future research. PMID:29515937

PyramidalExplorer: A New Interactive Tool to Explore Morpho-Functional Relations of Human Pyramidal Neurons.

PubMed

Toharia, Pablo; Robles, Oscar D; Fernaud-Espinosa, Isabel; Makarova, Julia; Galindo, Sergio E; Rodriguez, Angel; Pastor, Luis; Herreras, Oscar; DeFelipe, Javier; Benavides-Piccione, Ruth

2015-01-01

This work presents PyramidalExplorer, a new tool to interactively explore and reveal the detailed organization of the microanatomy of pyramidal neurons with functionally related models. It consists of a set of functionalities that allow possible regional differences in the pyramidal cell architecture to be interactively discovered by combining quantitative morphological information about the structure of the cell with implemented functional models. The key contribution of this tool is the morpho-functional oriented design that allows the user to navigate within the 3D dataset, filter and perform Content-Based Retrieval operations. As a case study, we present a human pyramidal neuron with over 9000 dendritic spines in its apical and basal dendritic trees. Using PyramidalExplorer, we were able to find unexpected differential morphological attributes of dendritic spines in particular compartments of the neuron, revealing new aspects of the morpho-functional organization of the pyramidal neuron.

PyramidalExplorer: A New Interactive Tool to Explore Morpho-Functional Relations of Human Pyramidal Neurons

PubMed Central

Toharia, Pablo; Robles, Oscar D.; Fernaud-Espinosa, Isabel; Makarova, Julia; Galindo, Sergio E.; Rodriguez, Angel; Pastor, Luis; Herreras, Oscar; DeFelipe, Javier; Benavides-Piccione, Ruth

2016-01-01

This work presents PyramidalExplorer, a new tool to interactively explore and reveal the detailed organization of the microanatomy of pyramidal neurons with functionally related models. It consists of a set of functionalities that allow possible regional differences in the pyramidal cell architecture to be interactively discovered by combining quantitative morphological information about the structure of the cell with implemented functional models. The key contribution of this tool is the morpho-functional oriented design that allows the user to navigate within the 3D dataset, filter and perform Content-Based Retrieval operations. As a case study, we present a human pyramidal neuron with over 9000 dendritic spines in its apical and basal dendritic trees. Using PyramidalExplorer, we were able to find unexpected differential morphological attributes of dendritic spines in particular compartments of the neuron, revealing new aspects of the morpho-functional organization of the pyramidal neuron. PMID:26778972

Using PyMOL to Explore the Effects of ph on Noncovalent Interactions between Immunoglobulin G and Protein A: A Guided-Inquiry Biochemistry Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roche Allred, Zahilyn D.; Tai, Heeyoung; Bretz, Stacey Lowery; Page, Richard C.

2017-01-01

Students' understandings of foundational concepts such as noncovalent interactions, pH and pK[subscript a] are crucial for success in undergraduate biochemistry courses. We developed a guided-inquiry activity to aid students in making connections between noncovalent interactions and pH/pK[subscript a]. Students explore these concepts by examining…

The Students Decision Making in Solving Discount Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdillah; Nusantara, Toto; Subanji; Susanto, Hery; Abadyo

2016-01-01

This research is reviewing students' process of decision making intuitively, analytically, and interactively. The research done by using discount problem which specially created to explore student's intuition, analytically, and interactively. In solving discount problems, researcher exploring student's decision in determining their attitude which…

Towards An Understanding of Mobile Touch Navigation in a Stereoscopic Viewing Environment for 3D Data Exploration.

PubMed

López, David; Oehlberg, Lora; Doger, Candemir; Isenberg, Tobias

2016-05-01

We discuss touch-based navigation of 3D visualizations in a combined monoscopic and stereoscopic viewing environment. We identify a set of interaction modes, and a workflow that helps users transition between these modes to improve their interaction experience. In our discussion we analyze, in particular, the control-display space mapping between the different reference frames of the stereoscopic and monoscopic displays. We show how this mapping supports interactive data exploration, but may also lead to conflicts between the stereoscopic and monoscopic views due to users' movement in space; we resolve these problems through synchronization. To support our discussion, we present results from an exploratory observational evaluation with domain experts in fluid mechanics and structural biology. These experts explored domain-specific datasets using variations of a system that embodies the interaction modes and workflows; we report on their interactions and qualitative feedback on the system and its workflow.

An Interactive Multimedia Software Program for Exploring Electrochemical Cells.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenbowe, Thomas J.

1994-01-01

Describes computer-animated sequences and interactive multimedia instructional programs for use in introductory chemistry which allow students to explore electrochemical cells. The workbench section enables students to manipulate the experimental apparatus, chemicals, and instruments in order to design and build an experiment. The interactive…

Paraeducators' Perceptions and Experiences Working with Diverse Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheehey, Patricia H.; Wells, Jenny C.; Ogata, Veronica F.

2018-01-01

This investigation explored the interactions between paraeducators and the culturally and linguistically diverse families of their students with disabilities. Paraeducators (n = 117) attending a statewide professional development event responded to a questionnaire designed to explore their interactions with diverse parents and families. Results…

New generation of exploration tools: interactive modeling software and microcomputers

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

Krajewski, S.A.

1986-08-01

Software packages offering interactive modeling techniques are now available for use on microcomputer hardware systems. These packages are reasonably priced for both company and independent explorationists; they do not require users to have high levels of computer literacy; they are capable of rapidly completing complex ranges of sophisticated geologic and geophysical modeling tasks; and they can produce presentation-quality output for comparison with real-world data. For example, interactive packages are available for mapping, log analysis, seismic modeling, reservoir studies, and financial projects as well as for applying a variety of statistical and geostatistical techniques to analysis of exploration data. More importantly,more » these packages enable explorationists to directly apply their geologic expertise when developing and fine-tuning models for identifying new prospects and for extending producing fields. As a result of these features, microcomputers and interactive modeling software are becoming common tools in many exploration offices. Gravity and magnetics software programs illustrate some of the capabilities of such exploration tools.« less

In vitro effects of Panax ginseng in aristolochic acid-mediated renal tubulotoxicity: apoptosis versus regeneration.

PubMed

Bunel, Valérian; Antoine, Marie-Hélène; Nortier, Joëlle; Duez, Pierre; Stévigny, Caroline

2015-03-01

This in vitro study aimed to determine the effects of a Panax ginseng extract on aristolochic acid-mediated toxicity in HK-2 cells. A methanolic extract of ginseng (50 µg/mL) was able to reduce cell survival after treatment with 50 µM aristolochic acid for 24, 48, and 72 h, as evidenced by a resazurin reduction assay. This result was confirmed by a flow cytometric evaluation of apoptosis using annexin V-PI staining, and indicated higher apoptosis rates in cells treated with aristolochic acid and P. ginseng extract compared with aristolochic acid alone. However, P. ginseng extract by itself (5 and 50 µg/mL) increased the Ki-67 index, indicating an enhancement in cellular proliferation. Cell cycle analysis excluded a P. ginseng extract-mediated induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest such as the one typically observed with aristolochic acid. Finally, β-catenin acquisition was found to be accelerated when cells were treated with both doses of ginseng, suggesting that the epithelial phenotype of renal proximal tubular epithelial cells was maintained. Also, ginseng treatment (5 and 50 µg/mL) reduced the oxidative stress activity induced by aristolochic acid after 24 and 48 h. These results indicate that the ginseng extract has a protective activity towards the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species induced by aristolochic acid. However, the ginseng-mediated alleviation of oxidative stress did not correlate with a decrease but rather with an increase in aristolochic acid-induced apoptosis and death. This deleterious herb-herb interaction could worsen aristolochic acid tubulotoxicity and reinforce the severity and duration of the injury. Nevertheless, increased cellular proliferation and migration, along with the improvement in the epithelial phenotype maintenance, indicate that ginseng could be useful for improving tubular regeneration and the recovery following drug-induced kidney injury. Such dual activities of ginseng certainly warrant further in vivo studies. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Distinct hippocampal versus frontoparietal-network contributions to retrieval and memory-guided exploration

PubMed Central

Bridge, Donna J.; Cohen, Neal J.; Voss, Joel L.

2017-01-01

Memory can profoundly influence new learning, presumably because memory optimizes exploration of to-be-learned material. Although hippocampus and frontoparietal networks have been implicated in memory-guided exploration, their specific and interactive roles have not been identified. We examined eye movements during fMRI scanning to identify neural correlates of the influences of memory retrieval on exploration and learning. Following retrieval of one object in a multi-object array, viewing was strategically directed away from the retrieved object toward non-retrieved objects, such that exploration was directed towards to-be-learned content. Retrieved objects later served as optimal reminder cues, indicating that exploration caused memory to become structured around the retrieved content. Hippocampal activity was associated with memory retrieval whereas frontoparietal activity varied with strategic viewing patterns deployed following retrieval, thus providing spatiotemporal dissociation of memory retrieval from memory-guided learning strategies. Time-lagged fMRI connectivity analyses indicated that hippocampal activity predicted frontoparietal activity to a greater extent for a condition in which retrieval guided exploration than for a passive control condition in which exploration was not influenced by retrieval. This demonstrates network-level interaction effects specific to influences of memory on strategic exploration. These findings show how memory guides behavior during learning and demonstrate distinct yet interactive hippocampal-frontoparietal roles in implementing strategic exploration behaviors that determine the fate of evolving memory representations. PMID:28471729

Distinct Hippocampal versus Frontoparietal Network Contributions to Retrieval and Memory-guided Exploration.

PubMed

Bridge, Donna J; Cohen, Neal J; Voss, Joel L

2017-08-01

Memory can profoundly influence new learning, presumably because memory optimizes exploration of to-be-learned material. Although hippocampus and frontoparietal networks have been implicated in memory-guided exploration, their specific and interactive roles have not been identified. We examined eye movements during fMRI scanning to identify neural correlates of the influences of memory retrieval on exploration and learning. After retrieval of one object in a multiobject array, viewing was strategically directed away from the retrieved object toward nonretrieved objects, such that exploration was directed toward to-be-learned content. Retrieved objects later served as optimal reminder cues, indicating that exploration caused memory to become structured around the retrieved content. Hippocampal activity was associated with memory retrieval, whereas frontoparietal activity varied with strategic viewing patterns deployed after retrieval, thus providing spatiotemporal dissociation of memory retrieval from memory-guided learning strategies. Time-lagged fMRI connectivity analyses indicated that hippocampal activity predicted frontoparietal activity to a greater extent for a condition in which retrieval guided exploration occurred than for a passive control condition in which exploration was not influenced by retrieval. This demonstrates network-level interaction effects specific to influences of memory on strategic exploration. These findings show how memory guides behavior during learning and demonstrate distinct yet interactive hippocampal-frontoparietal roles in implementing strategic exploration behaviors that determine the fate of evolving memory representations.

Electrical and Chemical Interactions at Mars Workshop. Part 2: Appendix

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The objectives of the workshop were the following: (1) to identify issues related to electrical and chemical interactions between systems and their local environments at Mars; and (2) to recommend means of addressing those issues, including the dispatch of robotic spacecraft to Mars to acquire necessary information. Presentations about Mars' surface and orbital environments, Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) systems, environmental interactions, modeling and analysis, and plans for exploration are presented in viewgraph form.

Explicit Instructional Interactions: Exploring the Black Box of a Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben; Stoolmiller, Mike; Kosty, Derek B.; Fien, Hank; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K.

2017-01-01

A critical aspect of intervention research is investigating the active ingredients that underlie intensive interventions and their theories of change. This study explored the rate of instructional interactions within treatment groups to determine whether they offered explanatory power of an empirically validated Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics…

An Exploration of Teachers' Agency and Social Relationships within Dyslexia-Support Provision in an English Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Helen

2017-01-01

This article explores teachers' experiences of dyslexia and classroom interventions via lesson observations and semi-structured interviews. These experiences were analysed through a Bourdieusien lens, based on Jenkins's "levels of interaction", to delineate power relationships inherent in classroom interactions, teachers' interactions…

Exploring the roles of interaction and flow in explaining nurses' e-learning acceptance.

PubMed

Cheng, Yung-Ming

2013-01-01

To provide safe and competent patient care, it is very important that medical institutions should provide nurses with continuing education by using appropriate learning methods. As compared to traditional learning, electronic learning (e-learning) is a more flexible method for nurses' in-service learning. Hence, e-learning is expected to play a pivotal role in providing continuing education for nurses. This study's purpose was to explore the role and relevance of interaction factors, intrinsic motivator (i.e., flow), and extrinsic motivators (i.e., perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU)) in explaining nurses' intention to use the e-learning system. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) with the flow theory, this study's research model presents three types of interaction factors, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction to construct an extended TAM to explore nurses' intention to use the e-learning system. Sample data were gathered from nurses at two regional hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 320 questionnaires were distributed, 254 (79.375%) questionnaires were returned. Consequently, 218 usable questionnaires were analyzed in this study, with a usable response rate of 68.125%. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used to develop the measurement model. Second, to explore the causal relationships among all constructs, the structural model for the research model was tested by using structural equation modeling. First, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction respectively had significant effects on PU, PEOU, and flow. Next, flow had significant effects on PU and PEOU, and PEOU had a significant effect on PU. Finally, the effects of flow, PU, and PEOU on intention to use were significant. Synthetically speaking, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction can indirectly make significant impacts on nurses' usage intention of the e-learning system via their extrinsic motivators (i.e., PU and PEOU) and intrinsic motivator (i.e., flow). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The development of a virtual camera system for astronaut-rover planetary exploration.

PubMed

Platt, Donald W; Boy, Guy A

2012-01-01

A virtual assistant is being developed for use by astronauts as they use rovers to explore the surface of other planets. This interactive database, called the Virtual Camera (VC), is an interactive database that allows the user to have better situational awareness for exploration. It can be used for training, data analysis and augmentation of actual surface exploration. This paper describes the development efforts and Human-Computer Interaction considerations for implementing a first-generation VC on a tablet mobile computer device. Scenarios for use will be presented. Evaluation and success criteria such as efficiency in terms of processing time and precision situational awareness, learnability, usability, and robustness will also be presented. Initial testing and the impact of HCI design considerations of manipulation and improvement in situational awareness using a prototype VC will be discussed.

Biochemical and full genome sequence analyses of clinical Vibrio cholerae isolates in Mexico reveals the presence of novel V. cholerae strains.

PubMed

Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto; Hernández-Monroy, Irma; Montes-Colima, Norma Angélica; Moreno-Pérez, María Asunción; Galicia-Nicolás, Adriana Guadalupe; López-Martínez, Irma; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ortíz-Alcántara, Joanna María; Garcés-Ayala, Fabiola; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto

2016-05-01

The first week of September 2013, the National Epidemiological Surveillance System identified two cases of cholera in Mexico City. The cultures of both samples were confirmed as Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor. Initial analyses by PFGE and by PCR-amplification of the virulence genes, suggested that both strains were similar, but different from those previously reported in Mexico. The following week, four more cases were identified in a community in the state of Hidalgo, located 121 km northeast of Mexico City. Thereafter a cholera outbreak started in the region of La Huasteca. Genomic analyses of the four strains obtained in this study confirmed the presence of Pathogenicity Islands VPI-1 and -2, VSP-1 and -2, and of the integrative element SXT. The genomic structure of the 4 isolates was similar to that of V. cholerae strain 2010 EL-1786, identified during the epidemic in Haiti in 2010. Copyright © 2016 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Crizotinib-loaded polymeric nanoparticles in lung cancer chemotherapy.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhi-Ming; Dai, Shou-Ping; Xu, Yong-Qing; Li, Tao; Xie, Jian; Li, Chong; Zhang, Zhong-Hui

2015-07-01

The study describes the development of polylactide-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (PLA-TPGS)-based nanosystem as a carrier of crizotinib (CZT) to achieve superior anticancer efficacy in lung cancer therapy. We have demonstrated that block copolymer and hydrophobic drug is capable of self-assembling into a very stable nanocarrier, with suitable properties that allow their application for cancer drug delivery. Drug release study showed a sustained release pattern as a result of entrapment in the hydrophobic core of micelles. CZT/PT NP showed a noticeable cytotoxic effect in NCIH3122 lung cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, morphological imaging and Live/Dead assay revealed a superior anticancer efficacy for nanoformulations. The polymeric nanoparticle showed a predominant presence in the cytoplasmic region of cell, indicating a typical endocytosis-mediated cellular uptake. The annexin V/PI staining-based apoptosis assay showed a remarkable ~40 % apoptosis (early and late apoptosis cells) comparing to only ~25 % apoptosis by free CZT. Taken together, Vitamin E TPGS-modified PLA nanoparticles would be a potential drug delivery system to increase the chemotherapeutic efficacy of CZT in lung cancer chemotherapy.

Quantitative Imaging In Pathology (QUIP) | Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR)

Cancer.gov

This site hosts web accessible applications, tools and data designed to support analysis, management, and exploration of whole slide tissue images for cancer research. The following tools are included: caMicroscope: A digital pathology data management and visualization plaform that enables interactive viewing of whole slide tissue images and segmentation results. caMicroscope can be also used independently of QUIP. FeatureExplorer: An interactive tool to allow patient-level feature exploration across multiple dimensions.

A Grammar-based Approach for Modeling User Interactions and Generating Suggestions During the Data Exploration Process.

PubMed

Dabek, Filip; Caban, Jesus J

2017-01-01

Despite the recent popularity of visual analytics focusing on big data, little is known about how to support users that use visualization techniques to explore multi-dimensional datasets and accomplish specific tasks. Our lack of models that can assist end-users during the data exploration process has made it challenging to learn from the user's interactive and analytical process. The ability to model how a user interacts with a specific visualization technique and what difficulties they face are paramount in supporting individuals with discovering new patterns within their complex datasets. This paper introduces the notion of visualization systems understanding and modeling user interactions with the intent of guiding a user through a task thereby enhancing visual data exploration. The challenges faced and the necessary future steps to take are discussed; and to provide a working example, a grammar-based model is presented that can learn from user interactions, determine the common patterns among a number of subjects using a K-Reversible algorithm, build a set of rules, and apply those rules in the form of suggestions to new users with the goal of guiding them along their visual analytic process. A formal evaluation study with 300 subjects was performed showing that our grammar-based model is effective at capturing the interactive process followed by users and that further research in this area has the potential to positively impact how users interact with a visualization system.

Interaction Mindsets, Interactional Behaviors, and L2 Development: An Affective-Social-Cognitive Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sato, Masatoshi

2017-01-01

This classroom-based study explored links among second language (L2) learners' interaction mindsets, interactional behaviors, and L2 development in the context of peer interaction. While peer interaction research has revealed that certain interactional behaviors (e.g., receiving corrective feedback and engaging in collaborative interaction) assist…

Environmental interactions in Space Exploration: Announcement of the formation of an Environmental Interactions Working Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolecki, Joseph C.; Hillard, G. Barry

1991-01-01

With the advent of the Space Exploration Initiative, the possibility of designing and using systems on scales not heretofore attempted presents exciting new challenges in systems design and space science. The environments addressed by the Space Exploration Initiative include the surfaces of the Moon and Mars, as well as the varied plasma and field environments which will be encountered by humans and cargo enroute to these destinations. Systems designers will need to understand environmental interactions and be able to model these mechanisms from the earliest conceptual design stages through design completion. To the end of understanding environmental interactions and establishing robotic precursor mission requirements, an Environmental Interactions Working Group has been established as part of the Robotic Missions Working Group. The current paper describes the working group and gives an update of its current activities. Working group charter and operation are reviewed, background information on the environmental interactions and their characteristics is offered, and the current status of the group's activities is presented along with anticipations for the future.

Interactive visual exploration and analysis of origin-destination data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Linfang; Meng, Liqiu; Yang, Jian; Krisp, Jukka M.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we propose a visual analytics approach for the exploration of spatiotemporal interaction patterns of massive origin-destination data. Firstly, we visually query the movement database for data at certain time windows. Secondly, we conduct interactive clustering to allow the users to select input variables/features (e.g., origins, destinations, distance, and duration) and to adjust clustering parameters (e.g. distance threshold). The agglomerative hierarchical clustering method is applied for the multivariate clustering of the origin-destination data. Thirdly, we design a parallel coordinates plot for visualizing the precomputed clusters and for further exploration of interesting clusters. Finally, we propose a gradient line rendering technique to show the spatial and directional distribution of origin-destination clusters on a map view. We implement the visual analytics approach in a web-based interactive environment and apply it to real-world floating car data from Shanghai. The experiment results show the origin/destination hotspots and their spatial interaction patterns. They also demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach.

The Cognitive Neuroscience of the Teacher-Student Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battro, Antonio M.; Calero, Cecilia I.; Goldin, Andrea P.; Holper, Lisa; Pezzatti, Laura; Shalóm, Diego E.; Sigman, Mariano

2013-01-01

Pedagogy is the science and art of teaching. Each generation needs to explore the history, theory, and practice of the teacher-student interaction. Here we pave the path to develop a science that explores the cognitive and physiological processes involved in the human capacity to communicate knowledge through teaching. We review examples from our…

Exploring Relationships between Students' Interaction and Learning with a Haptic Virtual Biomolecular Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonborn, Konrad J.; Bivall, Petter; Tibell, Lena A. E.

2011-01-01

This study explores tertiary students' interaction with a haptic virtual model representing the specific binding of two biomolecules, a core concept in molecular life science education. Twenty students assigned to a "haptics" (experimental) or "no-haptics" (control) condition performed a "docking" task where users sought the most favourable…

Exploring Educational Interactions: A Lesson for the Development of Interdisciplinary Working?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinley, Brian P.; Grieve, Ann M.

2011-01-01

This paper reports a small-scale study exploring the communicative interactions of secondary teachers and community educators with colleagues and learners in educational environments. This research is conducted in a changing educational landscape where there is a more holistic approach to education being adopted and where an extended Scottish…

Patterns of Interaction in Family Relationships and the Development of Identity Exploration in Adolescence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grotevant, Harold D.; Cooper, Catherine R.

1985-01-01

Developed a model of individuation in family relationships focused on communicative processes. Expressions of four dimensions of the model (self-esteem, separateness, permeability, and mutuality) were predicted to be positively associated with identity exploration in adolescents. Analysis of observations of families in a Family Interaction Task…

Emotional Demands, Emotional Labour and Occupational Outcomes in School Principals: Modelling the Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Aimee; Riley, Philip

2017-01-01

Most research into emotional labour is focussed on front-line service staff and health professionals, in short-term interactions. Little exists exploring the emotional labour involved in repeated on-going interactions by educational leaders with key stakeholders. This study explored the relationships between emotional demands, three emotional…

Interacting with… What? Exploring Children's Social and Sensory Practices in a Science Discovery Centre

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dicks, Bella

2013-01-01

This paper presents findings from a qualitative UK study exploring the social practices of schoolchildren visiting an interactive science discovery centre. It is promoted as a place for "learning through doing", but the multi-modal, ethnographic methods adopted suggest that children were primarily engaged in (1) sensory pleasure-taking…

Culture, Learning Styles, and Web 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olaniran, Bolanle A.

2009-01-01

This article explores Web 2.0 in interactive learning environments. Specifically, the article examines Web 2.0 as an interactive learning platform that holds potential, but is also limited by learning styles and cultural value preferences. The article explores the issue of control from both teacher and learner perspectives, and in particular the…

Promoting Interactive Learning: A Classroom Exercise to Explore Foraging Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaumont, Ellen S.; Rowe, Graham; Mikhaylov, Natalie S.

2012-01-01

We describe a classroom exercise to allow students to explore foraging strategies in higher vertebrates. The exercise includes an initial interactive session in which students act as predators and are guided through foraging simulations, and a subsequent student-led session where classmates are employed as experimental subjects. Students rated the…

Dynamic and Interactive Mathematics Learning Environments: The Case of Teaching the Limit Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinovic, Dragana; Karadag, Zekeriya

2012-01-01

This theoretical study is an attempt to explore the potential of the dynamic and interactive mathematics learning environments (DIMLE) in relation to the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework. DIMLE are developed with intent to support learning mathematics through free exploration in a less constrained environment. A…

Cluster structures influenced by interaction with a surface.

PubMed

Witt, Christopher; Dieterich, Johannes M; Hartke, Bernd

2018-05-30

Clusters on surfaces are vitally important for nanotechnological applications. Clearly, cluster-surface interactions heavily influence the preferred cluster structures, compared to clusters in vacuum. Nevertheless, systematic explorations and an in-depth understanding of these interactions and how they determine the cluster structures are still lacking. Here we present an extension of our well-established non-deterministic global optimization package OGOLEM from isolated clusters to clusters on surfaces. Applying this approach to intentionally simple Lennard-Jones test systems, we produce a first systematic exploration that relates changes in cluster-surface interactions to resulting changes in adsorbed cluster structures.

Combining computational analyses and interactive visualization for document exploration and sensemaking in jigsaw.

PubMed

Görg, Carsten; Liu, Zhicheng; Kihm, Jaeyeon; Choo, Jaegul; Park, Haesun; Stasko, John

2013-10-01

Investigators across many disciplines and organizations must sift through large collections of text documents to understand and piece together information. Whether they are fighting crime, curing diseases, deciding what car to buy, or researching a new field, inevitably investigators will encounter text documents. Taking a visual analytics approach, we integrate multiple text analysis algorithms with a suite of interactive visualizations to provide a flexible and powerful environment that allows analysts to explore collections of documents while sensemaking. Our particular focus is on the process of integrating automated analyses with interactive visualizations in a smooth and fluid manner. We illustrate this integration through two example scenarios: an academic researcher examining InfoVis and VAST conference papers and a consumer exploring car reviews while pondering a purchase decision. Finally, we provide lessons learned toward the design and implementation of visual analytics systems for document exploration and understanding.

Exploring synergistic interactions and catalysts in complex interventions: longitudinal, mixed methods case studies of an optimised multi-level suicide prevention intervention in four european countries (Ospi-Europe).

PubMed

Harris, Fiona M; Maxwell, Margaret; O'Connor, Rory; Coyne, James C; Arensman, Ella; Coffey, Claire; Koburger, Nicole; Gusmão, Ricardo; Costa, Susana; Székely, András; Cserhati, Zoltan; McDaid, David; van Audenhove, Chantal; Hegerl, Ulrich

2016-03-15

The Medical Research Council (MRC) Framework for complex interventions highlights the need to explore interactions between components of complex interventions, but this has not yet been fully explored within complex, non-pharmacological interventions. This paper draws on the process evaluation data of a suicide prevention programme implemented in four European countries to illustrate the synergistic interactions between intervention levels in a complex programme, and to present our method for exploring these. A realist evaluation approach informed the process evaluation, which drew on mixed methods, longitudinal case studies. Data collection consisted of 47 semi-structured interviews, 12 focus groups, one workshop, fieldnoted observations of six programme meetings and 20 questionnaires (delivered at six month intervals to each of the four intervention sites). Analysis drew on the framework approach, facilitated by the use of QSR NVivo (v10). Our qualitative approach to exploring synergistic interactions (QuaSIC) also developed a matrix of hypothesised synergies that were explored within one workshop and two waves of data collection. All four implementation countries provided examples of synergistic interactions that added value beyond the sum of individual intervention levels or components in isolation. For instance, the launch ceremony of the public health campaign (a level 3 intervention) in Ireland had an impact on the community-based professional training, increasing uptake and visibility of training for journalists in particular. In turn, this led to increased media reporting of OSPI activities (monitored as part of the public health campaign) and also led to wider dissemination of editorial guidelines for responsible reporting of suicidal acts. Analysis of the total process evaluation dataset also revealed the new phenomenon of the OSPI programme acting as a catalyst for externally generated (and funded) activity that shared the goals of suicide prevention. The QuaSIC approach enabled us to develop and refine our definition of synergistic interactions and add the innovative concept of catalytic effects. This represents a novel approach to the evaluation of complex interventions. By exploring synergies and catalytic interactions related to a complex intervention or programme, we reveal the added value to planned activities and how they might be maximised.

[Effects of cucurmosin on the cell proliferation and apoptosis in human pancreatic PANC-1 cells].

PubMed

Xu, Chun-Sen; Huang, He-Guang; Chen, Ming-Huang

2012-02-01

To observe the effects of cucurmosin (CUS) on the cell proliferation and apoptosis in pancreatic PANC-1 cells. The inhibition of CUS on the PANC-1 cell growth was observed using MTT assay. The inhibition ratio of CUS on the pancreatic orthotopic transplantation was in vivo observed in the NOD/SCID mouse model. The changes of microstructure of the apoptosis-inducing effect of CUS on PANC-1 was observed under electron microscope. The cell cycle and apoptosis after CUS intervention was detected using flow cytometry. The Caspase-3 activity after CUS treatment was detected using enzyme linked immunospecific assay (ELISA). Treatment with CUS at the dose of 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg inhibited the growth of pancreatic carcinoma PANC-1 xenografs with the ratio of 45.2%, 50.0%, and 59.7%, respectively (P < 0.05). After exposure to 10 microg/mL CUS for 24 h, most cells presented typical morphologic changes of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation and shrunken nucleus. The apoptotic cells increased. Some nuclear shrinkage and fragmentation, as well as the apoptotic body were observed when cells were exposed to CUS for 72 h. Being exposed to 0, 2.5, 10.0, and 40.0 microg/mL of the CUS for 72 h, the percentage of G0/G1 phase cells was 46.56% +/- 5.08%, 53.33% +/- 5.05%, 67.50% +/- 6.50%, and 77.00% +/- 6.73%, respectively (P < 0.05). The apoptosis ratio was 2.50% +/- 0.13%, 8.30% +/- 1.23%, 23.40% +/- 2.45%, and 48.50% +/- 3.65% shown by Annexin V/PI (P < 0.05). The Caspase-3 activity (unit) was 0.009 +/- 0.002, 0.011 +/- 0.003, 0.035 +/- 0.009, and 0.065 +/- 0.009, respectively (P < 0.05). These data showed that CUS induced the apoptosis of PANC-1 cells in a dose-dependent maner. Being exposed to 40.0 microg/mL of the CUS for 24, 48, and 72 h, the percentage of G0/ G1 phase cells was 56.60% +/- 6.65%, 67.83% +/- 6.76%, and 77.00% +/- 6.73%, respectively (P < 0.05), the apoptosis ratio was 16.51% +/- 2.97%, 38.51% +/- 2.38%, and 48.50% +/- 3.65% shown by Annexin V/PI (P < 0.05). These data showed that CUS induced apoptosis of PANC-1 cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle in a time-dependent maner. CUS significantly inhibited the growth of PANC-1 cells possibly through the G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

SLIDE - a web-based tool for interactive visualization of large-scale -omics data.

PubMed

Ghosh, Soumita; Datta, Abhik; Tan, Kaisen; Choi, Hyungwon

2018-06-28

Data visualization is often regarded as a post hoc step for verifying statistically significant results in the analysis of high-throughput data sets. This common practice leaves a large amount of raw data behind, from which more information can be extracted. However, existing solutions do not provide capabilities to explore large-scale raw datasets using biologically sensible queries, nor do they allow user interaction based real-time customization of graphics. To address these drawbacks, we have designed an open-source, web-based tool called Systems-Level Interactive Data Exploration, or SLIDE to visualize large-scale -omics data interactively. SLIDE's interface makes it easier for scientists to explore quantitative expression data in multiple resolutions in a single screen. SLIDE is publicly available under BSD license both as an online version as well as a stand-alone version at https://github.com/soumitag/SLIDE. Supplementary Information are available at Bioinformatics online.

Analysis of yield and oil from a series of canola breeding trials. Part II. Exploring variety by environment interaction using factor analysis.

PubMed

Cullis, B R; Smith, A B; Beeck, C P; Cowling, W A

2010-11-01

Exploring and exploiting variety by environment (V × E) interaction is one of the major challenges facing plant breeders. In paper I of this series, we presented an approach to modelling V × E interaction in the analysis of complex multi-environment trials using factor analytic models. In this paper, we develop a range of statistical tools which explore V × E interaction in this context. These tools include graphical displays such as heat-maps of genetic correlation matrices as well as so-called E-scaled uniplots that are a more informative alternative to the classical biplot for large plant breeding multi-environment trials. We also present a new approach to prediction for multi-environment trials that include pedigree information. This approach allows meaningful selection indices to be formed either for potential new varieties or potential parents.

Does Diversity Matter in the Education Process? An Exploration of Student Interactions by Wealth, Religion, Politics, Race, Ethnicity and Immigrant Status at the University of California. A Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Project Research Paper. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.5.08

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatman, Steven

2008-01-01

This exploration into student interactions that improve understanding, student attachment, and demographic characteristics of students attending the University of California in the spring of 2006 finds the University to be a diverse and healthy environment. Interactions among students with demographic differences are frequent and are rarely…

Complex molecular assemblies at hand via interactive simulations.

PubMed

Delalande, Olivier; Férey, Nicolas; Grasseau, Gilles; Baaden, Marc

2009-11-30

Studying complex molecular assemblies interactively is becoming an increasingly appealing approach to molecular modeling. Here we focus on interactive molecular dynamics (IMD) as a textbook example for interactive simulation methods. Such simulations can be useful in exploring and generating hypotheses about the structural and mechanical aspects of biomolecular interactions. For the first time, we carry out low-resolution coarse-grain IMD simulations. Such simplified modeling methods currently appear to be more suitable for interactive experiments and represent a well-balanced compromise between an important gain in computational speed versus a moderate loss in modeling accuracy compared to higher resolution all-atom simulations. This is particularly useful for initial exploration and hypothesis development for rare molecular interaction events. We evaluate which applications are currently feasible using molecular assemblies from 1900 to over 300,000 particles. Three biochemical systems are discussed: the guanylate kinase (GK) enzyme, the outer membrane protease T and the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors complex involved in membrane fusion. We induce large conformational changes, carry out interactive docking experiments, probe lipid-protein interactions and are able to sense the mechanical properties of a molecular model. Furthermore, such interactive simulations facilitate exploration of modeling parameters for method improvement. For the purpose of these simulations, we have developed a freely available software library called MDDriver. It uses the IMD protocol from NAMD and facilitates the implementation and application of interactive simulations. With MDDriver it becomes very easy to render any particle-based molecular simulation engine interactive. Here we use its implementation in the Gromacs software as an example. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The in Silico Insight into Carbon Nanotube and Nucleic Acid Bases Interaction.

PubMed

Karimi, Ali Asghar; Ghalandari, Behafarid; Tabatabaie, Seyed Saleh; Farhadi, Mohammad

2016-05-01

To explore practical applications of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in biomedical fields the properties of their interaction with biomolecules must be revealed. Recent years, the interaction of CNTs with biomolecules is a subject of research interest for practical applications so that previous research explored that CNTs have complementary structure properties with single strand DNA (ssDNA). Hence, the quantum mechanics (QM) method based on ab initio was used for this purpose. Therefore values of binding energy, charge distribution, electronic energy and other physical properties of interaction were studied for interaction of nucleic acid bases and SCNT. In this study, the interaction between nucleic acid bases and a (4, 4) single-walled carbon nanotube (SCNT) were investigated through calculations within quantum mechanics (QM) method at theoretical level of Hartree-Fock (HF) method using 6-31G basis set. Hence, the physical properties such as electronic energy, total dipole moment, charge distributions and binding energy of nucleic acid bases interaction with SCNT were investigated based on HF method. It has been found that the guanine base adsorption is bound stronger to the outer surface of nanotube in comparison to the other bases, consistent with the recent theoretical studies. In the other words, the results explored that guanine interaction with SCNT has optimum level of electronic energy so that their interaction is stable. Also, the calculations illustrated that SCNT interact to nucleic acid bases by noncovalent interaction because of charge distribution an electrostatic area is created in place of interaction. Consequently, small diameter SCNT interaction with nucleic acid bases is noncovalent. Also, the results revealed that small diameter SCNT interaction especially SCNT (4, 4) with nucleic acid bases can be useful in practical application area of biomedical fields such detection and drug delivery.

Crabby Interactions: Fifth Graders Explore Human Impact on the Blue Crab Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeffery, Tonya D.; McCollough, Cherie A.; Moore, Kim

2016-01-01

This article describes a two-day lesson in which fifth-grade students took on the role of marine biology scientists, using their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to explore human impact on the blue crab ecosystem. The purpose of "Crabby Interactions" was to help students understand the impact of human activities on the local…

Examining Interactions between Problem Posing and Problem Solving with Prospective Primary Teachers: A Case of Using Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xie, Jinxia; Masingila, Joanna O.

2017-01-01

Existing studies have quantitatively evidenced the relatedness between problem posing and problem solving, as well as the magnitude of this relationship. However, the nature and features of this relationship need further qualitative exploration. This paper focuses on exploring the interactions, i.e., mutual effects and supports, between problem…

Meeting Active Start Guidelines in the ADC-Boykin Program: Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adalbjornsson, Carola F.; Rudisill, Mary E.; Wall, Sarah J.; Howard, Candice H.

2004-01-01

Contrary to past thinking, at birth, infants are capable of exploring their environment and interacting with other humans. They become aware of and learn about their world by observing, exploring, playing, and interacting with their caregivers. Motor skills play a major role in this process, which is achieved by allowing infants to move around,…

TSEMA: interactive prediction of protein pairings between interacting families

PubMed Central

Izarzugaza, José M. G.; Juan, David; Pons, Carles; Ranea, Juan A. G.; Valencia, Alfonso; Pazos, Florencio

2006-01-01

An entire family of methodologies for predicting protein interactions is based on the observed fact that families of interacting proteins tend to have similar phylogenetic trees due to co-evolution. One application of this concept is the prediction of the mapping between the members of two interacting protein families (which protein within one family interacts with which protein within the other). The idea is that the real mapping would be the one maximizing the similarity between the trees. Since the exhaustive exploration of all possible mappings is not feasible for large families, current approaches use heuristic techniques which do not ensure the best solution to be found. This is why it is important to check the results proposed by heuristic techniques and to manually explore other solutions. Here we present TSEMA, the server for efficient mapping assessment. This system calculates an initial mapping between two families of proteins based on a Monte Carlo approach and allows the user to interactively modify it based on performance figures and/or specific biological knowledge. All the explored mappings are graphically shown over a representation of the phylogenetic trees. The system is freely available at . Standalone versions of the software behind the interface are available upon request from the authors. PMID:16845017

Design and study of geosciences data share platform :platform framework, data interoperability, share approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, H.; Yi, D.

2010-12-01

The Deep Exploration is one of the important approaches to the Geoscience research. Since 1980s we had started it and achieved a lot of data. Researchers usually integrate both data of space exploration and deep exploration to study geological structures and represent the Earth’s subsurface, and analyze and explain on the base of integrated data. Due to the different exploration approach it results the heterogeneity of data, and therefore the data achievement is always of the import issue to make the researchers confused. The problem of data share and interaction has to be solved during the development of the SinoProbe research project. Through the research of domestic and overseas well-known exploration project and geosciences data platform, the subject explores the solution of data share and interaction. Based on SOA we present the deep exploration data share framework which comprises three level: data level is used for the solution of data store and the integration of the heterogeneous data; medial level provides the data service of geophysics, geochemistry, etc. by the means of Web service, and carry out kinds of application combination by the use of GIS middleware and Eclipse RCP; interaction level provides professional and non-professional customer the access to different accuracy data. The framework adopts GeoSciML data interaction approach. GeoSciML is a geosciences information markup language, as an application of the OpenGIS Consortium’s (OGC) Geography Markup Language (GML). It transfers heterogeneous data into one earth frame and implements inter-operation. We dissertate in this article the solution how to integrate the heterogeneous data and share the data in the project of SinoProbe.

Exploring Teachers' Depressive Symptoms, Interaction Quality, and Children's Social-Emotional Development in Head Start

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Amy; LoCasale-Crouch, Jennifer; Hamre, Bridget; DeCoster, Jamie

2016-01-01

Research Findings: This study explored the role Head Start teachers' (n = 355) depressive symptoms play in their interactions with children and in children's (n = 2,203) social-emotional development, specifically changes in children's problem behaviors and social skills as reported by parents and teachers during the preschool year. Results of the…

Exploring the Use of MXit: A Cell-Phone Social Network to Facilitate Learning in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makoe, Mpine

2010-01-01

The aim of this paper is to investigate the pedagogical suitability of using cell phones to enhance learning through social interaction in distance education. Social interaction was used as a conceptual framework to explore the potential for using "MXit"--a cell-phone instant messaging system--to support and enhance learning for distance…

Exploring the Role of Physics Representations: An Illustrative Example from Students Sharing Knowledge about Refraction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredlund, Tobias; Airey, John; Linder, Cedric

2012-01-01

Research has shown that interactive engagement enhances student learning outcomes. A growing body of research suggests that the representations we use in physics are important in such learning environments. In this paper we draw on a number of sources in the literature to explore the role of representations in interactive engagement in physics. In…

Searching for Pedagogical Adaptations by Exploring Teacher's Tacit Knowledge and Interactional Co-Regulation in the Education of Pupils with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rama, Irene; Kontu, Elina

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to introduce a research design, which aims to find useful pedagogical adaptations for teaching pupils with autism. Autism is a behavioural syndrome characterised by disabilities and dysfunctions in interaction and communication, which is why it is interesting to explore educational processes particularly from an…

Moving Ideas: An Exploration of Students' Use of Dialogue for Writing in History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Drie, Jannet; van de Ven, Piet-Hein

2017-01-01

In this study, we explored how students make use of whole-class interaction in individual writing. Although various studies show the importance of classroom interaction for writing, little is known about how this works, particularly in history. Starting point is the idea that learning can move from the interpersonal level in classroom discourse to…

Exploring the Contribution of Teaching and Learning Processes in the Construction of Students' Gender Identity in Early Year Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baig, Amina

2014-01-01

The present study explores how gender identity construction takes place in a single gender classroom in early years. Qualitative research guided the study design which was conducted in two public sector single gender schools. The data were collected through observations of the teacher-student interaction, student-student interaction, focused group…

Moving First-Year Writing Online: Applying Social Cognitive Theory to an Exploration of Student Study Habits and Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rendahl, Merry A.

2010-01-01

This dissertation explores study habits and interactions of students in an online first-year writing course. Much research has been conducted about online learning, but little has focused specifically on first-year writing students. First-year writing presents some unique challenges because of the age and preparedness level of traditional…

Interactively Applying the Variational Method to the Dihydrogen Molecule: Exploring Bonding and Antibonding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruzeiro, Vinícius Wilian D.; Roitberg, Adrian; Polfer, Nicolas C.

2016-01-01

In this work we are going to present how an interactive platform can be used as a powerful tool to allow students to better explore a foundational problem in quantum chemistry: the application of the variational method to the dihydrogen molecule using simple Gaussian trial functions. The theoretical approach for the hydrogen atom is quite…

Using Tablet Computers in Preschool: How Does the Design of Applications Influence Participation, Interaction and Dialogues?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmér, Hanna

2015-01-01

The results in this article explore whether and how the design of applications used on tablet computers influences the interaction and dialogues that occur between children and pedagogues, the participation of children in the activities and the mathematics that can be learned. While mathematics offered a lens to explore the use of tablet devices,…

Organizational Learning from Cross-Cultural Experiences: An Ethnomethodological Case Study Examining the Relative Importance of Social Structure and Cultural Values during Dynamic Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldecker, Gary T.

2011-01-01

This study explored how social structure and cultural values dynamically interact in collective learning between two religious organizations cooperating in a joint project. It further explored the enablers of and impediments to collective learning in this context. The study employed the theoretical framework provided by the Organizational Learning…

Stand By for Fun: Experience and Interaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crockford, Douglas

1986-01-01

This paper explores interactivity, and considers what should be done to create a mass market for interactive media. It is suggested that one way to do so is to examine the video game phenomenon, and a model of interactivity is proposed. The model, a "home interactive theater," would involve interaction in the telling of a story, with the…

The OncoPPi Portal: an integrative resource to explore and prioritize protein-protein interactions for cancer target discovery. | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

Motivation: As cancer genomics initiatives move toward comprehensive identification of genetic alterations in cancer, attention is now turning to understanding how interactions among these genes lead to the acquisition of tumor hallmarks. Emerging pharmacological and clinical data suggest a highly promising role of cancer-specific protein-protein interactions (PPIs) as druggable cancer targets. However, large-scale experimental identification of cancer-related PPIs remains challenging, and currently available resources to explore oncogenic PPI networks are limited.

Factors Promoting Engaged Exploration with Computer Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Podolefsky, Noah S.; Perkins, Katherine K.; Adams, Wendy K.

2010-01-01

This paper extends prior research on student use of computer simulations (sims) to engage with and explore science topics, in this case wave interference. We describe engaged exploration; a process that involves students actively interacting with educational materials, sense making, and exploring primarily via their own questioning. We analyze…

Earthworms, Dirt, and Rotten Leaves: An Exploration in Ecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Molly

1994-01-01

This article provides a model for inviting children to "an exploration in ecology" by observing earthworms. It gives reasons to explore earthworms and guides the investigator through a detailed examination of the worms to answer 21 observation questions. Explores the ways in which earthworms interact with their environment. (LZ)

Scientific Visualization of Radio Astronomy Data using Gesture Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulumba, P.; Gain, J.; Marais, P.; Woudt, P.

2015-09-01

MeerKAT in South Africa (Meer = More Karoo Array Telescope) will require software to help visualize, interpret and interact with multidimensional data. While visualization of multi-dimensional data is a well explored topic, little work has been published on the design of intuitive interfaces to such systems. More specifically, the use of non-traditional interfaces (such as motion tracking and multi-touch) has not been widely investigated within the context of visualizing astronomy data. We hypothesize that a natural user interface would allow for easier data exploration which would in turn lead to certain kinds of visualizations (volumetric, multidimensional). To this end, we have developed a multi-platform scientific visualization system for FITS spectral data cubes using VTK (Visualization Toolkit) and a natural user interface to explore the interaction between a gesture input device and multidimensional data space. Our system supports visual transformations (translation, rotation and scaling) as well as sub-volume extraction and arbitrary slicing of 3D volumetric data. These tasks were implemented across three prototypes aimed at exploring different interaction strategies: standard (mouse/keyboard) interaction, volumetric gesture tracking (Leap Motion controller) and multi-touch interaction (multi-touch monitor). A Heuristic Evaluation revealed that the volumetric gesture tracking prototype shows great promise for interfacing with the depth component (z-axis) of 3D volumetric space across multiple transformations. However, this is limited by users needing to remember the required gestures. In comparison, the touch-based gesture navigation is typically more familiar to users as these gestures were engineered from standard multi-touch actions. Future work will address a complete usability test to evaluate and compare the different interaction modalities against the different visualization tasks.

Interactive (statistical) visualisation and exploration of a billion objects with vaex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breddels, M. A.

2017-06-01

With new catalogues arriving such as the Gaia DR1, containing more than a billion objects, new methods of handling and visualizing these data volumes are needed. We show that by calculating statistics on a regular (N-dimensional) grid, visualizations of a billion objects can be done within a second on a modern desktop computer. This is achieved using memory mapping of hdf5 files together with a simple binning algorithm, which are part of a Python library called vaex. This enables efficient exploration or large datasets interactively, making science exploration of large catalogues feasible. Vaex is a Python library and an application, which allows for interactive exploration and visualization. The motivation for developing vaex is the catalogue of the Gaia satellite, however, vaex can also be used on SPH or N-body simulations, any other (future) catalogues such as SDSS, Pan-STARRS, LSST, etc. or other tabular data. The homepage for vaex is http://vaex.astro.rug.nl.

Causal learning is collaborative: Examining explanation and exploration in social contexts.

PubMed

Legare, Cristine H; Sobel, David M; Callanan, Maureen

2017-10-01

Causal learning in childhood is a dynamic and collaborative process of explanation and exploration within complex physical and social environments. Understanding how children learn causal knowledge requires examining how they update beliefs about the world given novel information and studying the processes by which children learn in collaboration with caregivers, educators, and peers. The objective of this article is to review evidence for how children learn causal knowledge by explaining and exploring in collaboration with others. We review three examples of causal learning in social contexts, which elucidate how interaction with others influences causal learning. First, we consider children's explanation-seeking behaviors in the form of "why" questions. Second, we examine parents' elaboration of meaning about causal relations. Finally, we consider parents' interactive styles with children during free play, which constrains how children explore. We propose that the best way to understand children's causal learning in social context is to combine results from laboratory and natural interactive informal learning environments.

Exploring How White and Asian American Students Experience Cross-Racial Interactions: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Thomas E.

2012-01-01

Interracial interactions between college students are responsible for important learning outcomes, however many colleges and universities have failed to purposefully encourage students to interact across racial backgrounds. As a result of a lack purposefully facilitated cross-racial interactions (CRIs), fewer interracial interactions occur on U.S.…

ePlant and the 3D data display initiative: integrative systems biology on the world wide web.

PubMed

Fucile, Geoffrey; Di Biase, David; Nahal, Hardeep; La, Garon; Khodabandeh, Shokoufeh; Chen, Yani; Easley, Kante; Christendat, Dinesh; Kelley, Lawrence; Provart, Nicholas J

2011-01-10

Visualization tools for biological data are often limited in their ability to interactively integrate data at multiple scales. These computational tools are also typically limited by two-dimensional displays and programmatic implementations that require separate configurations for each of the user's computing devices and recompilation for functional expansion. Towards overcoming these limitations we have developed "ePlant" (http://bar.utoronto.ca/eplant) - a suite of open-source world wide web-based tools for the visualization of large-scale data sets from the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. These tools display data spanning multiple biological scales on interactive three-dimensional models. Currently, ePlant consists of the following modules: a sequence conservation explorer that includes homology relationships and single nucleotide polymorphism data, a protein structure model explorer, a molecular interaction network explorer, a gene product subcellular localization explorer, and a gene expression pattern explorer. The ePlant's protein structure explorer module represents experimentally determined and theoretical structures covering >70% of the Arabidopsis proteome. The ePlant framework is accessed entirely through a web browser, and is therefore platform-independent. It can be applied to any model organism. To facilitate the development of three-dimensional displays of biological data on the world wide web we have established the "3D Data Display Initiative" (http://3ddi.org).

Scaffold explorer: an interactive tool for organizing and mining structure-activity data spanning multiple chemotypes.

PubMed

Agrafiotis, Dimitris K; Wiener, John J M

2010-07-08

We introduce Scaffold Explorer, an interactive tool that allows medicinal chemists to define hierarchies of chemical scaffolds and use them to explore their project data. Scaffold Explorer allows the user to construct a tree, where each node corresponds to a specific scaffold. Each node can have multiple children, each of which represents a more refined substructure relative to its parent node. Once the tree is defined, it can be mapped onto any collection of compounds and be used as a navigational tool to explore structure-activity relationships (SAR) across different chemotypes. The rich visual analytics of Scaffold Explorer afford the user a "bird's-eye" view of the chemical space spanned by a particular data set, map any physicochemical property or biological activity of interest onto the individual scaffold nodes, serve as an aggregator for the properties of the compounds represented by these nodes, and quickly distinguish promising chemotypes from less interesting or problematic ones. Unlike previous approaches, which focused on automated extraction and classification of scaffolds, the utility of the new tool rests on its interactivity and ability to accommodate the medicinal chemists' intuition by allowing the use of arbitrary substructures containing variable atoms, bonds, and/or substituents such as those employed in substructure search.

Let's Tweet in Chinese! Exploring How Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language Self-Direct Their Use of Microblogging to Learn Chinese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsiao, Ya Ping; Broeder, Peter

2014-01-01

Twitter is becoming increasingly popular as a medium for language learning. This study explores self-directed learning via social interactions that use Twitter as an interactive learning environment. The participants in this study were thirty university students of Chinese as a foreign language at levels 1 and 2 of the "Hanyu Shuiping…

An Exploration of the Value Placed on the Content, Interaction and Incentive Dimensions of Learning by Young People in Post-Compulsory Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mainwaring, Deborah

2016-01-01

The paper presents the findings of quantitative research that explores the value young people in post-compulsory education in England attach to three dimensions of learning. The dimensions of learning are the content dimension, the interaction dimension and the incentive dimension. Three hundred and thirty-one young people in four post-compulsory…

Exploring the Stability of Gold Nanoparticles by Experimenting with Adsorption Interactions of Nanomaterials in an Undergraduate Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chi-Feng; You, Pei-Yun; Lin, Ying-Chiao; Hsu, Tsai-Ling; Cheng, Pi-Yun; Wu, Yu-Xuan; Tseng, Chi-Shun; Chen, Sheng-Wen; Chang, Huey-Por; Lin, Yang-Wei

2015-01-01

The proposed experiment can help students to understand the factors involved in the stability of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) by exploring the adsorption interaction between Au NPs and various substances. The students in this study found that the surface plasmon resonance band of Au NP solutions underwent a red shift (i.e., from 520 to 650 nm)…

Dynamic Interactive Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabry, Khaled; Barker, Jeff

2009-01-01

This paper reviews and discusses the notions of interactivity and dynamicity of learning systems in relation to information technologies and design principles that can contribute to interactive and dynamic learning. It explores the concept of dynamic interactive learning systems based on the emerging generation of information as part of a…

Exploring the requirements for multimodal interaction for mobile devices in an end-to-end journey context.

PubMed

Krehl, Claudia; Sharples, Sarah

2012-01-01

The paper investigates the requirements for multimodal interaction on mobile devices in an end-to-end journey context. Traditional interfaces are deemed cumbersome and inefficient for exchanging information with the user. Multimodal interaction provides a different user-centred approach allowing for more natural and intuitive interaction between humans and computers. It is especially suitable for mobile interaction as it can overcome additional constraints including small screens, awkward keypads, and continuously changing settings - an inherent property of mobility. This paper is based on end-to-end journeys where users encounter several contexts during their journeys. Interviews and focus groups explore the requirements for multimodal interaction design for mobile devices by examining journey stages and identifying the users' information needs and sources. Findings suggest that multimodal communication is crucial when users multitask. Choosing suitable modalities depend on user context, characteristics and tasks.

The influence of TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharides on hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the feasibility of its application in treating liver cancer.

PubMed

Gu, Junsheng; Sun, Ranran; Shen, Shen; Yu, Zujiang

2015-01-01

This study was designed to explore the influence of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on liver cancer cell and the feasibility to perform liver cancer adjuvant therapy. Human liver cancer cell lines HepG2, H7402, and PLC/PRF/5 were taken as models, and the expression of TLRs mRNA was detected by real time-polymerase chain reaction method semiquantitatively. WST-1 method was used to detect the influence of LPS on the proliferation ability of liver cancer cells; propidium iodide (PI) single staining and Annexin V/PI double staining were used to test the influence of LPS on the cell cycle and apoptosis, respectively, on human liver cancer cell line H7402. Fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot method were used to determine the change of expression of Cyclin D1. The results demonstrated that most TLRs were expressed in liver cancer cells; stimulating TLR4 by LPS could upregulate TLR4 mRNA and the protein level, activate NF-κB signaling pathway downstream of TLR4, and mediate the generation of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α; LPS was found to be able to strengthen the proliferation ability of liver cancer cells, especially H7402 cells; the expression of Cyclin D1 rose and H7402 cells were promoted to transit from G1 stage to S stage under the stimulation of LPS, but cell apoptosis was not affected. It was also found that LPS was able to activate signal transducer and activator of transcription -3 (STAT3) signaling pathway in H7402 cells and meanwhile significantly increase the initiation activity of STAT3; proliferation promoting effect of LPS to liver cancer cells remarkably lowered once STAT3 was blocked or inhibited. Thus, TLR4 agonist LPS is proved to be able to induce liver cancer cells to express inflammation factors and mediate liver cancer cell proliferation and generation of multidrug resistance by activating the cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin signal axis as well as the STAT3 pathway.

Exploring hydride-π interactions and their tuning by σ-hole bonds: an ab initio study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esrafili, Mehdi D.; Asadollahi, Soheila; Mousavian, Parisasadat

2018-01-01

In the present work, ab initio calculations are performed to investigate the geometry, interaction energy and bonding properties of binary complexes formed between metal-hydrides HMX (M = Be, Mg, Zn and X = H, F, CH3) and a series of π-acidic heteroaromatic rings. In all the resulting complexes, the heteroaromatic ring acts as a Lewis acid (electron acceptor), while the H atom of the HMX molecule acts as a Lewis base (electron donor). The nature of this interaction, called 'hydride-π' interaction, is explored in terms of molecular electrostatic potential, non-covalent interaction, quantum theory of atoms in molecules and natural bond orbital analyses. The results show that the interaction energies of these hydride-π interactions are between -1.24 and -2.72 kcal/mol. Furthermore, mutual influence between the hydride-π and halogen- or pnicogen-bonding interactions is studied in complexes in which these interactions coexist. For a given π-acidic ring, the formation of the pnicogen-bonding induces a larger enhancing effect on the strength of hydride-π bond than the halogen-bonding.

MaGnET: Malaria Genome Exploration Tool.

PubMed

Sharman, Joanna L; Gerloff, Dietlind L

2013-09-15

The Malaria Genome Exploration Tool (MaGnET) is a software tool enabling intuitive 'exploration-style' visualization of functional genomics data relating to the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. MaGnET provides innovative integrated graphic displays for different datasets, including genomic location of genes, mRNA expression data, protein-protein interactions and more. Any selection of genes to explore made by the user is easily carried over between the different viewers for different datasets, and can be changed interactively at any point (without returning to a search). Free online use (Java Web Start) or download (Java application archive and MySQL database; requires local MySQL installation) at http://malariagenomeexplorer.org joanna.sharman@ed.ac.uk or dgerloff@ffame.org Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Exploring social structure effect on language evolution based on a computational model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Tao; Minett, James; Wang, William

2008-06-01

A compositionality-regularity coevolution model is adopted to explore the effect of social structure on language emergence and maintenance. Based on this model, we explore language evolution in three experiments, and discuss the role of a popular agent in language evolution, the relationship between mutual understanding and social hierarchy, and the effect of inter-community communications and that of simple linguistic features on convergence of communal languages in two communities. This work embodies several important interactions during social learning, and introduces a new approach that manipulates individuals' probabilities to participate in social interactions to study the effect of social structure. We hope it will stimulate further theoretical and empirical explorations on language evolution in a social environment.

Modeled interactive effects of precipitation, temperature, and [CO2] on ecosystem carbon and water dynamics in different climatic zones

Treesearch

Yiqi Luo; Dieter Gerten; Guerric Le Maire; William J. Parton; Ensheng Weng; Xuhui Zhou; Cindy Keough; Claus Beier; Philippe Ciais; Wolfgang Cramer; Jeffrey S. Dukes; Bridget Emmett; Paul J. Hanson; Alan Knapp; Sune Linder; Dan Nepstad; Lindsey. Rustad

2008-01-01

Interactive effects of multiple global change factors on ecosystem processes are complex. It is relatively expensive to explore those interactions in manipulative experiments. We conducted a modeling analysis to identify potentially important interactions and to stimulate hypothesis formulation for experimental research. Four models were used to quantify interactive...

Interpreting Parent-Infant Interactions: Cross-Cultural Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCollum, Jeanette A.; Ree, Yon; Chen, Yu-Jun

2000-01-01

Drawing on interviews with six American and Korean mothers, this article explores the range and coalescence of ideas that mothers from different cultures have about interactions with their 12-month-old babies in social interactive play and joint play with objects. Differences and similarities about the mothers' ideas about interaction are…

"Interactive Whole Class Teaching" in the National Literacy Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardman, Frank; Smith, Fay; Wall, Kate

2003-01-01

Presents findings of extensive investigation (n=70) into interactive and discourse styles of a nationally representative sample of primary teachers. Explores impact of official endorsement of interactive whole class teaching in the teaching of England's National Literacy Strategy to examine whether it is promoting pupils' higher interaction and…

On the Rhetorical Contract in Human-Computer Interaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wenger, Michael J.

1991-01-01

An exploration of the rhetorical contract--i.e., the expectations for appropriate interaction--as it develops in human-computer interaction revealed that direct manipulation interfaces were more likely to establish social expectations. Study results suggest that the social nature of human-computer interactions can be examined with reference to the…

Interaction Forms in Successful Collaborative Learning in Virtual Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vuopala, Essi; Hyvönen, Pirkko; Järvelä, Sanna

2016-01-01

Despite the numerous studies on social interaction in collaborative learning, little is known about interaction forms in successful computer-supported collaborative learning situations. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand student interaction in successful collaborative learning during a university course which was mediated by…

Examining the Educational Benefits of Interacting with International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Jiali; Jamieson-Drake, David

2013-01-01

Through the analysis of alumni survey data from three graduating cohorts, this study examined the influence of interaction with international students on domestic students' college outcomes and explored factors that helped to promote international interaction on college campuses. The findings indicate that in comparison to non-interactive domestic…

Brief Report: Patterns of Eye Movements in Face to Face Conversation are Associated with Autistic Traits: Evidence from a Student Sample.

PubMed

Vabalas, Andrius; Freeth, Megan

2016-01-01

The current study investigated whether the amount of autistic traits shown by an individual is associated with viewing behaviour during a face-to-face interaction. The eye movements of 36 neurotypical university students were recorded using a mobile eye-tracking device. High amounts of autistic traits were neither associated with reduced looking to the social partner overall, nor with reduced looking to the face. However, individuals who were high in autistic traits exhibited reduced visual exploration during the face-to-face interaction overall, as demonstrated by shorter and less frequent saccades. Visual exploration was not related to social anxiety. This study suggests that there are systematic individual differences in visual exploration during social interactions and these are related to amount of autistic traits.

Streptomyces exploration is triggered by fungal interactions and volatile signals.

PubMed

Jones, Stephanie E; Ho, Louis; Rees, Christiaan A; Hill, Jane E; Nodwell, Justin R; Elliot, Marie A

2017-01-03

It has long been thought that the life cycle of Streptomyces bacteria encompasses three developmental stages: vegetative hyphae, aerial hyphae and spores. Here, we show interactions between Streptomyces and fungi trigger a previously unobserved mode of Streptomyces development. We term these Streptomyces cells 'explorers', for their ability to adopt a non-branching vegetative hyphal conformation and rapidly transverse solid surfaces. Fungi trigger Streptomyces exploratory growth in part by altering the composition of the growth medium, and Streptomyces explorer cells can communicate this exploratory behaviour to other physically separated streptomycetes using an airborne volatile organic compound (VOC). These results reveal that interkingdom interactions can trigger novel developmental behaviours in bacteria, here, causing Streptomyces to deviate from its classically-defined life cycle. Furthermore, this work provides evidence that VOCs can act as long-range communication signals capable of propagating microbial morphological switches.

Interactive Streamline Exploration and Manipulation Using Deformation

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

Tong, Xin; Chen, Chun-Ming; Shen, Han-Wei

2015-01-12

Occlusion presents a major challenge in visualizing three-dimensional flow fields with streamlines. Displaying too many streamlines at once makes it difficult to locate interesting regions, but displaying too few streamlines risks missing important features. A more ideal streamline exploration model is to allow the viewer to freely move across the field that has been populated with interesting streamlines and pull away the streamlines that cause occlusion so that the viewer can inspect the hidden ones in detail. In this paper, we present a streamline deformation algorithm that supports such user-driven interaction with three-dimensional flow fields. We define a view-dependent focus+contextmore » technique that moves the streamlines occluding the focus area using a novel displacement model. To preserve the context surrounding the user-chosen focus area, we propose two shape models to define the transition zone for the surrounding streamlines, and the displacement of the contextual streamlines is solved interactively with a goal of preserving their shapes as much as possible. Based on our deformation model, we design an interactive streamline exploration tool using a lens metaphor. Our system runs interactively so that users can move their focus and examine the flow field freely.« less

Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing Instructional Games in Mathematics Classrooms: Examining the Quality of Teacher-Student Interactions during the Cover-Up and Un-Cover Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heshmati, Saeideh; Kersting, Nicole; Sutton, Taliesin

2018-01-01

This study explored the design and implementation of the Cover-up and Un-cover games, two manipulative-based fraction games, in 14 fifth-grade classrooms. We examined how the fraction concepts were integrated into the game design and explored the nature of teacher-student interactions during games using lesson videos. Our examination showed that…

Over-expression of C/EBP-{alpha} induces apoptosis in cultured rat hepatic stellate cells depending on p53 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-{gamma}

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

Wang Xueqing; Huang Guangcun; Mei Shuang

2009-03-06

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a key role in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis. In our previous studies, CCAAT enhancer binding protein-{alpha} (C/EBP-{alpha}) has been shown to be involved in the activation of HSCs and to have a repression effect on hepatic fibrosis in vivo. However, the mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we show that the infection of adenovirus vector expressing C/EBP-{alpha} gene (Ad-C/EBP-{alpha}) could induce HSCs apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner by Annexin V/PI staining, caspase-3 activation assay, and flow cytometry. Also, over-expression of C/EBP-{alpha} resulted in the up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-{gamma} (PPAR-{gamma}) andmore » P53, while P53 expression was regulated by PPAR-{gamma}. In addition, Fas, FasL, DR4, DR5, and TRAIL were studied. The results indicated that the death receptor pathway was mainly involved and regulated by PPAR-{gamma} and p53 in the process of apoptosis triggered by C/EBP-{alpha} in HSCs.« less

Simulated microgravity induce apoptosis and down-regulation of erythropoietin receptor of UT-7/EPO cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Li-xue; Cui, Shao-yan; Zhong, Jian; Yi, Zong-chun; Sun, Yan; Fan, Yu-bo; Zhuang, Feng-yuan

2010-11-01

Hematopoietic progenitor cell proliferation can be alternated on either spaceflight or under simulated microgravity experiments on the ground; however, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. In the present study, we have demonstrated that exposure of human erythropoietin (EPO)-dependent leukemia cell line UT-7/EPO cells to conditions of simulated microgravity with a rotary culture instrument significantly inhibited the cellular proliferation rate. Adding higher concentrations of EPO to the culture medium failed to improve the inhibitory status. Cell apoptosis was detected by fluorescence staining of cell nuclei and a flow cytometry assay using Annexin V/PI double staining. This microgravity-induced apoptosis in UT-7/EPO cells could be blocked by a pancaspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK. Immunoblotting demonstrated that rotary culture resulted in a reduction of the expression of Bcl-xL, an anti-apoptotic protein, and the cleavage of caspase-3. Furthermore, rotary culture reduced surface localization and protein content, as well as the mRNA expression of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) of UT-7/EPO. Take together, the findings indicated that simulated microgravity may induce mitochondrial related apoptosis of UT-7/EPO cell through depressing the EPO-EPOR pathway.

Yeast caspase-dependent apoptosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4742 induced by antifungal and potential antitumor agent clotrimazole.

PubMed

Kavakçıoğlu, Berna; Tarhan, Leman

2018-01-01

Clotrimazole is an antifungal medication commonly used in the treatment of fungal infections. There is also promising research on using clotrimazole against other diseases such as malaria, beriberi, tineapedis and cancer. It was aimed to investigate the apoptotic phenotype in Saccharomyces cerevisiae induced by clotrimazole. The exposure of S. cerevisiae to 10 µM clotrimazole for 3, 6 and 9 h caused to decrease in cell viability by 24.82 ± 0.81, 56.00 ± 1.54 and 77.59 ± 0.53%, respectively. It was shown by Annexin V-PI assay that 110 µM clotrimazole treatment caused to death by 35.5 ± 2.48% apoptotic and only 13.1 ± 0.08% necrotic pathway within 30 min. The occurrence of DNA strand breaks and condensation could be visualised by the TUNEL and DAPI stainings, respectively. Yeast caspase activity was induced 12.34 ± 0.71-fold after 110 µM clotrimazole treatment for 30 min compared to the control. The dependency of clotrimazole-induced apoptosis to caspase was also shown using Δyca1 mutant.

[The role of RKIP mediated ERK pathway in hippocampus neurons injured by electromagnetic radiation].

PubMed

Zuo, Hong-Yan; Wang, De-Wen; Peng, Rui-Yun; Wang, Shui-Ming; Gao, Ya-Bing; Zhang, Zhi-Yi; Xiao, Feng-Jun

2008-07-01

To study the effects of electromagnetic radiation on RKIP and phosphorylated ERK in primary cultured hippocampus neurons. The inhibitor of MEK U0126 was applied to investigate the role of RKIP mediated ERK pathway in radiation injury. Primary hippocampus neurons were cultured in vitro. X-HPM, S-HPM and EMP were taken as radiation source respectively to establish three cell models exposed to electromagnetic radiation. RKIP and phosphorylated ERK were measured by immunofluorescent labelling and laser scanning confocal microscope. Apoptosis and death fraction of the cells were detected by Annexin V-PI double labelling and flow cytometry. After three kinds of electromagnetic radiation, the expression of RKIP in hippocampus neurons decreased but the expression of phosphorylated ERK increased, and its nuclear translocation occurred. No significant differences were seen between radiation groups. Apoptosis and death fraction of the neurons in U0126 pretreatment groups was significantly lower than that in radiation groups but they were still higher than those in sham-radiation group. The excessive activation of RKIP mediated ERK pathway is one of the important mechanisms for the apoptosis and death of hippocampus neurons induced by electromagnetic radiation. U0126 have some protective effects on radiation injury.

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

Jayakumar, R.; Martovetsky, N.N.; Perfect, S.A.

A glass-polyimide insulation system has been proposed by the US team for use in the Central Solenoid (CS) coil of the international Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) machine and it is planned to use this system in the CS model coil inner module. The turn insulation will consist of 2 layers of combined prepreg and Kapton. Each layer is 50% overlapped with a butt wrap of prepreg and an overwrap of S glass. The coil layers will be separated by a glass-resin composite and impregnated in a VPI process. Small scale tests on the various components of the insulation are complete.more » It is planned to fabricate and test the insulation in a 4 x 4 insulated CS conductor array which will include the layer insulation and be vacuum impregnated. The conductor array will be subjected to 20 thermal cycles and 100000 mechanical load cycles in a Liquid Nitrogen environment. These loads are similar to those seen in the CS coil design. The insulation will be electrically tested at several stages during mechanical testing. This paper will describe the array configuration, fabrication: process, instrumentation, testing configuration, and supporting analyses used in selecting the array and test configurations.« less

Anticancer and apoptosis-inducing effects of quercetin in vitro and in vivo

PubMed Central

Hashemzaei, Mahmoud; Far, Amin Delarami; Yari, Arezoo; Heravi, Reza Entezari; Tabrizian, Kaveh; Taghdisi, Seyed Mohammad; Sadegh, Sarvenaz Ekhtiari; Tsarouhas, Konstantinos; Kouretas, Dimitrios; Tzanakakis, George; Nikitovic, Dragana; Anisimov, Nikita Yurevich; Spandidos, Demetrios A.; Tsatsakis, Aristides M.; Rezaee, Ramin

2017-01-01

The present study focused on the elucidation of the putative anticancer potential of quercetin. The anticancer activity of quercetin at 10, 20, 40, 80 and 120 µM was assessed in vitro by MMT assay in 9 tumor cell lines (colon carcinoma CT-26 cells, prostate adenocarcinoma LNCaP cells, human prostate PC3 cells, pheocromocytoma PC12 cells, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer MCF-7 cells, acute lymphoblastic leukemia MOLT-4 T-cells, human myeloma U266B1 cells, human lymphoid Raji cells and ovarian cancer CHO cells). Quercetin was found to induce the apoptosis of all the tested cancer cell lines at the utilized concentrations. Moreover, quercetin significantly induced the apoptosis of the CT-26, LNCaP, MOLT-4 and Raji cell lines, as compared to control group (P<0.001), as demonstrated by Annexin V/PI staining. In in vivo experiments, mice bearing MCF-7 and CT-26 tumors exhibited a significant reduction in tumor volume in the quercetin-treated group as compared to the control group (P<0.001). Taken together, quercetin, a naturally occurring compound, exhibits anticancer properties both in vivo and in vitro. PMID:28677813

Ruthenium(III)/phosphine/pyridine complexes applied in the hydrogenation reactions of polar and apolar double bonds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Claudia; Delolo, Fábio G.; Ferreira, Lucas M.; da S. Maia, Pedro I.; Deflon, Victor M.; Rabeah, Jabor; Brückner, Angelika; Norinder, Jakob; Börner, Armin; Bogado, André L.; Batista, Alzir A.

2016-05-01

In this work, five ruthenium(III) complexes containing phosphine and pyridine based ligands with general formula mer-[RuCl3(dppb)(N)] [where dppb = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane and N = pyridine (py), 4-methylpyridine (4-Mepy), 4-vinylpyridine (4-Vpy), 4-tert-butylpyridine (4-tBupy) and 4-phenylpyridine (4-Phpy)] were synthesized and characterized using spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques, as well as magnetic susceptibility to check the paramagnetism of these compounds. These complexes were tested as catalytic precursors in hydrogenation reactions with cyclohexene, undecanal and cyclohexanecarboxaldehyde, as compounds bearing Cdbnd C and Cdbnd O groups. Broad screening was carried out in order to find the optimal reaction conditions with the highest conversion. It was found that by using a ratio of Ru-catalyst/substrate = 1:530 at 80 °C and 15 bar of H2 for 24 h, cyclohexene can be reduced. Hydrogenation of undecanal was possible using a Ru-catalyst/substrate ratio of 1:100 at 160 °C and 100 bar for 24 h, and for the reduction of cyclohexanecarboxaldehyde the reaction conditions were Ru-catalyst/substrate ratio of 1:100 at 160 °C and 50 bar for 24 h.

PDB-Explorer: a web-based interactive map of the protein data bank in shape space.

PubMed

Jin, Xian; Awale, Mahendra; Zasso, Michaël; Kostro, Daniel; Patiny, Luc; Reymond, Jean-Louis

2015-10-23

The RCSB Protein Data Bank (PDB) provides public access to experimentally determined 3D-structures of biological macromolecules (proteins, peptides and nucleic acids). While various tools are available to explore the PDB, options to access the global structural diversity of the entire PDB and to perceive relationships between PDB structures remain very limited. A 136-dimensional atom pair 3D-fingerprint for proteins (3DP) counting categorized atom pairs at increasing through-space distances was designed to represent the molecular shape of PDB-entries. Nearest neighbor searches examples were reported exemplifying the ability of 3DP-similarity to identify closely related biomolecules from small peptides to enzyme and large multiprotein complexes such as virus particles. The principle component analysis was used to obtain the visualization of PDB in 3DP-space. The 3DP property space groups proteins and protein assemblies according to their 3D-shape similarity, yet shows exquisite ability to distinguish between closely related structures. An interactive website called PDB-Explorer is presented featuring a color-coded interactive map of PDB in 3DP-space. Each pixel of the map contains one or more PDB-entries which are directly visualized as ribbon diagrams when the pixel is selected. The PDB-Explorer website allows performing 3DP-nearest neighbor searches of any PDB-entry or of any structure uploaded as protein-type PDB file. All functionalities on the website are implemented in JavaScript in a platform-independent manner and draw data from a server that is updated daily with the latest PDB additions, ensuring complete and up-to-date coverage. The essentially instantaneous 3DP-similarity search with the PDB-Explorer provides results comparable to those of much slower 3D-alignment algorithms, and automatically clusters proteins from the same superfamilies in tight groups. A chemical space classification of PDB based on molecular shape was obtained using a new atom-pair 3D-fingerprint for proteins and implemented in a web-based database exploration tool comprising an interactive color-coded map of the PDB chemical space and a nearest neighbor search tool. The PDB-Explorer website is freely available at www.cheminfo.org/pdbexplorer and represents an unprecedented opportunity to interactively visualize and explore the structural diversity of the PDB. ᅟ

An ESA roadmap for geobiology in space exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cousins, Claire R.; Cockell, Charles S.

2016-01-01

Geobiology, and in particular mineral-microbe interactions, has a significant role to play in current and future space exploration. This includes the search for biosignatures in extraterrestrial environments, and the human exploration of space. Microorganisms can be exploited to advance such exploration, such as through biomining, maintenance of life-support systems, and testing of life-detection instrumentation. In view of these potential applications, a European Space Agency (ESA) Topical Team "Geobiology in Space Exploration" was developed to explore these applications, and identify research avenues to be investigated to support this endeavour. Through community workshops, a roadmap was produced, with which to define future research directions via a set of 15 recommendations spanning three key areas: Science, Technology, and Community. These roadmap recommendations identify the need for research into: (1) new terrestrial space-analogue environments; (2) community level microbial-mineral interactions; (3) response of biofilms to the space environment; (4) enzymatic and biochemical mineral interaction; (5) technical refinement of instrumentation for space-based microbiology experiments, including precursor flight tests; (6) integration of existing ground-based planetary simulation facilities; (7) integration of fieldsite biogeography with laboratory- and field-based research; (8) modification of existing planetary instruments for new geobiological investigations; (9) development of in situ sample preparation techniques; (10) miniaturisation of existing analytical methods, such as DNA sequencing technology; (11) new sensor technology to analyse chemical interaction in small volume samples; (12) development of reusable Lunar and Near Earth Object experimental platforms; (13) utility of Earth-based research to enable the realistic pursuit of extraterrestrial biosignatures; (14) terrestrial benefits and technological spin-off from existing and future space-based geobiology investigations; and (15) new communication avenues between space agencies and terrestrial research organisations to enable this impact to be developed.

Anxiety and Career Exploration: Gender Differences in the Role of Self-Construal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardin, Erin E.; Varghese, Femina P.; Tran, Uyen V.; Carlson, Aaron Z.

2006-01-01

Given the social nature of many tasks involved in exploring and committing to a career, we hypothesized that social anxiety would correlate to exploration and commitment, even after controlling for general anxiety. We also hypothesized that self-construal and gender would interact with social anxiety in relation to exploration and commitment. In a…

An exploration of motivations for two screen viewing, social interaction behaviors, and factors that influence viewing intentions.

PubMed

Shim, Hongjin; Oh, Poong; Song, Hyunjin; Lee, Yeonkyung

2015-03-01

This study explores whether, and how, motivations for two screen viewing predicted social interaction behaviors and subsequent viewing intention of TV programs. A total of 453 respondents who responded that they use social networking sites (SNSs) via smartphones and actively watch entertainment programs completed an online survey questionnaire. In agreement with uses and gratifications assumptions, motivations for TSV predicted distinctive sets of social interaction behaviors, which mediated the influence of motivations on viewing intentions. Respondents' two screen viewing was meaningfully related with social interaction, engagement with programs, information seeking, and passing time. Results suggest that two screen viewing could provide shared experiences nourishing social capital and reintegrate TV audiences by social adhesive resulting from TV with SNSs.

Ionic Impurity in a Bose-Einstein Condensate at Submicrokelvin Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleinbach, K. S.; Engel, F.; Dieterle, T.; Löw, R.; Pfau, T.; Meinert, F.

2018-05-01

Rydberg atoms immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate interact with the quantum gas via electron-atom and ion-atom interaction. To suppress the typically dominant electron-neutral interaction, Rydberg states with a principal quantum number up to n =190 are excited from a dense and tightly trapped micron-sized condensate. This allows us to explore a regime where the Rydberg orbit exceeds the size of the atomic sample by far. In this case, a detailed line shape analysis of the Rydberg excitation spectrum provides clear evidence for ion-atom interaction at temperatures well below a microkelvin. Our results may open up ways to enter the quantum regime of ion-atom scattering for the exploration of charged quantum impurities and associated polaron physics.

Mother-Father-Newborn Interaction: Effects of Maternal Medication, Labor, and Sex of Infant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parke, Ross D.; And Others

A research study was conducted to: (1) compare mother and father interactions with their newborn infant; (2) examine the effects of maternal drugs on mother-father infant interaction; (3) explore the impact of variations in length of labor on parent interaction; and (4) examine sex of parent and sex of newborn interactions to determine the nature…

Measuring L2 Speakers' Interactional Ability Using Interactive Speech Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Batenburg, Eline S. L.; Oostdam, Ron J.; van Gelderen, Amos J. S.; de Jong, Nivja H.

2018-01-01

This article explores ways to assess interactional performance, and reports on the use of a test format that standardizes the interlocutor's linguistic and interactional contributions to the exchange. It describes the construction and administration of six scripted speech tasks (instruction, advice, and sales tasks) with pre-vocational learners (n…

The Student-Faculty Relationship: An Investigation of the Interactions between Students and Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Justin Meredith

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective perceptions held by students of their interactions with faculty members in college, especially as those interactions relate to the integration and membership of students in the academic community. Academic integration, resulting primarily from student-faculty interactions, has been theorized…

Turkish Mothers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Styles of Interactions with Their Children with Language Delays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diken, Ibrahim H.

2009-01-01

Turkish mothers' self-efficacy beliefs and their interactional behaviors with their children with language delays are described and explored. Participants included 19 mother-child dyads. Mothers' interaction with their children with language delays was videotaped for 30 minutes in a free-play context. Regarding mothers' interactional behaviors,…

Alternative Breaks as a Context for Informal Interactions with Diversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niehaus, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

One of the most frequently touted benefits of higher education is the opportunity to interact with people different from oneself, yet these interactions do not automatically lead to positive outcomes. The purpose of this study is to explore how one particular context for diversity interactions, service-based alternative break programs, may provide…

From Virtual Environments to Physical Environments: Exploring Interactivity in Ubiquitous-Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peng, Hsinyi; Chou, Chien; Chang, Chun-Yu

2008-01-01

Computing devices and applications are now used beyond the desktop, in diverse environments, and this trend toward ubiquitous computing is evolving. In this study, we re-visit the interactivity concept and its applications for interactive function design in a ubiquitous-learning system (ULS). Further, we compare interactivity dimensions and…

Harnessing the Power of Interactivity for Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borsook, Terry K.

Arguing that what sets the computer apart from all other teaching devices is its potential for interactivity, this paper examines the concept of interactivity and explores ways in which its power can be harnessed and put to work. A discussion of interactivity in human-to-human communication sets a context within which to view human/computer…

When Norms Are Violated: Imagined Interactions as Processing and Coping Mechanisms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkos, Kristen M.; Allen, Terre H.; Kearney, Patricia; Plax, Timothy G.

2001-01-01

Explores undergraduate student receivers' symbolic cognitive processes in response to particular types of norm violations. Finds that imagined interactions were used in respect to all three types of violations profiled and that participants were significantly more likely to engage in imagined interactions than to interact with or confront norm…

ESL Students' Interaction in Second Life: Task-Based Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jee, Min Jung

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore ESL students' interactions in task-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) in Second Life, a virtual environment by which users can interact through representational figures. I investigated Low-Intermediate and High-Intermediate ESL students' interaction patterns before, during, and…

Interaction and the Online Distance Classroom: Do Instructional Methods Effect the Quality of Interaction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanuka, Heather

2011-01-01

In this special issue, I bring together two studies to provide a comprehensive overview on diverse and interactive instructional methods aimed to facilitate higher levels of learning. One study explored the effects of group interaction using different instructional strategies focusing on the learning "process" using the Community of Inquiry…

How will biotic interactions influence climate change-induced range shifts?

PubMed

HilleRisLambers, Janneke; Harsch, Melanie A; Ettinger, Ailene K; Ford, Kevin R; Theobald, Elinore J

2013-09-01

Biotic interactions present a challenge in determining whether species distributions will track climate change. Interactions with competitors, consumers, mutualists, and facilitators can strongly influence local species distributions, but few studies assess how and whether these interactions will impede or accelerate climate change-induced range shifts. In this paper, we explore how ecologists might move forward on this question. We first outline the conditions under which biotic interactions can result in range shifts that proceed faster or slower than climate velocity and result in ecological surprises. Next, we use our own work to demonstrate that experimental studies documenting the strength of biotic interactions across large environmental gradients are a critical first step for understanding whether they will influence climate change-induced range shifts. Further progress could be made by integrating results from these studies into modeling frameworks to predict how or generalize when biotic interactions mediate how changing climates influence range shifts. Finally, we argue that many more case studies like those described here are needed to explore the importance of biotic interactions during climate change-induced range shifts. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

MTVis: tree exploration using a multitouch interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, David; Teoh, Soon Tee

2010-01-01

We present MTVis, a multi-touch interactive tree visualization system. The multi-touch interface display hardware is built using the LED-LP technology, and the tree layout is based on RINGS, but enhanced with multitouch interactions. We describe the features of the system, and how the multi-touch interface enhances the user's experience in exploring the tree data structure. In particular, the multi-touch interface allows the user to simultaneously control two child nodes of the root, and rotate them so that some nodes are magnified, while preserving the layout of the tree. We also describe the other meaninful touch screen gestures the users can use to intuitively explore the tree.

Screen and clean: a tool for identifying interactions in genome-wide association studies.

PubMed

Wu, Jing; Devlin, Bernie; Ringquist, Steven; Trucco, Massimo; Roeder, Kathryn

2010-04-01

Epistasis could be an important source of risk for disease. How interacting loci might be discovered is an open question for genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Most researchers limit their statistical analyses to testing individual pairwise interactions (i.e., marginal tests for association). A more effective means of identifying important predictors is to fit models that include many predictors simultaneously (i.e., higher-dimensional models). We explore a procedure called screen and clean (SC) for identifying liability loci, including interactions, by using the lasso procedure, which is a model selection tool for high-dimensional regression. We approach the problem by using a varying dictionary consisting of terms to include in the model. In the first step the lasso dictionary includes only main effects. The most promising single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are identified using a screening procedure. Next the lasso dictionary is adjusted to include these main effects and the corresponding interaction terms. Again, promising terms are identified using lasso screening. Then significant terms are identified through the cleaning process. Implementation of SC for GWAS requires algorithms to explore the complex model space induced by the many SNPs genotyped and their interactions. We propose and explore a set of algorithms and find that SC successfully controls Type I error while yielding good power to identify risk loci and their interactions. When the method is applied to data obtained from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium study of Type 1 Diabetes it uncovers evidence supporting interaction within the HLA class II region as well as within Chromosome 12q24.

An autoethnographic exploration of the use of goal oriented feedback to enhance brief clinical teaching encounters.

PubMed

Farrell, Laura; Bourgeois-Law, Gisele; Ajjawi, Rola; Regehr, Glenn

2017-03-01

Supervision in the outpatient context is increasingly in the form of single day interactions between students and preceptors. This creates difficulties for effective feedback, which often depends on a strong relationship of trust between preceptor and student. Building on feedback theories focusing on the relational and dialogic aspects of feedback, this study explored the use of goal-oriented feedback in brief encounters with learners. This study used autoethnography to explore one preceptor's feedback interactions over an eight-month period both in the ambulatory setting and on the wards. Data included written narrative reflections on feedback interactions with twenty-three learners informed by discussions with colleagues and repeated reading of feedback literature. Thematic and narrative analyses of data were performed iteratively. Data analysis emphasized four recurrent themes. (1) Goal discussions were most effective when initiated early and integrated throughout the learning experience. (2) Both learner and preceptor goals were multiple and varied, and feedback needed to reflect this complexity. (3) Negotiation or co-construction of goals was important when considering the focus of feedback discussions in order to create safer, more effective interactions. (4) Goal oriented interactions offer potential benefits to the learner and preceptor. Goal oriented feedback promotes dialogue as it requires both preceptor and learner to acknowledge and negotiate learning goals throughout their interaction. In doing so, feedback becomes an explicit component of the preceptor-learner relationship. This enhances feedback interactions even in relatively brief encounters, and may begin an early educational alliance that can be elaborated with longer interactions.

Interactive Data Exploration with Smart Drill-Down

PubMed Central

Joglekar, Manas; Garcia-Molina, Hector; Parameswaran, Aditya

2017-01-01

We present smart drill-down, an operator for interactively exploring a relational table to discover and summarize “interesting” groups of tuples. Each group of tuples is described by a rule. For instance, the rule (a, b, ⋆, 1000) tells us that there are a thousand tuples with value a in the first column and b in the second column (and any value in the third column). Smart drill-down presents an analyst with a list of rules that together describe interesting aspects of the table. The analyst can tailor the definition of interesting, and can interactively apply smart drill-down on an existing rule to explore that part of the table. We demonstrate that the underlying optimization problems are NP-Hard, and describe an algorithm for finding the approximately optimal list of rules to display when the user uses a smart drill-down, and a dynamic sampling scheme for efficiently interacting with large tables. Finally, we perform experiments on real datasets on our experimental prototype to demonstrate the usefulness of smart drill-down and study the performance of our algorithms. PMID:28210096

Tunable-Range, Photon-Mediated Atomic Interactions in Multimode Cavity QED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaidya, Varun D.; Guo, Yudan; Kroeze, Ronen M.; Ballantine, Kyle E.; Kollár, Alicia J.; Keeling, Jonathan; Lev, Benjamin L.

2018-01-01

Optical cavity QED provides a platform with which to explore quantum many-body physics in driven-dissipative systems. Single-mode cavities provide strong, infinite-range photon-mediated interactions among intracavity atoms. However, these global all-to-all couplings are limiting from the perspective of exploring quantum many-body physics beyond the mean-field approximation. The present work demonstrates that local couplings can be created using multimode cavity QED. This is established through measurements of the threshold of a superradiant, self-organization phase transition versus atomic position. Specifically, we experimentally show that the interference of near-degenerate cavity modes leads to both a strong and tunable-range interaction between Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) trapped within the cavity. We exploit the symmetry of a confocal cavity to measure the interaction between real BECs and their virtual images without unwanted contributions arising from the merger of real BECs. Atom-atom coupling may be tuned from short range to long range. This capability paves the way toward future explorations of exotic, strongly correlated systems such as quantum liquid crystals and driven-dissipative spin glasses.

Development of Support Service for Prevention and Recovery from Dementia and Science of Lethe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otake, Mihoko

Purpose of this study is to explore service design method through the development of support service for prevention and recovery from dementia towards science of lethe. We designed and implemented conversation support service via coimagination method based on multiscale service design method, both were proposed by the author. Multiscale service model consists of tool, event, human, network, style and rule. Service elements at different scales are developed according to the model. Interactive conversation supported by coimagination method activates cognitive functions so as to prevent progress of dementia. This paper proposes theoretical bases for science of lethe. Firstly, relationship among coimagination method and three cognitive functions including division of attention, planning, episodic memory which decline at mild cognitive imparement. Secondly, thought state transition model during conversation which describes cognitive enhancement via interactive communication. Thirdly, Set Theoretical Measure of Interaction is proposed for evaluating effectiveness of conversation to cognitive enhancement. Simulation result suggests that the ideas which cannot be explored by each speaker are explored during interactive conversation. Finally, coimagination method compared with reminiscence therapy and its possibility for collaboration is discussed.

Palmitic acid induces neurotoxicity and gliatoxicity in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma and T98G human glioblastoma cells.

PubMed

Ng, Yee-Wen; Say, Yee-How

2018-01-01

Obesity-related central nervous system (CNS) pathologies like neuroinflammation and reactive gliosis are associated with high-fat diet (HFD) related elevation of saturated fatty acids like palmitic acid (PA) in neurons and astrocytes of the brain. Human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y (as a neuronal model) and human glioblastoma cells T98G (as an astrocytic model), were treated with 100-500 µM PA, oleic acid (OA) or lauric acid (LA) for 24 h or 48 h, and their cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimetylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The effects of stable overexpression of γ-synuclein (γ-syn), a neuronal protein recently recognized as a novel regulator of lipid handling in adipocytes, and transient overexpression of Parkinson's disease (PD) α-synuclein [α-syn; wild-type (wt) and its pathogenic mutants A53T, A30P and E46K] in SH-SY5Y and T98G cells, were also evaluated. The effects of co-treatment of PA with paraquat (PQ), a Parkinsonian pesticide, and leptin, a hormone involved in the brain-adipose axis, were also assessed. Cell death mode and cell cycle were analyzed by Annexin V/PI flow cytometry. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was determined using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescien diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay and lipid peroxidation level was determined using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. MTT assay revealed dose- and time-dependent PA cytotoxicity on SH-SY5Y and T98G cells, but not OA and LA. The cytotoxicity was significantly lower in SH-SY5Y-γ-syn cells, while transient overexpression of wt α-syn or its PD mutants (A30P and E46K, but not A53T) modestly (but still significantly) rescued the cytotoxicity of PA in SH-SY5Y and T98G cells. Co-treatment of increasing concentrations of PQ exacerbated PA's neurotoxicity. Pre-treatment of leptin, an anti-apoptotic adipokine, did not successfully rescue SH-SY5Y cells from PA-induced cytotoxicity-suggesting a mechanism of PA-induced leptin resistance. Annexin V/PI flow cytometry analysis revealed PA-induced increase in percentages of cells in annexin V-positive/PI-negative quadrant (early apoptosis) and subG 0 -G 1 fraction, accompanied by a decrease in G 2 -M phase cells. The PA-induced ROS production and lipid peroxidation was at greater extent in T98G as compared to that in SH-SY5Y. In conclusion, PA induces apoptosis by increasing oxidative stress in neurons and astrocytes. Taken together, the results suggest that HFD may cause neuronal and astrocytic damage, which indirectly proposes that CNS pathologies involving neuroinflammation and reactive gliosis could be prevented via the diet regimen.

Discriminative latent models for recognizing contextual group activities.

PubMed

Lan, Tian; Wang, Yang; Yang, Weilong; Robinovitch, Stephen N; Mori, Greg

2012-08-01

In this paper, we go beyond recognizing the actions of individuals and focus on group activities. This is motivated from the observation that human actions are rarely performed in isolation; the contextual information of what other people in the scene are doing provides a useful cue for understanding high-level activities. We propose a novel framework for recognizing group activities which jointly captures the group activity, the individual person actions, and the interactions among them. Two types of contextual information, group-person interaction and person-person interaction, are explored in a latent variable framework. In particular, we propose three different approaches to model the person-person interaction. One approach is to explore the structures of person-person interaction. Differently from most of the previous latent structured models, which assume a predefined structure for the hidden layer, e.g., a tree structure, we treat the structure of the hidden layer as a latent variable and implicitly infer it during learning and inference. The second approach explores person-person interaction in the feature level. We introduce a new feature representation called the action context (AC) descriptor. The AC descriptor encodes information about not only the action of an individual person in the video, but also the behavior of other people nearby. The third approach combines the above two. Our experimental results demonstrate the benefit of using contextual information for disambiguating group activities.

Discriminative Latent Models for Recognizing Contextual Group Activities

PubMed Central

Lan, Tian; Wang, Yang; Yang, Weilong; Robinovitch, Stephen N.; Mori, Greg

2012-01-01

In this paper, we go beyond recognizing the actions of individuals and focus on group activities. This is motivated from the observation that human actions are rarely performed in isolation; the contextual information of what other people in the scene are doing provides a useful cue for understanding high-level activities. We propose a novel framework for recognizing group activities which jointly captures the group activity, the individual person actions, and the interactions among them. Two types of contextual information, group-person interaction and person-person interaction, are explored in a latent variable framework. In particular, we propose three different approaches to model the person-person interaction. One approach is to explore the structures of person-person interaction. Differently from most of the previous latent structured models, which assume a predefined structure for the hidden layer, e.g., a tree structure, we treat the structure of the hidden layer as a latent variable and implicitly infer it during learning and inference. The second approach explores person-person interaction in the feature level. We introduce a new feature representation called the action context (AC) descriptor. The AC descriptor encodes information about not only the action of an individual person in the video, but also the behavior of other people nearby. The third approach combines the above two. Our experimental results demonstrate the benefit of using contextual information for disambiguating group activities. PMID:22144516

Structural Exploration and Conformational Transitions in MDM2 upon DHFR Interaction from Homo sapiens: A Computational Outlook for Malignancy via Epigenetic Disruption.

PubMed

Banerjee, Arundhati; Ray, Sujay

2016-01-01

Structural basis for exploration into MDM2 and MDM2-DHFR interaction plays a vital role in analyzing the obstruction in folate metabolism, nonsynthesis of purines, and further epigenetic regulation in Homo sapiens. Therefore, it leads to suppression of normal cellular behavior and malignancy. This has been earlier documented via yeast two-hybrid assays. So, with a novel outlook, this study explores the molecular level demonstration of the best satisfactory MDM2 model selection after performing manifold modeling techniques. Z-scores and other stereochemical features were estimated for comparison. Further, protein-protein docking was executed with MDM2 and the experimentally validated X-ray crystallographic DHFR. Residual disclosure from the best suited simulated protein complex disclosed 18 side chain and 3 ionic interactions to strongly accommodate MDM2 protein into the pocket-like zone in DHFR due to the positive environment by charged residues. Lysine residues from MDM2 played a predominant role. Moreover, evaluation from varied energy calculations, folding rate, and net area for solvent accessibility implied the active participation of MDM2 with DHFR. Fascinatingly, conformational transitions from coils to helices and β-sheets after interaction with DHFR affirm the conformational strength and firmer interaction of human MDM2-DHFR. Therefore, this probe instigates near-future clinical research and interactive computational investigations with mutations.

Structural Exploration and Conformational Transitions in MDM2 upon DHFR Interaction from Homo sapiens: A Computational Outlook for Malignancy via Epigenetic Disruption

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Arundhati; Ray, Sujay

2016-01-01

Structural basis for exploration into MDM2 and MDM2-DHFR interaction plays a vital role in analyzing the obstruction in folate metabolism, nonsynthesis of purines, and further epigenetic regulation in Homo sapiens. Therefore, it leads to suppression of normal cellular behavior and malignancy. This has been earlier documented via yeast two-hybrid assays. So, with a novel outlook, this study explores the molecular level demonstration of the best satisfactory MDM2 model selection after performing manifold modeling techniques. Z-scores and other stereochemical features were estimated for comparison. Further, protein-protein docking was executed with MDM2 and the experimentally validated X-ray crystallographic DHFR. Residual disclosure from the best suited simulated protein complex disclosed 18 side chain and 3 ionic interactions to strongly accommodate MDM2 protein into the pocket-like zone in DHFR due to the positive environment by charged residues. Lysine residues from MDM2 played a predominant role. Moreover, evaluation from varied energy calculations, folding rate, and net area for solvent accessibility implied the active participation of MDM2 with DHFR. Fascinatingly, conformational transitions from coils to helices and β-sheets after interaction with DHFR affirm the conformational strength and firmer interaction of human MDM2-DHFR. Therefore, this probe instigates near-future clinical research and interactive computational investigations with mutations. PMID:27213086

A method to explore the quantitative interactions between metal and ceria for M/CeO2 catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Kong-Jie; Liu, Jie; Yang, Yan-Ju; Xu, Yu-Xing; Teng, Bo-Tao; Wen, Xiao-Dong; Fan, Maohong

2018-03-01

To explore the quantitative relationship of metal interaction with ceria plays a key role in the theoretical design of M/CeO2 catalysts, especially for the new hot topic of atomically dispersed catalysts. A method to quantitatively explore the interactions between metal and ceria is proposed in the present work on the basis of the qualitative analysis of the effects of different factors on metal adsorption at different ceria surfaces by using Ag/CeO2 as a case. Two parameters are firstly presented, Ep which converts the total adsorption energy into the interaction energy per Agsbnd O bond, and θdiff which measures the deviation of Agsbnd Osbnd Ce bond angle from the angle of the sp3 orbital hybridization of O atom. Using the two parameters, the quantitative relationship of the interaction energy between Ag and ceria is established. There is a linear correlation between Ep and dAgsbndO with θdiff. The higher θdiff, the weaker Ep, and the longer Agsbnd O bond. This method is also suitable for other metals (Cu, Ni, Pd, and Rh, etc.) on ceria. It is the first time to establish the quantitative relationship for the interaction between metal and ceria, and sheds light into the theoretical design of M/CeO2 catalysts.

NaviCell: a web-based environment for navigation, curation and maintenance of large molecular interaction maps

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Molecular biology knowledge can be formalized and systematically represented in a computer-readable form as a comprehensive map of molecular interactions. There exist an increasing number of maps of molecular interactions containing detailed and step-wise description of various cell mechanisms. It is difficult to explore these large maps, to organize discussion of their content and to maintain them. Several efforts were recently made to combine these capabilities together in one environment, and NaviCell is one of them. Results NaviCell is a web-based environment for exploiting large maps of molecular interactions, created in CellDesigner, allowing their easy exploration, curation and maintenance. It is characterized by a combination of three essential features: (1) efficient map browsing based on Google Maps; (2) semantic zooming for viewing different levels of details or of abstraction of the map and (3) integrated web-based blog for collecting community feedback. NaviCell can be easily used by experts in the field of molecular biology for studying molecular entities of interest in the context of signaling pathways and crosstalk between pathways within a global signaling network. NaviCell allows both exploration of detailed molecular mechanisms represented on the map and a more abstract view of the map up to a top-level modular representation. NaviCell greatly facilitates curation, maintenance and updating the comprehensive maps of molecular interactions in an interactive and user-friendly fashion due to an imbedded blogging system. Conclusions NaviCell provides user-friendly exploration of large-scale maps of molecular interactions, thanks to Google Maps and WordPress interfaces, with which many users are already familiar. Semantic zooming which is used for navigating geographical maps is adopted for molecular maps in NaviCell, making any level of visualization readable. In addition, NaviCell provides a framework for community-based curation of maps. PMID:24099179

NaviCell: a web-based environment for navigation, curation and maintenance of large molecular interaction maps.

PubMed

Kuperstein, Inna; Cohen, David P A; Pook, Stuart; Viara, Eric; Calzone, Laurence; Barillot, Emmanuel; Zinovyev, Andrei

2013-10-07

Molecular biology knowledge can be formalized and systematically represented in a computer-readable form as a comprehensive map of molecular interactions. There exist an increasing number of maps of molecular interactions containing detailed and step-wise description of various cell mechanisms. It is difficult to explore these large maps, to organize discussion of their content and to maintain them. Several efforts were recently made to combine these capabilities together in one environment, and NaviCell is one of them. NaviCell is a web-based environment for exploiting large maps of molecular interactions, created in CellDesigner, allowing their easy exploration, curation and maintenance. It is characterized by a combination of three essential features: (1) efficient map browsing based on Google Maps; (2) semantic zooming for viewing different levels of details or of abstraction of the map and (3) integrated web-based blog for collecting community feedback. NaviCell can be easily used by experts in the field of molecular biology for studying molecular entities of interest in the context of signaling pathways and crosstalk between pathways within a global signaling network. NaviCell allows both exploration of detailed molecular mechanisms represented on the map and a more abstract view of the map up to a top-level modular representation. NaviCell greatly facilitates curation, maintenance and updating the comprehensive maps of molecular interactions in an interactive and user-friendly fashion due to an imbedded blogging system. NaviCell provides user-friendly exploration of large-scale maps of molecular interactions, thanks to Google Maps and WordPress interfaces, with which many users are already familiar. Semantic zooming which is used for navigating geographical maps is adopted for molecular maps in NaviCell, making any level of visualization readable. In addition, NaviCell provides a framework for community-based curation of maps.

Quercetin induced apoptosis of human oral cancer SAS cells through mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum mediated signaling pathways.

PubMed

Ma, Yi-Shih; Yao, Chien-Ning; Liu, Hsin-Chung; Yu, Fu-Shun; Lin, Jen-Jyh; Lu, Kung-Wen; Liao, Ching-Lung; Chueh, Fu-Shin; Chung, Jing-Gung

2018-06-01

Oral cancer is a cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide and the treatment of oral cancer includes radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Quercetin is a component from natural plant products and it has been demonstrated that quercetin is able to induce cytotoxic effects through induction of cell apoptosis in a number of human cancer cell lines. However, there is no available information to demonstrate that quercetin is able to induce apoptosis in human oral cancer cells. In the present study, the effect of quercetin on the cell death via the induction of apoptosis in human oral cancer SAS cells was investigated using flow cytometry, Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) double staining, western blotting and confocal laser microscopy examination, to test for cytotoxic effects at 6-48 h after treatment with quercetin. The rate of cell death increased with the duration of quercetin treatment based on the results of a cell viability assay, increased Annexin V/PI staining, increased reactive oxygen species and Ca 2+ production, decreased the levels of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ m ), increased proportion of apoptotic cells and altered levels of apoptosis-associated protein expression in SAS cells. The results from western blotting revealed that quercetin increased Fas, Fas-Ligand, fas-associated protein with death domain and caspase-8, all of which associated with cell surface death receptor. Furthermore, quercetin increased the levels of activating transcription factor (ATF)-6α, ATF-6β and gastrin-releasing peptide-78 which indicated an increase in endoplasm reticulum stress, increased levels of the pro-apoptotic protein BH3 interacting-domain death antagonist, and decreased levels of anti-apoptotic proteins B-cell lymphoma (Bcl) 2 and Bcl-extra large which may have led to the decreases of ΔΨ m . Additionally, confocal microscopy suggested that quercetin was able to increase the expression levels of cytochrome c , apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G, which are associated with apoptotic pathways. Therefore, it is hypothesized that quercetin may potentially be used as a novel anti-cancer agent for the treatment of oral cancer in future.

Parallel Exploration of Interaction Space by BioID and Affinity Purification Coupled to Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Hesketh, Geoffrey G; Youn, Ji-Young; Samavarchi-Tehrani, Payman; Raught, Brian; Gingras, Anne-Claude

2017-01-01

Complete understanding of cellular function requires knowledge of the composition and dynamics of protein interaction networks, the importance of which spans all molecular cell biology fields. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics approaches are instrumental in this process, with affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry (AP-MS) now widely used for defining interaction landscapes. Traditional AP-MS methods are well suited to providing information regarding the temporal aspects of soluble protein-protein interactions, but the requirement to maintain protein-protein interactions during cell lysis and AP means that both weak-affinity interactions and spatial information is lost. A more recently developed method called BioID employs the expression of bait proteins fused to a nonspecific biotin ligase, BirA*, that induces in vivo biotinylation of proximal proteins. Coupling this method to biotin affinity enrichment and mass spectrometry negates many of the solubility and interaction strength issues inherent in traditional AP-MS methods, and provides unparalleled spatial context for protein interactions. Here we describe the parallel implementation of both BioID and FLAG AP-MS allowing simultaneous exploration of both spatial and temporal aspects of protein interaction networks.

Ambidextrous Leadership and Employees' Self-reported Innovative Performance: The Role of Exploration and Exploitation Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zacher, Hannes; Robinson, Alecia J.; Rosing, Kathrin

2016-01-01

The ambidexterity theory of leadership for innovation proposes that leaders' opening and closing behaviors positively predict employees' exploration and exploitation behaviors, respectively. The interaction of exploration and exploitation behaviors, in turn, is assumed to influence employee innovative performance, such that innovative performance…

Interactive Visualization of Dependencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreno, Camilo Arango; Bischof, Walter F.; Hoover, H. James

2012-01-01

We present an interactive tool for browsing course requisites as a case study of dependency visualization. This tool uses multiple interactive visualizations to allow the user to explore the dependencies between courses. A usability study revealed that the proposed browser provides significant advantages over traditional methods, in terms of…

Semantic Interaction for Sensemaking: Inferring Analytical Reasoning for Model Steering.

PubMed

Endert, A; Fiaux, P; North, C

2012-12-01

Visual analytic tools aim to support the cognitively demanding task of sensemaking. Their success often depends on the ability to leverage capabilities of mathematical models, visualization, and human intuition through flexible, usable, and expressive interactions. Spatially clustering data is one effective metaphor for users to explore similarity and relationships between information, adjusting the weighting of dimensions or characteristics of the dataset to observe the change in the spatial layout. Semantic interaction is an approach to user interaction in such spatializations that couples these parametric modifications of the clustering model with users' analytic operations on the data (e.g., direct document movement in the spatialization, highlighting text, search, etc.). In this paper, we present results of a user study exploring the ability of semantic interaction in a visual analytic prototype, ForceSPIRE, to support sensemaking. We found that semantic interaction captures the analytical reasoning of the user through keyword weighting, and aids the user in co-creating a spatialization based on the user's reasoning and intuition.

Isotopic patterns in caps and stipes in sporocarps reveal patterns of organic nitrogen use by ectomycorrhizal fungi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobbie, Erik; Ouimette, Andrew; Chen, Janet

2016-04-01

Current ecosystem models use inorganic nitrogen as the currency of nitrogen acquisition by plants. However, many trees may gain access to otherwise unavailable soil resources, such as soil organic nitrogen, through their symbioses with ectomycorrhizal fungi, and this pathway of nitrogen acquisition may therefore be important in understanding plant responses to environmental change. Different functional groups of ectomycorrhizal fungi vary in their ability to enzymatically access protein and other soil resources. Such fungal parameters as hyphal hydrophobicity, the presence of rhizomorphs (long-distance transport structures), and exploration strategies (e.g., short-distance versus long-distance, mat formation) correspond with how fungi interact with and explore the environment, and the proportions of different exploration types present will shift along environmental gradients such as nitrogen availability. Isotopic differences between caps and stipes may provide a means to test for organic nitrogen use, since caps and stipes differ in δ13C and δ15N as a result of variable proportions of protein and other classes of compounds, and protein should differ isotopically among de novo synthesis, litter sources, and soil sources. Here, we propose that (1) isotopic differences between caps and stipes could be related to organic nitrogen uptake and to the δ13C and δ15N values of different pools of soil-derived or de novo-synthesized amino acids; (2) these isotopic differences will reflect greater acquisition of soil-derived organic nitrogen by exploration types of greater enzymatic capabilities to degrade recalcitrant nitrogen forms, specifically long-distance, medium-distance fringe, and medium-distance mat exploration types. To test these hypotheses, we use a dataset of isotopic values, %N, and %C in 208 cap/stipe samples collected from Oregon, western USA. δ13C differences in caps and stipes in a multiple regression model had an adjusted r2 of 0.292 (p < 0.0001), and were explained best by exploration type (45% of explained variance), the interaction of exploration type and %Ncap-stipe (20%), the interaction of exploration type and %Ncap/stipe (22%), %Ccap-stipe (8%), and %Ncap-stipe (5%). δ15N differences between caps and stipes in a multiple regression model had an adjusted r2 of 0.486 (p < 0.0001), and were explained best by exploration type (47% of explained variance), the interaction of exploration type and %Ncap-stipe (26%), the interaction of exploration type and %Ncap/stipe (14%), %Ncap/stipe (11%),and %Ccap-stipe (2%). We argue that these differences in the 13C and 15N enrichment of caps relative to stipes reflect not only shifts in the proportions of protein and carbohydrates, but also differences in the extent of fluxes and the δ13C and δ15N signatures of soil- and litter-derived organic nitrogen taken up by these fungi. We also propose equations to quantify this uptake. Organic nitrogen from litter (lower δ13C and δ15N) may be incorporated by medium-distance mat, short-distance, and contact exploration types of ectomycorrhizal fungi, whereas long-distance and medium-distance fringe exploration types appeared to incorporate deeper soil organic nitrogen.

Can We Become Friends? Students' Cross-Racial Interaction in Post-Apartheid South African Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wertheim, Samantha Shapses

2014-01-01

This article investigates and documents how undergraduate students in South Africa make meaning of cross-racial interaction on the college campus in the post-apartheid era. Additionally, it explores how students perceive that interactions with diverse peers have shifted since apartheid, and how these interactions are indicative of the larger…

Effects of Ignoring Item Interaction on Item Parameter Estimation and Detection of Interacting Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Cheng-Te; Wang, Wen-Chung

2007-01-01

This study explores the effects of ignoring item interaction on item parameter estimation and the efficiency of using the local dependence index Q[subscript 3] and the SAS NLMIXED procedure to detect item interaction under the three-parameter logistic model and the generalized partial credit model. Through simulations, it was found that ignoring…

Daily Family Interactions among Young Adults in the United States from Latin American, Filipino, East Asian, and European Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuligni, Andrew; Masten, Carrie L.

2010-01-01

In contrast to the abundant research on family relationships during adolescence, the nature of family interactions during young adulthood remains comparatively unexamined. The current study explored ethnic differences in young adults' interactions with parents and siblings, the role of other activities in young adults' family interactions, and the…

Human-Computer Interaction and Sociological Insight: A Theoretical Examination and Experiment in Building Affinity in Small Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oren, Michael Anthony

2011-01-01

The juxtaposition of classic sociological theory and the, relatively, young discipline of human-computer interaction (HCI) serves as a powerful mechanism for both exploring the theoretical impacts of technology on human interactions as well as the application of technological systems to moderate interactions. It is the intent of this dissertation…

Becoming "Spanish Learners": Identity and Interaction among Multilingual Children in a Spanish-English Dual Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martínez, Ramón Antonio; Durán, Leah; Hikida, Michiko

2017-01-01

This article explores the interactional co-construction of identities among two first-grade students learning Spanish as a third language in a Spanish-English dual language classroom. Drawing on ethnographic and interactional data, the article focuses on a single interaction between these two "Spanish learners" and two of their…

They Work Together to Roar: Kindergartners' Understanding of an Interactive Causal Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solis, S. Lynneth; Grotzer, Tina A.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate kindergartners' exploration of interactive causality during their play with a pair of toy sound blocks. Interactive causality refers to a type of causal pattern in which two entities interact to produce a causal force, as in particle attraction and symbiotic relationships. Despite being prevalent in nature,…

Mapping Control and Affiliation in Teacher-Student Interaction with State Space Grids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mainhard, M. Tim; Pennings, Helena J. M.; Wubbels, Theo; Brekelmans, Mieke

2012-01-01

This paper explores how State Space Grids (SSG), a dynamic systems research method, can be used to map teacher-student interactions from moment-to-moment and thereby to incorporate temporal aspects of interaction. Interactions in two secondary school classrooms are described in terms of level of interpersonal control and affiliation, and of…

Exploring the Interaction between TSC2, PTEN, and the NMDA Receptor in Animal Models of Tuberous Sclerosis

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Sunnen CN, Crowell B, Lee GH, Anderson AE, and D’Arcangelo G. Examination of the Role of Pten in Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor Expression. National...PTEN, and the NMDA Receptor in Animal Models of Tuberous Sclerosis PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: D’Arcangelo, Gabriella CONTRACTING...June 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Exploring the Interaction between TSC2, PTEN, and the NMDA Receptor in Animal Models of Tuberous Sclerosis 5a

Peer-to-Peer Human-Robot Interaction for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fong, Terrence; Nourbakhsh, Illah

2004-01-01

NASA has embarked on a long-term program to develop human-robot systems for sustained, affordable space exploration. To support this mission, we are working to improve human-robot interaction and performance on planetary surfaces. Rather than building robots that function as glorified tools, our focus is to enable humans and robots to work as partners and peers. In this paper. we describe our approach, which includes contextual dialogue, cognitive modeling, and metrics-based field testing.

Exploring Plant Co-Expression and Gene-Gene Interactions with CORNET 3.0.

PubMed

Van Bel, Michiel; Coppens, Frederik

2017-01-01

Selecting and filtering a reference expression and interaction dataset when studying specific pathways and regulatory interactions can be a very time-consuming and error-prone task. In order to reduce the duplicated efforts required to amass such datasets, we have created the CORNET (CORrelation NETworks) platform which allows for easy access to a wide variety of data types: coexpression data, protein-protein interactions, regulatory interactions, and functional annotations. The CORNET platform outputs its results in either text format or through the Cytoscape framework, which is automatically launched by the CORNET website.CORNET 3.0 is the third iteration of the web platform designed for the user exploration of the coexpression space of plant genomes, with a focus on the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we describe the platform: the tools, data, and best practices when using the platform. We indicate how the platform can be used to infer networks from a set of input genes, such as upregulated genes from an expression experiment. By exploring the network, new target and regulator genes can be discovered, allowing for follow-up experiments and more in-depth study. We also indicate how to avoid common pitfalls when evaluating the networks and how to avoid over interpretation of the results.All CORNET versions are available at http://bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/cornet/ .

SIGI: An Interactive Aid to Career Decision Making.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Martin R.

1980-01-01

The System of Interactive Guidance and Information (SIGI) helps students make informed and rational career decisions. Interacting with a computer, students examine values, identify and explore options, gain and interpret relevant information, master strategies for decision making, and formulate plans of action. Extensively field-tested, SIGI has…

The Role of Collegial Interaction in Continuing Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagliardi, Anna R.; Wright, Frances C.; Anderson, Michael A. B.; Davis, Dave

2007-01-01

Introduction: Many physicians seek information from colleagues over other sources, highlighting the important role of interaction in continuing professional development (CPD). To guide the development of CPD opportunities, this study explored the nature of cancer-related questions faced by general surgeons, and how interaction with colleagues…

Talking with Abuelo: Performing Authenticity in a Multicultural, Multisited Family

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidal, Mónica

2015-01-01

Taking an interactional sociolinguistic approach, this study explores how multicultural and multilingual siblings interact with their Spanish grandfather and how, through the use of styling and stylization in these interactions, they negotiate and construct multicultural family identities. Using Tannen's power and solidarity framework, I analyze…

Improving Second Language Speaking Proficiency via Interactional Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Peter B.; Schlig, Carmen

2010-01-01

Researchers have suggested that interactional feedback is associated with foreign/second language learning because it prompts learners to notice foreign/second language forms. Using Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and Long's interaction hypothesis as conceptual frameworks, this study explores the use of systematic explicit feedback to…

"Barter", "Deals", "Bribes" and "Threats": Exploring Sibling Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Ian; Punch, Samantha

2009-01-01

This article investigates forms of strategic interaction between siblings during childhood. The authors argue that these interactions, characterized by notions of reciprocity, equivalence and constructions of fairness, are worked out in relation to responsibility, power, knowledge and sibling status. Birth order and age are not experienced as…

Using Interactive Graphics to Teach Multivariate Data Analysis to Psychology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valero-Mora, Pedro M.; Ledesma, Ruben D.

2011-01-01

This paper discusses the use of interactive graphics to teach multivariate data analysis to Psychology students. Three techniques are explored through separate activities: parallel coordinates/boxplots; principal components/exploratory factor analysis; and cluster analysis. With interactive graphics, students may perform important parts of the…

MaGnET: Malaria Genome Exploration Tool

PubMed Central

Sharman, Joanna L.; Gerloff, Dietlind L.

2013-01-01

Summary: The Malaria Genome Exploration Tool (MaGnET) is a software tool enabling intuitive ‘exploration-style’ visualization of functional genomics data relating to the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. MaGnET provides innovative integrated graphic displays for different datasets, including genomic location of genes, mRNA expression data, protein–protein interactions and more. Any selection of genes to explore made by the user is easily carried over between the different viewers for different datasets, and can be changed interactively at any point (without returning to a search). Availability and Implementation: Free online use (Java Web Start) or download (Java application archive and MySQL database; requires local MySQL installation) at http://malariagenomeexplorer.org Contact: joanna.sharman@ed.ac.uk or dgerloff@ffame.org Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:23894142

Pavlovian Conditioning of Social Exploration in Adult Female Rats.

PubMed

Sunsay, Ceyhun

2018-06-02

Social conditionaed place preference (SCPP) studies show that the reward value of social interaction is amenable to the laws of associative learning, such that it becomes associated with the physical properties of the context. However, social interaction can be initiated and maintained by a variety of motivations, such as the exploration of a novel conspecific, aggression, mutual grooming and mating-like actions. In order to study whether social exploration is rewarding, we used a conventional Pavlovian conditioning procedure in which access to a restrained same-sex rat served as a reward. Three dependent variables in two experiments showed that the reward value of social exploration becomes conditioned to a transient cue, and it is also subject to extinction and spontaneous recovery. The results may help to elucidate the mixed results obtained with SCPP procedures. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Dynamic Reactance Interaction - How Vested Interests Affect People's Experience, Behavior, and Cognition in Social Interactions.

PubMed

Steindl, Christina; Jonas, Eva

2015-01-01

In social interactions, individuals may sometimes pursue their own interests at the expense of their interaction partner. Such self-interested behaviors impose a threat to the interaction partner's freedom to act. The current article investigates this threat in the context of interdependence and reactance theory. We explore how vested interests influence reactance process stages of an advisor-client interaction. We aim to explore the interactional process that evolves. In two studies, participants took the perspective of a doctor (advisor) or a patient (client). In both studies we incorporated a vested interest. In Study 1 (N = 82) we found that in response to a vested interest of their interaction partner, patients indicated a stronger experience of reactance, more aggressive behavioral intentions, and more biased cognitions than doctors. A serial multiple mediation revealed that a vested interest engendered mistrust toward the interaction partner and this mistrust led to an emerging reactance process. Study 2 (N = 207) further demonstrated that doctors expressed their reactance in a subtle way: they revealed a classic confirmation bias when searching for additional information on their preliminary decision preference, indicating stronger defense motivation. We discuss how these findings can help us to understand how social interactions develop dynamically.

The Dynamic Reactance Interaction – How Vested Interests Affect People’s Experience, Behavior, and Cognition in Social Interactions

PubMed Central

Steindl, Christina; Jonas, Eva

2015-01-01

In social interactions, individuals may sometimes pursue their own interests at the expense of their interaction partner. Such self-interested behaviors impose a threat to the interaction partner’s freedom to act. The current article investigates this threat in the context of interdependence and reactance theory. We explore how vested interests influence reactance process stages of an advisor–client interaction. We aim to explore the interactional process that evolves. In two studies, participants took the perspective of a doctor (advisor) or a patient (client). In both studies we incorporated a vested interest. In Study 1 (N = 82) we found that in response to a vested interest of their interaction partner, patients indicated a stronger experience of reactance, more aggressive behavioral intentions, and more biased cognitions than doctors. A serial multiple mediation revealed that a vested interest engendered mistrust toward the interaction partner and this mistrust led to an emerging reactance process. Study 2 (N = 207) further demonstrated that doctors expressed their reactance in a subtle way: they revealed a classic confirmation bias when searching for additional information on their preliminary decision preference, indicating stronger defense motivation. We discuss how these findings can help us to understand how social interactions develop dynamically. PMID:26640444

"My love-hate relationship": Ethical issues associated with nurses' interactions with industry.

PubMed

Grundy, Quinn

2014-08-01

Ethical issues associated with nurses' interactions with industry have implications for the safety, quality, and cost of healthcare. To date, little work has explored nurse-industry interactions and their associated ethical issues empirically. A phenomenological study was conducted to explore registered nurses' interactions with industry in clinical practice. Five registered nurses working in direct patient care were recruited and individual, in-depth interviews were conducted. The University's Committee on Human Research approved the study. Nurses frequently interacted with industry in their practice and felt ambivalent about these interactions. Nurses described systemic cuts to multiple "goods" central to nursing practice, including patient support, but paradoxically relied on industry resources to deliver these "goods." They relied on a particular conception of trust to navigate these interactions but were left to do so individually on the basis of their experience. Conflicts of interest arose as a result of multiple competing interests, and were frequently mediated through nurses' superiors. Nursing as a profession requires a guiding narrative to aid nurses in interpreting and navigating interactions with industry. A conception of trust that incorporates both the work of caring and attention to social justice could form the basis of these interactions, but would require that nursing take a much more critical stance toward marketing interactions. © The Author(s) 2013.

Biophysical interactions with model lipid membranes: applications in drug discovery and drug delivery

PubMed Central

Peetla, Chiranjeevi; Stine, Andrew; Labhasetwar, Vinod

2009-01-01

The transport of drugs or drug delivery systems across the cell membrane is a complex biological process, often difficult to understand because of its dynamic nature. In this regard, model lipid membranes, which mimic many aspects of cell-membrane lipids, have been very useful in helping investigators to discern the roles of lipids in cellular interactions. One can use drug-lipid interactions to predict pharmacokinetic properties of drugs, such as their transport, biodistribution, accumulation, and hence efficacy. These interactions can also be used to study the mechanisms of transport, based on the structure and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of drug molecules. In recent years, model lipid membranes have also been explored to understand their mechanisms of interactions with peptides, polymers, and nanocarriers. These interaction studies can be used to design and develop efficient drug delivery systems. Changes in the lipid composition of cells and tissue in certain disease conditions may alter biophysical interactions, which could be explored to develop target-specific drugs and drug delivery systems. In this review, we discuss different model membranes, drug-lipid interactions and their significance, studies of model membrane interactions with nanocarriers, and how biophysical interaction studies with lipid model membranes could play an important role in drug discovery and drug delivery. PMID:19432455

iVFTs - immersive virtual field trips for interactive learning about Earth's environment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruce, G.; Anbar, A. D.; Semken, S. C.; Summons, R. E.; Oliver, C.; Buxner, S.

2014-12-01

Innovations in immersive interactive technologies are changing the way students explore Earth and its environment. State-of-the-art hardware has given developers the tools needed to capture high-resolution spherical content, 360° panoramic video, giga-pixel imagery, and unique viewpoints via unmanned aerial vehicles as they explore remote and physically challenging regions of our planet. Advanced software enables integration of these data into seamless, dynamic, immersive, interactive, content-rich, and learner-driven virtual field explorations, experienced online via HTML5. These surpass conventional online exercises that use 2-D static imagery and enable the student to engage in these virtual environments that are more like games than like lectures. Grounded in the active learning of exploration, inquiry, and application of knowledge as it is acquired, users interact non-linearly in conjunction with an intelligent tutoring system (ITS). The integration of this system allows the educational experience to be adapted to each individual student as they interact within the program. Such explorations, which we term "immersive virtual field trips" (iVFTs), are being integrated into cyber-learning allowing science teachers to take students to scientifically significant but inaccessible environments. Our team and collaborators are producing a diverse suite of freely accessible, iVFTs to teach key concepts in geology, astrobiology, ecology, and anthropology. Topics include Early Life, Biodiversity, Impact craters, Photosynthesis, Geologic Time, Stratigraphy, Tectonics, Volcanism, Surface Processes, The Rise of Oxygen, Origin of Water, Early Civilizations, Early Multicellular Organisms, and Bioarcheology. These diverse topics allow students to experience field sites all over the world, including, Grand Canyon (USA), Flinders Ranges (Australia), Shark Bay (Australia), Rainforests (Panama), Teotihuacan (Mexico), Upheaval Dome (USA), Pilbara (Australia), Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Iceland), and Mauna Kea (Hawaii). iVFTs are being beta-tested and used at ASU in several large-enrollment courses to assess its usability and effectiveness in meeting specific learning objectives. We invite geoscience educators to partake of this resource and find new applications to their own teaching.

A National Reassessment: Exploring Variables that Predispose People with Disabilities to Vocational Rehabilitation Acceptance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Keith B.; Gines, Jason E.

2009-01-01

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) acceptance has been explored by many research teams over the last 30 years. However, none of the prior studies explored the multitude of demographic variables that may influence VR acceptance and the possible interactions of those variables with VR acceptance. Extrapolating demographic variables from the national…

Spatial Exploration and Changes in Infant-Mother Dyads around Transitions in Infant Locomotion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurman, Sabrina L.; Corbetta, Daniela

2017-01-01

Infants' motor skill development triggers changes in parent-infant interactions, exploration, and play behaviors, particularly during periods of locomotor transitions. We investigated how these transitions reorganized infants' and mothers' explorations of spatial layouts. Thirteen infants and their mothers were followed biweekly from the age of 6…

Using Dynamic Geometry Software to Explore Eigenvectors: The Emergence of Dynamic-Synthetic-Geometric Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gol Tabaghi, Shiva; Sinclair, Nathalie

2013-01-01

This article analyses students' thinking as they interacted with a dynamic geometric sketch designed to explore eigenvectors and eigenvalues. We draw on the theory of instrumental genesis and, in particular, attend to the different dragging modalities used by the students throughout their explorations. Given the kinaesthetic and dynamic…

Interact for What? The Relationship between Interpersonal Interaction Based on Motivation and Educational Outcomes among Students in Manufacturing Programs at Two-Year Technical Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Hsun-yu; Wang, Xueli

2016-01-01

Objective: This study explored the relationship between different types of interpersonal interaction, characterized by their underlying motivations, and educational outcomes among students in manufacturing programs at two-year colleges. While there exist several ways to classify interaction, motivation as an inherent attribute that fuels behaviors…

You and Me: The Structural Basis for the Interaction of People with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disability and Others

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Colin; Smith, Martine

2017-01-01

Interaction between two people may be construed as a continuous process of perception and action within the dyad. A theoretical framework is proposed in this article that explains the concepts and processes which comprise the interaction process. The article explores the transactional nature of interaction, through analysis of narrative data from…

Interactive Alignment of Multisyllabic Stress Patterns in a Second Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trofimovich, Pavel; McDonough, Kim; Foote, Jennifer A.

2014-01-01

The current study explored the occurrence of stress pattern alignment during peer interaction in a second language (L2) classroom. Interactive alignment is a sociocognitive phenomenon in which interlocutors reuse each other's expressions, structures, and pronunciation patterns during conversation. Students (N = 41) enrolled in a…

Interactive Video: A Cross Curriculum Computer Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimm, Floyd M., III; And Others

Responding to the rapid development and often prohibitive costs of new classroom instruction technology, a group of interested faculty at Harford Community College (HCC), in Maryland, formed three Interactive Video (IV) Teams to explore the possibilities of using existing computer hardware and software at the college for interactive video…

Pharmacist-Patient Interaction and Patient Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeSimone, Edward M.; And Others

1977-01-01

The nature of the professional interaction between the pharmacist and the patient was explored, with data collected from 3,743 questions asked of 16 pharmacists during an 8-week period. Factors that might affect the nature of the pharmacist-patient interaction are identified along with a cognitive-based profile of patient wants. (LBH)

Dyadic Interracial Interactions: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toosi, Negin R.; Babbitt, Laura G.; Ambady, Nalini; Sommers, Samuel R.

2012-01-01

This meta-analysis examined over 40 years of research on interracial interactions by exploring 4 types of outcomes: explicit attitudes toward interaction partners, participants' self-reports of their own emotional state, nonverbal or observed behavior, and objective measures of performance. Data were collected from 108 samples (N = 12,463)…

Challenges of Developing Communicative Interaction in Individuals with Congenital Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blain-Moraes, Stefanie; Chau, Tom

2012-01-01

Background: Physiological responses have been used in individuals with acquired disability to enable communicative interaction without motor movement. This study explored four autonomic nervous system (ANS) signals--electrodermal activity, skin temperature, cardiac patterns and respiratory patterns--to enable interaction with individuals born with…

Interactions among Social Welfare Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Gordon H.; Morrison, Richard J.

1990-01-01

This paper explores interactions between social welfare programs and associated supportive taxation programs. Focus was on the effect of one program on another, effects of one program on a set of other programs, effects of tax and benefit reduction rates, and effects of interacting programs on the governments that create/maintain them. (TJH)

Negative Interpersonal Interactions in Student Training Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferris, Patricia A.; Kline, Theresa J. B.

2009-01-01

Studies demonstrate that negative interpersonal interaction(s) (NII) such as bullying are frequent and harmful to individuals in workplace and higher education student settings. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether the degree of perceived severity of NII varies by the status of the actor. The present study explored the moderating effect of actor…

Exploration of Problematic Internet Use and Social Interaction Anxiety among Turkish Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuhadar, Cem

2012-01-01

The current study investigated the relationship between problematic Internet use and social interaction anxiety among pre-service teachers. Participants were 1235 students attending teacher training programs at a Turkish state university. The "Problematic Internet Use Scale" and "Social Interaction Anxiety Scale" were used to…

The Factors Influencing Young Children's Social Interaction in Technology Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Eun Mee

2015-01-01

When technology integration is accomplished successfully in early childhood education settings, children tend to interact more with one another and exchange information related to computer tasks as well as the overall classroom on-going curriculum themes. Therefore, to explore how young children are interacting in computer areas when using…

Learning SQL Programming with Interactive Tools: From Integration to Personalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brusilovsky, Pete; Sosnovsky, Sergey; Yudelson, Michael V.; Lee, Danielle H.; Zadorozhny, Vladimir; Zhou, Xin

2010-01-01

Rich, interactive eLearning tools receive a lot of attention nowadays from both practitioners and researchers. However, broader dissemination of these tools is hindered by the technical difficulties of their integration into existing platforms. This article explores the technical and conceptual problems of using several interactive educational…

Practice and Personhood in Professional Interaction: Social Identities and Information Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mokros, Hartmut B.; And Others

1995-01-01

Explores the human aspect of information retrieval by examining the behavior and pronoun use of librarians in the course of communicating with patrons during online computer search interactions. Compares two studies on the conduct of librarians as intermediaries in naturally occurring online computer search interactions. (JMV)

Friends in Passing: Social Interaction at an Adult Day Care Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Barbara; Roberts, Pamela

1995-01-01

Participant observation study explored social interactions and friendships among cognitively impaired adult day-care participants. Found clients engage in a variety of social interactions and friendships, enabling them to maintain a sense of self and to adjust to group norms. Discussed general socializing, enduring friendships, helping…

Exploring the Contribution of a Content-Infused Interactive Whiteboard for School Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManis, Lilla D.; Gunnewig, Susan B.; McManis, Mark H.

2010-01-01

This exploratory study examined the relationship between use of an interactive (touchscreen) whiteboard and development of school readiness skills. Over one school year, public school regular education prekindergarten classrooms used an interactive whiteboard with preloaded literacy and math activities. The children were low-income and English…

Perceived Density, Social Interaction and Morale in New South Wales Rural Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Argent, Neil

2008-01-01

This paper explores the relationships between population density, social interaction patterns, and morale in rural communities. It tests two apparently competing hypotheses concerning rural population density, social interaction patterns and overall levels of morale: one, that low (and rapidly declining) rural densities lead to feelings of…

Positioning and Latinas/os: A Study of Small-Group Interactions in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez Leiva, Carlos Alfonso

2011-01-01

This study explores social interaction and mathematics performance, especially regarding how bilingual Latino/a students' positioning and participation evolved as they interacted with others in mathematics problem solving. Historically, Latinas/os have faced segregation in different ways that affect the quality of their social interactions…

Psychological Development and Females' Sport Participation: An Interactional Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Maureen R.; Glenn, Susan D.

1992-01-01

This paper examines the writings of Dorothy Harris and other authors, from a psychosocial perspective of sport involvement. It explores ways self-perceptions, social factors, and cognitive and biological maturity interact to explain females' physical activity participation; it proposes a heuristic model to represent an interactional approach. (SM)

Person, Situational, and Interactional Influences on Assertive Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirschner, Stuart M.; Galassi, John P.

1983-01-01

Explored the validity of the College Self-Expression Scale (CSES) for 144 students in the context of three alternative models of behavior--personism, situationalism, and interactionalism. Results supported the concurrent validity of the CSES and the role of both person and situational, but not interactional, influences on assertion. (WAS)

Improving the EFL Learners' Speaking Ability through Interactive Storytelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marzuki; Prayogo, Johannes Ananto; Wahyudi, Arwijati

2016-01-01

This present research was aimed to improve the EFL learners' speaking ability and their classroom activities through the implementation of Interactive Storytelling Strategy. Therefore, this study was directed to explore the beneficial of Interactive Storytelling that closely related to the EFL learners' everyday activities at their home and…

Front-Line Educators: The Impact of Classified Staff Interactions on the Student Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitt, Mary Ann; Duggan, Molly H.; Williams, Mitchell R.; McMillan, Judy B.

2015-01-01

This multiple case study explored classified staff interactions with students as a strategy for increasing success. Interviews, observations, and focus groups examined interactions from the staff perspective. Findings indicate staff members enhance the educational process by providing a human connection, offering practical strategies for success,…

Constructing Interpretative Views of Learners' Interaction Behavior in an Open Learner Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papanikolaou, Kyparisia A.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we discuss how externalizing learners' interaction behavior may support learners' explorations in an adaptive educational hypermedia environment that provides activity-oriented content. In particular, we propose a model for producing interpretative views of learners' interaction behavior and we further apply this model to…

Iterative Exploration, Design and Evaluation of Support for Query Reformulation in Interactive Information Retrieval.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belkin, N. J.; Cool, C.; Kelly, D.; Lin, S. -J.; Park, S. Y.; Perez-Carballo, J.; Sikora, C.

2001-01-01

Reports on the progressive investigation of techniques for supporting interactive query reformulation in the TREC (Text Retrieval Conference) Interactive Track. Highlights include methods of term suggestion; interface design to support different system functionalities; an overview of each year's TREC investigation; and relevance to the development…

Promoting Positive Interactions between Mothers and Their At-Risk Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephenson, Jennifer; Martin, Andrew J.; Linfoot, Ken W.

2005-01-01

This study explores the impact of an exploratory, minimalist intervention based on the principles of social communication training that aimed at promoting positive interactions between mother and child and increasing child initiations in mother-child communication. Encouraging data indicated a shift towards a more positive interaction style…

The Human-Computer Interaction of Cross-Cultural Gaming Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakraborty, Joyram; Norcio, Anthony F.; Van Der Veer, Jacob J.; Andre, Charles F.; Miller, Zachary; Regelsberger, Alexander

2015-01-01

This article explores the cultural dimensions of the human-computer interaction that underlies gaming strategies. The article is a desktop study of existing literature and is organized into five sections. The first examines the cultural aspects of knowledge processing. The social constructs technology interaction is discussed. Following this, the…

Revisiting the continuum hypothesis: toward an in-depth exploration of executive functions in korsakoff syndrome.

PubMed

Brion, Mélanie; Pitel, Anne-Lise; Beaunieux, Hélène; Maurage, Pierre

2014-01-01

Korsakoff syndrome (KS) is a neurological state mostly caused by alcohol-dependence and leading to disproportionate episodic memory deficits. KS patients present more severe anterograde amnesia than Alcohol-Dependent Subjects (ADS), which led to the continuum hypothesis postulating a progressive increase in brain and cognitive damages during the evolution from ADS to KS. This hypothesis has been extensively examined for memory but is still debated for other abilities, notably executive functions (EF). EF have up to now been explored by unspecific tasks in KS, and few studies explored their interactions with memory. Exploring EF in KS by specific tasks based on current EF models could thus renew the exploration of the continuum hypothesis. This paper will propose a research program aiming at: (1) clarifying the extent of executive dysfunctions in KS by tasks focusing on specific EF subcomponents; (2) determining the differential EF deficits in ADS and KS; (3) exploring EF-memory interactions in KS with innovative tasks. At the fundamental level, this exploration will test the continuum hypothesis beyond memory. At the clinical level, it will propose new rehabilitation tools focusing on the EF specifically impaired in KS.

Revisiting the Continuum Hypothesis: Toward an In-Depth Exploration of Executive Functions in Korsakoff Syndrome

PubMed Central

Brion, Mélanie; Pitel, Anne-Lise; Beaunieux, Hélène; Maurage, Pierre

2014-01-01

Korsakoff syndrome (KS) is a neurological state mostly caused by alcohol-dependence and leading to disproportionate episodic memory deficits. KS patients present more severe anterograde amnesia than Alcohol-Dependent Subjects (ADS), which led to the continuum hypothesis postulating a progressive increase in brain and cognitive damages during the evolution from ADS to KS. This hypothesis has been extensively examined for memory but is still debated for other abilities, notably executive functions (EF). EF have up to now been explored by unspecific tasks in KS, and few studies explored their interactions with memory. Exploring EF in KS by specific tasks based on current EF models could thus renew the exploration of the continuum hypothesis. This paper will propose a research program aiming at: (1) clarifying the extent of executive dysfunctions in KS by tasks focusing on specific EF subcomponents; (2) determining the differential EF deficits in ADS and KS; (3) exploring EF-memory interactions in KS with innovative tasks. At the fundamental level, this exploration will test the continuum hypothesis beyond memory. At the clinical level, it will propose new rehabilitation tools focusing on the EF specifically impaired in KS. PMID:25071526

An Interactive Visualization Framework to Support Exploration and Analysis of TBI/PTSD Clinical Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-01

techniques to overcome some of the challenges and complexities of the data . Our approach uses a novel adaptive window-based frequency sequence mining ...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-2-0016 TITLE: An Interactive Visualization Framework to Support Exploration and Analysis of TBI/PTSD Clinical Data ...Analysis of TBI/PTSD Clinical Data 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-2-0016 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Dr. Jesus Caban 5d

Observations on the Use of Manual Signs and Gestures in the Communicative Interactions between Native Americans and Spanish Explorers of North America: The Accounts of Bernal Diaz del Castillo and Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonvillian, John D.; Ingram, Vicky L.; McCleary, Brendan M.

2009-01-01

The accounts of two men who participated in several Spanish-led expeditions to the New World in the early 1500s document the frequent use of manual signs and gestures in the initial interactions between European explorers and the indigenous peoples of North America. Bernal Diaz del Castillo described the events that occurred during three…

Smart Drill-Down: A New Data Exploration Operator

PubMed Central

Joglekar, Manas; Garcia-Molina, Hector; Parameswaran, Aditya

2015-01-01

We present a data exploration system equipped with smart drill-down, a novel operator for interactively exploring a relational table to discover and summarize “interesting” groups of tuples. Each such group of tuples is represented by a rule. For instance, the rule (a, b, ★, 1000) tells us that there are a thousand tuples with value a in the first column and b in the second column (and any value in the third column). Smart drill-down presents an analyst with a list of rules that together describe interesting aspects of the table. The analyst can tailor the definition of interesting, and can interactively apply smart drill-down on an existing rule to explore that part of the table. In the demonstration, conference attendees will be able to use the data exploration system equipped with smart drill-down, and will be able to contrast smart drill-down to traditional drill-down, for various interestingness measures, and resource constraints. PMID:26844008

Ethanol and Caffeine Effects on Social Interaction and Recognition in Mice: Involvement of Adenosine A2A and A1 Receptors.

PubMed

López-Cruz, Laura; San-Miguel, Noemí; Bayarri, Pilar; Baqi, Younis; Müller, Christa E; Salamone, John D; Correa, Mercé

2016-01-01

Ethanol and caffeine are frequently consumed in combination and have opposite effects on the adenosine system: ethanol metabolism leads to an increase in adenosine levels, while caffeine is a non-selective adenosine A 1 /A 2A receptor antagonist. These receptors are highly expressed in striatum and olfactory tubercle, brain areas involved in exploration and social interaction in rodents. Ethanol modulates social interaction processes, but the role of adenosine in social behavior is still poorly understood. The present work was undertaken to study the impact of ethanol, caffeine and their combination on social behavior, and to explore the involvement of A 1 and A 2A receptors on those actions. Male CD1 mice were evaluated in a social interaction three-chamber paradigm, for preference of conspecific vs. object, and also for long-term recognition memory of familiar vs. novel conspecific. Ethanol showed a biphasic effect, with low doses (0.25 g/kg) increasing social contact and higher doses (1.0-1.5 g/kg) reducing social interaction. However, no dose changed social preference; mice always spent more time sniffing the conspecific than the object, independently of the ethanol dose. Ethanol, even at doses that did not change social exploration, produced amnestic effects on social recognition the following day. Caffeine reduced social contact (15.0-60.0 mg/kg), and even blocked social preference at higher doses (30.0-60.0 mg/kg). The A 1 antagonist Cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT; 3-9 mg/kg) did not modify social contact or preference on its own, and the A 2A antagonist MSX-3 (1.5-6 mg/kg) increased social interaction at all doses. Ethanol at intermediate doses (0.5-1.0 g/kg) was able to reverse the reduction in social exploration induced by caffeine (15.0-30.0 mg/kg). Although there was no interaction between ethanol and CPT or MSX-3 on social exploration in the first day, MSX-3 blocked the amnestic effects of ethanol observed on the following day. Thus, ethanol impairs the formation of social memories, and A 2A adenosine antagonists can prevent the amnestic effects of ethanol, so that animals can recognize familiar conspecifics. On the other hand, ethanol can counteract the social withdrawal induced by caffeine, a non-selective adenosine A 1 /A 2A receptor antagonist. These results show the complex set of interactions between ethanol and caffeine, some of which could be the result of the opposing effects they have in modulating the adenosine system.

New Paradigms for Human-Robotic Collaboration During Human Planetary Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrish, J. C.; Beaty, D. W.; Bleacher, J. E.

2017-02-01

Human exploration missions to other planetary bodies offer new paradigms for collaboration (control, interaction) between humans and robots beyond the methods currently used to control robots from Earth and robots in Earth orbit.

WHAM!: a web-based visualization suite for user-defined analysis of metagenomic shotgun sequencing data.

PubMed

Devlin, Joseph C; Battaglia, Thomas; Blaser, Martin J; Ruggles, Kelly V

2018-06-25

Exploration of large data sets, such as shotgun metagenomic sequence or expression data, by biomedical experts and medical professionals remains as a major bottleneck in the scientific discovery process. Although tools for this purpose exist for 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing analysis, there is a growing but still insufficient number of user-friendly interactive visualization workflows for easy data exploration and figure generation. The development of such platforms for this purpose is necessary to accelerate and streamline microbiome laboratory research. We developed the Workflow Hub for Automated Metagenomic Exploration (WHAM!) as a web-based interactive tool capable of user-directed data visualization and statistical analysis of annotated shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data sets. WHAM! includes exploratory and hypothesis-based gene and taxa search modules for visualizing differences in microbial taxa and gene family expression across experimental groups, and for creating publication quality figures without the need for command line interface or in-house bioinformatics. WHAM! is an interactive and customizable tool for downstream metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis providing a user-friendly interface allowing for easy data exploration by microbiome and ecological experts to facilitate discovery in multi-dimensional and large-scale data sets.

Viewpoints: A New Computer Program for Interactive Exploration of Large Multivariate Space Science and Astrophysics Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levit, Creon; Gazis, P.

2006-06-01

The graphics processing units (GPUs) built in to all professional desktop and laptop computers currently on the market are capable of transforming, filtering, and rendering hundreds of millions of points per second. We present a prototype open-source cross-platform (windows, linux, Apple OSX) application which leverages some of the power latent in the GPU to enable smooth interactive exploration and analysis of large high-dimensional data using a variety of classical and recent techniques. The targeted application area is the interactive analysis of complex, multivariate space science and astrophysics data sets, with dimensionalities that may surpass 100 and sample sizes that may exceed 10^6-10^8.

Golgi: Interactive Online Brain Mapping

PubMed Central

Brown, Ramsay A.; Swanson, Larry W.

2015-01-01

Golgi (http://www.usegolgi.com) is a prototype interactive brain map of the rat brain that helps researchers intuitively interact with neuroanatomy, connectomics, and cellular and chemical architecture. The flood of “-omic” data urges new ways to help researchers connect discrete findings to the larger context of the nervous system. Here we explore Golgi’s underlying reasoning and techniques and how our design decisions balance the constraints of building both a scientifically useful and usable tool. We demonstrate how Golgi can enhance connectomic literature searches with a case study investigating a thalamocortical circuit involving the Nucleus Accumbens and we explore Golgi’s potential and future directions for growth in systems neuroscience and connectomics. PMID:26635596

Fluxacademy: From Intermedia to Interactive Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saper, Craig

1992-01-01

Advocates a Fluxus-based experimental pedagogy which is suited for scholarship confronted with film and electronic media. Notes that the theory explored in Fluxacademy focuses specifically on the use of intermedia for interactive education. (RS)

The influence of arene-ring size on stacking interaction with canonical base pairs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formánek, Martin; Burda, Jaroslav V.

2014-04-01

Stacking interactions between aromatic molecules (benzene, p-cymene, biphenyl, and di- and tetra-hydrogen anthracene) and G.C and A.T canonical Watson-Crick (WC) base pairs are explored. Two functionals with dispersion corrections: ω-B97XD and B3LYP-D3 are used. For a comparison also the MP2 and B3LYP-D3/PCM methods were used for the most stable p-cymene…WC geometries. It was found that the stacking interaction increases with the size of π-conjugation system. Its extent is in agreement with experimental finding on anticancer activity of Ru(II) piano-stool complexes where intercalation of these aromatic molecules should play an important role. The explored structures are considered as ternary system so that decomposition of the interaction energy to pairwise and non-additivity contributions is also examined.

The DIMA web resource--exploring the protein domain network.

PubMed

Pagel, Philipp; Oesterheld, Matthias; Stümpflen, Volker; Frishman, Dmitrij

2006-04-15

Conserved domains represent essential building blocks of most known proteins. Owing to their role as modular components carrying out specific functions they form a network based both on functional relations and direct physical interactions. We have previously shown that domain interaction networks provide substantially novel information with respect to networks built on full-length protein chains. In this work we present a comprehensive web resource for exploring the Domain Interaction MAp (DIMA), interactively. The tool aims at integration of multiple data sources and prediction techniques, two of which have been implemented so far: domain phylogenetic profiling and experimentally demonstrated domain contacts from known three-dimensional structures. A powerful yet simple user interface enables the user to compute, visualize, navigate and download domain networks based on specific search criteria. http://mips.gsf.de/genre/proj/dima

Preface - 'Biogeochemistry-ecosystem interaction on changing continental margins in the Anthropocene'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, K.-K.; Emeis, Kay-Christian; Levin, Lisa A.; Naqvi, Wajih; Roman, Michael

2015-01-01

This special issue is a product of Workshop 1 of IMBIZO III held in Goa, India in January 2013 (Bundy et al., 2013). This IMBIZO (a Zulu word for gathering) has been organized by IMBER (Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research) biannually since 2008. It employs a format of three concurrent but interacting workshops designed to synthesize information on topical research areas in marine science. Workshop 1 addressed the issue, "Biogeochemistry-ecosystem interaction in changing continental margins," which belongs to the purview of the Continental Margins Working Group (CMWG), co-sponsored by IMBER and LOICZ (Land-Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone). As a way to explore the emerging issues that concern the CMWG, the workshop had attracted 25 talks and 18 posters that explored the following topics: Human impacts on continental margins

Dancing in the thresholds: Exploring the interactive field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Constance S.

This dissertation is an attempt to investigate the nature of the interactive field to deepen as well as broaden its scope as it applies to depth psychology and its praxis. With a phenomenological eye toward field dynamics from other paradigms, this exploration demonstrates an additional theoretical framework within the interactive field. It opens other possibilities creating a neither/nor position from which to contain our work with an alchemical/metaphorical position and allows for the liberation of the imaginal realm through which ``the Other'' may be of service, and in fact, may ask us to be in service to it. The literature review not only surveys the three primary schools in psychology-the psychoanalytical, the classical, and archetypal as the genesis of the interactive field, but also investigates shamanic realms as a backdrop from which to see field theory. Field theory is also explored in the world of quantum physics where the universal field is examined from paradigms situated in varied consciousness models. The somatic unconscious, an intrinsic part of the interactive field in mutual engagement with two or more persons, is also woven into the fabric of this study as an intersection between the universal field and the psychodynamic field. This study, as a psychological gnosis, initiates subtle body awareness from Eastern cosmologies from a depth perspective in the psychodynamics of the interactive field. Synchronistic encounters are integrated into field theory as a threshold where universal fields engage the somatic unconscious, initiating numinous and sometimes transformative change into one's life.

Two component Feebly Interacting Massive Particle (FIMP) dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Madhurima; Majumdar, Debasish; Prasad Modak, Kamakshya

2018-06-01

We explore the idea of an alternative candidate for particle dark matter namely Feebly Interacting Massive Particle (FIMP) in the framework of a two component singlet scalar model. Singlet scalar dark matter has already been demonstrated to be a viable candidate for WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle) dark matter in literature. In the FIMP scenario, dark matter particles are slowly produced via "thermal freeze-in" mechanism in the early Universe and are never abundant enough to reach thermal equilibrium or to undergo pair annihilation inside the Universe's plasma due to their extremely small couplings. We demonstrate that for smaller couplings too, required for freeze-in process, a two component scalar dark matter model considered here could well be a viable candidate for FIMP . In this scenario, the Standard Model of particle physics is extended by two gauge singlet real scalars whose stability is protected by an unbroken Z2× Z'2 symmetry and they are assumed to acquire no VEV after Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking. We explore the viable mass regions in the present two scalar DM model that is in accordance with the FIMP scenario. We also explore the upper limits of masses of the two components from the consideration of their self interactions.

Exploring communication and interaction skills at work among participants in individual placement and support.

PubMed

Lexén, Annika; Bejerholm, Ulrika

2016-07-01

Not all people with severe mental illness who attend Individual Placement and Support (IPS) gain and keep their jobs or work full time. Research has indicated a relationship between social disabilities and work performance in this group, and that support provided is often directed towards the social work environment. However, relationships between social skills performed in an authentic work setting and vocational outcomes have not been explored. To explore relationships between social communication and interaction skills and vocational outcomes among IPS service users in a Swedish context. Twenty-nine participants were appraised with the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills (ACIS-S) instrument, and their vocational data were registered. Correlations were estimated using Spearman's rho test with Bonferroni corrections at item level. Better communication and interaction skills were significantly correlated with increased working hours (rs = 0.64) and higher income (rs = 0.45). Increased working hours were related to assuming postures, asking questions, sharing information, and sustaining conversation in an appropriate manner. The results indicate that occupational therapists need to focus on social skills and accommodation of the social work environment in order to promote sustainable working careers among people with severe mental illness.

Interactive Exploration Robots: Human-Robotic Collaboration and Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fong, Terry

2017-01-01

For decades, NASA has employed different operational approaches for human and robotic missions. Human spaceflight missions to the Moon and in low Earth orbit have relied upon near-continuous communication with minimal time delays. During these missions, astronauts and mission control communicate interactively to perform tasks and resolve problems in real-time. In contrast, deep-space robotic missions are designed for operations in the presence of significant communication delay - from tens of minutes to hours. Consequently, robotic missions typically employ meticulously scripted and validated command sequences that are intermittently uplinked to the robot for independent execution over long periods. Over the next few years, however, we will see increasing use of robots that blend these two operational approaches. These interactive exploration robots will be remotely operated by humans on Earth or from a spacecraft. These robots will be used to support astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), to conduct new missions to the Moon, and potentially to enable remote exploration of planetary surfaces in real-time. In this talk, I will discuss the technical challenges associated with building and operating robots in this manner, along with lessons learned from research conducted with the ISS and in the field.

Exploring interaction with 3D volumetric displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grossman, Tovi; Wigdor, Daniel; Balakrishnan, Ravin

2005-03-01

Volumetric displays generate true volumetric 3D images by actually illuminating points in 3D space. As a result, viewing their contents is similar to viewing physical objects in the real world. These displays provide a 360 degree field of view, and do not require the user to wear hardware such as shutter glasses or head-trackers. These properties make them a promising alternative to traditional display systems for viewing imagery in 3D. Because these displays have only recently been made available commercially (e.g., www.actuality-systems.com), their current use tends to be limited to non-interactive output-only display devices. To take full advantage of the unique features of these displays, however, it would be desirable if the 3D data being displayed could be directly interacted with and manipulated. We investigate interaction techniques for volumetric display interfaces, through the development of an interactive 3D geometric model building application. While this application area itself presents many interesting challenges, our focus is on the interaction techniques that are likely generalizable to interactive applications for other domains. We explore a very direct style of interaction where the user interacts with the virtual data using direct finger manipulations on and around the enclosure surrounding the displayed 3D volumetric image.

Exploration Medical System Technical Architecture Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cerro, J.; Rubin, D.; Mindock, J.; Middour, C.; McGuire, K.; Hanson, A.; Reilly, J.; Burba, T.; Urbina, M.

2018-01-01

The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element Systems Engineering (SE) goals include defining the technical system needed to support medical capabilities for a Mars exploration mission. A draft medical system architecture was developed based on stakeholder needs, system goals, and system behaviors, as captured in an ExMC concept of operations document and a system model. This talk will discuss a high-level view of the medical system, as part of a larger crew health and performance system, both of which will support crew during Deep Space Transport missions. Other mission components, such as the flight system, ground system, caregiver, and patient, will be discussed as aspects of the context because the medical system will have important interactions with each. Additionally, important interactions with other aspects of the crew health and performance system are anticipated, such as health & wellness, mission task performance support, and environmental protection. This talk will highlight areas in which we are working with other disciplines to understand these interactions.

Exploring the Yeast Acetylome Using Functional Genomics

PubMed Central

Duffy, Supipi Kaluarachchi; Friesen, Helena; Baryshnikova, Anastasia; Lambert, Jean-Philippe; Chong, Yolanda T.; Figeys, Daniel; Andrews, Brenda

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Lysine acetylation is a dynamic posttranslational modification with a well-defined role in regulating histones. The impact of acetylation on other cellular functions remains relatively uncharacterized. We explored the budding yeast acetylome with a functional genomics approach, assessing the effects of gene overexpression in the absence of lysine deacetylases (KDACs). We generated a network of 463 synthetic dosage lethal (SDL) interactions involving class I and II KDACs, revealing many cellular pathways regulated by different KDACs. A biochemical survey of genes interacting with the KDAC RPD3 identified 72 proteins acetylated in vivo. In-depth analysis of one of these proteins, Swi4, revealed a role for acetylation in G1-specific gene expression. Acetylation of Swi4 regulates interaction with its partner Swi6, both components of the SBF transcription factor. This study expands our view of the yeast acetylome, demonstrates the utility of functional genomic screens for exploring enzymatic pathways, and provides functional information that can be mined for future studies. PMID:22579291

GrouseFlocks: steerable exploration of graph hierarchy space.

PubMed

Archambault, Daniel; Munzner, Tamara; Auber, David

2008-01-01

Several previous systems allow users to interactively explore a large input graph through cuts of a superimposed hierarchy. This hierarchy is often created using clustering algorithms or topological features present in the graph. However, many graphs have domain-specific attributes associated with the nodes and edges, which could be used to create many possible hierarchies providing unique views of the input graph. GrouseFlocks is a system for the exploration of this graph hierarchy space. By allowing users to see several different possible hierarchies on the same graph, the system helps users investigate graph hierarchy space instead of a single fixed hierarchy. GrouseFlocks provides a simple set of operations so that users can create and modify their graph hierarchies based on selections. These selections can be made manually or based on patterns in the attribute data provided with the graph. It provides feedback to the user within seconds, allowing interactive exploration of this space.

Three visualization approaches for communicating and exploring PIT tag data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Letcher, Benjamin; Walker, Jeffrey D.; O'Donnell, Matthew; Whiteley, Andrew R.; Nislow, Keith; Coombs, Jason

2018-01-01

As the number, size and complexity of ecological datasets has increased, narrative and interactive raw data visualizations have emerged as important tools for exploring and understanding these large datasets. As a demonstration, we developed three visualizations to communicate and explore passive integrated transponder tag data from two long-term field studies. We created three independent visualizations for the same dataset, allowing separate entry points for users with different goals and experience levels. The first visualization uses a narrative approach to introduce users to the study. The second visualization provides interactive cross-filters that allow users to explore multi-variate relationships in the dataset. The last visualization allows users to visualize the movement histories of individual fish within the stream network. This suite of visualization tools allows a progressive discovery of more detailed information and should make the data accessible to users with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests.

A web-portal for interactive data exploration, visualization, and hypothesis testing

PubMed Central

Bartsch, Hauke; Thompson, Wesley K.; Jernigan, Terry L.; Dale, Anders M.

2014-01-01

Clinical research studies generate data that need to be shared and statistically analyzed by their participating institutions. The distributed nature of research and the different domains involved present major challenges to data sharing, exploration, and visualization. The Data Portal infrastructure was developed to support ongoing research in the areas of neurocognition, imaging, and genetics. Researchers benefit from the integration of data sources across domains, the explicit representation of knowledge from domain experts, and user interfaces providing convenient access to project specific data resources and algorithms. The system provides an interactive approach to statistical analysis, data mining, and hypothesis testing over the lifetime of a study and fulfills a mandate of public sharing by integrating data sharing into a system built for active data exploration. The web-based platform removes barriers for research and supports the ongoing exploration of data. PMID:24723882

Preschoolers Explore Interactive Storybook Apps: The Effect on Word Recognition and Story Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zipke, Marcy

2017-01-01

Two experiments explored the effects of reading digital storybooks on tablet computers with 25 preschoolers, aged 4-5. In the first experiment, the students' word recognition scores were found to increase significantly more when students explored a digital storybook and employed the read-aloud function than when they were read to from a comparable…

Learning from Success as Leverage for a Professional Learning Community: Exploring an Alternative Perspective of School Improvement Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schechter, Chen

2010-01-01

Background: Although the professional learning community as a means of improving student achievement has received growing support from researchers and practitioners alike, professionals are still exploring ways to develop interaction networks regarding teaching and learning issues. Purpose: This study explores the evolving stages of a collective…

Exploring Transition to Postgraduate Study: Shifting Identities in Interaction with Communities, Practice and Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobbell, Jane; O'Donnell, Victoria; Zammit, Maria

2010-01-01

There has been relatively little research to date that has explored the transition to postgraduate study. This paper reports findings from a project (funded by the UK's Higher Education Academy) that sought to address this gap. The research project was ethnographic and explored university practice and student participation in five UK universities.…

The Interrelationships of Preadolescents' Student Characteristics Influencing Selection of Career Exploration Courses [And Abstract]. Industrial Arts Education Monograph No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meehan, Merrill L.

The study investigated the interaction of personal and environmental factors influencing seventh graders' selection of career exploration courses for increased exploration in the eighth grade. A stratified random sample (496 students) was drawn from the Pittsburgh Public School's Occupational, Vocational, and Technical Exploratory Program.…

Interacting with Petabytes of Earth Science Data using Jupyter Notebooks, IPython Widgets and Google Earth Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, T. A.; Granger, B.; Grout, J.; Corlay, S.

2017-12-01

The volume of Earth science data gathered from satellites, aircraft, drones, and field instruments continues to increase. For many scientific questions in the Earth sciences, managing this large volume of data is a barrier to progress, as it is difficult to explore and analyze large volumes of data using the traditional paradigm of downloading datasets to a local computer for analysis. Furthermore, methods for communicating Earth science algorithms that operate on large datasets in an easily understandable and reproducible way are needed. Here we describe a system for developing, interacting, and sharing well-documented Earth Science algorithms that combines existing software components: Jupyter Notebook: An open-source, web-based environment that supports documents that combine code and computational results with text narrative, mathematics, images, and other media. These notebooks provide an environment for interactive exploration of data and development of well documented algorithms. Jupyter Widgets / ipyleaflet: An architecture for creating interactive user interface controls (such as sliders, text boxes, etc.) in Jupyter Notebooks that communicate with Python code. This architecture includes a default set of UI controls (sliders, dropboxes, etc.) as well as APIs for building custom UI controls. The ipyleaflet project is one example that offers a custom interactive map control that allows a user to display and manipulate geographic data within the Jupyter Notebook. Google Earth Engine: A cloud-based geospatial analysis platform that provides access to petabytes of Earth science data via a Python API. The combination of Jupyter Notebooks, Jupyter Widgets, ipyleaflet, and Google Earth Engine makes it possible to explore and analyze massive Earth science datasets via a web browser, in an environment suitable for interactive exploration, teaching, and sharing. Using these environments can make Earth science analyses easier to understand and reproducible, which may increase the rate of scientific discoveries and the transition of discoveries into real-world impacts.

Between War and Peace: Interactional Patterns of Couples under Prolonged Uncertainty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-David, Amith; Lavee, Yoav

1996-01-01

Explores how global and political issues affect microsystems like the marital unit. A variety of interactional patterns emerged in the observation of 30 couples marital interactions during a prolonged stressful situation. Couples reporting a deterioration of their relationship had more disagreements regarding the meaning of a peace process and its…

Exploring Peer Interaction among Multilingual Youth: New Possibilities and Challenges for Language and Literacy Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Beltrán, Melinda

2017-01-01

Peer interactions are central to student experiences and present tremendous opportunities for language learning and consequences for educational equity, yet these opportunities have often been unrecognized and under-examined. This special issue offers new perspectives examining the potential of peer interaction to foster language, literacy and…

Language Maintenance in a Multilingual Family: Informal Heritage Language Lessons in Parent-Child Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kheirkhah, Mina; Cekaite, Asta

2015-01-01

The present study explores language socialization patterns in a Persian-Kurdish family in Sweden and examines how "one-parent, one-language" family language policies are instantiated and negotiated in parent-child interactions. The data consist of video-recordings and ethnographic observations of family interactions, as well as…

The Complexity of the Affordance-Ability Relationship When Second-Grade Children Interact with Mathematics Virtual Manipulative Apps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Stephen I.; Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.; Westenskow, Arla; Jordan, Kerry E.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between app affordances and user abilities in second graders' interactions with mathematics virtual manipulative touchscreen tablet apps. The research questions focused on varying manifestations of affordance-ability relationships during children's interactions with mathematics virtual…

Exploring the Quality of Teacher-Child Interactions: The Soka Discourse in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ikegami, Kiiko; Rivalland, Corine

2016-01-01

Numerous research has shown that quality of interactions between early childhood teachers and children contribute significantly to children's holistic development. Most literature on this topic comes from developed/Western countries and little is known about the kind of interactions occurring within the Soka kindergarten model. This article, based…

Enhancing Student-Student Online Interaction: Exploring the Study Buddy Peer Review Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madland, Colin; Richards, Griff

2016-01-01

The study buddy is a learning strategy employed in a graduate distance course to promote informal peer reviewing of assignments before submission. This strategy promotes student-student interaction and helps break the social isolation of distance learning. Given the concern by Arum and Roksa (2011) that student-student interaction may be…

Students' Peer Interactions within a Cohort and in Host Countries during a Short-Term Study Abroad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jessup-Anger, Jody E.; Aragones, Aileen

2013-01-01

In this qualitative case study, we explored students' peer interactions within their cohort and in the host countries during a short-term study abroad. Framed by Bronfenbrenner's (1993) ecological systems theory, findings revealed that students spent considerable energy reflecting on interactions with peers. The students considered themselves…

Parent-Child Interaction in Nigerian Families: Conversation Analysis, Context and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Annabel; Radford, Julie

2008-01-01

This paper uses a conversation analysis (CA) approach to explore parent-child interaction (PCI) within Nigerian families. We illustrate how speech and language therapists (SLTs), by using CA, can tailor recommendations according to the interactional style of each individual family that are consonant with the family's cultural beliefs. Three…

Interactions between Turkish Mothers and Preschool Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diken, Ozlem; Mahoney, Gerald

2013-01-01

This study explored the relationship between Turkish mothers' style of interaction and the engagement of their preschool-aged children with autism. Data were collected from fifty mother-child dyads in which all children had diagnoses of autism. Video recordings of mother-child interaction were analyzed using the Turkish versions of the Maternal…

The Dimensionality and Correlates of Flow in Human-Computer Interactions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Jane; And Others

1993-01-01

Defines playfulness in human-computer interactions in terms of flow theory and explores the dimensionality of the flow concept. Two studies are reported that investigated the factor structure and correlates of flow in human-computer interactions: one examined MBA students using Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet software, and one examined employees using…

The Impact of Social Interaction on Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurst, Beth; Wallace, Randall; Nixon, Sarah B.

2013-01-01

Due to the lack of student engagement in the common lecture-centered model, we explored a model of instructional delivery where our undergraduate and graduate classes were structured so that students had opportunities for daily interaction with each other. Specifically, we examined how students perceived the value of social interaction on their…

Interactions of two odorant-binding proteins from Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Güenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

It is well known that the odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) play important roles in insect olfactory systems. However, little attention has been paid to interactions among different OBPs within the same insect antennal sensilla. To explore the interactions of OBPs in olfactory coding in the rice leaff...

Hold on Tight or Let Go: Exploring the Parental Role in First-Year Students' College Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sax, Linda J.; Weintraub, Dayna S.

2016-01-01

Using a sample of 995 students living in residential housing at a selective, public research university, this study examined the relationship between student-parent interactions and adjustment to college and investigated differences between student-mother interactions and student-father interactions. Results indicate that students are generally…

Sense of Community in Graduate Online Education: Contribution of Learner to Learner Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shackelford, Jo L.; Maxwell, Marge

2012-01-01

Distance learning technologies offer a multitude of ways to build interaction into online courses to support learning. Based on social constructivism theory, this study explored which types of interaction are most predictive of students' sense of community in online graduate courses at a regional comprehensive university. Surveys were used to…

Understanding the Use of Interactive Whiteboards in Primary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Trudy

2013-01-01

This paper explores the dimensions of change experienced by a specialist primary science teacher in Australia as she attempted to embed an interactive whiteboard into her practice as a tool to enhance interactive teaching and learning. This paper uses the theoretical frameworks of activity theory and the stages of concern to understand the…

Interactive Metronome Training in Children with Attention Deficit and Developmental Coordination Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosper, Sharon M.; Lee, Gregory P.; Peters, Susan Beth; Bishop, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of Interactive Metronome (Interactive Metronome, Sunrise, Florida, USA) training in a group of children with mixed attentional and motor coordination disorders to further explore which subcomponents of attentional control and motor functioning the training influences. Twelve children who had…

Exploring Student and Supervisor Interaction during the SciPro Thesis Process: Two Use Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Preben; Hansson, Henrik

2017-01-01

Common problems identified by students during their interaction with supervisors are too little instructions as well as infrequent and insufficient supervisor feedback. The SciPro system has been developed to tackle these problems. This paper describes, analyzes and discusses the interaction between students and supervisors using the SciPro…

Exploring the Technical Adequacy of the Family Interaction Inventory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Christopher S.; And Others

There are no available measures that assess family interaction from a comprehensive theoretical perspective. This study reports analyses of the measurement integrity of scores from a measure developed to offer a comprehensive assessment. The preliminary version of the Family Interaction Inventory (FII) is a 24-scale instrument with 5 items per…

Interactional Metadiscourse in Turkish Postgraduates' Academic Texts: A Comparative Study of How They Introduce and Conclude

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akbas, Erdem

2012-01-01

This study explores interactional metadiscourse resources in master's dissertations (introductions and conclusions) of Turkish students written in Turkish and English. Interactional resources were identified according to Hyland and Tse's (2004) framework by using WordSmith Tools (5.0). A statistically significant difference between two groups of…

Imitation, Interaction and Imagery: Learning to Improvise Drawing with Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huovinen, Erkki; Manneberg, Avigail

2013-01-01

This article describes a project in which undergraduate students of beginning drawing were brought together with free improvising musicians to explore interaction in collective real-time art-making. Following a series of guided rehearsals, the students were free to choose their own strategies for interactive group projects. We discuss these…

Communicative interactions involving plants: information, evolution, and ecology.

PubMed

Mescher, Mark C; Pearse, Ian S

2016-08-01

The role of information obtained via sensory cues and signals in mediating the interactions of organisms with their biotic and abiotic environments has been a major focus of work on sensory and behavioral ecology. Information-mediated interactions also have important implications for broader ecological patterns emerging at the community and ecosystem levels that are only now beginning to be explored. Given the extent to which plants dominate the sensory landscapes of terrestrial ecosystems, information-mediated interactions involving plants should be a major focus of efforts to elucidate these broader patterns. Here we explore how such efforts might be enhanced by a clear understanding of information itself-a central and potentially unifying concept in biology that has nevertheless been the subject of considerable confusion-and of its relationship to adaptive evolution and ecology. We suggest that information-mediated interactions should be a key focus of efforts to more fully integrate evolutionary biology and ecology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Group-based strategy diffusion in multiplex networks with weighted values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jianyong; Jiang, J. C.; Xiang, Leijun

2017-03-01

The information diffusion of multiplex social networks has received increasing interests in recent years. Actually, the multiplex networks are made of many communities, and it should be gotten more attention for the influences of community level diffusion, besides of individual level interactions. In view of this, this work explores strategy interactions and diffusion processes in multiplex networks with weighted values from a new perspective. Two different groups consisting of some agents with different influential strength are firstly built in each layer network, the authority and non-authority groups. The strategy interactions between different groups in intralayer and interlayer networks are performed to explore community level diffusion, by playing two classical strategy games, Prisoner's Dilemma and Snowdrift Game. The impact forces from the different groups and the reactive forces from individual agents are simultaneously taken into account in intralayer and interlayer interactions. This paper reveals and explains the evolutions of cooperation diffusion and the influences of interlayer interaction tight degrees in multiplex networks with weighted values. Some thresholds of critical parameters of interaction degrees and games parameters settings are also discussed in group-based strategy diffusion.

Hess Deep Interactive Lab: Exploring the Structure and Formation of the Oceanic Crust through Hands-On Models and Online Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, N.; Marks, N.; Cooper, S. K.

2014-12-01

Scientific ocean drilling through the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) has contributed extensively to our knowledge of Earth systems science. However, many of its methods and discoveries can seem abstract and complicated for students. Collaborations between scientists and educators/artists to create accurate yet engaging demonstrations and activities have been crucial to increasing understanding and stimulating interest in fascinating geological topics. One such collaboration, which came out of Expedition 345 to the Hess Deep Rift, resulted in an interactive lab to explore sampling rocks from the usually inacessible lower oceanic crust, offering an insight into the geological processes that form the structure of the Earth's crust. This Hess Deep Interactive Lab aims to explain several significant discoveries made by oceanic drilling utilizing images of actual thin sections and core samples recovered from IODP expeditions. . Participants can interact with a physical model to learn about the coring and drilling processes, and gain an understanding of seafloor structures. The collaboration of this lab developed as a need to explain fundamental notions of the ocean crust formed at fast-spreading ridges. A complementary interactive online lab can be accessed at www.joidesresolution.org for students to engage further with these concepts. This project explores the relationship between physical and on-line models to further understanding, including what we can learn from the pros and cons of each.

Geometric quantification of features in large flow fields.

PubMed

Kendall, Wesley; Huang, Jian; Peterka, Tom

2012-01-01

Interactive exploration of flow features in large-scale 3D unsteady-flow data is one of the most challenging visualization problems today. To comprehensively explore the complex feature spaces in these datasets, a proposed system employs a scalable framework for investigating a multitude of characteristics from traced field lines. This capability supports the examination of various neighborhood-based geometric attributes in concert with other scalar quantities. Such an analysis wasn't previously possible because of the large computational overhead and I/O requirements. The system integrates visual analytics methods by letting users procedurally and interactively describe and extract high-level flow features. An exploration of various phenomena in a large global ocean-modeling simulation demonstrates the approach's generality and expressiveness as well as its efficacy.

An interactional ethnographic study of the construction of literate practices of science and writing in a university science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sena, Nuno Afonso De Freitas Lopes De

An interactional ethnographic study informed by a sociocultural perspective was conducted to examine how a professor and students discursively and interactionally shaped the basis for engaging in the work of a community of geologists. Specifically, the study examined the role the Question of the Day, an interactive writing activity in the lecture, in affording students opportunities for learning the literate practices of science and how to incorporate them in thinking critically. A writing-intensive, introductory oceanography course given in the Geological Sciences Department was chosen because the professor designed it to emphasize writing in the discipline and science literacy within a science inquiry framework. The study was conducted in two phases: a pilot in 2002 and the current study in the Spring Quarter of 2003. Grounded in the view that members in a classroom construct a culture, this study explored the daily construction of the literate practices of science and writing. This view of classrooms was informed by four bodies of research: interactional ethnography, sociolinguistics sociology of science and Writing In the Disciplines. Through participant observation, data were collected in the lecture and laboratory settings in the form of field notes, video, interviews, and artifacts to explore issues of science literacy in discourse, social action, and writing. Examination of participation in the Question of the Day interactive writing activity revealed that it played a key role in initiating and supporting a view of science and inquiry. As the activity permitted collaboration, it encouraged students to engage in the social process to critically explore a discourse of science and key practices with and through their writing. In daily interaction, participants were shown to take up social positions as scientist and engage in science inquiry to explore theory, examine data, and articulately reformulate knowledge in making oral and written scientific arguments. The activity was also shown to provide the professor with a valuable resource to inform his instructional practice, which resulted in enriching the experience of science of students by aligning lectures to address particular concerns. Implications for theory, the teaching of Writing across the Curriculum, and science instruction are discussed.

Computer simulations for the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission through NASA's "Project Spectra!"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christofferson, R.; Wood, E. L.; Euler, G.

2012-12-01

"Project Spectra!" is a standards-based light science and engineering program on solar system exploration that includes both hands-on paper and pencil activities as well as Flash-based computer games that help students solidify understanding of high-level planetary and solar physics. Using computer interactive games where students experience and manipulate the information makes abstract concepts accessible. Visualizing lessons with multi-media tools solidifies understanding and retention of knowledge. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. As a part of the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission education programming, we've developed two new "Project Spectra!" interactives that go hand-in-hand with a paper and pencil activity. The MAVEN mission will study volatiles in the upper atmosphere to help piece together Mars' climate history. In the first interactive, students explore black body radiation, albedo, and a simplified greenhouse effect to establish what factors contribute to overall planetary temperature and how they contribute. Students are asked to create a scenario in which a planet they build and design is able to maintain liquid water on the surface. In the second interactive, students are asked to consider Mars and the conditions needed for Mars to support water on the surface, keeping some variables fixed. Ideally, students will walk away with the very basic and critical elements required for climate studies, which has far-reaching implications beyond the study of Mars. These interactives are currently being pilot tested at Arvada High School in Colorado.

Behavioral Differences Between Late Preweanling and Adult Female Sprague-Dawley Rat Exploration of Animate and Inanimate Stimuli and Food

PubMed Central

Smith, Kiersten S.; Morrell, Joan I.

2010-01-01

The late preweanling rat has potential as a preclinical model for disorders initially manifested in early childhood that are characterized by dysfunctional interactions with specific stimuli (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism). No reports, however, of specific-stimulus exploration in the late preweanling rat are found in the literature. We examined the behavioral responses of normal late preweanling (PND 18-19) and adult rats when presented with exemplars of categorically-varied stimuli, including inanimate objects systematically varied in size and interactive properties, biological stimuli, and food. Preweanlings were faster to initiate specific stimulus exploration and were more interactive with most specific stimuli than adults; the magnitude of these preweanling-adult quantitative differences ranged from fairly small to very large depending upon the stimulus. In contrast, preweanlings were adult-like in their interaction with food and prey. Preweanling response to some stimuli, for example to live pups, was qualitatively different from that of adults; the preweanling behavioral repertoire was characterized by pup-seeking while the adult response was characterized by pup-avoidance. The specific stimulus interactions of preweanlings were less impacted than those of adults by the time of day of testing and placement of a stimulus in an anxiety-provoking location. The impact of novelty was stimulus dependent. The differences in interactions of preweanlings versus adults with specific stimuli suggests that CNS systems underlying these behavior patterns are at different stages of immaturity at PND 18 such that there may be an array of developmental trajectories for various categories of specific stimuli. These data provide a basis for the use of the preweanling as a preclinical model for understanding and medicating human disorders during development that are characterized by dysfunctional interactions with specific stimuli. PMID:21056059

Computer simulations for the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission through NASA's 'Project Spectra!'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, E. L.

2013-12-01

'Project Spectra!' is a standards-based light science and engineering program on solar system exploration that includes both hands-on paper and pencil activities as well as Flash-based computer games that help students solidify understanding of high-level planetary and solar physics. Using computer interactive games where students experience and manipulate the information makes abstract concepts accessible. Visualizing lessons with multi-media tools solidifies understanding and retention of knowledge. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. As a part of the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission education programming, we've developed two new 'Project Spectra!' interactives that go hand-in-hand with a paper and pencil activity. The MAVEN mission will study volatiles in the upper atmosphere to help piece together Mars' climate history. In the first interactive, students explore black body radiation, albedo, and a simplified greenhouse effect to establish what factors contribute to overall planetary temperature and how they contribute. Students are asked to create a scenario in which a planet they build and design is able to maintain liquid water on the surface. In the second interactive, students are asked to consider Mars and the conditions needed for Mars to support water on the surface, keeping some variables fixed. Ideally, students will walk away with the very basic and critical elements required for climate studies, which has far-reaching implications beyond the study of Mars. These interactives were pilot tested at Arvada High School in Colorado.

A novel approach to exploring potential interactions among single-nucleotide polymorphisms of inflammation genes in gliomagenesis: an exploratory case-only study.

PubMed

Amirian, E Susan; Scheurer, Michael E; Liu, Yanhong; D'Amelio, Anthony M; Houlston, Richard S; Etzel, Carol J; Shete, Sanjay; Swerdlow, Anthony J; Schoemaker, Minouk J; McKinney, Patricia A; Fleming, Sarah J; Muir, Kenneth R; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Bondy, Melissa L

2011-08-01

Despite extensive research on the topic, glioma etiology remains largely unknown. Exploration of potential interactions between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of immune genes is a promising new area of glioma research. The case-only study design is a powerful and efficient design for exploring possible multiplicative interactions between factors that are independent of one another. The purpose of our study was to use this exploratory design to identify potential pair wise SNP-SNP interactions from genes involved in several different immune-related pathways for investigation in future studies. The study population consisted of two case groups: 1,224 histologic confirmed, non-Hispanic white glioma cases from the United States and a validation population of 634 glioma cases from the United Kingdom. Polytomous logistic regression, in which one SNP was coded as the outcome and the other SNP was included as the exposure, was utilized to calculate the ORs of the likelihood of cases simultaneously having the variant alleles of two different SNPs. Potential interactions were examined only between SNPs located in different genes or chromosomes. Using this data mining strategy, we found 396 significant SNP-SNP interactions among polymorphisms of immune-related genes that were present in both the U.S. and U.K. study populations. This exploratory study was conducted for the purpose of hypothesis generation, and thus has provided several new hypotheses that can be tested using traditional case-control study designs to obtain estimates of risk. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to take this novel approach to identifying SNP-SNP interactions relevant to glioma etiology. ©2011 AACR.

Pseudohaptic interaction with knot diagrams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Jianguang; Zhang, Hui

2012-07-01

To make progress in understanding knot theory, we need to interact with the projected representations of mathematical knots, which are continuous in three dimensions (3-D) but significantly interrupted in the projective images. One way to achieve such a goal is to design an interactive system that allows us to sketch two-dimensional (2-D) knot diagrams by taking advantage of a collision-sensing controller and explore their underlying smooth structures through a continuous motion. Recent advances of interaction techniques have been made that allow progress in this direction. Pseudohaptics that simulate haptic effects using pure visual feedback can be used to develop such an interactive system. We outline one such pseudohaptic knot diagram interface. Our interface derives from the familiar pencil-and-paper process of drawing 2-D knot diagrams and provides haptic-like sensations to facilitate the creation and exploration of knot diagrams. A centerpiece of the interaction model simulates a physically reactive mouse cursor, which is exploited to resolve the apparent conflict between the continuous structure of the actual smooth knot and the visual discontinuities in the knot diagram representation. Another value in exploiting pseudohaptics is that an acceleration (or deceleration) of the mouse cursor (or surface locator) can be used to indicate the slope of the curve (or surface) of which the projective image is being explored. By exploiting these additional visual cues, we proceed to a full-featured extension to a pseudohaptic four-dimensional (4-D) visualization system that simulates the continuous navigation on 4-D objects and allows us to sense the bumps and holes in the fourth dimension. Preliminary tests of the software show that main features of the interface overcome some expected perceptual limitations in our interaction with 2-D knot diagrams of 3-D knots and 3-D projective images of 4-D mathematical objects.

Interactive Video: Why Trainers Are Tuning In.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broderick, Richard

1982-01-01

The uses of interactive video are explored through various case studies. They include cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for the Dallas American Heart Association, Ford Motor Company dealership training, employee training at the Los Angeles Plutonium Facility, and others. (CT)

Racial Bias in Drivers' Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks : Understanding the Effect

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-10-01

This project explores social identity factors (race and gender) that influence drivers' behavior in interactions with pedestrians at crosswalks. One dangerous potential point of conflict for pedestrians within the transportation system is interaction...

HExpoChem: a systems biology resource to explore human exposure to chemicals.

PubMed

Taboureau, Olivier; Jacobsen, Ulrik Plesner; Kalhauge, Christian; Edsgärd, Daniel; Rigina, Olga; Gupta, Ramneek; Audouze, Karine

2013-05-01

Humans are exposed to diverse hazardous chemicals daily. Although an exposure to these chemicals is suspected to have adverse effects on human health, mechanistic insights into how they interact with the human body are still limited. Therefore, acquisition of curated data and development of computational biology approaches are needed to assess the health risks of chemical exposure. Here we present HExpoChem, a tool based on environmental chemicals and their bioactivities on human proteins with the objective of aiding the qualitative exploration of human exposure to chemicals. The chemical-protein interactions have been enriched with a quality-scored human protein-protein interaction network, a protein-protein association network and a chemical-chemical interaction network, thus allowing the study of environmental chemicals through formation of protein complexes and phenotypic outcomes enrichment. HExpoChem is available at http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/HExpoChem-1.0/.

A Study of Attitude and Knowledge of the Psychiatry Resident Doctors toward Clinician–Pharmaceutical Industry Interaction

PubMed Central

Balhara, Yatan Pal Singh; Mathur, Shachi; Anand, Nikhilesh

2012-01-01

Background: Pharmaceutical industry and clinicians are the two important stakeholders in the modern-day health care. However, concerns have been expressed about the lack of congruence between the goals of these two. Aims: The current study aimed at exploring the knowledge and attitude of the psychiatry resident doctors toward the clinician–pharmaceutical industry interaction and also at exploring the knowledge of the residents about the new Medical Council of India guidelines on this issue. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted among psychiatry residents. Descriptive statistics with frequency distribution was carried out by using SPSS version 17.0. Results: It had a good response rate of around 90%. The survey reveals the knowledge and attitude of the psychiatry residents toward the psychiatrist–pharmaceutical industry interaction. Conclusions: The survey provides understanding in knowledge and attitude of the psychiatry residents towards the psychiatrist-pharmaceutical industry interaction. PMID:22661810

The Future of Web Maps in Next Generation Textbooks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiBiase, D.; Prasad, S.

2014-12-01

The reformation of the "Object Formerly Known as Textbook" (coined by the Chronicle of Higher Education) toward a digital future is underway. Emerging nextgen texts look less like electronic books ("ebooks") and more like online courseware. In addition to text and illustrations, nextgen textbooks for STEM subjects are likely to combine quizzes, grade management tools, support for social learning, and interactive media including web maps. Web maps are interactive, multi-scale, online maps that enable teachers and learners to explore, interrogate, and mash up the wide variety of map layers available in the cloud. This presentation will show how web maps coupled with interactive quizzes enable students' purposeful explorations and interpretations of spatial patterns related to humankind's interactions with the earth. Attendees will also learn about Esri's offer to donate ArcGIS Online web mapping subscriptions to every U.S. school as part of the President Obama's ConnectED initiative.

A crystal plasticity-based study of the relationship between microstructure and ultra-high-cycle fatigue life in nickel titanium alloys

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

Moore, John A.; Frankel, Dana; Prasannavenkatesan, Rajesh

Nickel Titanium (NiTi) alloys are often used in biomedical devices where failure due to mechanical fatigue is common. For other alloy systems, computational models have proven an effective means of determining the relationship between microstructural features and fatigue life. This work will extend the subset of those models which were based on crystal plasticity to examine the relationship between microstructure and fatigue life in NiTi alloys. It will explore the interaction between a spherical inclusion and the material’s free surface along with several NiTi microstructures reconstructed from 3D imaging. This work will determine the distance at which the free surfacemore » interacts with an inclusion and the effect of applied strain of surface-inclusion interaction. The effects of inclusion-inclusion interaction, matrix voiding, and matrix strengthening are explored and ranked with regards to their influence on fatigue life.« less

Three-dimensional co-culture models to study prostate cancer growth, progression, and metastasis to bone.

PubMed

Wang, Ruoxiang; Xu, Jianchun; Juliette, Lisa; Castilleja, Agapito; Love, John; Sung, Shian-Ying; Zhau, Haiyen E; Goodwin, Thomas J; Chung, Leland W K

2005-10-01

Cancer-stromal interaction results in the co-evolution of both the cancer cells and the surrounding host stromal cells. As a consequence of this interaction, cancer cells acquire increased malignant potential and stromal cells become more inductive. In this review we suggest that cancer-stromal interaction can best be investigated by three-dimensional (3D) co-culture models with the results validated by clinical specimens. We showed that 3D culture promoted bone formation in vitro, and explored for the first time, with the help of the astronauts of the Space Shuttle Columbia, the co-culture of human prostate cancer and bone cells to further understand the interactions between these cells. Continued exploration of cancer growth under 3D conditions will rapidly lead to new discoveries and ultimately to improvements in the treatment of men with hormonal refractory prostate cancer.

A crystal plasticity-based study of the relationship between microstructure and ultra-high-cycle fatigue life in nickel titanium alloys

DOE PAGES

Moore, John A.; Frankel, Dana; Prasannavenkatesan, Rajesh; ...

2016-06-06

Nickel Titanium (NiTi) alloys are often used in biomedical devices where failure due to mechanical fatigue is common. For other alloy systems, computational models have proven an effective means of determining the relationship between microstructural features and fatigue life. This work will extend the subset of those models which were based on crystal plasticity to examine the relationship between microstructure and fatigue life in NiTi alloys. It will explore the interaction between a spherical inclusion and the material’s free surface along with several NiTi microstructures reconstructed from 3D imaging. This work will determine the distance at which the free surfacemore » interacts with an inclusion and the effect of applied strain of surface-inclusion interaction. The effects of inclusion-inclusion interaction, matrix voiding, and matrix strengthening are explored and ranked with regards to their influence on fatigue life.« less

Population genetic analysis of oral treponemes by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis.

PubMed

Dahle, U R; Olsen, I; Tronstad, L; Caugant, D A

1995-10-01

Seventeen treponemes recently isolated from necrotic pulps, periodontal and periapical infections and 17 previously well characterized oral treponemal strains were analyzed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. Ten genetic loci were characterized on the basis of the electrophoretic mobilities of their enzymatic products. All loci were polymorphic. The average number of alleles per locus was 7.8. The genetic diversity among the electrophoretic types at each locus ranged from 0.624 to 0.836 with a mean genetic diversity per locus of 0.751. The 34 strains represented 34 electrophoretic types, constituting 6 main divisions (I-VI) separated at genetic distances greater than 0.75. Several of the previously characterized treponemes revealed multiple bands of enzyme activity at several loci, indicating that they were not pure. The characterized strains usually clustered within established species, whereas fresh clinical isolates overlapped species borders. There was a large genetic difference between some reference and clinical strains, indicating that the latter may contain undescribed species. Treponema socranskii and Treponema denticola strains clustered in distinct divisions (IV and V, respectively), with the exception of T. denticola strain FDC 51B2 and T. socranskii subsp. paredis strain VPI D46CPE1, both previously well described. This indicated that the taxonomic assignment of these 2 strains should be reconsidered.

Physico-chemical and Biological Evaluation of Flavonols: Fisetin, Quercetin and Kaempferol Alone and Incorporated in beta Cyclodextrins.

PubMed

Corina, Danciu; Bojin, Florina; Ambrus, Rita; Muntean, Delia; Soica, Codruta; Paunescu, Virgil; Cristea, Mirabela; Pinzaru, Iulia; Dehelean, Cristina

2017-01-01

Fisetin,quercetin and kaempferol are among the important representatives of flavonols, biological active phytocomounds, with low water solubility. To evaluate the antimicrobial effect, respectively the antiproliferative and pro apoptotic activity on the B164A5 murine melanoma cell line of pure flavonols and their beta cyclodextrins complexes. Incorporation of fisetin, quercetin and kaempferol in beta cyclodextrins was proved by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differencial scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Pure compounds and their complexes were tested for antiproliferative (MTT) and pro-apoptotic activity (Annexin V-PI) on the B164A5 murine melanoma cell line and for the antimicrobial properties (Disk Diffusion Method) on the selected strains. The phytocompounds presented in a different manner in vitro chemopreventive activity against B164A5 murine melanoma cell line and weak antimicrobial effect. The three flavonols: fisetin, quercetin and kaempferol were successfully incorporated in beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) and hydroxylpropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD). Incorporation in beta cyclodextrins had a mix effect on the biological activity conducing to decrease, increase or consistent effect compared to pure phytocompound, depending on the screened process and on the chosen combination. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Syntheses, crystal structures, anticancer activities of three reduce Schiff base ligand based transition metal complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Hui-Qin; Jia, Lei; Xu, Jun; Zhu, Tao-Feng; Xu, Zhou-Qing; Chen, Ru-Hua; Ma, Tie-Liang; Wang, Yuan; Wu, Wei-Na

2016-02-01

Three nickel(II) complexes, [Ni2(L1)2(tren)2(H2O)](ClO4)3 (1), [NiL2(tren)2](ClO4)·2.5H2O (2), [NiL2(tren)2]I·1.5H2O·CH3OH (3) based on amino acid reduced Schiff ligands are synthesized and characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. The results show that in all complexes, the amino acid ligand is deprotonated and acts as an anionic ligand. In the dinuclear complex 1, each Ni(II) atom has a distorted octahedron geometry while with different coordination environment. However, the complexes 2 and 3 are mononuclear, almost with the same coordination environment. Furthermore, in vitro experiments are carried out, including MTT assay, Annexin V/PI flow cytometry and western blotting, to assess whether the complexes have antitumor effect. And the results show that all the three complexes have moderate anticancer activity towards human hepatic cancer (HepG2), human cervical cancer (HeLa) and human prostate (PC3) cell lines, in a concentration dependent way. The complex 1 exhibit higher cytotoxicity than the other two complexes and can induce human hepatic cancer cell (HepG2) to cell apoptosis by activating caspase 3.

Cytotoxicity of lidocaine to human corneal endothelial cells in vitro.

PubMed

Yu, Hao-Ze; Li, Yi-Han; Wang, Rui-Xin; Zhou, Xin; Yu, Miao-Miao; Ge, Yuan; Zhao, Jun; Fan, Ting-Jun

2014-04-01

Lidocaine has been reported to induce apoptosis on rabbit corneal endothelial cells. However, the apoptotic effect and exact mechanism involved in cytotoxicity of lidocaine are not well-established in human corneal endothelial (HCE) cells. In this study, we investigated the apoptosis-inducing effect of lidocaine on HCE cells in vitro. After HCE cells were treated with lidocaine at concentrations of 0.15625-10.0 g/l, the morphology and ultrastructure of the cells were observed by inverted light microscope and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Cell viability was measured by MTT assay, and the apoptotic ratio was evaluated with flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopic counting after FITC-Annexin V/PI and AO/EB staining. DNA fragmentation was detected by electrophoresis, and the activation of caspases was evaluated by ELISA. In addition, changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by JC-1 staining. Results suggest that lidocaine above 1.25 g/l reduced cellular viability and triggered apoptosis in HCE cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Diminishment of ΔΨm and the activation of caspases indicate that lidocaine-induced apoptosis was caspase dependent and may be related to mitochondrial pathway. © 2013 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

A comparison of personality attributes of science teachers and medical technologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazi, M. U.; Piper, Martha K.

Undergraduate students who major in science make diverse career choices. Two such career choices are medical technologists and science teachers. One possible reason for science majors selecting different career choices might be attributed to varied personality dimensions. The purpose of this study was to identify a set of personality attributes that distinguish practicing medical technologists from practicing science teachers. The subjects of this study consisted of 83 medical technologists and 57 science teachers. Eysenck Personality (EPI) was utilized to investigate the personality attributes of subjects in terms of Eysenck's personality variable of Extroversion-Introversion and Neuroticism-Stability. Vocational Preference Inventory was utilized to investigate the vocational personality profile of subjects in terms of Holland's classification of occupations and work environment. Data with EPI revealed that there was no significant difference between medical technologists and science teachers with respect to Eysenck's personality variable of extroversion. However, there was found a significant difference between the two groups with respect to Eysenck's personality variable of neuroticism. Data with VPI revealed that there was no significant difference between medical technologists and science teachers with respect to Eysenck's personality variable of extroversion. Both the groups were characterized by the personality profile of IAS (Intellectual-Artistic-Social). This profile was different from that required earlier in literature.

Curcumin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human colorectal cancer cells by activating the mitochondria apoptotic pathway.

PubMed

Guo, Li-da; Chen, Xue-Jie; Hu, Yu-Hong; Yu, Zhi-Jun; Wang, Duo; Liu, Jing-Ze

2013-03-01

Curcumin, a natural plant extract from Curcuma longa, is known for its anti-carcinogenic and chemopreventive effects on a variety of experimental cancer models. In this study, we evaluated the effects of curcumin and elucidated its mechanism in human colorectal carcinoma cells. Cell viability assay showed that curcumin significantly inhibited the growth of LoVo cells. Curcumin treatment induced the apoptosis accompanied by ultra-structural changes and release of lactate dehydrogenase in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, treatment with 0-30 µg/mL curcumin decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and activated the caspase-3 and caspase-9 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Nuclear and annexin V/PI staining showed that curcumin induced the apoptosis of LoVo cells. FACS analysis revealed that curcumin could induce the cell cycle arrest of LoVo cells at the S phase. Furthermore, western blotting analysis indicated that curcumin induced the release of cytochrome c, a significant increase of Bax and p53 and a marked reduction of Bcl-2 and survivin in LoVo cells. Taken together, our results suggested that curcumin inhibited the growth of LoVo cells by inducing apoptosis through a mitochondria-mediated pathway. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A novel anti-CD22 scFv-apoptin fusion protein induces apoptosis in malignant B-cells.

PubMed

Agha Amiri, Solmaz; Shahhosseini, Soraya; Zarei, Najmeh; Khorasanizadeh, Dorsa; Aminollahi, Elahe; Rezaie, Faegheh; Zargari, Mehryar; Azizi, Mohammad; Khalaj, Vahid

2017-12-01

CD22 marker is a highly internalizing antigen which is located on the surface of B-cells and is being used as a promising target for treatment of B cell malignancies. Monoclonal antibodies targeting CD22 have been introduced and some are currently under investigation in clinical trials. Building on the success of antibody drug conjugates, we developed a fusion protein consisting of a novel anti-CD22 scFv and apoptin and tested binding and therapeutic effects in lymphoma cells. The recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli and successfully purified and refolded. In vitro binding analysis by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry demonstrated that the recombinant protein specifically binds to CD22 positive Raji cells but not to CD22 negative Jurkat cells. The cytotoxic properties of scFv-apoptin were assessed by an MTT assay and Annexin V/PI flow cytometry analysis and showed that the recombinant protein induced apoptosis preferentially in Raji cells with no detectable effects in Jurkat cells. Our findings indicated that the recombinant anti-CD22 scFv-apoptin fusion protein could successfully cross the cell membrane and induce apoptosis with high specificity, make it as a promising molecule for immunotherapy of B-cell malignancies.

Pirfenidone inhibits migration, differentiation, and proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro

PubMed Central

Wang, Jing; Yang, Yangfan; Xu, Jiangang; Lin, Xianchai; Wu, Kaili

2013-01-01

Purpose To investigate the effects of pirfenidone (PFD) on the migration, differentiation, and proliferation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and demonstrate whether the drug induces cytotoxicity. Methods Human RPE cells (line D407) were treated with various concentrations of PFD. Cell migration was measured with scratch assay. The protein levels of fibronectin (FN), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), transforming growth factor beta (TGFβS), and Smads were assessed with western blot analyses. Levels of mRNA of TGFβS, FN, and Snail1 were analyzed using reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. Cell apoptosis was detected with flow cytometry using the Annexin V/PI apoptosis kit, and the percentages of cells labeled in different apoptotic stage were compared. A Trypan Blue assay was used to assess cell viability. Results PFD inhibited RPE cell migration. Western blot analyses showed that PFD inhibited the expression of FN, α-SMA, CTGF, TGFβ1, TGFβ2, Smad2/3, and Smad4. Similarly, PFD also downregulated mRNA levels of Snail1, FN, TGFβ1, and TGFβ2. No significant differences in cell apoptosis or viability were observed between the control and PFD-treated groups. Conclusions PFD inhibited RPE cell migration, differentiation, and proliferation in vitro and caused no significant cytotoxicity. PMID:24415895

Research on high power intra-channel crosstalk attack in optical networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Shuai; Zhang, Yinfa; Wang, Jingyu; Zhang, Jumei; Rao, Xuejun; Fang, Yuanyuan

2017-02-01

The mechanism of high power intra-channel crosstalk attack is analyzed theoretically and the conclusion that power of attack signal and crosstalk coefficient of optical switch are the main factors for which high power intra-channel have destructive effect on quality of legitimate signals is drawn. Effects of high power intra-channel crosstalk attack on quality of legitimate signals and its capability of attack propagation are investigated quantitatively by building the simulation system in VPI software. The results show that legitimate signals through the first and the second stage optical switch are affected by attack and legitimate signal through the third stage optical switch is almost unaffected by attack when power of original attack signal (OAS) is above 20dB more than that of legitimate signals and crosstalk coefficient of optical switch is -20dB at optical cross connect 1 (OXC1). High power intra-channel crosstalk attack has a certain capability of attack propagation. Attack capability of OAS can be propagated to OXC3 when power of OAS is 27dB more than that of legitimate signals and crosstalk coefficient of optical switch is -20dB. We also find that the secondary attack signal (SAS) does not have capability of attack propagation.

Clinical changes in periodontium during pregnancy and post-partum.

PubMed

Gürsoy, Mervi; Pajukanta, Riitta; Sorsa, Timo; Könönen, Eija

2008-07-01

Pregnancy has been presented to increase susceptibility to gingival inflammation. It is unclear whether pregnancy gingivitis exposes or proceeds to periodontitis. We examined longitudinally the severity of periodontal changes during pregnancy and post-partum, and compared the findings with an age-matched group of non-pregnant women. Thirty generally healthy, non-smoking women at an early phase of their pregnancy and 24 non-pregnant women as controls were recruited. The pregnant group was examined three times during pregnancy and twice during post-partum, and the non-pregnant group three times, once per subsequent month. At each visit, visible plaque index (VPI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were measured from six sites per tooth. In the pregnant group, BOP and PPD increased simultaneously without relation to plaque between the first and second trimesters, and thereafter decreased during subsequent visits. No changes were detected in CAL during the study period. In the non-pregnant group, BOP stayed invariable during the follow-up and correlated with the amount of plaque. Neither periodontal pocket formation nor significant changes in attachment levels were observed. Based on this study, changes in clinical parameters during pregnancy are reversible, indicating that pregnancy gingivitis does not predispose or proceed to periodontitis.

Integrated Service Provisioning in an Ipv6 over ATM Research Network

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

Eli Dart; Helen Chen; Jerry Friesen

1999-02-01

During the past few years, the worldwide Internet has grown at a phenomenal rate, which has spurred the proposal of innovative network technologies to support the fast, efficient and low-latency transport of a wide spectrum of multimedia traffic types. Existing network infrastructures have been plagued by their inability to provide for real-time application traffic as well as their general lack of resources and resilience to congestion. This work proposes to address these issues by implementing a prototype high-speed network infrastructure consisting of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) on top of an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) transport medium. Since ATM ismore » connection-oriented whereas IP uses a connection-less paradigm, the efficient integration of IPv6 over ATM is especially challenging and has generated much interest in the research community. We propose, in collaboration with an industry partner, to implement IPv6 over ATM using a unique approach that integrates IP over fast A TM hardware while still preserving IP's connection-less paradigm. This is achieved by replacing ATM's control software with IP's routing code and by caching IP's forwarding decisions in ATM's VPI/VCI translation tables. Prototype ''VR'' and distributed-parallel-computing applications will also be developed to exercise the realtime capability of our IPv6 over ATM network.« less

Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization of Vibrio cholerae Non-O1 Isolates from a US Gulf Coast Cholera Outbreak

PubMed Central

Grim, Christopher J.; Onifade, Tiffiani J.; Cinar, Hediye N.; Tall, Ben D.; Taviani, Elisa; Hasan, Nur A.; Abdullah, AbdulShakur H.; Carter, Laurenda; Sahu, Surasri N.; Kothary, Mahendra H.; Chen, Arlene; Baker, Ron; Hutchinson, Richard; Blackmore, Carina; Cebula, Thomas A.; Huq, Anwar; Colwell, Rita R.

2014-01-01

Between November 2010, and May 2011, eleven cases of cholera, unrelated to a concurrent outbreak on the island of Hispaniola, were recorded, and the causative agent, Vibrio cholerae serogroup O75, was traced to oysters harvested from Apalachicola Bay, Florida. From the 11 diagnosed cases, eight isolates of V. cholerae were isolated and their genomes were sequenced. Genomic analysis demonstrated the presence of a suite of mobile elements previously shown to be involved in the disease process of cholera (ctxAB, VPI-1 and -2, and a VSP-II like variant) and a phylogenomic analysis showed the isolates to be sister taxa to toxigenic V. cholerae V51 serogroup O141, a clinical strain isolated 23 years earlier. Toxigenic V. cholerae O75 has been repeatedly isolated from clinical cases in the southeastern United States and toxigenic V. cholerae O141 isolates have been isolated globally from clinical cases over several decades. Comparative genomics, phenotypic analyses, and a Caenorhabditis elegans model of infection for the isolates were conducted. This analysis coupled with isolation data of V. cholerae O75 and O141 suggests these strains may represent an underappreciated clade of cholera-causing strains responsible for significant disease burden globally. PMID:24699521

Genomic and phenotypic characterization of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 isolates from a US Gulf Coast cholera outbreak.

PubMed

Haley, Bradd J; Choi, Seon Young; Grim, Christopher J; Onifade, Tiffiani J; Cinar, Hediye N; Tall, Ben D; Taviani, Elisa; Hasan, Nur A; Abdullah, Abdulshakur H; Carter, Laurenda; Sahu, Surasri N; Kothary, Mahendra H; Chen, Arlene; Baker, Ron; Hutchinson, Richard; Blackmore, Carina; Cebula, Thomas A; Huq, Anwar; Colwell, Rita R

2014-01-01

Between November 2010, and May 2011, eleven cases of cholera, unrelated to a concurrent outbreak on the island of Hispaniola, were recorded, and the causative agent, Vibrio cholerae serogroup O75, was traced to oysters harvested from Apalachicola Bay, Florida. From the 11 diagnosed cases, eight isolates of V. cholerae were isolated and their genomes were sequenced. Genomic analysis demonstrated the presence of a suite of mobile elements previously shown to be involved in the disease process of cholera (ctxAB, VPI-1 and -2, and a VSP-II like variant) and a phylogenomic analysis showed the isolates to be sister taxa to toxigenic V. cholerae V51 serogroup O141, a clinical strain isolated 23 years earlier. Toxigenic V. cholerae O75 has been repeatedly isolated from clinical cases in the southeastern United States and toxigenic V. cholerae O141 isolates have been isolated globally from clinical cases over several decades. Comparative genomics, phenotypic analyses, and a Caenorhabditis elegans model of infection for the isolates were conducted. This analysis coupled with isolation data of V. cholerae O75 and O141 suggests these strains may represent an underappreciated clade of cholera-causing strains responsible for significant disease burden globally.

The metastasis suppressor SOX11 is an independent prognostic factor for improved survival in gastric cancer

PubMed Central

QU, YING; ZHOU, CHENFEI; ZHANG, JIANIAN; CAI, QU; LI, JIANFANG; DU, TAO; ZHU, ZHENGGANG; CUI, XIAOJIANG; LIU, BINGYA

2014-01-01

SOX11 is involved in gastrulation and in malignant diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of SOX11 in gastric cancer and its expression pattern and clinical significance. SOX11 overexpression cell model was used to examine in vitro and in vivo the role of SOX11 in cell growth and metastasis. Cell cycle analysis and Annexin V/PI double staining were used to investigate the effect of SOX11 on cell cycle progression and apoptosis. The expression of SOX11 in human gastric cancer was examined by immunohistochemistry. The correlation of SOX11 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and survival of patients was analyzed by Pearson’s χ2 and Kaplan-Meier analyses, respectively. Cox’s proportional hazard model was employed in multivariate analysis. SOX11 overexpression did not inhibit cell growth but strongly suppressed cell migration/invasion in vitro and in vivo. We found a significant correlation between high SOX11 protein levels and Lauren’s classification (intestinal type), differentiation status (high and medium), and early TNM stage. SOX11 is an independent prognostic factor for improved survival in gastric cancer patients. SOX11 was a potential tumor-suppressor and an independent positive prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients with less advanced clinicopathological features. PMID:24604109

The synthesis, antifungal and apoptotic effects of triazole-oxadiazoles against Candida species.

PubMed

Çavuşoğlu, Betül Kaya; Yurttaş, Leyla; Cantürk, Zerrin

2018-01-20

In search of potent and safe antifungal agents, herein, we report the synthesis, characterization and biological activities of triazole-oxadiazole compounds. The structural verification of the molecules was carried out by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and mass spectral data. The in vitro antifungal and apoptotic activity were investigated against C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei and C. glabrata. The compounds namely N-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-[(5-(2-((4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)ethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)thio]acetamide (4e) and N-(6-fluorobenzothiazol-2-yl)-2-[(5-(2-((4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)ethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)thio]acetamide (4i) were detected as the most potent compounds against C. albicans and C. glabrata (MIC 90  = 62.5 μg/mL). According to studies on their mechanism of action, it was confirmed that compound 4i has apoptotic effect on four Candida via Annexin V-PI with flow cytometry. The MTT assay revealed that all compounds were determined to be non-toxic against healthy cells in the tested concentrations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Exosomal DNMT1 mediates cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer.

PubMed

Cao, Ya-Lei; Zhuang, Ting; Xing, Bao-Heng; Li, Na; Li, Qin

2017-08-01

Ovarian cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Owing to late syndromic presentation and lack of efficient early detection, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages. Surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy are still the standard care currently. However, resistance invoked often compromises the clinical value of the latter. Expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) was analysed by gene array. Protein was determined by immunoblotting. Exosome was isolated with commercial kit. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK8 method. Annexin V-PI double staining was performed for apoptosis evaluation. Xenograft model was established and administrated with exosome. Tumour growth and overall survival were monitored. We demonstrated the upregulation of DNMT1 in both tumour and derived cell line. DNMT1 transcripts were highly enriched in exosomes from conditioned medium of ovarian cells. Co-incubation with exosomes stimulated endogenous expression and rendered host cell the resistance to cytotoxicity of cisplatin. In vivo administration of DNMT1-containing exosomes exacerbated xenograft progression and reduced overall survival significantly. Moreover, treatment with exosome inhibitor GW4869 almost completely restored sensitivity in resistant cells. Our data elucidated an unappreciated mechanism of exosomal DNMT1 in cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer, also indicating the potential of the combination of exosome inhibitor with cisplatin in resistant patients. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Towards an acoustical platform for many-body spin emulation: Transmon qubits patterned on a piezoelectric material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moores, Brad A.; Sletten, Lucas R.; Viennot, Jeremie; Lehnert, K. W.

Man-made systems of interacting qubits are a promising and powerful way of exploring many-body spin physics beyond classical computation. Although transmon qubits are perhaps the most advanced quantum computing technology, building a system of such qubits designed to emulate a system of many interacting spins is hindered by the mismatch of scales between the transmons and the electromagnetic modes that couple them. We propose a strategy to overcome this mismatch by using surface acoustic waves, which couple to qubits piezoelectrically and have micron wavelengths at GHz frequencies. In this talk, we will present characterizations of transmon qubits fabricated on a piezoelectric material, and show that their coherence properties are sufficient to explore acoustically mediated qubit interactions.

Collaborative Micro Aerial Vehicle Exploration of Outdoor Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

with accelerometer or multitouch capabilities have also simply followed the same WYSIWYG paradigm. Finally, no HRI research exists on interacting ...Nudge Control relies on multimodal interaction ( multitouch gestures and tilting) to create a rich control interaction without cluttering the display...used in one of two different modes. NG mode uses a set of tilting gestures while CT mode uses multitouch gestures to interact with the vehicle. Both of

Using video-annotation software to identify interactions in group therapies for schizophrenia: assessing reliability and associations with outcomes.

PubMed

Orfanos, Stavros; Akther, Syeda Ferhana; Abdul-Basit, Muhammad; McCabe, Rosemarie; Priebe, Stefan

2017-02-10

Research has shown that interactions in group therapies for people with schizophrenia are associated with a reduction in negative symptoms. However, it is unclear which specific interactions in groups are linked with these improvements. The aims of this exploratory study were to i) develop and test the reliability of using video-annotation software to measure interactions in group therapies in schizophrenia and ii) explore the relationship between interactions in group therapies for schizophrenia with clinically relevant changes in negative symptoms. Video-annotation software was used to annotate interactions from participants selected across nine video-recorded out-patient therapy groups (N = 81). Using the Individual Group Member Interpersonal Process Scale, interactions were coded from participants who demonstrated either a clinically significant improvement (N = 9) or no change (N = 8) in negative symptoms at the end of therapy. Interactions were measured from the first and last sessions of attendance (>25 h of therapy). Inter-rater reliability between two independent raters was measured. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between the frequency of interactive behaviors and changes in negative symptoms, assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Of the 1275 statements that were annotated using ELAN, 1191 (93%) had sufficient audio and visual quality to be coded using the Individual Group Member Interpersonal Process Scale. Rater-agreement was high across all interaction categories (>95% average agreement). A higher frequency of self-initiated statements measured in the first session was associated with improvements in negative symptoms. The frequency of questions and giving advice measured in the first session of attendance was associated with improvements in negative symptoms; although this was only a trend. Video-annotation software can be used to reliably identify interactive behaviors in groups for schizophrenia. The results suggest that proactive communicative gestures, as assessed by the video-analysis, predict outcomes. Future research should use this novel method in larger and clinically different samples to explore which aspects of therapy facilitate such proactive communication early on in therapy.

RealSurf - A Tool for the Interactive Visualization of Mathematical Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stussak, Christian; Schenzel, Peter

For applications in fine art, architecture and engineering it is often important to visualize and to explore complex mathematical models. In former times there were static models of them collected in museums respectively in mathematical institutes. In order to check their properties for esthetical reasons it could be helpful to explore them interactively in 3D in real time. For the class of implicitly given algebraic surfaces we developed the tool RealSurf. Here we give an introduction to the program and some hints for the design of interesting surfaces.

Using immersive media and digital technology to communicate Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapur, Ravi

2016-04-01

A number of technologies in digital media and interactivity have rapidly advanced and are now converging to enable rich, multi-sensoral experiences which create opportunities for both digital art and science communication. Techniques used in full-dome film-making can now be deployed in virtual reality experiences; gaming technologies can be utilised to explore real data sets; and collaborative interactivity enable new forms of public artwork. This session will explore these converging trends through a number of emerging and forthcoming projects dealing with Earth science, climate change and planetary science.

Exploring Peer Relationships, Friendships and Group Work Dynamics in Higher Education: Applying Social Network Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mamas, Christoforos

2018-01-01

This study primarily applied social network analysis (SNA) to explore the relationship between friendships, peer social interactions and group work dynamics within a higher education undergraduate programme in England. A critical case study design was adopted so as to allow for an in-depth exploration of the students' voice. In doing so, the views…

Investigating Teachers' Exploration of a Professional Development Website: An Innovative Approach to Understanding the Factors that Motivate Teachers to Use Internet-Based Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, Pamela; Willows, Dale

2014-01-01

This qualitative study examined an innovative methodology, combining screen capture technology and a retrospective think aloud, for exploring the use of Internet-based resources by elementary teachers. Pre-service and in-service teachers explored "The Balanced Literacy Diet," a free, interactive, and evidenced-informed professional…

Conversational Pedagogy: Exploring Interactions between a Teaching Artist and Young Learners during Visual Arts Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckhoff, Angela

2013-01-01

In many early childhood classrooms, visual arts experiences occur around a communal arts table. A shared workspace allows for spontaneous conversation and exploration of the art-making process of peers and teachers. In this setting, conversation can play an important role in visual arts experiences as children explore new media, skills, and ideas.…

Exploring the Interaction Mechanism Between Cyclopeptide DC3 and Androgen Receptor Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Free Energy Calculations

PubMed Central

Zhang, Huimin; Song, Tianqing; Yang, Yizhao; Fu, Chenggong; Li, Jiazhong

2018-01-01

Androgen receptor (AR) is a key target in the discovery of anti-PCa (Prostate Cancer) drugs. Recently, a novel cyclopeptide Diffusa Cyclotide-3 (DC3), isolated from Hedyotisdiffusa, has been experimentally demonstrated to inhibit the survival and growth of LNCap cells, which typically express T877A-mutated AR, the most frequently detected point mutation of AR in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). But the interaction mechanism between DC3 and AR is not clear. Here in this study we aim to explore the possible binding mode of DC3 to T877A-mutated AR from molecular perspective. Firstly, homology modeling was employed to construct the three-dimensional structure of the cyclopeptide DC3 using 2kux.1.A as the template. Then molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) methods were performed to determine the bind site and explore the detailed interaction mechanism of DC3-AR complex. The obtained results suggested that the site formed by H11, loop888-893, and H12 (site 2) was the most possible position of DC3 binding to AR. Besides, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, and electrostatic interactions play dominant roles in the recognition and combination of DC3-AR complex. The essential residues dominant in each interaction were specifically revealed. This work facilitates our understanding of the interaction mechanism of DC3 binding to AR at the molecular level and contributes to the rational cyclopeptide drug design for prostate cancer. PMID:29755968

Exploring the Interaction Mechanism between Cyclopeptide DC3 and Androgen Receptor Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Free Energy Calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Huimin; Song, Tianqing; Yang, Yizhao; Fu, Chenggong; Li, Jiazhong

2018-04-01

Androgen receptor (AR) is a key target in the discovery of anti-PCa (Prostate Cancer) drugs. Recently, a novel cyclopeptide Diffusa Cyclotide-3 (DC3), isolated from Hedyotisdiffusa, has been experimentally demonstrated to inhibit the survival and growth of LNCap cells, which typically express T877A-mutated AR, the most frequently detected point mutation of AR in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). But the interaction mechanism between DC3 and AR is not clear. Here in this study we aim to explore the possible binding mode of DC3 to T877A-mutated AR from molecular perspective. Firstly, homology modeling was employed to construct the three-dimensional structure of the cyclopeptide DC3 using 2kux.1.A as the template. Then molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) methods were performed to determine the bind site and explore the detailed interaction mechanism of DC3-AR complex. The obtained results suggested that the site formed by H11, loop888-893 and H12 (site 2) was the most possible position of DC3 binding to AR. Besides, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions play dominant roles in the recognition and combination of DC3-AR complex. The essential residues dominant in each interaction were specifically revealed. This work facilitates our understanding of the interaction mechanism of DC3 binding to AR at the molecular level and contributes to the rational cyclopeptide drug design for prostate cancer.

Exploring the Interaction Mechanism Between Cyclopeptide DC3 and Androgen Receptor Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Free Energy Calculations.

PubMed

Zhang, Huimin; Song, Tianqing; Yang, Yizhao; Fu, Chenggong; Li, Jiazhong

2018-01-01

Androgen receptor (AR) is a key target in the discovery of anti-PCa (Prostate Cancer) drugs. Recently, a novel cyclopeptide Diffusa Cyclotide-3 (DC3), isolated from Hedyotisdiffusa , has been experimentally demonstrated to inhibit the survival and growth of LNCap cells, which typically express T877A-mutated AR, the most frequently detected point mutation of AR in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). But the interaction mechanism between DC3 and AR is not clear. Here in this study we aim to explore the possible binding mode of DC3 to T877A-mutated AR from molecular perspective. Firstly, homology modeling was employed to construct the three-dimensional structure of the cyclopeptide DC3 using 2kux.1.A as the template. Then molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) methods were performed to determine the bind site and explore the detailed interaction mechanism of DC3-AR complex. The obtained results suggested that the site formed by H11, loop888-893, and H12 (site 2) was the most possible position of DC3 binding to AR. Besides, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, and electrostatic interactions play dominant roles in the recognition and combination of DC3-AR complex. The essential residues dominant in each interaction were specifically revealed. This work facilitates our understanding of the interaction mechanism of DC3 binding to AR at the molecular level and contributes to the rational cyclopeptide drug design for prostate cancer.

The Nature and Level of Learner-Learner Interaction in a Chemistry Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tawfik, Andrew A.; Reeves, Todd D.; Stich, Amy E.; Gill, Anila; Hong, Chenda; McDade, Joseph; Pillutla, Venkata Sai; Zhou, Xiaoshu; Giabbanelli, Philippe J.

2017-01-01

Similar to other online courses, massive open online courses (MOOCs) often rely on learner-learner interaction as a mechanism to promote learning. However, little is known at present about learner-learner interaction in these nascent informal learning environments. While some studies have explored MOOC participant perceptions of learner-learner…

Is AIBO Real? Understanding Children's Beliefs about and Behavioral Interactions with Anthropomorphic Toys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Andrea; Mishra, Punya

2009-01-01

Interactive toys for children are becoming more popular for both play and educational purposes, yet an understanding of the dependent measures used to study such interactions has not yet been explored. This study takes advantage of the idea that robotic animals exhibit both living and pretend qualities, and are therefore ideal for studying…

Nature of Teacher-Students' Interaction in Electronic Learning and Traditional Courses of Higher Education--A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malik, Sufiana Khatoon; Khurshed, Fauzia

2011-01-01

Present paper explores differential teacher-student interaction in electronic learning (el) and in face to face traditional learning (tl) courses at higher education. After thorough study literature available and getting information from university teachers teaching el and tl courses about the nature of teacher-students interaction in both modes…

Self-Efficacy, Task Complexity and Task Performance: Exploring Interactions in Two Versions of Vocabulary Learning Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Xiaoli; Lowyck, Joost; Sercu, Lies; Elen, Jan

2012-01-01

The present study aimed for better understanding of the interactions between task complexity and students' self-efficacy beliefs and students' use of learning strategies, and finally their interacting effects on task performance. This investigation was carried out in the context of Chinese students learning English as a foreign language in a…

Determinants of Internet Use for Interactive Learning: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castaño, Jonatan; Duart, Josep M.; Sancho-Vinuesa, Teresa

2015-01-01

The use of the Internet in higher education teaching can facilitate the interactive learning process and thus improve educational outcomes. The aim of the study presented here is to explore which variables are linked to higher intensity of Internet-based interactive educational practices. The study is based on data obtained from an online survey…

Persistence Temperament Associated with Children Playing Math Games between Touch Panel and Embodied Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jong, J-T.; Hong, J-C.; Yen, C-Y.

2013-01-01

The different designs of various interactive gaming controllers affect posture and muscle loading of the body. It is assumed that prolonged exposure to the interactive gaming controllers can affect the effectiveness in using the game for the purposes of learning. This study explores the differences in behavioural responses among students with…

CD-ROM Multimodal Affordances: Classroom Interaction Perspectives in the Malaysian English Literacy Hour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Sheena; Yaacob, Aizan

2009-01-01

CD-ROM affordances are explored in this article through participation in classroom interaction. CD-ROMs for shared reading of animated stories and language work were introduced to all Malaysian primary schools in 2003 for the Year 1 English Literacy Hour. We present classroom interaction extracts that show how the same CD-ROMs offer different…

Patterns of Kindergarten Children's Social Interaction with Peers in the Computer Area

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Eun Mee

2012-01-01

This study explored how young children interact with their peers in the computer area of a public kindergarten classroom. Children's social interaction, as defined in this study, is the action of giving and taking information that results in children's knowledge construction and cognitive development that can be accomplished through peer-to-peer…

Are We Allowed to Blink? Young Children's Leadership and Ownership while Mediating Interactions around Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnott, Lorna

2013-01-01

This article describes the formation of children's social interactions around technologies in preschools. This paper presents evidence from a study that explores how 3- to 5-year-old children construct their social interactions through the mediation of their peers while using technological resources. Utilising a systematic and iterative data…

Interaction of Dopamine Transporter (DAT1) Genotype and Maltreatment for ADHD: A Latent Class Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, James J.; Lee, Steve S.

2012-01-01

Background: Although the association of the dopamine transporter (DAT1) gene and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been widely studied, far less is known about its potential interaction with environmental risk factors. Given that maltreatment is a replicated risk factor for ADHD, we explored the interaction between DAT1 and…

Users' Interaction with World Wide Web Resources: An Exploratory Study Using a Holistic Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Peiling; Hawk, William B.; Tenopir, Carol

2000-01-01

Presents results of a study that explores factors of user-Web interaction in finding factual information, develops a conceptual framework for studying user-Web interaction, and applies a process-tracing method for conducting holistic user-Web studies. Describes measurement techniques and proposes a model consisting of the user, interface, and the…

Tree age and tree species shape positive and negative interactions in a montane meadow

Treesearch

Ryan D. Haugo; Charles Halpern

2010-01-01

Few studies have considered how interactions between woody and herbaceous species change in direction or magnitude over time or with traits of the dominant woody species. We used a chronosequence approach to explore these interactions in a montane meadow in which Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. and Abies grandis (Dougl. ex. D....

Mentor-Mentee Interaction and Laboratory Social Environment: Do They Matter in Doctoral Students' Publication Productivity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ynalvez, Marcus Antonius; Ynalvez, Ruby A.; Ramírez, Enrique

2017-01-01

We explored the social shaping of science at the micro-level reality of face-to-face interaction in one of the traditional places for scientific activities--the scientific lab. We specifically examined how doctoral students' perception of their: (i) interaction with doctoral mentors (MMI) and (ii) lab social environment (LSE) influenced…

Digging Deeper: Exploring the Relationship between Mentoring, Developmental Interactions, and Student Agency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Kimberly A.; Eury, Jennifer L.; Gaffney, Meghan E.

2015-01-01

While many cite the importance of having a mentor, focusing on the quality and nature of specific interactions between students and faculty can lead to better strategies promoting student agency. This chapter presents narratives from students who work with the same mentor, focusing on their interactions and how they shaped students' experiences…

E-Books Plus: Role of Interactive Visuals in Exploration of Mathematical Information and E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowhani, Sonja; Sedig, Kamran

2005-01-01

E-books promise to become a widespread delivery mechanism for educational resources. However, current e-books do not take full advantage of the power of computing tools. In particular, interaction with the content is often reduced to navigation through the information. This article investigates how adding interactive visuals to an e-book…

Quality Standards Matter: A Comparative Case Study Examining Interactive Writing in the Preschool Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Anna H.

2017-01-01

Interactive writing is a research-based early literacy strategy that has been found effective at increasing young children's oral language skills, alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, concepts of print, and early writing skills. This paper reports on a case study which explored the feasibility and fidelity of implementing interactive writing in…